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.

Concert Report: Slowakische Sinfonietta, Schubert's Symphonie Nr. 5 B- Dur

Changing from new to old, transitioning from past to future, and knowing you never have to go back. All of these feelings and thoughts came out during the performance of Schubert’s Symphonie Nr. 5 B- Dur, D 485 performed by the Slowakische Sinfonietta. When true emotions are put into the piece by the performers, the appropriate phrasing and dynamics are released and they connect with their audience members in more ways that words could ever express.

The opening movement, Allegro began very quiet but led to loud and excited. A peaceful mood settled over the orchestra even though it was a little unnerving, it represented the unknown of what could happen in the future. The mezzo piano delicate entrance of the flutes and the violins brought forth a calm feeling as if to say everything was going to be okay. The upper sounds of the orchestra symbolized the peace, but the bass members of the orchestra counter acted it with unsettling reminders of the past. Andante con motto was filled with smooth and graceful phrasing making the movement free and dance like. It feels like there is uncertainty, but knowing that if everything were to be forgotten and let go, everything would be alright. This is reiterated as the piece pushes forward and melodies are repeated. The third and fourth movements, Menuetto Allegro molto and Allegro vivace are symbols of anger and resentment fading to happiness and success. The third movement suspenseful, still not knowing what will happen next, but the fourth movement promises success. Menuetto Allegro molto is stern with a minor feel, but balanced with piano and forte. Allegro Vivace sounds at first like it is in a hurry with fast moving phrases, but it is beautiful at the same time. This was a beautiful end to a beautiful piece.

Allegro, Andente con moto, Menuetto Allegro molto and Allegro vivace. These are the movements that make up Schubert’s Symphony Number 5, but to me they are a representation of where I am in my life. This piece is my promise in music that if I truly let go, and let my future rise up to its full potential, it will truly be beautiful.

Haydn

There is a driving force that directs the destiny of those who are artistically talented to a location that nurtures such talents. Sometimes they may not be experiencing happiness in their personal life, but it is best for them to be where they can be further educated in their talents. This was true for Haydn as it was for me. When Haydn was not yet six years old, he left his parents to become more educated in music and enhance his musical talents. I left home when I was eighteen to study fine arts and later switched to music education. I was much older than Haydn when I left home, but my experiences are parallel to his. Haydn said that he was grateful to his teacher, Franck, for as long as he lived for pushing him to continually work hard. I will be forever grateful to my teacher, Maggie Schuberg, for doing the same thing for me.

When Haydn was not yet six years old, he was offered to go to Hainburg to receive a proper musical education. His parents were apprehensive to this offer because Haydn was so young. One of his mother’s objections was that he if left, the chances of seeing would be slim because it was hard for her to travel. I was much older than Haydn when I left for Missoula for my education, but my mother had similar feelings of Maria Haydn. It was hard for my parents to see me because they would have to travel from one end of Montana to another, and go through a Mountain pass. Their travels were often broken up into two days and their visits were always short. Despite being so far away from my family, the difficult times did not break me, and that did not happen to Haydn in his times of trail.

If it was not for Haydn’s teacher, Franck taking him in and giving him the music education that he needed, he probably would not have grown into the accomplished musician and composer that he was. Franck pushed Haydn to work to his greatest potential. He mentioned that he would be grateful to Franck as long as he lived. If it was not for Maggie taking me into her studio, and not giving up on me, I would not be the musician I am today. I am so grateful for what she did for me during my college career. When I talk to her, or hear mention of her name, I beam with pride, much like Haydn did for Franck.

Grave Yards

Transformation and remembering are two components that are a part of death. When one dies, one’s spirit goes to another place, or becomes a different form, depending on one’s religious beliefs. The qualities and personality traits, and sometimes even opinions of others influence how one is remembered. Such qualities are then represented artistically on monuments or grave stones where one’s body is laid to rest. Mozart and Beethoven were Vienna’s finest composers, and their legacy lives on to this day. Placed next to each other, Beethoven’s grave and Mozart’s monument in Zentralfriedhof, their legacies are presently being compared and contrasted.

As the angel looks back on the accomplishments of Mozart’s past, his death will forever remain a tragic end to the story of a great musician and composer. The angel on the monument sits on the works of the late Mozart, mourning his death. She represents all who mourn for him and longs for his presence. It almost feels like he should be there, but he was buried in a mass grave. He achieved so much and gained nobility throughout his life time, but his death and burial were so devastating.

A butterfly and a snake in a continuous circle are placed on Beethoven’s grave stone as a representation of transformation. He was constantly going through changes his entire life. Unlike Mozart, composing didn’t come easy for Beethoven. He had to work hard to compose, but through working hard he transitioned from low to high status in the music world. He moved from place to place to due to his bombastic nature and not being a very polite tenant.  He began to go deaf at the end of his life, and went through his final transformation before his death. A hard working composer, but someone who was miserable throughout his life received an appropriate representation on his grave stone.

Mozart and Beethoven were two complete opposites in life, but both are appropriately remembered after death. Mozart’s style was free and artistic and Beethoven’s was hard and dramatic. Mozart’s monument was placed next to Beethoven’s grave in the fact they are both being remembered as two of Vienna’s finest composers in the most fitting way after their deaths.