Brahms's chamber music is perhaps the richest and most diverse area in the composer's legacy. It contained all the main ideas of his work, from the early stage to the late, fully and consistently reflecting the evolution of style. All Brahmsian concepts of cycles are presented here in various manifestations: dramatic and elegiac, lyrical-genre and pastoral. “The very conceptuality of the cycles,” L. Kokoreva points out, “the deep intellectualism of music appears as carriers of the most characteristic features Austro-German culture".
Interest in the chamber-instrumental genre was determined by Brahms's characteristic penchant for fine finishing of artistic details. Moreover, according to M. Druskin, the composer’s productivity increased during critical years, when Brahms felt the need to further develop and improve his creative principles. It is possible to outline three periods in the development of Brahms's chamber-instrumental style, which generally correspond to the main periods of his work, although they do not partially coincide with them.
The decade 1854-1865 accounts for the largest number of works. Nine different chamber ensembles were created during these years: Piano trio, two string sextets, three piano quartets. The third piano quartet was completed much later, but was conceived in 1855, Cello sonata, Horn trio, Piano quintet; in addition, many other works destroyed by the author, who was demanding of himself. All this speaks of the enormous creative activity of the young composer, of his tireless, persistent quest to discover and consolidate his artistic individuality. The “experimental field” in this regard was chamber music - for piano and, especially, for instrumental ensembles, although in the same years Brahms also worked a lot in the field of vocal genres. This period ends with the "German Requiem". This is the composer’s first large-scale work in concept and implementation. He is entering a period of mature mastery.
The decade 1873-1882 had fewer chamber works - only six: three string quartet, First Violin Sonata, Second Piano Trio, First String Quintet (and in two of the quartets, music written in the previous period was used). Other artistic tasks excited Brahms during these years: he turned to large-scale symphonic ideas. The composer has achieved highest point your creative development.
In 1885 year Brahms finished the Fourth Symphony. He felt a huge rush creative forces, but at the same time, moments of crisis were also emerging. This is one of the important turning points in his biography. The fruitful period of “creative autumn” is coming. It was during this period that the number of chamber works increased and their weight increased. In the summer of 1886 alone, Brahms wrote four remarkable works: the Second and Third (completed two years later) violin sonatas, the Second Cello Sonata, the Third Piano Trio; in subsequent years - the Second String Quintet, Clarinet Trio, Clarinet Quintet and two clarinet sonatas.
Three different periods determine differences both in the figurative-emotional sphere and in the style of Brahms’ chamber ensembles. Many researchers point to this fact. Thus, in particular, M. Druskin considers the group of the first nine works to be the most diverse. During this period, the composer was in a state of creative ferment, the musicologist writes, “he is impetuous and unstable, trying to find himself in the most various directions; sometimes, without hesitation, he brings down an avalanche of subjective experiences overwhelming him, sometimes he looks for ways to create more intelligible and objective, “generally significant” music. The area of youthfully fresh, impetuous romantic feelings with generous beauty is revealed in these works, among which the brilliant Piano Quintet rises.”
The second group appears less integral. Brahms sometimes returns to themes and images that worried him in previous years, but conveys them in a somewhat schematized form. According to M. Druskin, this refers to “the predominance of the rational principle in these works over the emotional one.”
The third group again forms the pinnacle of Brahms's chamber-instrumental creativity. The completeness and diversity of figurative and emotional content is combined here with mature skill. Noteworthy is the strengthening, on the one hand, of the heroic-epic line, and on the other, an even more personal, subjective one. This contradiction is an indicator of the years of crisis in the last period of Brahms's life.
Let us briefly dwell on the characteristics of individual works.
Brahms is the author of seven string ensembles - three quartets, two quintets and two sextets. In the Quintet op. 115, the clarinet part, as directed by the author, can be replaced by the viola. Thus, this work can be considered written for a string ensemble. These compositions, different in their colorful capabilities, attracted the composer in different periods of his work: sextets were written in 1859-1865, quartets in 1873-1875, quintets in 1882-1890. The content of the early and late works - sextets and quintets - is simpler, closer to the ancient divertissements of the 18th century or the orchestral serenades of Brahms himself, while the music of the quartets is more in-depth and subjective.
Other sides of reality are reflected in string quartets. Brahms once admitted in a conversation that before the early 1870s he wrote about twenty works for string quartet, but did not publish them and destroyed the manuscripts. Of the surviving ones, two - c-moll and a-moll - were published in a revised form as op. 51 in 1873; three years later the Third Quartet in B major, op. 67.
By the time he created his three string quartets (1873-1875), Brahms had already accumulated a wealth of experience in the field of chamber instrumental creativity and had entered his period of greatest flowering. Three string quartets, written one after another in the early 1870s, are marked by features of complete maturity, high artistic skill, and virtuoso technique in handling the quartet score. These are masterpieces chamber music Brahms. Deep and complex psychological processes are revealed in them in a tense-dynamic style with extreme concentration and laconicism. The significance of the concept and the intensity of development allow us to speak about the true symphony of these works, inheriting the traditions of Beethoven, L. Kokoreva points out: “Deep internal connections with classical music - Beethoven’s heroic and dramatic ideas, philosophical lyrics- are refracted individually, in the purely Brahmsian dramaturgy of the cycle. Romantic impetuosity and passion give way to strict restraint of expression."
The string quartets, like the piano quartets, form a triptych of works contrasting in content, embodying three of the most important Brahmsian concepts: dramatic, lyrical-elegiac and pastoral-genre. Written in anticipation of the symphonies, the quartets appeared important milestone on the way to them: it was within the framework of string ensembles that the composer’s symphonic style matured. From here comes the internal kinship of the two genres, interconnectedness, as well as the interpenetration of two principles - chamber music and symphonism, resulting in the quality of Brahms' music. The chamber nature of the symphonies lies in the psychological complexity, the subtlety of gradations in the transmission various shades emotional content, the quartets are symphonic in the full sense.
A special closeness is felt between the quartet in C minor op. 51 and a symphony in the same key, the first parts of which are written in the same emotional key. What also foreshadows the future symphonic cycle, writes L. Kokoreva, is that instead of the scherzo, which has hitherto prevailed in ensembles, a kind of intermezzo appears here at the Allegretto tempo, giving the quartet a uniquely individual appearance. In the C-minor quartet the line of dramatization of the finale is continued, which will later become hallmark mature symphonic style. But even among Brahms’s most mature opuses, the C-moll quartet stands out for its rare laconicism, concentration of thought, unity of the cycle, the individual parts of which are interconnected by the development of one idea, and special integrity within each part.
