Glinka, "Russlan and Ludmilla" - Overture

The composer who once said: "Music is made by the people and we composers arrange it", came, however, from a noble family, or at least a wealthy one. Indeed, at the time of Mikhail Glinka's birth, his father was a wealthy retired military officer who lived with his family comfortably settled in a village in the Smolensk Governorate, part of the Russian Empire. Over several generations, his ancestors exhibited a long tradition of service and loyalty to the Tsars. It is not by chance, then, that the first work with which Mikhail Glinka will draw attention, an opera, will be entitled A Life for the Tsar.

The first Russian composer
Such antecedents will not prevent that during the Soviet Russia, together with Alexandr Pushkin – "the first Russian poet" –, the nomenklatura includes Mijaíl Glinka in the gallery of spoiled artists as "the first Russian composer". The aforementioned enlightened assertion may have helped somewhat, but on the whole, the Soviet authorities were not wrong. Russian nationalism was the first to appear on the scene in European music, precisely by the hand of Glinka, with the aforementioned work of 1836 based on a topic of the 1600s but entirely Russian while in the rest of the European countries would have to wait until the mid-nineteenth century for the nationalist movements to begin to prevail.

The father of The Five
Mikhail Glinka, the boy who at the age of thirteen went to study in St. Petersburg to broaden his musical experience is, therefore, the father of Russian musical nationalism.
Other Russian nationals would later imbibe from him, including Tchaikovsky and, by the way, the "powerful band" that would go down in history under the name The Five, a fundamental core of Russian nationalism whose musical activity, however, would only unfold its full force some years after Glinka's death.

Mikhail Glinka (1804 - 1857)

A meager oeuvre
The composer's oeuvre is not very extensive. In Tchaikovsky's words, "he wrote very little" – he tells Nadhezda in 1878. And although he recognizes Glinka's enormous talent, he seems to reproach him for his class origin when he harshly adds that "he only worked like a dilettante, on a whim, when he felt in the right mood". Although later on he qualifies: "We cannot be dissatisfied with Glinka, but we must admit that he did not fulfill the mission to which his wit had destined him".

Nevertheless, the success of Life for the Tsar encouraged Glinka to compose another opera, Russlan and Ludmilla, although only the overture has survived.

Russlan and Ludmilla - Overture
Based on a poem of the same name by Pushkin, the opera was composed between 1837 and 1842 and premiered in St. Petersburg in December of the latter year. The opera is practically never performed nowadays, but its agile overture has become one of the most recognized works in the West. To such an extent, that the American sitcom "Mom" uses it as a unique "musical curtain" between one and another event of the dysfunctional family it deals with, in a comedy tone. Tchaikovsky would be surprised; pleasantly or not, who knows.

The performance is by the Orchestra of Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

P.I. Tchaikowsky, Violin Concerto / Listening guide

 
As, in his own words, "time heals all wounds", eight months after his disastrous decision to marry Antonina Miliukova, the Russian maestro Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was fully recovered. He had managed to put aside his dark thoughts – including a suicide attempt – and found an insurmountable antidote to preserve his sanity: the creative work.

Yet, even trapped in a marriage to Antonina in May 1877, he completed composing the opera Eugene Onegin the following month. But two months later, when the cohabitation became unbearable, he had no choice but to simply run away from Antonina. He took refuge in Italy. From Florence, he sent the finished Fourth Symphony to Moscow.

A new work

And in February 1878, from his refuge in Clarens, Switzerland, he wrote to his patron Nadezhda von Meck reporting on the state of progress of a new work:

"The first movement of the Violin Concerto is finished; tomorrow I will begin the second. Since the day I began to write this work, I have not lacked the appropriate state of mind. In such conditions, any aspect of fatigue disappears in the composition; it is, on the contrary, a continuous joy. One does not notice the passing of time, and if no one intervened I would be ready to write all day long."

The master, recovered
Tchaikovsky is happier than a clam at the Pension Richelieu, the composer's favorite quiet corner of Switzerland. And he is not alone. He is accompanied by his brother Modest and his young servant Alyosha. Soon, Piotr Ilyich will also receive a very welcome visitor: his disciple Iosif Kotek, a 23-year-old violinist who will be of great help to him in rehearsing certain complex passages of the new concerto, since the master does not have a good command of the violin. Kotek's suggestions will eventually persuade the master to write a new Andante and introduce modifications to the first movement. The young pupil, however, will refuse to premiere it because he does not feel capable.

Kotek and Tchaikovsky, in 1877

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 35
There was also a second violinist, Leopold Auer, who declined the honor of playing it on the grounds of the excessive difficulty of the composition. And as with the Piano Concerto No. 1, the work was premiered by someone other than the person for whom it was intended.
Adolf Brodsky, a Russian violinist, was commissioned to premiere it in Vienna three years later, on November 22, 1881, thus earning the dedication.
The critics were not favorable, but the public loved the work from the beginning. Until today.

