The popularity and accessibility of the piano made compositions like these quite lucrative for composers but this is not to diminish the polished, genius of these works. Each is a lyrical miniature designed really with the middle-class pianists of the time in mind. They are pieces that vary dramatically in terms of technical challenge and style. Mendelsohn composed eight volumes of the Songs Without Words. Songs Without Words (Op.19 No.1) by Felix Mendelsohn The Swedish film of 2017 called “The Square” featured a version of this composition as its main theme.ħ. It is not hard to understand why this piece has become one of the most performed pieces at weddings and also funerals. The resulting piece seems like the perfect match. Gounod’s father-in-law then transcribed Gounod’s improvisation making the arrangement for violin or cello and piano. As the story goes, Gounod improvised this over the Prelude number one (BWV 846) by Bach. The combined talents of Kathryn Stott and Yo-Yo Ma are compelling. This version of the celebrated piece by Bach (Gounod) is sublime. This may in part be due to the phrase Brahms was supposed to have used to describe himself at the time which was “free but happy”. The third movement is wonderfully lyrical, poetic and liberated. This movement is marked ‘Poco Allegretto’ and is in the darker key of C minor which for me does not affect the more optimistic mood of the piece. There are four movements in the complete symphony, scored for double woodwind, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, strings and timpani. This symphony was composed in 1883 with the premiere in December of that year in Vienna. Brahms composed only four symphonies in his lifetime, living as he did in the formidable shadow of his predecessor Beethoven. Returning to Brahms but in his capacity as a symphonic composer this time. Third Movement from The Third Symphony in F Major (op.90), by Johannes Brahms Elegant, elegiac and plainly beautiful this is one of the most relaxing pieces I know.ĥ. There is a humbling simplicity in this central movement that seems to me to reflect a certain acceptance of all that it means to be human.Īt times the music becomes playful but never overstated giving the clarinet the opportunity to play through almost its entire range with a warm expression. In this performance by the clarinettist Jack Brymer and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the unhurried performance allows the rich lyricism to sing from the solo clarinet and the accompanying orchestra. The concerto comprises of three movements of which this is the central slow movement marked an appropriate Adagio. One of the final works that Mozart completed before his early death was this clarinet concerto written for his friend and clarinettist, Anton Stadler. The Adagio from the Clarinet Concerto in A Major (K. This is the secret counter-melody in the lullaby for the child.Ĥ. It is said that a good friend of Brahms, Bertha Faber, was the first to sing this piece to her new son for whom Brahms composed the piece in celebration.īrahms and Bertha had when they were younger, been in love and Brahms wrote this lullaby with the happy memory of Bertha singing to him a similar tune. Whilst the music is undoubtedly Brahms, the lyric for this lullaby have their origins in German folk poems titled “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”. This piano piece is perhaps more commonly referred to as Braham’s lullaby. Wiegenlied (op.49:no.4) by Johannes Brahms Today Brian’s compositions are used in movies and on television all over the world.ģ. Brian had hoped to be a professional baseball player but after a number of failures, he turned his attention back towards music which clearly has brought its own rewards. He is largely self-taught but began to draw attention when in his early twenties he was writing successful children’s songs. Brian is an American composer well known for his piano works. The style of the music is very much along the lines of the melodic minimalist composers who seem to have gained popularity today. Moving forward from Liszt into the more contemporary world of into what can broadly be considered Classical music, the Song For Sienna is a calming, reflective piece that may well evoke a relaxed mood. There is no pretence in this composition just sublimely warm, melodic writing that feels a summer a breeze drifting lazily across the mirrored surface of a lake. The Third Consolation has a gently rippling triplet accompanying figure over which floats an effortless, lyrical melody. Liszt marks the tempo of the piece as Lento Placido which give a clear indication of the tranquil nature of the piece. The “Consolations”, as Liszt titled them, represent a series of contrasting pieces, the third being one of the most popular. In spite of Liszt’s formidable reputation as a travelling virtuoso and composer whose compositions verge on the unplayable by mere mortals, this series of six pieces comes as a great contrast.
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