Second quartet in a minor op. 51 in the triad of string quartets serves as the lyrical center and is distinguished by a soft, soulful tone, melodious, transparent texture. After the dynamic contrasts of the C-minor quartet, its impulsive and intense climaxes, rapid development, here you can feel the smoothness of the relief, the soft plasticity of the melodic contours, and the leisurely flow of the music. The Schubertian principle in it contrasts with the Beethovenian one, which predominates in the first quartet. However, this applies only to the first three parts, in which the rich and unique world of Brahmsian lyrics is consistently revealed. The finale is full of indomitable energy, dramatic power and is the semantic result towards which all development is directed.
Third Quartet in B major op. 67, created by the composer in 1875, two years after the first two, counters them with its joyful, bright tone. Pictures of forest nature, cheerful lively rhythms, song melodies permeate this work, where the Agitato Allegretto non troppo (third movement) in d-moll stands in contrast to the integral joyful worldview embodied in three parts.
Two Quintets - F major, op. 88 and G major, op. 111 - written for a homogeneous composition - two violins, two violas and a cello. A melodious, courageous character is inherent in the First Quintet; joyful ease in the spirit of J. Strauss - to the Second. The second quintet is one of Brahms' best chamber works.
The sonatas have a varied content - two for cello (1865 and 1886) and three for violin and piano (1879, 1886 and 1888).
From the passionate elegy of the first movement to the sad, Viennese minuet of the second movement and the fugue finale with its assertive energy - this is the circle of images of the First Cello Sonata in e-moll, op. 38. The Second Sonata in F major, op. 99; it is all permeated with acute conflict.
Violin sonatas can serve as living evidence of Brahms' inexhaustible creative imagination - each of them is uniquely individual. First Sonata in G major, op. 78 attracts with its poetry, broad, fluid and smooth movement; it also has landscape moments. Second Sonata in A major, op. 100, songful, cheerful, presented concisely and collectedly. Unexpectedly, Grieg's influence is revealed in the second part. In general, the lack of great development and drama sets it apart from other chamber works by Brahms. The differences from the Third Sonata in d minor, op. are especially great. 108. This is one of the most dramatic, conflicting composer's works, in which the rebellious romantic images of the Second Cello Sonata are developed with great perfection.
The perfect expression of the Sturm und Drang period in creative biography Brahms gives the Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34. According to M. Druskin, this work is the best not only in this period, but, perhaps, in the entire chamber-instrumental heritage of the composer: “The music of the quintet achieves true tragedy. Each part is replete with images of action, anxious impulses and passionate restlessness, masculinity and unyielding will.” Brahms turned to the work in 1861, planning it for string composition. But the power and contrast of the images overwhelmed the capabilities of the strings. Then an edition for two pianos was written, but it did not satisfy the composer. Only in 1864 was the desired form found, where a string quartet is supported by a piano.
Brahms returned to the same theme, each time solving it differently, towards the end of his life in the Third Violin Sonata and the Third Piano Trio. But in the last four chamber works (1891-1894) other themes and images are embodied.
In the context of Brahms's chamber-instrumental work, his piano trios deserve special attention.
First trio for piano, violin and cello in H major, op. 8 was written by a 20-year-old author. It captivates with its youthful freshness of invention and romantic excitement.
It should be noted that in concert halls and in educational institutions this trio is heard in the second edition, created by the composer in 1890. Prompted by his friend, the famous Austrian musicologist E. Hanslick, Brahms turned to his early opus and subjected it to a radical revision. In the new edition, the principle of arrangement of parts and their main themes were preserved from the original version; The second part, the Scherzo, remained almost unchanged. By retaining the serial number of the opus in the second edition, the author thereby emphasized his desire only to improve the work written in his youth. However, he improved from the position of an already mature master, extremely demanding and strict with himself, and, in essence, composed almost three-quarters of the Trio anew. The main differences between the two options relate to issues of concept, principles of dramatic development and formation, and methods of presenting the material.
Trio Es major op. 40 for piano, violin and horn in Es was written in 1865 and first published in 1866 by Breitkopf & Hartel. In musicological literature, the opinion is sometimes expressed that the Trio (or individual parts of it) was created in the 1850s and thus belongs to the early period of the composer’s work. This assumption, however, is not argued convincingly enough, believes A. Bonduryansky, without a doubt, the Trio was written by the hand of a mature master: “It contains no traces of the oversaturation of the form with musical material that we encounter in Brahms’s early works, in particular in the first version of Trio H -dur op. 8. On the contrary, the Es-major Trio attracts precisely because of the correspondence of content and form, the desire for laconicism and simplicity of expression that are inherent in the composer’s later opuses, for example, the trio op. 87 and op. 101" A. Bonduryansky gives another - conceptual and dramatic - argument in favor of the fact that the Trio was created in 1865. This year in Brahms' life is associated with one of the most tragic events - the death of his beloved mother. The composer's direct response to this event was his “German Requiem” op. 45, written in the same year. But even in the Es-major Trio, a desire to develop mournful images is revealed - from the elegance of the episodes in the first part to the true tragedy in Adagio mesto.. According to M. Druskin, in no other work has the pure, enthusiastic soul of Brahms the romantic been so fully revealed .
Trio for piano, violin and cello C major op. 87 (1880-1882) belongs to the next period of the creative biography of J. Brahms. Since the late 1870s, the composer has been at the zenith of his fame. In 1876, the University of Cambridge awarded him the honorary title of Doctor of Music, and a year later the London Philharmonic Society awarded him a Gold Medal. Since 1880 he has been an honorary doctor of the University of Breslau. Brahms's concerts as a pianist and conductor are held with great success in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, and Poland. A sign of recognition of his merits as a composer and musical figure were invitations to the post of music director in Düsseldorf (which two decades earlier had been occupied by R. Schumann) and to the post of cantor of the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig.
The eve of 1878 was marked by the premiere of the Second Symphony, performed in Vienna under the baton of Hans Richter. Performance of the same symphony in September 1878 in hometown Brahms - Hamburg - at the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Philharmonic was a true triumph for the composer. In autumn Brahms and famous violinist Joachim, who were connected by close friendships, went on a large concert tour around Hungary, and in February 1880 - to Poland. Almost at the same time, Brahms began work on the Trio for piano, violin and cello in C major op. 87. Close creative and friendly communication with Joachim during this period, according to A. Bonduryansky, influenced the plan of the Trio.
Completed in June 1882, Brahms' Trio in C continues the Beethoven-Schubert tradition in this genre of chamber music. Researchers note the common principles of constructing the cycle as a whole, its individual parts, Brahms’s use of techniques for presenting musical material developed by his great predecessors, and even the intonational similarity of some themes. At the same time, remaining committed classical traditions in the field of form, Brahms imbues the content with a special, inherent romantic perception of the world.
