December 16, Beethoven's Birth Anniversary
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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was one of the giants of Western music along with Bach and Mozart . Born on 16 December 1770 in Bonn , his father, of Flemish origin, tried to present him as a second Mozart , although it was a notable failure. Despite this, from the age of nine the organist Christian Gottlob Neefe captivated him with the study of Bach , whom he would always keep in mind. In 1787 he moved to Vienna with the intention of receiving classes from Mozart , but the death of his mother brought him back to Bonn a few days later. And so after five years, he returned to Vienna where he was able to study with Haydn and Salieri . However, his profession as an excellent pianist could not be realized due to the deafness that attacked him the following year, leaving him totally incapacitated in this faculty.
The catalogue of Beethoven's works . There are 138 musical works composed by Beethoven , arranged by numbers known as opus (Latin for "work") or its abbreviation op. , assigned by the composer's publishers during his lifetime. In addition, there are another 205 works that do not have opus numbers and that were published after the composer's death. These works were assigned WoO numbers (Werke ohne Opuszahl, "works without opus numbers"). This catalogue was first compiled by Georg Kinsky and Hans Halm (Das Werk Beethovens) in 1955.
For Elise . The work we are offering today is a bagatelle written for solo piano and one of Beethoven 's most popular works . The score became known 40 years after his death after his manuscript was found among the papers of a former student. It seems that there was a confusion due to the reading difficulties that the title had and that instead of “ Fur Elise ”, what was written was “ Fur Therese ”; therefore the work should have been titled For Therese .
Today it is performed by Valentina Lisitsa (1973), a Ukrainian pianist who has lived in the USA since 1991. She began studying piano at the age of three and later enrolled at the Kiev Conservatory , where she met her husband Alexei Kuznetsoff , also a pianist. Lisitsa has sought out her audience through her own YouTube channel, for which she has recorded a multitude of performances, and is currently the most viewed classical concert performer on the Internet.
William Byrd (1540-1623) was a British composer, most famous in the late Tudor and early Stuart periods. He belonged to the Late Renaissance and cultivated many of the musical genres then prevailing in England , including various forms of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard music, and minstrel music. Byrd was knighted at the Chapel Royal in 1572, after the death of Robert Parsons . His musical output totals some 470 compositions, amply justifying his reputation as "the grand master of European Renaissance music".
The Pavane is a courtly dance in 2/4 or 4/4 time fashionable throughout Europe during the Renaissance . It was particularly popular in Italy (as a dance, until the mid- 16th century ) and in France and England (as a concert piece, until the early 17th century ). In early manuscripts from the 16th century the pavane frequently appeared as the first in a group of dances, followed by a faster group of dances in ternary time. These were based on the harmonic and melodic material of the opening pavane.
The Gallarde was a Renaissance musical and dance form, popular throughout Europe in the 16th century. The oldest surviving examples of the dance are in Paris , although its origins are Italian. In suites and other works, the Gallarde often fills a "post-dance" role, written in 6/8 time, which follows and imitates another piece, usually a pavane , written in 4/4 time. The distinctive 6/8 rhythm can still be heard in songs such as God Save the Queen .
Today the English Consort Phantasm offers us this Pavana and Gallarda at 6 by William Byrd
Negro Spiritual is a type of Christian singing that emerged in the late 18th century and developed in the early 19th century in the USA . The religious revival movement that swept through the British colonies in the USA in the early 18th century popularized not only Christian psalms and hymns but also other, less traditional spiritual songs that were sung in churches in the South by both blacks and whites, creating their own songbook; initially, a songbook closely related to work songs of African origin, usually in call-and-response form, with inflections, extended syllables and quarter tones. Spirituals are, in any case, collective songs, regardless of whether there are solo voices.
Joshua Fit's spiritual The Battle Of Jericho seems to have been a song of American slaves from the early 19th century and has remained very popular to this day. Today we can see it performed by the Delta Rhythm Boys , a group from the last century made up of a vocal quartet and a pianist; their resounding successes lasted for more than 50 years without interruption.
