Ludwig Van Beethoven's Ninth SymphonyNeunte Sinfonie

Béla Bartók - Music for Strings

Bela Bartok

Bela Bartok was born on March 25, 1881 in Southern Hungary and passed away on September 26, 1945 as migrant in New York. His father had been a very enthusiastic music fan and cellist. Bartok's mother ha been an elementary school teacher and took care of him and educated him alone, because his father passed away already in 1889.

Bartok couldn't develop close ties to his home country. National pride could never grow up. Political confusions between Hungary, the CSSR, Romania and the former Yugoslavia during that time let Bartok become a permanent refugee.

At the age of 9 he started composing. With 10 he was introduced to the world public. From 1899-1903, Bartok studied at the Hungarian Music Academy Budapest. Bartok had been mostly two personalities in one: the simple folk song research scientist and on the other hand the great classical composer, who also loved to travel as a gifted virtuoso, who played his own compositions.

In 1907, Bartok has been appointed as music professor at the Hungarian Music Academy Budapest. When he met the composer Claude Debussy ("Claire de Lune"), Bartok met also the impressionism with its strange Fareast elements. Serious and momentous occurrences in Bartok's life reflected in his music. Best examples are his three piano concertos from 1926, 1930, and 1945. From hammering and pounding rhythms Bartok changed into a choral type "Adagio religioso" in his third piano concerto - already while being deadly sick and terrible lonely.

His world known instrumental works are Music for Strings, Drums and Celesta (1936), Divertimento for Strings (1939), and the Concerto for Orchestra (1943). The two Rhapsodies for Violin and Orchestra (1928) grip more.

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - His Music and His Life

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (his complete name was Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus; Theophilus became Amadeus later) was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg/Austria and passed away on December 5, 1791 in Vienna.

At the age of four, Mozart showed already an unbelievable musical talent. He "drew notes' and played the violin without have ever learned it. His first compositions have been printed, when he became only six years old: sonatas for violin and piano. Up to his 22nd birthday Mozart has been on tour most of the time. The monstrous and outrageous strains resulted in terrible unhealthy conditions. Up to now, it's more or less impossible or very difficult to assess Mozart's life and personality.

His music let us experience mostly the bright and cheerful grace of rococo. The German Romanticism poet E.T.A. Hoffmann subscribed Mozart during that time as "demonic and theatrical contemporary".

Mozart had been always open-minded to all earthly pleasures, but he kept on writing to his father about his permanent thoughts how to face the death in a proper way. Mozart smiled always, but mostly with tears in his eyes... .

Mozart belongs to the great Vienna Classics with out doubts. A whole human life would never be enough to explain what Mozart achieved within his short life of 35 years only. More than 600 music works have been noted. Some of them are:

The children opera "Bastian and Bastienne" (17680, "Haffner Serenade and Symphony' (1782), the operas "Figaro's Marriage" (1786), "Don Giovanni" (1787), "Cosi Fan Tutte" (1790) as well as "The Magic Flute" (1791) or "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (A little Nightmusic).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40 (best version) - Beste Version

Friedrich Smetana : "Die Moldau" / Karajan / Vienna Philharmonic