How better to inaugurate the start of a new year than with music? Below is a small sample of classical pieces with this in common: a great beginning.
String Quartet in C Major, Op. 74, No. 1 – Franz Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn is well-known for his musical humor—is his expression not mischievous? Born in 1732, this composer penned the famous “Surprise” Symphony no. 94 (where a sleeping audience would receive chastisement), the “Farewell” Symphony no. 45 (where musicians gradually ditch the stage), and another string quartet nicknamed “The Joke” (where the end is uncertain). He has also been widely regarded as “Father of the String Quartet” for his prominence in developing the Classical form of the string quartet.
This particular string quartet begins with two chords one would expect to hear at the end. In writing a cadence, which typically marks the end of a phrase, at the start of his piece, he throws listeners for a counterintuitive loop.
Here is a recording by the Maxwell String Quartet: https://youtu.be/A-HSPGSgb8E.
Adagio Es-Dur, Op. posth. 148, D. 897: Nocturne – Franz Schubert
In classical music, a nocturne refers to a dreamy piece, typically for the piano, and this stunning work by a melodic genius does not disappoint. Opening with gentle, arpeggiated triads from the piano, this trio introduces the violin and cello soon afterwards. The stringed instruments establish a slow, wistful melody, which holds an air of both expectancy and contentedness, drawing listeners in with its undulating dynamics.
The Austrian composer wrote this Nocturne in 1829, the same year he died at the age of thirty-one. Many people consider Schubert as a bridge between Classical and Romantic music, and his musical résumé boasts a myriad of masterpieces despite his short lifetime.
Here is a recording by the Eggner Trio: https://youtu.be/-FVzhHtCwY4.
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, “Morning Mood” – Edvard Grieg
Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, composed in 1867, begins with a brightly tranquil melody. Introduced by the flute, the tune glides to the oboe, and after a few passes back and forth, the orchestra swells as the strings take up the theme. Imagine the brilliant sun peeking over the horizon, painted in music.
Throughout his composing career, Edvard Grieg stayed true to his Norwegian roots, and many of his works are reminiscent of folk music. Peer Gynt, a verse play written by Henrik Ibsen, recounts the tale of an antiheroic Norwegian peasant who encounters a series of catastrophes during his search for glory (although his wife, whom he deserted, still loves and redeems him).
Here is a recording by the Wiener Philharmoniker: https://youtu.be/7lKo6TYDXCQ.
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
This stunning violin concerto begins with the orchestra as it plays an inviting introduction, building anticipation up to the violin’s entrance. For several measures, the violin sings on its own, but when it begins to play the indisputably beautiful theme, the orchestra can’t help but join in. And then, pure, rousing bliss follows.
Tchaikovsky wrote this masterpiece in 1878, and since then, it has become one of the most well-known violin concertos as well as a beautiful example of his skill in writing melodies. Many people today attach the background of turmoil-filled life to his music. But while Tchaikovsky certainly suffered from social pressures due to his sexual orientation, his ballets, symphonies, and countless other works were—and still are—renowned worldwide.
Here is a recording by Itzhak Perlman: https://youtu.be/W607slpsXp8?t=51.
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1: Trauermarsch (Funeral March) – Gustav Mahler
The trumpet opens this piece in solitude, presenting a theme that will resurface throughout this movement. And the moments of silence between its grounded, powerful notes are just as poignant; the beginning of Mahler’s 5th Symphony is one not easily forgotten.
Austrian composer Gustav Mahler completed this masterpiece in 1902 when he was 42 years old. While he is known for his creative use of tonality in his music, a letter to his wife regarding this symphony reveals his mastery of words: Heavens, what is the public to make of this chaos in which new worlds are forever being engendered, only to crumble into ruin the next moment? What are they to say to this primeval music, this foaming, roaring, raging sea of sound, to these dancing stars, to these breathtaking, iridescent, and flashing breakers?
Here is a recording by hr-Sinfonieorchester: https://youtu.be/fEGNNuEM3Fc.
Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano: Prelude – Dmitri Shostakovich
This short piece begins with a compelling piano introduction which grows quiet as the violins prepare to enter. Then harmonies, passionate yet melancholy, burst from the strings. For nearly the entire span of this piece, the violins play in synchrony with each other, allowing listeners to focus on the lovely melody.
Living in the Soviet era, however, most of Shostakovich’s work was banned following the release of his controversial opera, Lady Macbeth, which was composed 1930–1932, because Joseph Stalin had expressed his disapproval. Despite obstacles posed by the government, Shostakovich continued to compose great works, and a number of his pieces achieved fame not only in the USSR but worldwide.
Here is a recording by MinJae Chay and two others: https://youtu.be/XilQwRNmKW8 (and here’s a recording of an arrangement of the Prelude for viola and cello by Nathan Chan and Michael Casimir: https://youtu.be/UTLtxiJG3uk).
Works Cited
Brown, David. “Dmitri Shostakovich.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 10 Dec. 2022, www.britannica.com/biography/Dmitri-Shostakovich.
Brown, Maurice J.E. “Franz Schubert.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Nov. 2022, www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Schubert.
byWebmaster, Posted. “Introduction Symphony No. 5.” Mahler Foundation, 15 Aug. 2022, mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/compositions/symphony-no-5/symphony-no-5-introduction/.
Christiansen, Kai. “Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 148, d. 897, Notturno.” Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 148, D. 897, Notturno – Franz Schubert, www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Franz-Schubert-Piano-Trio-in-E-flat-major-Op-148-D-897-Notturno/.
Dixon, Letricia. “Edvard Grieg.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Edvard-Grieg.
Geiringer, Karl. “Joseph Haydn.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Haydn.
Hopkin, Owen. “The Story behind Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt.” Classic FM, 21 Aug. 2012, www.classicfm.com/composers/grieg/guides/story-behind-griegs-peer-gynt/.
Judd, Timothy, and William Zucker. “Mahler’s Fifth Symphony: A Dramatic Departure.” The Listeners’ Club, 9 Jan. 2019, thelistenersclub.com/2019/01/09/mahlers-fifth-symphony-a-dramatic-departure/.
Judd, Timothy. “Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 74, No. 1, the Maxwell Quartet.” The Listeners’ Club, 21 July 2021, thelistenersclub.com/2021/07/21/haydns-string-quartet-in-c-major-op-74-no-1-the-maxwell-quartet/.
Kuiper, Kathleen. “Peer Gynt.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peer-Gynt-play-by-Ibsen.
Mills, Tyler Christian. “The Effects of Totalitarian Regimes and the Individual on Russian and Soviet Music.” Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects, Syracuse University, 2013, pp. 6-54. Syracuse University Surface, surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/48/.
Photo Credits
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https://www.scriptendo.fr/Piano/Images/Portraits/45.jpg
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