Xabier Lete (1944 –2010) was a Basque poet and singer-songwriter born in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa . He began writing at a young age, while also walking the musical path with his wife, Lourdes Iriondo . He collaborated several times with Antton Valverde , with whom he put voice and music to Lizardi 's poetry and Txirrita 's verses between 1975 and 1978. In 2009 he was awarded the 2008 Critics' Prize for poetry in Basque for his work Egunsentiaren esku izoztuak (The frozen hands of dawn), a work for which he also won the Euskadi Literature Prize in the Basque literature category. He died on 4 December 2010 at the age of 66, victim of a chronic intestinal disease.
Ainara Ortega Barrenetxea (Hernani, Gipuzkoa, March 3, 1981) is a Basque actress, composer, arranger and singer. After finishing her violin studies, she graduated with Honors in Music in her first class. At that time, she had been performing for four years in Mac Jeara's Band Dixieland as a singer, tap dancer and banjo player. She has worked on stage with Basque artists from very diverse genres and in 2004, after giving her first concert on the Lesaka bridge, she has been working with the pianist Iñaki Salvador on different projects.
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Beethoven 's musical legacy includes 32 piano sonatas, numerous works for chamber ensembles, piano and violin concertos, incidental music, sacred music and, above all, nine symphonies that occupy the zenith of the History of Music . This legacy, to better understand it, can be divided into three stages of continuous renewal and improvement: A) Until 1802 . Classicism . His first ten piano sonatas, first six string quartets, the Septimius, the first two symphonies or the first two piano concertos belong to it. B) 1803-1814 . Romanticism . At the height of his artistic maturity and with absolute control of formal structure and lyricism, he composed the symphonies from 3rd to 8th, his opera Fidelio, his 3rd, 4th and 5th piano concertos, the violin concerto, the triple concerto, the piano sonatas “Moonlight”, “Appasionata” , the Kreutzer Violin Sonata , … C) 1815 until his death . Innovation of a more intense language with bolder harmonic and structural treatments: five last piano sonatas and five last string quartets, Symphony No. 9 with the addition of soloists and choir, Misa Solemnis …
Ode to Joy (An die Freude in German) is a lyrical poetic composition written by Friedrich von Schiller in November 1785 and first published in 1786, consisting of the final movement of Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony , today performed by Janice Watson, Alice Coote, Kim Begley and David Wilson-Johnson , with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the BBC Singers all conducted by American maestro Leonard Slatkin . From this movement was extracted the current Anthem of the European Union since 1985.
François Couperin (1668–1733) was a French composer, organist and harpsichordist of the Baroque period . He is one of the most important composers, along with Jean-Philippe Rameau , of French Baroque music in general and harpsichord music in particular. Couperin was taught by his father and his uncle François Couperin l'Ancien (the Elder); he had no formal education and his general knowledge and writings are of a style and spelling that leave much to be desired. In 1685 he became organist at the Church of Saint Gervais (Saint-Gervais) in Paris and in 1717 he became Court organist and composer with duties to create sacred music for royal prayers and chamber music for the delight of monarchs.
The Nouveaux Concerts (or les Goûts réunis ) are a set of chamber music concertos written by François Couperin for the court of Louis XIV , each consisting of a prelude and a series of dances intended for listening rather than dancing. The Quartorzième Concert is structured in four movements: I (0´07´´) GRAVEMENT .-. II (1´52´´) ALLEMANDE. VIVEMENT .-. III (3´26´´) SARABANDE. GRAVE .-. IV (7´00´´) FUGUÉTE.
Today it is brought to us by the Croatian Baroque Ensemble .
Béla Bartók (1881-1945), a Hungarian pianist and composer who extensively researched the folklore of his country, was one of the founders of ethnomusicology . At the age of five he began his musical studies with his mother, a piano teacher; at the age of eleven he gave his first concert with a work by Beethoven and another of his own composed two years earlier. Shortly afterwards, the family moved to Pozsony where he met Ernő Dohnányi . Together they moved to Budapest where he studied composition as well as continuing with his piano studies. He met Zoltán Kodály with whom he carried out an in-depth study of Hungarian folklore (he collected thousands of songs from the mouths of peasants), which he applied to his own compositions.