Trio for piano, violin and cello in C minor, op. 101 (1886) is on par with Brahms's best chamber works. It reveals not only the brilliance and richness of the composer’s imagination, but also exceptional compositional skill. In the C minor Trio, complete correspondence between content and form is achieved; musical thoughts are extremely significant, the presentation is extremely laconic. The variety of performing techniques used by the composer is also admirable. Each of the ensemble members is given the opportunity to demonstrate their own solo skills, and at the same time, the music of the composition requires the concentration of the will of all three in achieving a common goal.
The c-minor trio was first performed in Budapest on October 20, 1886, performed by the author, E. Hubay and D. Popper and immediately received recognition. The enthusiastic responses of Brahms' contemporaries noted the scale of his plan and brevity of presentation, figurative richness and amazing concentration of form.
Trio for piano, clarinet in A and cello in A minor op. 114 can rightfully be called the composer’s “swan song” in the piano trio genre. And not only because after him Brahms no longer turned to the trio, but also because in this work all the best things that make trios so attractive found vivid expression German artist, - the romantic unusualness of the images, the passionate element of Hungarian folklore, the calm tranquility of the German Lieder. Here the finally established principles of constructing the form of composition and the desire to symphonize the chamber genre were embodied.
As already mentioned, this composition owes its origin to clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, soloist of the Meiningen Orchestra. His art captivated the composer. Thanks to the soft sound of the instrument and the gentle trembling tone, Mühlfeld earned the nickname “Fraulein-Clarinette” (German Clarinet Girl), which Brahms “awarded” him. It was the extraordinary musical and artistic merits of the clarinetist that served as the reason for the composer to create four opuses for this instrument. In addition to the Trio op. 114 is the Quintet op. 115 for string quartet and clarinet and two sonatas op. 120 for clarinet and piano.
In clarinet ensembles, J. Brahms achieves a new quality of images and dramaturgy, at the same time summing up his entire work. The general atmosphere of these works is lyricism, the general intonational nature - chanting, songfulness, length of lines: “The final role of the song-lyrical principle in the composer’s work is affirmed in latest works“,” points out E. Tsareva. The specificity of the clarinet perfectly corresponds to this quality. The skill of the ensemble here is brought to perfection. Each tool is used in accordance with its specifics. To reveal the emotional originality of the works, the timbre of the clarinet turned out to be especially expressive. This wind instrument lyrical song melodies, intense dramatic recitation, virtuosic passages in different registers, colorful figurations, trills, and tremolo accompaniment are entrusted. Dull, dull in the low register, and surprisingly reminiscent of a human voice telling or complaining in the middle, the timbre of the clarinet is very suitable for the elegiac coloring that predominates in the lyrics of the late Brahms. The clarinet either merges with the strings, giving their sound a certain detachment, then envelops them in light, moving arpeggios, or solos in improvised melodies.
Named works by Brahms said goodbye to the chamber-instrumental genre. Two years after the completion of these sonatas, in 1896, Brahms created two more, his last works, but in other genres: “Four Strict Tunes” for bass and piano and “And Chorale Preludes for Organ” (published posthumously).
None of Brahms' contemporaries spoke out in the field of chamber instrumental creativity so naturally, with such completeness and artistic perfection, as Brahms did. Subsequently, under the influence of the strongest impulse emanating from his work, chamber music successfully developed in the works of Smetana and Dvorak, Frank and Grieg. A unique parallel in Russian music at the turn of the century is the work of Taneyev.
It can also be said that this line of Brahms’s art, so carefully and consistently developed by him in the second half of the 19th century, gives rich shoots to modern music. Brahms, as it were, built a bridge from the Viennese classics to the new classicism of the 20th century with its special attraction to intimacy. A direct follower of Brahms at the beginning of our century was M. Reger. Following him is the outstanding master of the chamber ensemble P. Hindemith, who left a legacy of extensive chamber literature, including quartets, sonatas-duets for almost all string and wind instruments. The special technique of Brahms's chamber ensembles with its polyphony, thematic richness of the fabric and detailing of the texture, and most importantly - the interconnectedness of elements that allows all development to be derived from one grain, had a great influence on the compositional principles of thinking of Schoenberg and his school and found a direct continuation in the early chamber music. ensembles of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern.
Probably every person is partial to music. It accompanies humanity inextricably; it is impossible to determine exactly when a person learned to perceive it. Most likely, this happened when our ancestor, trying to express his emotions, hit the hollow. Since then, man and music are inextricably linked; today there are many of its genres, styles and trends. This is folklore, spiritual and, finally, classical instrumental - symphonic and chamber music. Almost everyone knows what this movement is and how chamber music exists, but few know what its differences and features are. Let's try to figure this out later in the article.
The history of chamber music
The history of chamber music dates back to the Middle Ages. In the 16th century, music began to go beyond the confines of churches. Some authors began to write works that were performed outside church walls for a small circle of connoisseurs. It should be noted that at first these were only vocal parts, and chamber instrumental music appeared much later. But first things first.
The chamber music is mesmerizing. Everyone probably remembers that this name comes from the Italian word camera (“room”). Unlike church and theater music, chamber music was originally intended to be performed indoors by a small group for a narrow circle of listeners. As a rule, performances took place at home, and later in small concert halls. Chamber instrumental music reached the peak of its popularity in the 18th-19th centuries, when similar concerts were held in all the living rooms of wealthy houses. Later, aristocrats even introduced full-time positions for musicians.
Images of chamber music
Initially, chamber music was intended to be performed in front of a small circle of people who were its connoisseurs and experts. And the size of the room where the concert took place allowed performers and listeners to be in close contact with each other. All this created a unique atmosphere of belonging. Perhaps this is why such art is characterized by a high ability to reveal lyrical emotions and various nuances of human experiences.
The genres of chamber music could not be more precisely designed to be conveyed using laconic, but at the same time, detailed means. Unlike where parts are performed by groups of instruments, in such works a separate part is written for each instrument, and all of them are practically equal to each other.
Types of chamber instrumental ensemble
As history progressed, so did chamber music. That such a direction should have some peculiarities in relation to the performers does not require proof. Modern instrumental ensembles are:
- duets (two performers);
- trio (three members);
- quartets (four);
- quintets (five);
- sextets (six);
- septets (seven);
- octets (eight);
- nonet (nine);
- decimetes (ten).
At the same time, the instrumental composition can be very diverse. It can include both strings, and one ensemble can include only strings or only winds. There may also be mixed chamber ensembles - the piano is especially often included in them. In general, their composition is limited by only one thing - the composer’s imagination, and it is most often limitless. In addition, there are also chamber orchestras - groups that include no more than 25 musicians.
