Schoenberg

Arnold Schoenberg suffered from fear of the number thirteen, also known as triskaidekaphobia. It was an irrational fear that consumed his life, but gave the gift of being very successful in his musical career. He was famous for twelve tone music, and it was his claim to fame. Ironically, with being afraid of the number thirteen, nothing happened to him until his death. Triskaidekaphobia was the source of his twelve tone music, but was supposedly the cause of his ironic death.

Most of us have irrational fears that control our lives at one time or another. For example, I have a fear of clowns. It is still a mystery to me as to where it came from, but some time in my teenage years I developed a fear of clowns. I did not let it control my life like Schoenberg with the fear of the number thirteen, but it made me reluctant to go to a circus. Any time I would see a clown fearful chills would run down my spine. Schoenberg’s fear of the number thirteen made him very successful in the fact that he developed the twelve tone composition method. Nothing like this was ever introduced in the music world, and some of the most interesting compositions exist because of it. However, triskaidekaphobia ultimately claimed Arnold Schoenberg. He died on Friday the thirteenth, July 1951 at the age of seventy six.

An irrational fear of the number thirteen guided Schoenberg to his accomplishments, but got the best of him in the end. However, if it was not for his fear, twelve tone music would not exist. Triskaidekaphobia maybe an irrational fear, but was truly a benefit in the music world.

Schubert

Franz Schubert was a very busy composer. He composed nearly one thousand pieces of music in his limited career. I became intrigued by his music for the first time when I heard Ave Maria in Prague. I have always been aware of him, but that performance really sparked an interest in his music. I have confidence in saying that Franz Schubert’s music is therapeutic and peaceful to an anxiously troubled soul.

Schubert did a lot of experimenting in his works and was influenced by Beethoven and Mozart. He used a relaxing technique from the Romantic period by putting off the final resolution to the end of the piece. I could imagine that composing such works of music was therapeutic to him as well. I found Ave Maria to be very therapeutic for me. It was haunting but so beautiful in the fact that it made the anxieties in my life so distant and caused my racing thoughts to go quiet.

Franz Schubert was only thirty one when he died. It was almost if he sensed when he was going to die, and writing such beautifully haunting music was his way of coping. Whatever the reason was for his musical style, it appears to have a calming effect on those who listen. I plan to use it to help reduce my anxiety, because it had that affect on me in Prague. In conclusion, his interest in experimenting with his music resulted in a great therapeutic method for all of his listeners.

Beethoven

Beethoven the Great! That was not his title, but it should have been. Ludwig van Beethoven achieved more than some composers could ever imagine. He was a crude outcast, but very successful at what he did.
Ludwig van Beethoven was said to be independent and original in thinking and musical compositions. He despised flattery, even though he deserved it. His name was secured and he accomplished more than Mozart, Handel and Haydn. For that he deserved the title “Beethoven the Great.

Regardless of how accomplished Beethoven was, he was ill tempered and difficult to work with. While he was in Vienna he was hostel towards people and had few friends. The rare friends he did have were those who could tolerate and not be offended by his manner or opinions of other people. When he received a job offer as maestro di cappilla at the Westphalian court of Jerome Buonaparte, he was motivated to take the offer through difficult times, and because he had many enemies. He late declined this position due to the regulations he would have had to follow. If he would have taken the job, he was required to stay in Vienna and or a part of the Austria- Proper and could not leave the country without permission from his patrons. Due to his nature, it was not surprising why he declined.

Beethoven was an outcast by nature, rebelled against society’s norm and was very successful because of that. He played by no one else’s rules and go got what he wanted. His music is easily identifiable and recognized due to his nature that came out through his works.

Concert Report: Schubert's Ave Maria

When I walked into St. Frances Church in Prague, by the Charles Bridge, I felt unsettled about my situation. I was unsure of what was going to happen next. The sun was setting as I was ready to enter the church, knowing next to nothing about what I was about to experience. It was a very intimate atmosphere, but so much more special to me that any other church in Europe that I entered into.

I came to this concert with my best friend excited to experience more music. I was thrilled to see that it was a mezzo soprano, flute and organ concert. I had recently played a flute and organ duet in my recital, and this concert quenched my thirst for emotionally meaningful music. The entire concert was equally gratifying, but the piece that captured my heart the most was Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria. The back of the program described how beautiful the echo of the church was, and this piece was the right piece for that.