It is unusual for a concert piece to become the protagonist of another story. But that is what happened five years ago, with the 2009 Franco-Russian film production, The Concert, where Tchaikovsky's work takes the lead role.

The rendition is by the German violinist (and also a pianist) Julia Fischer, accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by the Russian maestro Vasily Petrenko.

Movements - Listening Guide 

Following post-Romantic canons, the concerto is in three movements with the second and third movement connected without a pause:

00 Allegro moderato - Moderato assai   After the splendid orchestral introduction, the violin, after an introductory phrase, exposes the famous main theme, "moderato assai", at 1:14, to captivate the audience from the beginning. After the exposition (re-exposition, on double strings, 1:51), a "bridge" passage (2:26). Second theme, "molto espressivo" at 3:05. At 4:55, the violin begins to prepare what will be the vibrant attack of the main theme by the orchestra at 6:12. The violin, the protagonist, plays with ornaments and variations on the first theme at 7:45. Virtuosic scales by the violin at 8:49 lead to another attack of the main theme by the orchestra at 8:54, now more pompous and grandiose, although this time it will follow new paths. Orchestra and violin alternate one measure each (9:34) at the threshold of the cadenza: 9:43 (written by Tchaikovsky, it quotes the introductory motif at the beginning and both themes). Recapitulation: the orchestra takes the first theme, more lyrical and serene at 12:22 with the violin playing trills. Orchestra and violin dialogue. 13:29: second theme. Marked poco piu mosso (a little more moving) it heads to the end at 13:45, crescendo; orchestra and violin respond to each other at 15:45, then embark together on the conclusion to a brilliant finale.

18:32  Canzonetta. Andante. A sweet and melancholy theme, introduced by the orchestra. It is taken by the violin at 19:12. This is followed by the flute at 20:23. A second theme at 20:43. Development and variations. Clarinet and violin dialogue. Winds and woodwinds take the lead at 23:42, establishing a somber atmosphere, after which the third movement will enter without pause at:

24:41  Allegro vivacissimo. A rondo. The orchestra introduces a Russian theme, cheerful, which will immediately take up the solo violin at 24:55, with a brief intermission cadenza. At 25:02 the calm main theme is resumed. At 25:28 the tempo primo returns. A second theme, more lyrical, is introduced by oboe and clarinet at 27:27, taken up by the violin at 27:47, developing it. Return to the first theme featuring the violin, vivace, at 28:38, to quiet down at 30:01. Return to the tempo primo at 30:24. The orchestra takes up the second theme at 31:00, meno mosso, then individual instruments dialogue with it, including the violin, almost andante, at 34:07. Calm before the storm, at 32:12. The violin falls silent at 33:33 and the orchestra begins the resolution. At 33:48, a spirited final confrontation between violin and orchestra, heading toward the conclusion, full of panache and gallantry.

Mozart, Symphony No 40

 
The last years in Vienna
True to his curious habit, in June 1788, W.A. Mozart and his wife Konstance moved house for the umpteenth time. With their two small children, Karl, 4 years old, and Therese, barely six months old, they gave up their walks in the Prater and moved to an apartment in the suburbs of Vienna, to change their surroundings and, at first, to reduce their monthly rent, which was becoming more and more difficult in the center of the city. But nothing of the sort happened. Wolfgang and Konstance ended up renting the most expensive apartment available in the residence in the secluded suburb of Alsergrund. Unfortunately, little Therese died just ten days after the family moved in.

With the help of his friends
And for the umpteenth time as well, friend and brother Mason Michael Puchberg did not ignore the request for financial support. It was only two years since Figaro's success, but Mozart was now in a state of bankruptcy. The Alsergrund apartment was indeed the most expensive but also the most spacious, the only one with access to the garden and the only one with seven rooms. A lot of comforts for such a less opulent tenant.

But the Mason friend understood all this: he understood that Mozart, like any ordinary individual, found it difficult to give up a lifestyle to which he had become accustomed. He also understood that the genius from Salzburg needed space and contact with nature more than ever to continue his work.

Three symphonies in 6 weeks
And Mozart did not disappoint him. In the Alsergrund apartment, although in mourning but comfortably installed, Wolfgang Amadeus would compose in the summer of 1788, in less than six weeks, his last three symphonies: No. 39 completed on June 26, No. 40 on July 25, and No. 41 called Jupiter on August 10. His new home will be short-lived. He will have to move to a smaller apartment in January of the following year. Mozart's golden years in Vienna were coming to an end.