Genres of instrumental chamber music
Modern genres of chamber music were formed under the influence of the works of such great composers as W. A. Mozart, L. Beethoven, I. Haydn. It was these masters who created works unsurpassed in terms of refinement of content and emotional depth. The most famous romantics of the 19th century paid tribute to sonatas, duets, trios, quartets and quintets: F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann, F. Schubert, F. Chopin. In addition, the genre of instrumental miniatures (nocturnes, intermezzos) also gained enormous popularity at this time.
There are also chamber concerts, suites, fugues, and cantatas. Even in the 18th century, the genres of chamber music were extremely diverse. In addition, they absorbed stylistic features of other trends and styles. For example, L. Beethoven’s desire to push the boundaries of such a phenomenon as chamber music is so clearly visible that his work such as the “Kreutzer Sonata” is in no way inferior to symphonic works in its monumentalism and emotional intensity.
Genres of vocal chamber music
In the 19th century, vocal chamber music gained enormous popularity. Such people as R. Schumann, F. Schubert, and J. Brahms paid tribute to the emerging new genres of art song and romance. Russian composers have made an invaluable contribution to the world collection of chamber music works. The magnificent romances of M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, M. A. Rimsky-Korsakov even today do not leave anyone indifferent. Besides small works, there is also a genre of chamber opera. It involves a small number of performers and does not require a large room for production.
Chamber music today
Of course, today there are practically no such houses where, as in past centuries, chamber ensembles play surrounded by a limited circle of people. However, contrary to existing stereotypes, this direction remains in great demand. Organ and chamber music halls around the world attract millions of fans of both the works of classical composers and modern authors. Festivals are held regularly where famous and emerging artists share their art.
Let us briefly dwell on the characteristics of individual works. For clarity, we will consider these 24 essays according to the compositions that are used in them. As stated, sixteen involves piano. But first, about string ensembles.
There are seven of them in total - three quartets, two quintets, two sextets. These compositions, different in their colorful capabilities, attracted the composer in different periods of his work: sextets were written in the years 1859-1865, quartets in 1873-1875, quintets in 1882-1890. The content of the early and late works - sextets and quintets - is simpler, closer to the ancient divertissements of the 18th century or the orchestral serenades of Brahms himself, while the music of the quartets is more in-depth and subjective.
Sextets (for two violins, two violas, two cellos) B major, op. 18 and G major, op. 36 are melodic, clear and simple in composition. These are early examples of Brahms' music of the popular type (see, in addition to the above-mentioned serenades, Waltzes op. 39, Hungarian dances and others). The first work was influenced by the study of Viennese classics - Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert; the second is somewhat heavier with contrapuntal work. But both of them affirm a bright, joyful acceptance of life.
Other sides of reality are reflected in string quartets.
Brahms once admitted in a conversation that before the early 70s he wrote about twenty works for string quartet, but did not publish them and destroyed the manuscripts. Of the surviving ones, two - C-moll and A-moll - were published in a revised form as op. 51 in 1873; three years later the Third Quartet in B major, op. 67.
The idea of the first of these works dates back to the mid-50s, to the period of mental instability and stormy experiences of Brahms. All parts of the quartet are permeated with pathos and a restless mood - extremely collected, succinctly presented; gloomy colors predominate here. This music is related to Mozart's G-moll Symphony. I also remember the image of Goethe's Werther with his drama of a broken dream. The melancholic coloring is also characteristic of the Second Quartet, but its tones are lighter; in the finale, and before that, in a number of episodes of other parts, joyful feelings break through. The third quartet is artistically weaker than its predecessors, but contains many expressive episodes, especially in the middle movements.
Two quintets - F major, op. 88 and G major, op. 111—written for a homogeneous composition—two violins, two violas and a cello. The dominance of the rich alto-tenor timbre1 contributes to the expression of warm, heartfelt feelings, and the clarity and brevity of presentation makes them accessible to everyone. A melodious, courageous character is inherent in the First Quintet; joyful ease in the spirit of J. Strauss - to the Second. The music of his first movement and the trio in the third movement shine brightly, while the second contains moments of passionate lament. The exuberant joy of the finale blossoms with all the more spontaneity, especially where the intonations and rhythms of the Hungarian Csardas sound.
The second quintet is among Brahms's best chamber works.
The sonatas have a varied content - two for cello (1865 and 1886) and three for violin and piano (1879, 1886 and 1888).
From the passionate elegy of the first movement to the sad, Viennese minuet of the second movement and the fugue finale with its assertive energy - this is the circle of images of the First Cello Sonata in e-moll, op. 38. The Second Sonata in F major, op. 99; it is all permeated with acute conflict, agitated emotional impulses. And if this work is inferior to the previous one in integrity, it still surpasses it in the depth of feelings and drama.
Violin sonatas can serve as living evidence of Brahms' inexhaustible creative imagination - each of them is uniquely individual.
First Sonata in G major, op. 78 attracts with its poetry, wide, fluid and smooth movement; There are also landscape moments in it, as if the spring sun is breaking through the gloomy rain clouds. Second Sonata in A major, op. 100, songful, cheerful, presented concisely and collectedly. Unexpectedly, Grieg's influence is revealed in the second part. In general, a certain “sonality”—the absence of much development or drama—sets it apart from other chamber works by Brahms. The differences from the Third Sonata in d minor, op. 108. This is one of the composer’s most dramatic, conflict-ridden works, in which the rebellious romantic images of the Second Cello Sonata are developed with great perfection.
The first part is indicative in this regard. Despite the contrast in content, its main and side parts are close to each other; the second theme provides a reversal of the main motives of the first, but in different proportions of durations.
Both themes are nervously excited, which further leads to an acutely dramatic development, especially in the episode of a long sustained organ point on the dominant (46 bars). The tension is increased thanks to a false reprise (deviation in F-moll, then D-major). Only after a violent explosion of feelings does the original appearance emerge main party. An expressive touch in the code is the clearing in major after the final organ point on the tonic (22 bars).
If the music of the second part, where it is wonderful in its melodious generosity main topic is complemented by another, more passionate, full of warmth and humanity, then the next part is dominated by images of eerie visions. The dominant short motive sounds like a persistent thought, like a reminder of some nightmare.
In the finale, the violently protesting beginning breaks through with the same force. The rhythmic movement of the tarantella creates images of either a proud assertion or an uncontrollable fall - this is how an effective atmosphere of struggle is created. This finale can be ranked among the best heroic-dramatic pages of Brahms' music (cf. the Third Symphony).
The content of the three piano trios is less smooth.
