This week you will be listening to music written by Frederic Chopin, a Polish composer who lived from 1810-1849.  While most composers write music for a variety of different instruments and musical ensembles, Chopin’s creative energies were directed nearly exclusively onto the piano.  And how fortunate we are that this instrument so inspired him!

The piece you will be listening to is called the Fantasie-Impromptu and is one of Chopin’s most beloved compositions.  It was written in 1835 but never published.  After his death Chopin’s sister finally gave approval to have it published even though Chopin had wished otherwise.

There are some interesting similarities between the Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven and Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu.  Both are written in the key of C#minor and two measures into Chopin’s composition there is an exact quotation from the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata.  One musical scholar, by the name of Ernst Oster wrote this about the quotation:  “Chopin understood Beethoven to a degree that no one who has written on the C-sharp minor Sonata or the Fantaisie-Impromptu has ever understood him. … The Fantaisie-Impromptu is perhaps the only instance where one genius discloses to us — if only by means of a composition of his own — what he actually hears in the work of another genius.” Also, in the slow section of the Fantasie the piece changes to Db Major ( enharmonic spelling of C#) which is the same key used by Beethoven in the second movement of the Moonlight Sonata.  Another interesting bit of trivia regarding this piece, is that the beautiful melody from the middle section was taken from a popular Vaudeville song called,  “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows.”  How do you think these two works (Moonlight Sonata and Fantasie-Impromptu) are similar and how are they different?

This week you will be listening to Beethoven’s piano sonata in C# minor frequently referred to as the “Moonlight” Sonata.  Just as many of you would recognize the opening motive of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, so many of you will recognize the opening triplet figure of this beloved piece.  However, my goal for you for this week in your listening is two-fold- 1.) to listen to the entire first movement and be able to recognize more than just the opening few measures;  2.) to listen to all three movements of this Sonata.  Be able to answer these questions about this Sonata:  Is the first movement in a major or minor key? Is the second movement in a major or minor key?  Is the third movement in a major or minor key?  What is the character of the second movement?  What is the character of the third movement?  Notice how the calm triplet figure of the first movement is transformed to a wild and ferocious triplet in the third movement.  Listening to it will inspire you to practice your scales and arpeggios!

A Sonata is made up of of three to four movements generally following a fast, slow, fast format in terms of the tempi.  However, in this Sonata, the “Moonlight”, Beethoven gives us a slow, meditative tempo, followed by a brighter Allegretto speed for the second movement and finishing with a tempestuous Presto Agitato for the final movement.  Beethoven did not name his Sonata the “moonlight” sonata and the many myths surrounding how he wrote it , such as sitting on his piano bench with the moonlight streaming over his shoulder while he puts quill to paper, are simply that- a myth.  However, the fact that Beethoven was a highly skilled composer who worked hard at his craft, does not take away from the magic of this piece.  Beethoven was forging new ground in this Sonata by not following the traditional ABA form for Sonatas and instead creating an entire movement on just that one simple rhythmic figure.

Enjoy hearing this inspiring work and look forward to when you can play it with your own two hands!

This week you will be listening to music written by W. A. Mozart, an Austrian composer who lived from 1756-1791.  The example is a piano Sonata that opens with a set of variations after which follows a minuet. The final movement is the very well-known “Turkish March” in which Mozart is having a little fun with the popularity of all things Turkish which was the rage during the late 1770’s and 1780’s.

1st movement – 

3rd movement – https://youtu.be/uWYmUZTYE78

This week you will be listening to a very familiar piece of music that some of you have learned or are in the process of learning and some of you will learn it in the future.  It is Fur Elise by Beethoven.  There are challenges listening to a piece that we think we know really well already and that is to listen to it as if hearing for the first time.  So here are some questions to help guide your listening.

What is the tonality- major or minor?  Does it stay in that tonality?  Listen to how carefully the pianists plays that very familiar theme and how he changes the dynamics each time the theme returns, thereby changing the character of the theme.  The piano is capable of giving hundreds of degrees of loud or soft and this pianist has amazing skill of showing us that capability in the way he plays this piece.  This piece is written in what is called a Rondo form, that is a theme, that we will call the “A” theme is followed by a different theme, which we will label the “B” theme.  Then the A theme returns to be followed this time by a new theme which we will label the “C” theme.  Then the A theme returns again for the final time.  Listen for each of these different themes and ask yourself how the A theme changes following the B or C themes.  Just as life experiences change us so the A theme can be heard differently after having heard the B and C themes.  Can you determine the time signature of this piece?  Listen for the beautiful voicing of the melody particularly in the B and C themes.

The second piece you will listen to is another Rondo form from one of Beethoven’s piano Sonatas.  He wrote thirty-two Sonatas and this one is Opus 31. No.3.  How would you describe the character or mood of this piece?  Does it change? What about the tonality?  The tempo is marked Presto.  Is Presto faster or slower than Allegro?  Listen to how Beethoven uses the registers of the piano playing the same motif in different octaves.  Also listen for how he uses the chromatic scale which ends in a trill, as a bridge between sections.  It is especially fun to hear this piece in the context of the other two movements as this is the last in the Sonata so you may want to listen to the Allegro movement and the Scherzo and Minuet moment of this delightful Sonata.

