Tag Archives: Johannes Brahms

# 8 Contamination: Clara Schumann: listening humble and generous sharing: the basics of excellence

February 12, 2013 

 

Clara Schumann in this sonata for violin and piano, played by Jozsef Joachim: great violinist and collaborator of Johannes Brahms wrote for him the first two quartets and a few steps of Richard Wagner in the last quarter; this is to say the size and estimated that they had all of this wonder. She, Clara, felt and understood the violin is no longer exclusively as a solo instrument, but also as if it were an essential part of compositional fabric with the piano. Both tools here talk as equals.

 

The virtuosity resulting from the two instruments, assuming a resigned tone, dialogue in increasingly dense textures where the concerts of violin and piano is increasingly becoming bases for any concerts for orchestra and piano and / or violin. The same Brahms with the advice of his friend Joachim, took nearly 14 years to go from a piano concerto at the first symphony.

 

Clara, played the piano and his work with violinist Joachim with equal virtuosity. She he experienced a world where even today we are immersed. In these his “3 Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 122 “pinched violin bow goes hand in hand with the slow tones of the piano, without exceeding, so that the variations increasingly acute, do not become a virtuosity elementary and vain. And she could in this also with Robert A. Schumann, her husband, who she felt and composed musical works.

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Clara Schumann. Image taken from HERE

 

She was listening with a humble purpose of sharing every creation. She was excellence.

To listen to the “3 Romances for violin and piano, Op. 122 “click HERE

# 6 Contamination: Shy gifts spring

January 29, 2013

 

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Picture taken HERE

 

My sister gave me the image of Him (Johannes Brahms), thus illuminating the shadowy spring day.

 

And that gift was the alternation of light and cloud in the alternating movement of the two themes decidedly mixed. The first theme, very lyrical and melancholy, brings an atmosphere of sore nostalgia for events never happened and he evoked. Like a restless throb along a century. And this is in contrast to the second theme, introduced by woodwinds, Notable for its intense rhythmic and bringing the emotional rainbow as the omen of summer rain (4 minutes and 10 seconds.) – And the yearning of the arches in 4 minutes and 40 seconds.

 

In this sonata for the first time is not required to repeat the exposure of themes, which are two: the first is drawn in from the opening two sections of violins, cellos and horns from the second, and it is characterized by the broad range of seventh . The absence of a second exposure sheds particular light on the relations between the different moments of the movement, in the development undergone by the first theme, there is one that appears in the second half for the use wind instruments, which seem to want to turn everything into a choir, from which, however, the theme wriggles free quickly to return to his true nature melodic.

 

What a paradox: what was an early in his career as a composer room, which was tricky with the wind instruments, uses an imposing orchestra here and follow it by arches, which Gently reproduce musical cells that make up their towing. As the silence after the rain, as soon as interrupted by the whispers of the rays of the clouds thinned out.

 

Me and the picture of him with my sister and from the eighth minute the musical work, with the whole orchestra this time, we invite everyone who is willing.

 

To listen “L’allegro ma non troppo” of the Fourth Symphony,  click HERE