today’s birthday: Albert Schweitzer (1875) – “The reverence for life man”

Albert Schweitzer (1875)

Schweitzer was an Alsatian theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. Determined to become a medical missionary, he established a hospital in Gabon, Africa, in 1913 and later expanded it to include a leper colony. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his medical and humanitarian work and for his “reverence for life” concept of universal ethics, which emphasizes respect for the lives of all beings. An organist to boot, he interpreted the music of what composer? More… Discuss

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Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 – Blomstedt/RCO(2008Live): Great compositions/performances

Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 – Blomstedt/RCO(2008Live)

  Magisch meisje Orkest

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony No.3 in A minor, op.56 “Schottische“
Herbert Blomstedt
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, 17 10/2008
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, known as the Scottish, is a symphony by Felix Mendelssohn, composed between 1829 and 1842.

Form

It is in four movements, marked as follows:

1.  Andante con moto — Allegro un poco agitato
2.  Vivace non troppo (in F major)
3.  Adagio (in A major)
4.  Allegro vivacissimo — Allegro maestoso assai (A minor → A major)

The emotional scope of the work is wide, consisting of a grand first movement, a joyous and fairly brief second movement, a slow movement maintaining an apparent struggle between love and fate, and a finale that takes its components from Scottish folk dance. The lively second movement is melodically and rhythmically in the style of Scottish folk music, although no direct quotations have been identified. A peculiarity lies in the coda of the finale, where Mendelssohn introduces a complete new German majestic theme to close the work in a completely different manner from the rest of the finale.

History

Mendelssohn claimed to have been inspired to write the symphony during his first visit to Britain in 1829.^[1][2][3] After a series of successful performances in London, Mendelssohn embarked on a walking tour of Scotland with companion Karl Klingemann.^[3] On 30 July, Mendelssohn visited the ruins of a chapel at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, where he had his initial idea for the piece.^[1][2] He described the experience in a letter, in which he included a draft of the symphony’s opening theme.^[3] Mendelssohn and his companion later visited Staffa, which inspired the composer to write the Hebrides, a task which occupied him until its completion in 1830.^[3]

After completing the Hebrides, Mendelssohn continued to work on his initial sketches of what would become Symphony No. 3 while touring Italy.^[3] However, he struggled to make progress, and after 1831 set the piece aside.^[3]

Mendelssohn returned to the symphony in 1841 and completed it in Berlin on 20 January 1842.^[2][4] Although it was the fifth and final of Mendelssohn’s symphonies to be completed, it was the third to be published, and has subsequently been known as Symphony No. 3.^[3]

Premiere

The premiere took place on 3 March 1842 in Leipzig.
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today’s birthday: Christian III of Denmark and Norway (1503)

Christian III of Denmark and Norway (1503)

Christian III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1534 to 1559. Early in his reign, he allied with Sweden to defeat the German city of Lübeck, which had invaded Denmark in an attempt to reinstate the deposed Christian II. That victory broke the power of the Hanseatic League and made the Danish fleet supreme in northern waters. As ruler, Christian established Lutheranism in Denmark and laid the foundation for the absolutist Danish monarchy of the 17th century. On what holiday did Christian die? More… Discuss

MAKE MUSIC PART OF YOUR LIFE SERIES: Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No 5 D major minor ‘Reformation’ S. Baudo OSI

[youtube.com/watch?v=cbI1HEurX-c]

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No 5 D major minor ‘Reformation’ S. Baudo OSI

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Portrait of Mendelssohn by James Warren Childe, 1839

The Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor, Op. 107, known as the Reformation, was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. The Confession is a key document of Lutheranism and its Presentation to Emperor Charles V in June 1530 was a momentous event of the Protestant Reformation. This symphony was written for a full orchestra and was Mendelssohn’s second extended symphony. It was not published until 1868, 21 years after the composer’s death – hence its numbering as ‘5’. Although the symphony is not very frequently performed, it is better known today than it was during Mendelssohn’s lifetime.

Key

The key of the symphony is stated as D major on the title page of Mendelssohn’s autograph score. However, only the slow introduction is written in D Major, whereas the main theme and the cadence setting of the first movement are in D minor. The composer himself referred to the symphony on at least one occasion as in D minor.^[5]

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, “serpente” (possibly a serpent^[6]) and contrabassoon (fourth movement only, now usually played on the contrabassoon alone), 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings.

Form

The symphony is in four movements:

1. Andante — Allegro con fuoco
2. Allegro vivace
3. Andante
4. Andante con moto — Allegro maestoso

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The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra – Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068

The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman plays the 3rd Orchestral Suite (Ouverture) in D major, BWV 1068 (? c. 1729-31), at National Museum Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn (Netherlands).

 

L. Bernstein – Mendelssohn Symphony No.5 in D major/D minor “Reformation” Op.107

Mendelssohn Symphony No.5 in D major/D minor “Reformation” Op.107 Complete

1. Andante — Allegro con fuoco
2. Allegro vivace
3. Andante
4. Andante con moto — Allegro maestoso

NY Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein Conductor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

Portrait of Mendelssohn by James Warren Childe, 1839

The Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor, Op. 107, called the Reformation Symphony, was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. This Confession was a key document of Lutheranism and its Presentation to Emperor Charles V in June 1530 was a momentous event of the Protestant Reformation. The symphony was written for a full orchestra and was the second extended symphony that Mendelssohn had written. It was not published until 1868, 21 years after the composer’s death – hence its numbering as ‘5’. Although the symphony is not very frequently performed, it is better known today than it was during Mendelssohn’s lifetime.