This week you will be listening to music composed by Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian composer who lived from 1843-1907.  His music reflects the folk music of his beloved Norway with many descriptive titles such as Watchman’s Song, Little Bird, Solitary Traveler, Waltz, Notturno,  to name just a few.  The two pieces I’ve selected will be familiar to some of you as you have learned them or are currently working on them.

As we talked about in the group lesson, be an active listener and use the following list to guide your ears.

What is the meter?  Duple or Triple?  What is the tonality- major or minor?  Do you hear clear dynamic contrasts?  Can you hear voicing- one part brought out above the other part?  Can you figure out the form of the piece- AB, ABA, ABACAD etc.?  What is the mood of the piece?  Here are some adjectives besides happy and sad to get you started:   reflective, energetic, impatient, mysterious, bold, fearful, dreamy, peaceful, confident.  Think of some of your own!

This week’s listening assignment is a piece written by Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer who lived from 1809-1847.  He was a music prodigy, writing many significant pieces at a young age and continued to compose many piano works, concertos, organ pieces and symphonies throughout his life.  Another important contribution that he made to music was to create a renewed interest in the music of J.S. Bach by his performance of the St. Matthew Passion when he was only twenty.

The piece you will be listening to is called Andante and Rondo Capriccioso.  Listen for the change of tempo between the Andante (walking speed) and the very quick Rondo Capriccioso.  Listen for how many times the Rondo theme is brought in and enjoy the playful and lightening-speed execution of the octaves played impressively by Jan Lisiecki.

This week you will be listening to the first movement of a Sonata written by Muzio Clementi, an Italian composer who lived from 1752-1832.  He was a contemporary of Mozart (1756-1791) and at one point in his career was considered a more important and influential composer than Mozart.  These two composers were challenged to a musical duel by the Emperor Joseph II of Austria at the end of which the Emperor considered it a draw.  Clementi is also known as the “father of modern piano playing” as his compositions did much to establish the technique and development of music on the piano.  His Opus 36 Sonatinas are still frequently learned and played by students but unfortunately his more advanced Sonatas are not as well known.  The one you will be listening to has a very dramatic and slow opening which then breaks into a lively a very exciting main theme.

The pianist playing this composition is Beatrice Rana, a young Italian pianist. Listen to her beautiful legato playing of the melody and her clear voicing and broad range of dynamics

This week’s listening assignment is featuring two pieces about donkeys.  The first is written by Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) a French composer, and is titled, The Little White Donkey.  As you listen, see if you can figure out what makes this piece sound like a little donkey walking along a road.  Which hand represents the donkey in the beginning of the piece?  In the middle section the mood changes.  What do you think the composer is trying to describe?  Is the donkey maybe not wanting to go any further?  Or perhaps he is hurrying along even faster to get home?  At the very end listen for the donkey’s “hee-haw!”

The second piece is written for orchestra and is part of a larger work called The Grand Canyon Suite, written by Ferdinand Grofe.  Grofe was an American composer, arranger and pianist who lived from 1892-1972.  He is known for his jazz arrangements particularly of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and also for this piece, The Grand Canyon Suite.  He also wrote music for some of the early films produced in the 1950’s.  The segment in this assignment is called On the Trail.  Which instrument is the voice of the donkey in the beginning of this piece?  What instrument takes over after the violin to represent the walking of the donkeys?  What is the interval of the hee-haw?  There is a place near the end where the music goes much faster.  There is a special italian word used to describe this affect  If you don’t know the word, see if you can search it out.  You might enjoy listening to the rest of this wonderfully descriptive composition.  The part called Cloudburst is especially exciting!

This week you will be listening to one of my favorite piano pieces, Romance, by Jean Sibelius.  Sibelius, who was a Finnish composer, is more known for his orchestral music than for his piano compositions, but this is a beautiful piece which many of you may eventually learn to play.

Sibelius lived from 1865-1957 and is considered a late-Romantic early 20th century composer. One of his most famous orchestral compositions is called Finlandia written as a tribute to his native home of Finland.

This week you will be listening to a piano concerto written by the Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg.  Grieg lived from 1843-1907 during the musical period known as the Romantic period.  Along with beautiful, lyric melodies, this period was known for its nationalism, which motivated composers to write music that reflected elements of their native countries.  Grieg was Norwegian and we can hear in his music the rhythms, harmonies and even the folk stories of his beloved country.  The Peer Gynt Suite is another great example of how his music uses Norwegian folk lore and rhythms.

A concerto is a composition written for a solo instrument (in this case the piano) accompanied by an orchestra.  You will first hear an exciting drum roll followed by a stirring piano introduction.  Next the theme is first played by the orchestra and then imitated in the piano.  Sometimes the orchestra accompanies the piano and sometimes it is the other way around.  Listen for the quick change of mood in this piece as it changes from lively and scherzo-like to a soaring cantabile melody.  There are three movements to this concerto but the assignment is for only the first movement.  If you are interested you can also listen to the second and third movements.  The performer, Julia Fischer, is a professional violinist as well as a pianist.

I have also included in this post another concerto for a typewriter!  You may not even know what a typewriter is as they are not in use any more but this orchestra and performer had some fun with the Typewriter Concerto.  Enjoy!