Symphony No 40 in G minor, K 550
Famous for its popular first movement, it is one of only two symphonies written in a minor key. As with the Jupiter symphony, there is no documentary proof that it was performed during the composer's lifetime. But Mozart made changes to it, and both manuscripts are preserved, which has led one scholar to reasonably assert that the composer "would not have taken the trouble to add the clarinet parts and rewrite the flute and oboe parts if he had not heard them performed."

Movements:
00        Molto allegro

09:42   Andante

17:23   Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio

22:04   Finale - Allegro assai

The rendition is by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Austrian conductor Karl Böhm.

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia / Cavatina "Largo al factotum della cittá"

Gioacchino Rossini was an extraordinarily prolific composer. For 19 years he composed two operas a year, and more than once he composed as many as four. So when he was commissioned to compose two operas for the Rome Carnival of 1816, he poured himself, heart and soul, into the task, and the same day he finished the first, at the end of December 1815, he began the second, which was due on January 20, 1816. The two-act play, completed in less than three weeks, was called Almaviva o sia La inutile precauzione.

An already proven story

We do not know it today under that name, because the title Il Barbieri di Siviglia, with a common origin in Beaumarchais' work, had already been used more than thirty years ago by Giovanni Paisiello to set the same plot to music. Hence its premiere at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on February 16, 1816, was a complete failure, provoked, it is said, by the supporters of Paisiello's work, who saw in Rossini's a comfortable musical construction on an already proven theme.

Rossini, young (1792 - 1868) 

The rush

Comfortable or not, Rossini did not abandon here his propensity to use whole melodies or arias from previous works, including, on this occasion, even the overture. Rushing is a serious thing, so either the overture was lost, or he didn't get around to writing it. And Rossina's cavatina borrowed – in the second performance – previous melodies and Berta's aria is modeled on a Russian melody.

Even so, Rossini showed in this, his most popular work, arias that are a prodigy of inspiration and novelty. A perfect example of this is the famous aria sung by Figaro in the first act.

Cavatina "Largo al factotum della cittá".

After the Count of Almaviva in the guise of Lindoro, a poor student, sings his love to Rossina, Figaro, the Count's former servant, appears on the scene to announce to the crowd that, as the most famous barber in Seville, all doors are open to him - a prebend that Lindoro/Almaviva will later use to his advantage. Presumptuously, he sings and requests that "Make way for the factotum of the city".

2010 performance in Moscow, set in the 1950s. As Figaro, the Italian baritone Pietro Spagnoli.

Dvorak, 9th Symphony, Fourth Movement

The Czech composer Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904) did not find it easy to learn German. Nor was it easy for him to compose. For this reason, he only gained his first public recognition when he was 32 years old, although he had finished his studies at the Prague Organ School at the age of 18. For more than ten years, the author fought a hard battle to master the intricacies of composition, the result of which he finally captured in a choral work of 1873, which was followed the same year by his famous Slavonic Dances. From then on, it was all plain sailing.

An Austrian government scholarship
The following year, with the warm support of Johannes Brahms, he was awarded a scholarship that the city of Vienna granted to young artists of limited means. For five years, Dvorak received an annual pension of 400 guilders, a huge sum compared to the 10 guilders a month he had been earning as an organist at St. Adalbert's Church in Prague. After that, nothing hindered his progress. By 1878, the composer's career had definitely taken off, both in his homeland and abroad.

Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904)

The trip to New York
His efforts crystallized in the great choral work Stabat Mater, and in his eight symphonies, being also named doctor honoris causa of many European universities. The year 1891 brought him undisputed international recognition when Jeannette Thurber, founder of the National Conservatory of New York, sent him an invitation to take over the direction of the establishment. Dvorak, at first reluctant, eventually accepted the position. The fifteen thousand dollars a year offered was more than he had earned in his entire life.

Ninth Symphony "From the New World"
In September 1892, accompanied by his family, he set out for New York. He remained there for two years, and in 1893 composed what is perhaps his most popular work, the Ninth Symphony in E minor, which he himself entitled "From the New World". Premiered at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 1893, it was an immediate success, being seen from then as a reflection of the "American musical universe".
Despite Dvorak's interest in the black and indigenous music of the United States, the day before the premiere, in an interview for the New York Herald, he slightly relativized the influence of that music in his work:

"I have not actually used any of the [Native American] melodies. I have simply written original themes embodying the peculiarities of Indian music, and, using these themes as subjects, have developed them with all the resources of modern rhythms, counterpoint, and orchestral colour."

Movements:
The work is in four movements: Adagio - allegro molto / Largo / Scherzo / Allegro con fuoco, and lasts around 40 minutes.
Presented here is the fourth and last movement, in the rendition of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan.