Page 243 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

Listening Cue
Johannes Brahms, Violin Concerto in D major (1878)
Third movement, Allegro giocoso, ma non tropo vivace (fast and playful, but not too lively) Genre: Concerto
Form: Rondo
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what to listen for: The exchanges between the soloist and the orchestra, and the “anything you can do, I can do better” spirit that develops. The constantly returning rondo theme (Example 14.1) is easy to recognize, no matter who performs it.
reAD . . . a detailed Listening Guide of this selection online.
LiSTeN TO . . . this selection streaming online.
WATCH . . . an Active Listening Guide of this selection online.
DO . . . Listening Exercise 14.1, Brahms, Violin Concerto in D major, online.
More Great Late Romantic Symphonies and Concertos
The nineteenth century was a period in which the view of the universe, the earth, and the parts of it expanded dramatically—the distance to the moon was calcu- lated at 250,000 miles, not just 100,000 as previously thought; the earth was seen as millions of years old, not just thousands; and the rocks on it first recognized as moving at a “glacial” pace. So in music, too, time slowed down and distances between sections expanded. The enlarged symphony orchestra and more pow- erful piano allowed for sound itself to carry, or fill, the moment. The composer (and listener) could sit with a chord, perhaps wallow in it, and the sound of the instruments would be so beautiful that nothing else was needed, at least for a long time. Consequently, movements of symphonies and sonatas became pro- gressively longer, sometimes very long (recall Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Chapter 12). While all this worked to the benefit of the listener, not so for the writer of a textbook. Long pieces require lengthy explanations, a necessity not well suited to a book that aims to present an essential musical repertoire in a succinct fashion. But the large-scale symphonies and concertos of the late Ro- mantic era are more than worthy of a hearing. Here’s where to start.
Peter Tchaikovsky is known today primarily for his tone poems, such as Romeo and Juliet and The 1812 Overture, and ballets, such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (see Chapter 12). But Tchaikovsky also wrote six symphonies and three large-scale concertos (one each for piano, violin, and cello). Of these perhaps the best are the Symphony No. 6 in B minor (1893) and the Violin Concerto in D (1878).
WATCH . . . a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D, third movement, with Hilary Hahn soloist, online.
more great late romantic symphonies and concertos 221 Copyright 201 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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