He wrote piano music, chamber music, two cantatas, a Concerto for Orchestra, two rhapsodies for violin and orchestra, two concertos for violin and one for viola, three piano concertos, an opera and two ballets.
Catalogue of works by Béla Bartók . Today there are two ways of referring to Bartok's works: a) by the Opus number and b) by the abbreviation Sz . , which refers to the catalogue prepared by the musicologist András Szőllősy.
The Dance Suite, Sz. 77 BB 86a , is an orchestral work by Béla Bartók , composed in 1923. In 1925 the composer made an arrangement for solo piano (Sz. 77 BB 86b), less known and performed than the original work. Bártok composed the Dance Suite to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the union of Buda and Pest that gave rise to the capital of Hungary, Budapest . The work contains five dances with melodies of Hungarian, Arabic and Romanian origin, and a last movement which is an exposition of the five themes already used: I (0´40´´) I MODERATO .-. II (4´15´´) ALLEGRO MOLTO .-. III (6´40´´) ALLEGRO VIVACE .-. IV (9´57´´) MOLTO TRANQUILO .-. V (12´50´´) COMFORTABLE .-. VI (13'55'') FINALE. ALLEGRO
Christmas music comprises a variety of musical genres that are regularly performed or heard during the Christmas season. The music may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols or songs may employ lyrics that range in theme from the birth of Jesus Christ , to gift-giving, and rejoicing with cultural figures such as Olentzero , Santa Claus , or the Three Wise Men . Many songs simply have a winter or seasonal theme, or have been adopted into the canon for other reasons. Performances of Christmas music at public concerts, radio stations, churches, shopping malls, city streets, and private gatherings are an integral staple of the Christmas season in many cultures around the world.
Renée Fleming (1959) is an American lyric opera soprano, considered one of the best interpreters of Mozart and Richard Strauss of her generation. She is also a notable interpreter of the French repertoire and of works in Slavic languages, having also incorporated operas by Handel, Verdi, Donizetti and Rossini into her repertoire. The range of her voice has been compared to that of Victoria de los Ángeles, Eleanor Steber and Leontyne Price and according to conductor Georg Solti "In my long life, perhaps only two sopranos have I encountered with such vocal quality, one is Renée , the other was Renata Tebaldi ." In addition to the operatic repertoire, she performs contemporary music, musicals and other genres, such as the collection of Christmas songs that we offer today.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is an American choir founded on August 22, 1847, twenty-nine days after Mormon pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley , and typically performs accompanied by an organ composed of 11,623 pipes. Prospective choristers must be members of the LDS Church , be between 25 and 55 years of age at the start of the choir's service, and live within 100 miles (160 km) of the Temple. The choir is one of the most famous in the world and has performed at the inaugurations of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump . Members may serve no more than 20 years, receive no compensation, and consider it a great honor to be a member of the choir.
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Rumba is a traditional music genre that originated in Cuba during the 19th century . With African roots, Cuban rumba is considered the mother of numerous Latin rhythms and dances, such as salsa , and has derivatives in various Latin American countries. In November 2016, UNESCO inscribed Cuban rumba , a festive mix of dance and music, and all the inherent cultural practices, as a member of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity .
Today Joachim Horsley offers us an arrangement, rumba version, of the 2nd Movement of Beethoven 's Seventh .
La Niña de La Puebla (Dolores Jiménez Alcántara, 1908-1999) was an actress and one of the greatest flamenco singers ever. Three days after being born she lost her sight due to an unfortunate accident. At the age of eight she began receiving special musical education. According to her own statements she decided to dedicate herself to professional singing when she heard Niño de Marchena sing. At the age of 20 she performed for the first time at a festival in Morón de la Frontera , after which her career would begin full of success. She was married to another notable singer, Luquitas de Marchena (1913-1965) and from this marriage two other well-known artists of Andalusian folklore were born: Adelfa Soto and Pepe Soto . She made numerous tours throughout the state and worked with the most important figures of the moment.
