Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

Franz Schubert
1797 - 1828

Franz Schubert is today known as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Despite the fact that Schubert's life was unfortunately very short, he managed to create a musical legacy of lieder, operas, symphonies and a large amount of chamber music, particularly for the piano. As well as this, Schubert had very little appreciation of his work during his lifetime, (as with many composers) and only had his work properly integrated into the ears of society when later composers such as Brahms, Schumann and Liszt discovered his talents, and admitted to being influenced by his music.

In 1822, Schubert began work on his famous 'Unfinished' Symphony (No. 8). The work is often referred to as Schubert's first romantic symphony because of its expressive melody and dramatic harmonies. For any who don't know, the reason it is called the 'Unfinished' Symphony is because the piece is literally not finished - and we are still unsure why, as Schubert stopped writing whilst he still had six years of his life left. This is possibly one of the most striking pieces I have heard because of the extreme contrast between moods created by Schubert with techniques particularly in the strings, but also with other aspects of composition such as dynamic range and pauses (for dramatic effect).

The opening of the first movement is extremely ominous, played only by the lowest of the strings - the cellos and double basses. After this opening, we hear the entrance and the flurry of the upper strings, playing in semi-quavers, accompanying the first melody played by wind. For the next few phrases, I get the feeling of taking one step forward and two steps back, as the melody in the wind is constantly and abruptly interrupted by the sforzandos of the rest of the orchestra. At 1:12, when the orchestra appears to have come to its climax, we are left only with the sound of the horns, that play a pivot note to take the rest of the orchestra into another key for the next subject. The melody is first heard in the cellos, then upper strings. This melody is interesting, because in theory, it could go on forever. However, because Schubert was typically unconventional, he stops it with a general pause for the entire orchestra, and returns with a sudden crash into the development section of the second subject. The introduction is then repeated, as we hear the low, ominous and chromatic sounds of the lower strings for a second time. The rest of the symphony is just as detailed and genius as the opening section. However, seeing as its length is just under half an hour, it might be something to save until you have some free time on your hands!

Thomas Tallis - Spem In Alium

Before reading this post, I challenge you to listen to the recording below, and guess how many vocal parts there are in Thomas Tallis' 'Spem In Alium'. I was also given this challenge when I first heard the piece, and I thought somewhere around twenty. However, I was mistaken, as it is in fact an extraordinary number of fourty separate parts - this is definitely what makes this piece such a remarkable composition.

Thomas Tallis was an English composer in the 16th century, and is still considered today as one of England's greatest early composers. Tallis also worked alongside William Byrd, another great British composer of polyphony. They were both given permission to publish their music under the rule of Queen Mary, and thank God that they did, as they're music is the little that we have left of them, seeing as we know very little about their lives.

The text for 'Spem In Alium' (Latin for 'hope in any other') has been used by several other composers, however is only really recognised as Tallis' incredible fourty part polyphonic masterpiece. The voices are written in eight choirs of five voices each (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass). Interestingly, the combination of the choirs is not always constant, as for the most part of the beginning of the piece, only one choir will sing at a time with the others only entering to imitate. Whilst the opening music travels from the first choir to the eighth, Tallis then repeats this idea backwards, taking the vocal line back again to the first choir. In the second section of the piece, Tallis then pairs the choirs together to make four double choirs, that repeat the same imitation process. Finally, for the ending, all fourty voices come together.

What I find particularly interesting about this work, is the use of vocal combinations, and the varied sounds that a choir could achieve because of Tallis' writing. For instance, there are times at which only solo voices can be heard (e.g. the beginning of the piece that consists only of upper voices) and there are times at which Tallis uses one whole five-part choir, and finally - there are occasional moments where you can hear two or more choirs (sometimes all) each singing separate and lyrical melodies. When I first knew how many parts there were, I was sceptical as I had the view 'surely there are only so many notes that you can use?'. However, I was completely mistaken, and despite the early musical aspects of this piece, various clashes can be heard that actually add to the movement of the music.

This is definitely one piece in which having a conductor is absolutely crucial, as none of the singers can simply rely on each other. Instead, trying to coordinate fourty different voice parts is a job that might be beyond most conductors, and most singers for that matter!

Requiem - Maurice Duruflé

Maurice Duruflé
1902 - 1986

Maurice Duruflé was a pianist, organist and composer in the twentieth century. As one of the brightest musicians of his age, he entered Le Conservatoire de Paris, where he graduated with the skills that would eventually enable him to compose for years to come. As well as this, Duruflé was even awarded the position of assistant organist at Notre Dame in Paris.