The organ entered gently and the mezzo soprano followed. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, I was in shock. I thought tears would come, and I tried to let them out, but nothing came. I was entirely in awe of her tone, I was speechless. For those unfortunate souls who have not heard this piece in some time or another, I would like to say, you would have to be there to experience. I would imagine that most people have heard Ave Maria, and if they were not moved in any way, please get help! Words cannot describe the way I felt when I listened to this piece. I truly fell in love with it all over again, and I would come back to St. Francis Church in Prague to hear it again in a heartbeat.

Mozart

Wolfgang Mozart fell in love with a mysterious woman, despite his father’s feelings towards her and her family. Mozart was a very well known musician in his Vienna, and his father wanted nothing but the best for him. Leopold Mozart also had a hard time letting go. It has been said that Mozart’s marriage was one sided, and his wife had a negative effect on him. Other sources say they were very much in love. Which side of the story is true?

Constanze Weber came from a very poor, but musically unconventional family. When she met Wolfgang Mozart he was a well known virtuoso and composer in Vienna. Constanze was accused of being responsible for Mozart’s down fall to poverty and was not thought of as a romantic companion. Her down falls included pettiness, vain, greedy, superstitious and she liked to gossip. However, she was a family person, economical, and a great mother to her children. Mozart’s father never liked the Weber family because he believed they were out to entangle his beloved son, and therefore did not want him to marry Constanze. Despite all of Leopold’s complaints of the Weber family, he was never successful in finding Constanze’s faults.

Contrary to the negative statements reared towards Constanze involving her marriage to Mozart are not true. This marriage was not at all one and evidence indicates that their marriage was very important to Mozart. He needed her to compose and he found it difficult to work without her by his side. After Mozart’s death, Constanze was accused of selling his works and not being petty in negotiations with publishers. This was not true in the fact that she preserved every single scrap of his music. Constanze’s second husband joined her in effort in supporting Mozart and his music.

Concert Report: Beethoven's Overture Nr. 3

If one phrase could describe this piece, it would be short, sweet, and to the point. Obviously that is what an overture is supposed to do. This overture boldly packed a punch. There was never a dull moment in the music or the instrumentation. Beethoven started the performance followed by Grieg and Korngold. Both pieces by the composers made you sit at the edge of your seat, much like Beethoven. However, none can measure up to Beethoven’s quality. Needless to say, Grieg and Korngold had some pretty big shoes to fill.

Beethoven was crude and bombastic by nature. He carried around a lot of heavy emotional baggage his whole life. He was miserable and angry most of the time. Despite his hardships, he was very successful and continued to press on. Overture Nr. 3 has a great sense of moving forward and was encouraging to listen to. When the orchestra moved to the music and rose to a forte dynamic level, a spicy kick was added to the sound. Piano dynamics had the same feel, but deeper and darker.

The sound of a trumpet rang loud and triumphantly from back stage. An E flat flute was added to the mix, and the C flute and bassoon had a pleasant conversation. The string sections built a strong foundation of sound while the brass entered, followed by the woodwinds. An overture that was short, sweet, and to the point was an appropriate choice for an epic concert. Edvard Grieg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold followed, but still could not measure up to Beethoven’s quality.

Concert Report: Mozart's Symphonie g-moll K 550

Mozart’s Symphonie g-moll was the most interesting and a favorite of mine when I saw the Mahler Chamber Orchestra perform it at the Wiener Konzerthaus. The ensemble had very unique instrumentation. It was hard to feel indifferent to any concerts that I saw in Vienna. This performance was very unique in the fact that it was welcoming and could make anyone feel at home.

The doors opened and concert goers gathered to see the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Musicians take the stage and the audience welcomes them with applause. The string players enter, but an unexpected arrangement of wind players of two oboes and two french horns take their position in the back row. The brass and woodwind sections leave the audience wondering and bring out for the second half one flute two oboes, bassoons, clarinets and two french horns. Along with the same string section from the first half, the orchestra is now ready to perform Mozart’s Symphonie g-moll K 550.

The addition of the instruments is a phenomenal way to end a concert, and give a master work the appropriate layers of sound and color to the music. The piece begins by being very passionate with a conversation between the flute and bassoon, followed by a gorgeous horn solo feature. Phrases diminished to piano and rose back up to forte and were repeated several times, adding to the delicacy of the piece. The second movement really emphasized the layers of the ensemble. The layers of the instruments and dynamics were so distinct, and audience member could almost taste them, like layers in a cake. Although such layers were sweet and enjoyable, suspense was building up towards the ending.

A waltz-like feel ended the piece almost as if a couple were having a conversation, almost argumentative. Intensive phrasing and rapid changes of dynamics represented the heated points of the conversation. Slow, legato, piano phrases were symbolic of the happy memories that were being looked back on.