First trio in H major, op. 8 was written by a 20-year-old author. It captivates with its youthful freshness of invention and romantic excitement. But, as was the case in the early stages of Brahms’s work, figurative comparisons are not always proportionate. The composer was unable to completely eliminate this shortcoming in the later edition (1890), when about a third of the music was cut. Second trio in C major, op. 87 (1880-1882) lacks such emotional immediacy, although it is more perfect in form. But the Third Trio in C minor, op. 101 (1886) is on par with Brahms's best chamber works. The courageous strength, richness and full-bloodedness of the music of this trio leaves an indelible impression. The first movement is imbued with epic power, where the steady march of the theme of the main part is complemented by the inspired anthemic melody of the secondary part.
The initial grain of their intonations coincides. This turnover permeates further development. The images of the scherzo, its entire bizarre structure, contrast with the third movement, where a simple, exciting melody dominates folk spirit. The finale worthily completes the cycle, glorifying the creative will of man and his daring exploits.
In a different, simple way, Brahms sang the joy of life in T r i o Es-dur, op. 40, using an unusual composition - a natural horn (can be replaced by a cello), violin and piano. Created in the mid-60s, this work, however, captivates with a young and fresh, emotionally open perception of life. The music develops freely and easily. In it one can hear melancholic yearnings and passionate rapture of nature; Funny pictures of forest hunting also appear. Perhaps in no other work has the pure, enthusiastic soul of Brahms the romantic been revealed so fully!
Three piano quartets, conceived at the turn of the 50s and 60s, date back to an even earlier period. The first two are g minor, op. 25 and A major, op. 26 were completed at the same time. In these works two different figurative solutions are given. The First Quartet, like the First Trio, is distinguished by a generous abundance of themes, a romantic change of images, and a wide range of different shades states of mind: pathos, not devoid of tragedy, feelings of vague anxiety or serene joy - using Hungarian-gypsy motifs. The second quartet, which reveals a strong influence of the Viennese classics, is less contrasting in content - a bright, cheerful color reigns supreme in it. The Third Quartet in C minor, op. 60 (conceived at the same time, completed only in 1874), but its structure is different, close to the First String Quartet. Once again, as there, the image of the tragically unfortunate Werther, who doomed himself to death, comes to mind. But the impulses of despair are conveyed here with even greater passion.
The perfect expression of the period of “sturm und drang” in Brahms’s creative biography is given by the Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34. This work is the best not only in this period, but, perhaps, in the entire chamber-instrumental heritage of the composer. V. Stasov rightly called the quintet “truly brilliant”*, noting the “tragedy and nervous strength” of the first movement and the “incomparable power” and “colossality” of the scherzo.
Brahms turned to the composition in 1861, conceiving it for string composition. But the power and contrast of the images overwhelmed the capabilities of the strings. Then an edition for two pianos was written, but it did not satisfy the composer. Only in 1864 was the desired form found, where a string quartet is supported by a piano K
The quintet's music reaches true tragedy. Each part is replete with images of action, anxious impulses and passionate restlessness, masculinity and unyielding will. Exciting emotional drama conveyed with great force in the first part, the various themes of which are united by subtle contrapuntal and variational work, flexible motivic connections that prepare transitions from one state to another (see examples 39a - e),
The second part is characterized by a circle of those images that express the typical Brahms feelings of hidden mental pain and timid hope. The swaying lullaby rhythm is combined with ländler elements. The emerging moments of genre generalizations are reinforced in the scherzo, which, like Beethoven, aggravates conflicts. The trio emphasizes the character of the march, which takes on an epic sound—the idea of folk processions is born (cf. the finale of the First Symphony). The fourth part moves the action into a new conflict situation, but does not show its outcome. Thematic echoes arise both with the first movement and with the “evasive” theme of the scherzo. The finale of the quintet speaks of the endless struggle for happiness, full of drama and sharp contradictions.
Brahms returned to the same theme, each time solving it differently, towards the end of his life in the Third Violin Sonata and the Third Piano Trio. But in the last four chamber works (1891-1894) other themes and images are embodied.
These works are related to the clarinet!. Not only the acquaintance with a wonderful performer on this instrument (Mühlfeld from the Meijingen orchestra), but also the very timbre of the clarinet - its plastic, full-voiced and at the same time soulful intonation - attracted Brahms.
Less successful is the Trio for clarinet, violin and piano a-moll, Op. 114. Despite some expressive pages, the rationality of the composition increasingly prevails over inspiration. These two factors are in ideal balance in the following work - Quintet for clarinet and string quartet in B minor, op. 115 \ Its theme is farewell to life, but at the same time the joy of existence, restrained by mental pain. Similar themes preoccupied Brahms in both the First String Quartet and the Third Piano Quartet. But there their resolution acquired a nervously tense, densely dramatic hue; here, in all parts of the cycle, uniform in mood, an even, mournful light is poured, as if emitted by a gentle setting sun. The unity of mood is also supported by the constant return of the modified main motive of the work. In general, his music amazes with its wise simplicity: the composer achieves extreme expressiveness with meager means.
Two sonatas for clarinet and piano - F minor and Es major - op. 120 Brahms said goodbye to the chamber-instrumental genre; the first is dramatic, with features of epic breadth, the second is more lyrical, in the nature of a passionate elegy. Two years after the completion of these sonatas, in 1896, Brahms created two more, his last works, but in other genres: “Four Strict Tunes” for bass and piano and “11 Chorale Preludes for Organ” (published posthumously).
“Music Lessons” No. 16. Mozart. Chamber and instrumental creativity.
Hello. We again dedicate the next issue of the “Music Lessons” program to the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a representative of the Viennese classical school of the 18th century, which found its own in him supreme expression. The Age of Enlightenment has found its Olympus musical development namely in the works of the Viennese classics - Haydn, Mozart, Gluck. The music of the Viennese classics is related to ancient art general aesthetic and ethical features: depth and vitality of ideas, sublimity and balance of images, harmony and clarity of form, naturalness and simplicity of expression. The ideologists of the Enlightenment saw the harmony and beauty of Hellas art as an artistic reflection of the free and harmonious human world. Mozart is a musical encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, striking in its versatility. During his short life (less than 36 years), he created more than 600 works.
The thematic catalog of Mozart's works compiled by Köchel (it was published in Leipzig in 1862) is a volume of 550 pages. According to Köchel's calculation, Mozart wrote 68 sacred works (mass, oratorio, hymns, etc.), 23 works for the theater, 22 sonatas for harpsichord, 45 sonatas and variations for violin and harpsichord, 32 string quartets, about 50 symphonies, 55 concertos and etc., a total of 626 works.
