Abstraction ITitle: Abstraction Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Piano Product medium: PDF score Sample:
Schubert’s progressSchubert’s report card in in the Music of the Court Chapel Choir-Boys in the I. & R. Seminary, 1st term, 1809: Name Morals Studies Singing Pianoforte Violin Remarks Schubert Franz v. good good v. good good v. good A musical talent Report card for the Scholars of the First Grammar Class at the University Preparatory […]
Capturing the pulse of the time"I try to put the pulse of my times into my music and do it in a lasting way." – George Gerswhin Cited in: Greenberg, Rodney (2008) George Gerswhin. New York: Phaidon Press, p.216. '
Copland on the integration of jazz into art musicAmerican composer Aaron Copland discusses the influence of Jazz on his musical style: was a very important influence at one time. I wrote a Piano Concerto in 1927 which was largely based on jazz materials. Jazz, of course, is for us a very typical American musical expression, which we have not so successfully been able […]
Beauty Around Us – Bernhard Severin IngemannTitle: Beauty Around Us Composer: Greg Smith Based on text by: Bernhard Severin Ingemann Instrumentation: Piano (easy) Product medium: PDF score Related products: – Beauty Around Us (piano version) – Beauty Around Us (easy piano version) – Beauty Around Us (mp3) SAMPLE:
Beethoven’s pianoFranz Liszt owned Beethoven’s Broadwood piano.
Schumann as a studentSchumann studied with Dorn, the conductor at the civic theatre. Dorn recalled: Having completed exercises in figured-bass realization, chorale harmonization, and canon, teacher and student moved on to double counterpoint. Intrigued by the mysteries of this discipline, and reluctant to tear himself away from his desk, Schumann once requested that his lesson take place in […]
Mozart on aestheticsMozart’s musical aesthetics are revealed in a letter to his father about Osmin’s first aria in The Abduction of the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail). The Eighteenth century classical ideals of balance and refinement are evident: I have sent you only the beginning and the end of the aria. I think it will prove […]
Gershwin’s playing (and sense of humour)The composer Burton Lane describes George Gershwin’s playing: You could feel the electricity going through the room when he played. He could transpose into any key with the greatest of ease. He had total command of what he was doing. Musical surprises, unusual changes of keys. He was one of the few composers who had […]