Billie Eilish (born 2001) is an American singer-songwriter, born in Los Angeles to a family of artists. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, she received a total of six nominations, of which she won five, becoming the youngest artist to win the award. She also won the awards for Best New Artist , as well as Song and Record of the Year for " Bad Guy ", becoming the second artist in history to win all four general categories on the same night. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, Eilish was awarded two awards: the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, for her song "No Time to Die", and the Grammy Award for Best Record of the Year for her 2019 single "Everything I Wanted" .
Khea (real name Ivo Alfredo Thomas Serue) born in Virreyes, Buenos Aires on April 13, 2000) is an Argentine rapper, singer and songwriter. He began his career in 2017, releasing one of his first singles titled " Loca ", one of the most iconic songs of Argentine trap, alongside Duki, Cazzu and Bad Bunny . In 2020 he released his second extended play titled Trapicheo , with songs solely from the trap genre, to later venture into other genres and release singles. After a musical "break" in 2022, he returned a year later with his album Serotonina , where he expands on themes such as heartbreak, depression, anxiety, within an eclectic collection of songs that incorporate genres such as alternative rock, salsa, ama piano, reggaeton and bachata.
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Ballet , academic dance, classical dance or balé is a type of dance and also the name of the corresponding technique. Depending on the times, countries or currents and the show, this artistic expression can include: dance, mime, theater (orchestral and choral), people and machinery. Classical ballet or classical dance is a form of dance whose movements are based on total and absolute control of the body. Unlike other dances, in ballet each step is codified. The hands, arms, trunk, head, feet, knees, the whole body invariably participate in a simultaneous conjunction of muscular and mental dynamics that must be expressed in total harmony of movements. The word ballet , taken from the Latin ballo, ballare, 'to dance', in turn taken from the Greek βαλλίζω (ballizo), 'to dance', 'to jump'. The term ballet was first used in 1582 by the French composer Balthasar de Beaujouelx (also known as Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx ) in the Ballet comique de la reine .
Today we offer various ballet scenes with artists such as the Corps de Ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre, the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, the Vienna State Opera, the Hamburg Ballet and the excellent Svetlana Zakharova . The musical background, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, corresponds to the fourth movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony .
Amalia Hernández (1917-2000) was a Mexican dancer and choreographer. In 1952, she founded the ballet that bears her name, which is emblematic of the folkloric art of this country, and is based at the Palacio de las Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Amalia dedicated herself to rescuing traditional Mexican dances that had been lost over time, striving to improve their quality. In 1959, President López Mateos asked this group to become one of Mexico 's natural ambassadors. The Amalia Hernández Ballet , also known since then as the Ballet Folklórico de México , has more than 60 of its own choreographies, with performances throughout Mexico and more than 100 international tours, visiting a total of 60 countries.
The Baile de las amarillas comes from the patron saint festivities of the State of Guerrero , Mexico, where Amalia Hernández rescued and popularized it as we present it today.
The origins of Japanese traditional dances date back to the ceremonial dances performed for the Court , to the dances of popular festivals and to the Ennen , which are Buddhist dances. In addition, the Japanese Kabuki theatre is closely linked to these traditional dances, since both leave aside everything superficial and follow the Buddhist philosophy of “bringing the soul closer to heaven”. Traditional Japanese dances consist of slow movements of dancers who remain firm and solid on the ground, moving their feet in short steps with their legs bent. Head movements also play an important role, since they transmit the energy and expression of the Japanese spirit. (Source consulted: Asia Gardens Hotel Blog)
From Cambo (Iparralde/Northern Euskadi in France) this disciplined Choeur des Colibris from the Saint Michel Garicoïts College directed by the teacher and author of this arrangement, Nelly Guilhemsans , offers us this original body percussion accompaniment to the First Movement of Beethoven's Fifth . With this video we close our humble tribute of the present year to the Master of master composers in the History of Music, Ludwig van Beethoven .
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Various Wikipedia articles have been used to write these texts.
The texts of Videomusicalis are written in Basque, Spanish and English.