Pushkin succinctly and accurately described Mozart’s work in the small tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”: “What depth! What courage and what harmony!”
Today we will pay more attention to the chamber-instrumental work of the composer, and opens our musical part program, a fragment of the most popular “Little night serenade"performed by the Arabesque Quintet
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Mozart's life coincided with the awakening in Europe of enormous interest in spiritual and mystical teachings. In the relatively calm period of the mid-18th century, along with the desire for enlightenment, the search for intellectual and social-educational order (French enlightenment, encyclopedists), interest in the esoteric teachings of antiquity arose.
On December 14, 1784, Mozart joined the Masonic Order, and by 1785 he had already been initiated into the degree of Master Mason. The same thing happened later with Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart (the composer’s father), who achieved the Master’s degree within 16 days of joining the lodge.
There are several versions of Mozart joining the Masonic fraternity. According to one of them, the guarantor for admission to the Viennese lodge called “In the Name of Charity” was his friend and future librettist of “The Magic Flute” Emmanuel Schikaneder. Subsequently, on the recommendation of Mozart himself, Wolfgang’s father, Leopold Mozart, was admitted to the same lodge (in 1787).
Having become a Master Mason, Mozart, within a short time, created a lot of music intended directly for work in the lodge. As Albert Einstein points out:
“Mozart was a passionate, convinced Freemason, not at all like Haydn, who, although he was considered one, from the moment he was accepted into the brotherhood of “free masons”, never participated in the activities of the lodge and did not write a single Masonic work. Mozart not only left us a number of significant works written specifically for Masonic rites and celebrations, but the very idea of Freemasonry permeates his work.”
Musicologists note the characteristic features of these works: “a simple, somewhat hymnic composition, three-voice chord structure, a somewhat rhetorical general character.”
Among them are such works as: “Funeral Masonic music”, Adagio for wind ensemble (used to accompany ritual Masonic processions); Adagio for 2 clarinets and 3 horns (for entry into the lodge of brothers of the lodge); Adagio and Rondo for flute, oboe, cello and celesta and others.
The opera “The Magic Flute” (1791), the libretto for which was written by the freemason Emmanuel Schikaneder, is most saturated with the views, ideas and symbols of Freemasonry.
The symbolism of the opera clearly shows a declaration of basic Masonic principles. Both in the first and second acts of the opera there are clear echoes of Masonic symbols denoting: life and death, thought and action. Crowd scenes literally demonstrating Masonic rituals are woven into the plot.
As musicologist Tamar Nikolaevna Livanova, Doctor of Art History, Professor at the Moscow Conservatory and the Gnessin Institute writes,
“Mozart even brought the episodes associated with the image of Sarastro closer to musical style their Masonic songs and choirs. Not to see in all the fantasy of “The Magic Flute” primarily a Masonic sermon means not to understand the diversity of Mozart’s art, his immediate sincerity, his wit, alien to any didactics.”
The main key of the orchestral overture is E flat major. The three flats in the key are symbols of virtue, nobility and peace. This tonality was often used by Mozart in Masonic compositions, and in later symphonies, and in chamber music, which we are talking about today.
But, in fairness, we note that there are also other points of view on the relationship between Mozart and Freemasonry. In 1861, a book was published by the German poet G. F. Daumer, a proponent of the Masonic conspiracy theory, who believed that the depiction of the Freemasons in The Magic Flute was simply a caricature.
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Leonard Bernstein, American pianist and conductor, needs no special introduction. (By the way, his parents are natives of the Ukrainian city of Rivne). Bernstein is the only conductor who twice recorded the complete cycle of Gustav Mahler symphonies, the complete cycle of Tchaikovsky symphonies, his recordings of Haydn and Mozart are especially valuable. Sounds piano concert No. 17 in G major, soloist and conductor – Leonard Bernstein.
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Mozart's Peru owns a huge variety of works in ALL genres of instrumental music. Symphonies, serenades, divertimentos, string duets, trios, quartets, quintets, piano trios, ensembles with wind instruments, violin and piano sonatas, fantasies, variations, rondos, works for piano for 4 hands and two pianos, concerts with orchestral accompaniment for various instruments(piano, violin, flute, clarinet, horn, flute and harp).
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A fragment of one of these concerts is performed by flautist Patrick Galloise and harp player Pierre Fabris. At the conductor's stand is Sir Neville Marriner, an English violinist and conductor. Amazing fate this 88-year-old musician. He performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, worked with Toscanini, Karajan, led the orchestras of Los Angeles, Minnesota, Studgar Radio, and was knighted in 1985. And a few words about the orchestra - “OcestrdellaSviceriaItaliano” (“Orchestra of Italian Switzerland”). This group was founded in 1933 in the Swiss city of Lugano. Pietro Mascagni, Arthur Onneger, Paul Hindemith, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and many other outstanding musicians performed with him as conductors. So, here comes Mozart, Concerto for Flute and Harp.
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And now we will be transported to the Vatican, to the Aula Paolo 6th hall, which is not far from St. Peter's, to celebrate the 80th birthday of Pope Benedict the 16th. But first I will introduce you to the soloist. This is Hilary Khan, about whom they say that it is rare to hear such a precise and mathematically verified violin playing. A game permeated with bridled emotions that completely subjugate the instrument. This greatest skill in its purest form! This is a rare talent! Hilary was born in 1979 in Virginia and began playing the violin a month before her fourth birthday. She studied in Philadelphia with Yasha Brodsky himself. At the age of 12 he made his debut with the Baltimore Orchestra. Twice Grammy Award winner. Hilary Hahn plays with Symphony orchestra Radio Stuttgart. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramirez is at the conductor's stand. He was born in 1981 and has made a dizzying career.
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The sound is Violin Concerto No. 17 in G Major, recorded in the Vatican on April 16, 2007.
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“Mozart’s melody,” said Turgenev, “flows completely naturally for me, just like some beautiful stream or source flows.”
Another world-famous writer, Stendhal, in the draft of his own epitaph, asked that the following words be placed on his tombstone: “This soul adored Mozart, Cimarosa and Shakespeare.”
With this, we conclude the next episode of “Music Lessons”, so that in the next program we can meet again with the enchanting music of Mozart. See you again!
By the beginning of the 17th century, Vienna became one of the largest musical centers in Europe. Connections with Italian, Czech, Polish, German, and then Russian cultures gave a special flavor to Austrian music and performing bow art. The emergence of the Vienna Classical School in the second half of the 17th century became a leading trend European art generally. Folk traditions received sufficient scope for their development. The sphere of music is a theatrical performance with music and dance, processions - carnivals, serenades in the streets, magnificent court performances in squares and theaters. “School operas” are gaining enormous popularity; monasteries and cathedrals compete in staging mystery plays and religious operas. Such a ubiquitous, widespread dissemination of music in various sectors of society has not received similar development in any other country.