Despite his talents as a performer, he was seriously injured in a car accident in 1975, which left him confined to his own apartment for most of the rest of his life, leaving his musical commitments to his wife Marie-Madeleine. Although he is seen by many as a great composer, Duruflé was one of the most self-critical musicians of his time, and was rarely satisfied with his compositions - even altering them once they had been published, creating several different versions of some of his pieces. His most famous work is his requiem, which - although relatively short compared to other composers - is truly beautiful, and contains particularly heartbreaking and emotional movements such as the mezzo-soprano solo, Pie Jesu.

The reason I love this requiem so much, is because of Duruflé's creative and haunting use of harmony, as well as his wonderful arrangement for organ. Unlike most other large works, I cannot pick a favourite movement, as they can all stand on their own as intricate and inspirational pieces. To pick two contrasting movements, I chose the mezzo-soprano solo Pie Jesu, and the choral wonder: Sanctus. The Pie Jesu, reflecting the translation: Kind Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Kind Lord Jesus, grant them everlasting rest. Starting on a sustained organ chord, the entrance of the voice creates a tender mood for the piece, that later grows into something much more dramatic. Moreover, the voice is in constant conversation with a solo cello, which emphasises the yearning harmonies beneath. As well as playing with different time signatures, the requiem is full of unexpected chord progressions, often switching completely in the middle of the phrase. At 1:38, the piece comes to its climax, and settles down again to 'rest' at the end. The video above is a recording sang by Sarah Connolly, accompanied by Robert Cohen on cello.

Much more up beat than the Pie Jesu, the Sanctus provides a chance for the whole choir to sing their guts out! Similar to the solo, the Sanctus is full of twists and turns in time and harmony. Opening just with sopranos and altos, the piece builds gradually to a very loud exclamation of 'hosana in the highest' from the whole choir at 1:55. This is immensely fun to sing, as I know from singing it with my school choir, as all of the sopranos are desperately trying to reach up to the very high top Bb. Despite being two of the most distinctive movements from the requiem, I urge you to listen to the whole thing as it lasts only just under an hour, and is honestly worth it!

Frederic Chopin - Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2

Frederic Chopin
1810 - 1849

Looking through all of my past posts, I was very surprised to see that I had neglected one of my favourite Romantic composers: Frederic Chopin. Chopin is best known not only as a composer, but as a virtuosic pianist. Because of his talent - and the way he used it to create intricacy in his compositions - it was inevitable that Chopin's piano works would become some of the most loved pieces in the repertoire for the piano. Moreover, he is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music.

Chopin's love of the piano is obvious from the fact that most of his works are for piano, and any additional compositions at least feature the instrument. However, it is not only the current pianists of the world that appreciate his work, but also his contemporaries such as Schumann and Liszt, who described him as a: "gentle, harmonious genius". Some of Chopin's most well-known works include the 'Revolutionary Etude', the 'Minute Waltz' and the third movement of his Funeral March. 

Arthur Rubinstein
1887 - 1982

I came across this piece whilst looking through my collection of piano music, and, after listening to a recording by renowned pianist Arthur Rubinstein, I completely fell in love with it. Typical of most of Chopin's Nocturnes, this work carries a distinctive melody in the right hand, which is one of the most important features of the whole piece. As well as this, Chopin pairs his effortless melody line with an accompaniment of broken chords to sustain rhythm and movement underneath the sometimes confusing and unexpected cross-rhythms of the melody. Finally, Chopin emphasises a need for the sustain pedal, which he believed emphasised the emotional expression of the music. It is clear that Chopin's Nocturnes made a lasting effect on the Romantic period, as they influenced the music of other Romantic composers such as Brahms, Wagner and Mendelssohn. One particularly obvious influence from this Nocturne is the similarity that the beginning has with Liszt's Consolation in Db major - have a listen here and see if you can spot the difference!

This recording is performed by one of the most incredible pianists of all time: Arthur Rubinstein. Not only is he considered to be one of the greatest Classical pianists of the twentieth century, but many regard him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time - and, at the time of his death, the New York Times said: "Chopin is his speciality".

Aaron Copland - The Cat and The Mouse

And now for something completely different! Recently I asked my piano teacher if I could try looking at something a bit more unusual and fun, and he immediately suggested Aaron Copland's 'The Cat and the Mouse' for solo piano.

Aaron Copland
1900 - 1990

Copland was an American composer and teacher, often referred to as 'the dean of American composers'. He is best known for his early works written in the 30s and 40s such as 'Billy the kid' and 'Rodeo'. Copland said that his earliest influences were Chopin, Debussy and Verdi. Despite his fascination with the new and exciting styles of the impressionistic composers such as Debussy and Scriabin, because avant-garde sheet music was not only difficult to come by - but also incredibly expensive - it limited the musical influences that he could gain from their works. However, Copland didn't forget the true pioneers of music, as he appreciated and admired the works of Bach, Mozart and Palestrina - even stating that the perfect piece of music would 'combine Mozart's spontaneity and refinement with Palestrina's  purity and Bach's profundity'.

