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德國古典音樂家系列(1) - Johann Sebastian Bach 約翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫 (由法蘭克福機場到海德堡 2022.9.18)

 


巴赫出生於圖林根州艾森納赫的音樂世家。他一生中擔任過各種管風琴演奏家和樂團指揮職務，包括在阿恩施塔特、米爾豪森、魏瑪、科滕和萊比錫。儘管他沒有廣泛遊歷，但他對西方音樂的影響卻是巨大的。他是一位對位、和聲和音樂形式的大師，將德國傳統與義大利和法國風格融為一體。

音樂：巴赫的音樂以其思想深度、技術精湛和深刻的情感表達為特徵。除了歌劇以外，他幾乎創作了他那個時代所有類型的作品。他的作品包括複雜的賦格曲、富有表現力的康塔塔、精湛的協奏曲和崇高的鍵盤樂曲。

1. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

  • Life and Background: Born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Bach came from a large musical family. He held various organist and Kapellmeister positions throughout his life, including in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, Weimar, Köthen, and Leipzig. Despite not traveling extensively, his influence on Western music is immense. He was a master of counterpoint, harmony, and musical form, blending German traditions with Italian and French styles.
  • Music: Bach's music is characterized by its intellectual depth, technical mastery, and profound emotional expression. He composed in virtually every genre of his time, except opera. His works include intricate fugues, expressive cantatas, masterful concertos, and sublime keyboard pieces.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Brandenburg Concertos (especially No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048)
    2. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
    3. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
    4. St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (especially the aria "Erbarme dich")
    5. Cello Suites (especially No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007)

2. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

  • Life and Background: Born in Bonn, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early twenties, where he spent the rest of his life. He is a pivotal figure transitioning between the Classical and Romantic eras. His personal struggles, including progressive hearing loss, profoundly influenced his powerful and often heroic musical style.
  • Music: Beethoven expanded the forms and emotional scope of Classical music. His symphonies, sonatas, and quartets are characterized by their dramatic intensity, thematic development, and innovative use of harmony and rhythm.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (the "Fate" Symphony)
    2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (the "Choral" Symphony, featuring "Ode to Joy")
    3. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (the "Moonlight" Sonata)
    4. Für Elise, WoO 59
    5. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

  • Life and Background: Born in Salzburg, Austria (though he spent much of his career in Vienna and is often associated with Austrian music, his cultural roots were within the Holy Roman Empire, which included many German-speaking regions and a strong German musical tradition), Mozart was a child prodigy who toured Europe extensively. He was incredibly prolific and versatile, mastering opera, symphony, chamber music, and more.
  • Music: Mozart's music is known for its melodic beauty, clarity, elegance, and dramatic flair. He had an unparalleled gift for melody and a profound understanding of harmony and orchestration.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
    2. Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 (the "Elvira Madigan" Concerto)
    3. The Marriage of Figaro (opera), K. 492 (especially the overture and "Non più andrai")
    4. Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (unfinished)
    5. Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525

4. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

  • Life and Background: Born in Hamburg, Brahms was a leading composer of the Romantic era. He was a close friend of Robert and Clara Schumann, who greatly encouraged his career. Brahms was known for his traditionalist approach to form while imbuing his music with deep emotional content.
  • Music: Brahms's music is characterized by its rich textures, lyrical melodies, and sophisticated harmonic language. He excelled in symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and Lieder (songs).
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
    2. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
    3. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
    4. Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
    5. Hungarian Dances (especially No. 5 in G minor)

5. Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

  • Life and Background: Born in Leipzig, Wagner was a highly influential and controversial figure in music history. He revolutionized opera through his concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), integrating music, drama, poetry, and stagecraft.
  • Music: Wagner's operas are monumental in scale and intensely dramatic. His music is characterized by its rich chromatic harmony, leitmotifs (recurring musical themes associated with characters or ideas), and powerful orchestration.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. The Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre
    2. Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin ("Here Comes the Bride")
    3. Overture to The Flying Dutchman
    4. Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
    5. "Wach auf, es nahet gen den Tag" from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

6. Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

  • Life and Background: Born in Zwickau, Schumann was a key figure of the Romantic era, both as a composer and a influential music critic. His marriage to the pianist Clara Wieck was central to his life and career. He struggled with mental health issues in his later years.
  • Music: Schumann's music is deeply personal and often reflects his literary interests. His works for piano are particularly important, exploring a wide range of emotions and characters. He also wrote significant symphonies, chamber music, and songs.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), Op. 15 (especially "Träumerei")
    2. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
    3. Dichterliebe (A Poet's Love) song cycle, Op. 48
    4. Carnaval, Op. 9
    5. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 ("Rhenish")

7. Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

  • Life and Background: Born in Hamburg into a prominent intellectual family, Mendelssohn was a gifted composer, pianist, and conductor. He played a crucial role in reviving interest in the music of J.S. Bach. He traveled extensively and was a significant figure in the musical life of his time.
  • Music: Mendelssohn's music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, elegant orchestration, and formal clarity. He wrote memorable symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and oratorios.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 21 (including the Wedding March)
    2. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
    3. Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 ("Italian")
    4. The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave), Op. 26
    5. Songs Without Words (Lieder ohne Worte) for piano (selection)

8. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

  • Life and Background: Born in Halle, Handel initially studied law but pursued music. He spent significant time in Italy before settling in London, where he became a leading figure in English musical life. Although he spent much of his career in England, he was born and educated within the German musical tradition.
  • Music: Handel was a prolific composer of operas, oratorios, concertos, and instrumental music. His style is characterized by its dramatic power, melodic invention, and masterful use of chorus.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Messiah (oratorio), HWV 56 (especially the "Hallelujah" chorus)
    2. Water Music Suites, HWV 348-350
    3. Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351
    4. "Ombra mai fu" from the opera Xerxes (often known as "Handel's Largo")
    5. Zadok the Priest (coronation anthem)

9. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)

  • Life and Background: Born in Weimar, the fifth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, C.P.E. Bach was a highly influential composer of the transitional period between the Baroque and Classical eras. He served as Kapellmeister to Frederick the Great in Berlin for many years before moving to Hamburg.
  • Music: C.P.E. Bach was a key figure in the Empfindsamkeit (sentimental style), which emphasized emotional expression and dramatic contrasts. He wrote significant keyboard sonatas, symphonies, and concertos.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Keyboard Sonata in D minor, Wq. 49/6 ("Württemberg" Sonata No. 6)
    2. Symphony in B-flat major, Wq. 182/2
    3. Cello Concerto in A minor, Wq. 170
    4. Fantasia in C minor, Wq. 59/4
    5. Magnificat in D major, Wq. 215

10. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)

  • Life and Background: Born in Erasbach (now Berching), Gluck was a significant composer of opera, particularly known for his reforms aimed at making opera more dramatically coherent and expressive. He worked in Italy, Vienna, and Paris.
  • Music: Gluck's reform operas emphasized the primacy of the drama, with the music serving the text. He simplified operatic conventions and focused on naturalness and emotional directness.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. "Che farò senza Euridice" from Orfeo ed Euridice
    2. Overture to Iphigénie en Aulide
    3. "Divinités du Styx" from Alceste
    4. "O del mio dolce ardor" from Paride ed Elena
    5. Ballet music from Orphée et Eurydice (French version of Orfeo)

11. Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)

  • Life and Background: Born in Vienna, Austria (though his family had German roots and his music was deeply embedded in the cultural landscape of the German-speaking world), Johann Strauss II, known as the "Waltz King," was the son of composer Johann Strauss I. He became incredibly popular for his light music, particularly waltzes, polkas, and operettas.
  • Music: Strauss II's music is characterized by its infectious melodies, elegant rhythms, and vibrant orchestration. His waltzes are particularly famous for their Viennese charm and sophistication.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. The Blue Danube (An der schönen blauen Donau), Op. 314
    2. Emperor Waltz (Kaiser-Walzer), Op. 437
    3. Tales from the Vienna Woods (G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald), Op. 325
    4. Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Op. 410
    5. Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214

12. Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

  • Life and Background: Born in Vienna, Austria (similar to Mozart and Strauss II, his career was centered in Vienna within a broader German cultural context), Schubert was a prolific composer of the early Romantic era, despite his short life. He was known for his melodic gift and his mastery of the Lied.
  • Music: Schubert's music is characterized by its lyrical beauty, emotional depth, and innovative harmonies. He wrote numerous songs, symphonies, chamber music, and piano works.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. "Erlkönig", D. 328
    2. "Ave Maria" (Ellens Gesang III), D. 839
    3. Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 ("Unfinished")
    4. String Quintet in C major, D. 956
    5. Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 ("The Trout")

13. Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

  • Life and Background: Born in Munich, Richard Strauss was a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He was also a renowned conductor. His early works were in the Romantic style, but he later developed a more individual and often highly dramatic idiom.
  • Music: Strauss was best known for his tone poems (programmatic orchestral works) and operas. His music is characterized by its rich orchestration, dramatic intensity, and vivid programmatic content.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
    2. Don Juan, Op. 20
    3. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks), Op. 28
    4. Der Rosenkavalier (opera), Op. 59 (especially the "Presentation of the Silver Rose")
    5. Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs)

14. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

  • Life and Background: Born in Kalischt, Bohemia (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with a strong German cultural influence; Mahler's primary language and artistic environment were German), Mahler was a significant composer and conductor. His symphonies are vast in scope and emotionally intense, often exploring themes of life, death, and spirituality.
  • Music: Mahler's symphonies are characterized by their extended length, large orchestral forces, and incorporation of vocal soloists and choruses. His music blends Romantic expressiveness with a sense of existential questioning.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Symphony No. 2 in C minor ("Resurrection")
    2. Symphony No. 5 in C# minor (especially the Adagietto)
    3. Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major ("Symphony of a Thousand")
    4. Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)
    5. Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children)

15. Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

  • Life and Background: Born Clara Wieck in Leipzig, she was a highly accomplished pianist and composer. Her marriage to Robert Schumann was a central aspect of her life. She was a significant interpreter of her husband's music and a respected composer in her own right.
  • Music: Clara Schumann's compositions include piano works, songs, chamber music, and a piano concerto. Her style is deeply rooted in Romanticism, characterized by lyrical melodies and expressive harmonies.
  • 5 Iconic Music:
    1. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7
    2. Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17
    3. Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
    4. Six Songs, Op. 13 (Lieder)
    5. Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20
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