From string instruments the most popular were the violin and viol. The earliest centers of professional music education In Austria there were universities, court and church chapels. One of the best chapels in Europe was the Habsburg Court Chapel in Vienna ( Italian musician Antonio Salieri is one of the leaders of this chapel). Chapels also appeared in other cities. The names of Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are associated with the Salzburg Chapel.
The main genres in Austrian instrumental music of the 17th century are the instrumental suite, concerto grosso, and the trio sonata genre.
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (1623 – 1680)- Austrian violinist and composer. His name is associated with the emergence of a new type of violinist - a virtuoso soloist. He was one of the first to develop the Italian trio sonata tradition in Austria. Schmelzer's most significant work is a collection of six sonatas, where he uses double notes and complex techniques of polyphonic playing.
Heinrich Biber (1644 – 1704)- Austrian violinist and composer, student and follower of Schmelzer. The greatest violin master art XVII century. Among the many works, the most valuable is the cycle of 15 violin sonatas (including program ones), which use scordatura, double notes and other techniques of virtuoso violin technique. Bieber pays tribute to onomatopoeic effects that imitate the singing of a nightingale, cuckoo, rooster, quail, as well as the cries of a frog, chicken, and cat. The Passacaglia for solo violin is an encyclopedia of 17th-century violin technique.
Karl Dittersdorf (1739 – 1799)- one of the outstanding Austrian violinists and composers of the 18th century. The level of his performing arts was unusually high. He created fourteen violin concertos, twelve divertimentos for two violins and cello, many symphonies, chamber and opera music. Along with J. Haydn, he became the creator of the classical quartet genre with solo violin.
The musical culture of Vienna created the preconditions for the emergence classic style in the works of J. Haydn and W. A. Mozart.
Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)- one of those composers in whose work the violin sounded in a new way. The violin is one of Haydn's favorite instruments. Haydn wrote music in a wide variety of genres and forms, but Haydn's main significance lies in the development of instrumental music (symphonic and chamber music). He owns huge amount works, including nine violin concertos (four have survived), twelve violin sonatas, six duets for violin and viola, more than eighty string quartets, trios, divertissements and other chamber works. In his symphonies, the leading role is played by the first violins, who are entrusted with almost all the thematic material.
His early sonatas, quartets and concertos are shining examples of gallant style and technique. Rococo elements are most clearly manifested in Haydn's minuets, which can also be noted in Mozart.
Quartets. In the genre of quartet music, Haydn played the same role as in symphonic music, that is, he was one of the founders of this genre. Haydn wrote quartets throughout creative path, but the best ones date back to the 80s and 90s.
Haydn's quartets grew out of home music playing, in which quartet playing was extremely common. However, thanks to the depth and brightness of the musical content, as well as the perfection of the form, Haydn’s quartets went beyond the narrow confines of home musical life, and play a significant role in concert life.
They no longer have the external decorations of the so-called “gallant” style, the decorative pomp of salon music. The simplicity of folk dance and folk song melodies is combined with remarkable mastery of contrapuntal interweaving of voices and refinement of form. The sparkling fun, enthusiasm and folk humor of many quartets even aroused a negative attitude from conservative critics, who saw in Haydn’s quartets “an insult to the dignity of
music", "pampering". But not only cheerful enthusiasm is characteristic of Haydn’s chamber music. In his quartets, the gradations of moods and feelings are different - from light lyrics to mournful, even tragic emotions.
In the quartets, Haydn's innovation is sometimes even more daring than in the symphonies. Despite the leading role of the first violin as the upper voice, all four instruments play a fairly independent role in the overall texture of the ensemble. In a number of works, during the secondary implementation of themes and their development, all four instruments are introduced, playing a fairly active role. This gives the quartet texture a specific polyphony on a homophonic-harmonic basis, making the entire musical fabric mobile. In his quartets, Haydn willingly used specially polyphonic forms. Thus, the finales of quartets are sometimes fugues. It is widely believed that Beethoven was the first to introduce the fugue into the quartet genre in his last opuses. But, as you can see, Haydn did this before Beethoven!
In some of his quartets, the middle movements are rearranged, that is, the minuet is the second movement (and not the third movement, as was customary), and the slow movement is in third place, before the finale. This change in the order of the middle parts is due to the nature of the extreme parts of the cycle and design considerations related to the principle of contrast underlying the cyclic form. In the symphony genre, the rearrangement of the two middle movements was first carried out in Beethoven's ninth symphony.
In addition, in the “Russian” quartets (these quartets were dedicated to the Russian Grand Duke Paul, then heir to the throne) of 1781, Haydn instead of the minuet introduces a scherzo and scherzando, which in some of them is the second part of the cycle. The generally accepted opinion that Beethoven introduced the scherzo instead of the minuet for the first time into the sonata-symphonic cycle is true only in relation to symphonies and sonatas, but not to quartets.
Haydn's numerous quartets, trios and other ensembles constitute a significant, important and artistically valuable part classical heritage in the field of chamber instrumental music
In Haydn's work the formation of the classical violin sonata and violin concerto takes place.
Haydn managed to synthesize professional and folk traditions, introduced folk intonations and rhythms into his music.
Being one of the greatest representatives of the Viennese classical school, Haydn widely used and organically implemented the Austrian style in his music. musical folklore in all its completeness and diversity, in a combination of different national elements: South German, Hungarian, Slavic. Among folk themes of Slavic origin, Haydn widely used Croatian folk themes. He often turned to genuine folk melodies, but more often he created his own melodies in the spirit folk songs and dancing.
Austrian folklore entered so deeply into Haydn’s work that it became “second nature” to him. Many melodies composed by myself
Haydn, became popular and were sung even by those who did not know the name of their creator.
In Haydn's instrumental music (solo, chamber and symphonic), the sonata-symphonic cycle received a complete and perfect classical embodiment. All four parts of the work, combining into a single artistic concept, express different aspects of life. Usually the first movement (sonata allegro) is the most dramatic and impulsive; the second part (slow) is often the sphere of lyrical feelings and calm reflection; the third part (minuet) takes you into the atmosphere of dance and connects the sonata-symphonic cycle with the dance suite of the 17th-18th centuries; the fourth part (finale) contains the genre and everyday origin and is especially close to folk song and dance music. The music of Haydn’s works as a whole (with some exceptions) has a genre-based character; not only the music of the third and fourth parts of the cycle, but also the first two are permeated with dance and song. But at the same time, each part has its own main leading dramatic function and participates in the gradual development and disclosure of the idea of the entire work.