Tom and Jerry

For me, Copland was living at the peak of musical discovery, as he was surrounded by Ravel, Poulenc, Satie and Debussy, as well as Webern, Berg and Bartok. It was these more experimental composers that gave Copland the imagination to create his more unusual pieces such as 'The Cat and the Mouse' - he especially admired Schoenberg and his creation of the twelve tone system, even trying to adapt it to his own style. Despite this, Copland named Stravinsky as his hero, and his favourite 20th century composer. With all of these influences - paired with his love of jazz - Copland was able to create truly fascinating music.

'The Cat and the Mouse' was in fact Copland's first published work, and is a piano piece based on the fable by Jean de la Fontaine about the difference between the young and confident mouse, with the old and pitiful cat. When I first heard the piece, I immediately thought of the famous animation 'Tom & Jerry' which is famous for its literal music to mimic the two characters running into things, falling of surfaces and basically terrorising each other. This is obvious immediately as the sounds of piano glissandi and other effects paint a picture of a cat and a mouse running around after each other. As well as this, there is the obvious use of pitch to determine the difference between the lower tones of the cat, and the high-pitched twinkling of the mouse. Moreover, the tonal and rhythmic influences are evident from Copland's use of contrasting colour in pitch, as well as dissonant harmonies and unexpected chordal progressions.

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker

On Tuesday evening, I arrived back from my school Choir Tour to Slovenia and Northern Italy. The tour is an annual event, however this year's was sadly my last as I'm off to university in October! We enjoyed the same activities that we do every year such as singing in incredible buildings like St Mark's in Venice, eating the local food (endless amounts of pasta and pizza) and - of course - spending a considerable amount of time on a coach with the rest of the choir: 45 children and 7 adults (along with our very patient tour guide and coach driver). As anyone who has been on long journeys will know, time goes quicker when you have an activity to pass the time. For us, this meant rattling through everybody's collections of classical music and playing 'name that tune'. During this, I came across the music for a ballet that I have always loved, yet had somehow forgotten about as it isn't part of my own collection of music: The Nutcracker.

   

'The Nutcracker' is a two-act ballet composed by Tchaikovsky, and premiered in 1982. Although the ballet itself was not a roaring success when it first opened, the music definitely was, and is one of Tchaikovsky's most famous works to this day, including the music for 'Sleeping Beauty' which was the reason Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose for 'The Nutcracker' in the first place. While listening to several different movements of the ballet on a friend's ipod, I remembered where I had first heard the music: Disney's 'Fantasia'. 

For anyone who doesn't know the 1940s film, 'Fantasia' is a production by Disney that incorporates the greatest classical works from various periods and sets them to suitable animations. Unfortunately, the release of the movie put off previous Disney fans who believed the movie to be too 'high-brow' because of its inclusion of classical music. However, in my opinion, I believe it to be one of the most original animations out there, and demonstrates the power of creativity and interpretation. Here is Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, set to the images of what the Disney animators saw when they heard the music:

A Dedication to Vocalicity

Monteverdi's 'Beatus Vir' performed by Vocalicity

For today's post, I wanted to share a video of the close harmony group that I direct along with some of the other members. On Tuesday, I performed at my last ever school concert, and it was unexpectedly quite emotional to think that I wouldn't be doing the same thing next year. We decided to name our group: 'Vocalicity' as we were sick of calling ourselves the: 'Emanuel School Close Harmony Group' which, I'm sure you'll agree, doesn't have much of a ring to it. The reason I love this group so much is because it is created and directed by students. Despite there being varied ages from 15-18, we are all good friends, and being in a group together has in fact pulled us closer together. At so many school concerts these days, the end of the concerts are filled with various speeches thanking the horn teacher, or the piano teacher, or the singing teacher. However, for us, there is a much bigger sense of achievement because we have no teacher to help us, merely a huge interest in all kinds of vocal music, and a willingness to sing to the best of our abilities. Having sung with them for the last two years, I feel a great sense of sadness knowing that next year I will no longer be part of it. However - being the oldest in the group - I also feel so proud of all the members of Vocalicity for sharing my passion for classical music, and for gaining true friendship out of it as well. As well as that, we've sung with internationally renowned group Voces8, as well as singing in prestigious venues around London such as Fortnum & Masons, and St John's, Smith Square. As I'm sure you would have guessed, working with a group of 10 teenagers isn't always easy as there is a lot of gossipping, chatting and texting going on, but it also has advantages such as creativity, energy and most of all: very varied opinions. For instance, some of us have a passion for the Renaissance era, some for Polyphony, and some for more modern styles and composers such as Gershwin and Leighton. But, that's what makes our rehearsals more interesting, and our performances more inventive. Therefore, I dedicate this post to the members of Vocalicity to say well done for all the hard work, thank you for the memories, and goodbye - for now!