W. A. Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Born into the family of the famous musician, violinist and composer Leopold Mozart. Musical ability Mozart manifested themselves in very early age when he was about three years. His father Leopold was one of Europe's leading music teachers. His book “The Experience of a Solid Violin School” was published in 1756, the year of Mozart’s birth, went through many editions and was translated into many languages, including Russian. Wolfgang's father taught him the basics of playing the harpsichord, violin and organ.
The first information about Mozart playing the violin dates back to the age of 4. The first violin works are 16 sonatas for violin and clavier. He created 6-7 concertos for violin, a concert symphony for violin and viola, a concertone for two violins, two concert rondos, Adagio and Andante, 35 violin sonatas, two duets for violin and viola, a duet for two violins, trios, quartets, divertimentos. and other chamber works.
The authenticity of the Es major concert is still in doubt. The last solo violin concert was the D major concert, known as number 7. He created it for his sister’s name day and performed it himself for the first time. This was one of Mozart's last public performances as a violinist. The history of the concert is unusual. For almost 130 years this work remained unknown. In 1835, an autograph copy was made for Baillot. The original disappeared, and only another copy was found in the Berlin Library. Both copies were almost identical, and the concerto was published and first performed in 1907 by several performers.
A distinctive feature of Mozart's work is the amazing combination of strict, clear forms with deep emotionality. The uniqueness of his work lies in the fact that he not only wrote in all the forms and genres that existed in his era, but also left works of lasting significance in each of them. Mozart's music reveals many connections with different national cultures(especially Italian), nevertheless, it belongs to the national Viennese soil and bears the stamp creative individuality great composer.
Mozart is one of the greatest melodists. Its melody combines the features of Austrian and German folk songs with the melodiousness of the Italian cantilena. Despite the fact that his works are distinguished by poetry and subtle grace, they often contain melodies of a masculine nature, with great dramatic pathos and contrasting elements.
The importance of W. A. Mozart’s violin creativity cannot be overestimated. It influenced composers not only of the Viennese school, but also of other countries. His works serve as an example of the interpretation of the violin, an example of its use expressive possibilities. From Mozart comes the line of symphonization of the violin concerto, the virtuoso-artistic use of the violin as a concert instrument.
In the field of instrumental music of the second half of the 18th century, Mozart, who used and summarized the best achievements of not only the Mannheim and Viennese masters of the older generation, but also creative experience Haydn, reached the highest peaks. Both great composers belonged to different generations, and it is natural that Mozart, in the process of forming his mastery, studied from the works of Haydn, which he highly valued. But Mozart’s creative evolution turned out to be much more rapid than Haydn’s evolution, best works whose (London symphonies, last quartets, oratorios) were written after Mozart’s death. However, Mozart's last three symphonies (1788), and some of his earlier symphonies and chamber works, represent a historically more mature stage European instrumentalism compared even with the last creatures Haydn.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) The following is associated with the work of Ludwig van Beethoven the most important stage stylistic evolution of the chamber-instrumental ensemble of the Enlightenment. In 1787, while in Vienna, he visited Mozart and delighted him with his art. After his final move to Vienna, Beethoven improved as a composer under I. Haydn. Concert performances of the young Beethoven in Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Dresden and Buda were a huge success. Beethoven is gaining widespread recognition as a performer and composer. TO early XVIII century, he was the author of many works for piano and various chamber instrumental compositions.
Representative of the Vienna Classical School. The composer wrote in all genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral works. But the most significant in his legacy are instrumental works: piano, violin and cello sonatas, concertos for piano, violin, quartets, overtures, symphonies
L. Beethoven, following Haydn and Mozart, developed the forms of classical music; in the interpretation of the main and secondary parts, he put forward the principle of contrast as an expression of the unity of opposites. Beethoven played violin and viola. One of his early compositions is violin variations on the theme “The Marriage of Figaro”, a nocturne for viola and piano. L. Beethoven's Violin Concerto is the pinnacle of violin concerto in the world musical culture. For strings and bows, Beethoven created a triple concerto for violin, cello and piano with orchestra, two romances for violin, ten violin sonatas (5th - “Spring”, 9th - “Kreutzerova”), five sonatas for cello and piano, variations for cello and piano (on themes by Handel and Mozart), sixteen quartets, a collection of trios for violin, cello and piano. It's impossible not to remember symphonic music L. Beethoven: nine symphonies, symphonic overtures “Coriolanus” and “Egmont”, which have firmly entered the repertoire of orchestral music.
Instrumental and, above all, symphonic creativity Ludwig van Beethoven has a pronounced programmatic character. The main content of Beethoven's works, heroic in concept, can be expressed in the words: “Through struggle to victory.” The dialectical struggle of the contradictions of life finds in Beethoven a vivid artistic
embodiment, especially in works of sonata form - symphonies, overtures, sonatas, quartets, etc. Ludwig van Beethoven widely developed the principle of sonatas, based on the opposition and development of contrasting themes, as well as contradictory elements within individual themes. Compared to the works of Beethoven’s immediate predecessors in the Viennese classical school - W. A. Mozart and J. Haydn - Beethoven symphonies and the sonatas are distinguished by their large scale of construction, the main thematic material is subjected to intensive extensive development, the connection between sections of the form deepens, and the contradictions between contrasting episodes and themes become more acute. Beethoven started from orchestral composition, approved by Haydn, and only slightly expanded it, but at the same time he achieved enormous power of orchestral sound and bright contrasts. Ludwig van Beethoven transformed the ancient minuet, which was part of symphonies and sonatas, into a scherzo, giving this “joke” a wide expressive range - from powerful sparkling fun (in the 3rd symphony) to an expression of anxiety and concern (in the 5th symphony). A special role is given to finales in symphonies and codas (conclusions) in overtures, symphonies and sonatas; they are designed to express victorious feelings.
Beethoven's work is one of the peaks in the history of world art. His entire life and work speak of the titanic personality of the composer, who combined brilliant musical talent with an ebullient, rebellious temperament, endowed with an unbending will and the ability for enormous internal concentration. High ideology, based on the consciousness of public duty, constituted distinctive feature Beethoven - musician-citizen. A contemporary of the Great French Revolution, Beethoven reflected in his work the great popular movements of this era, its most progressive ideas. The revolutionary era determined the content and innovative direction of Beethoven's music. Revolutionary heroism was reflected in one of the main artistic images Beethoven - a struggling, suffering and ultimately victorious heroic personality.
A true innovator, an unyielding fighter, he embodied bold ideological concepts in surprisingly simple, clear music, understandable to the widest circles of listeners. Eras and generations change, but Beethoven’s immortal music still excites and delights the hearts of people.
