Greek myths and legends tell many stories about the wonders of music. In fact, in ancient Greece music was part of basic education and even religious or civic gatherings. Plato, the Greek philosopher, considered music special and devotes broadened attention to the subject in his works Republic and in Laws. In this article we discover what Plato has to say …
Sometimes small things can lead to significant changes and results! This is most certainly true for Beethoven’s two variations numbered opus 34. (6 variations for piano) and opus 35. (The Eroica Variations). Following our previous article on Musical theme and variations, in this piece we will discover, what is the role and significance of opus 35., The Eroica Variations in …
Variations in music is a special genre often regarded by many as less important or inferior to sonatas, symphonies. Although many great composers created variations, it was Beethoven who had elevated this genre to a high(er) level and convinced critics to accept it. What is a variation? It is a musical structure, where a main musical idea called a theme …
In this article we continue our series on musical instruments, this time with the magical sounding flute. The flute has a long, long tradition and has been part of human music making from the dawn of history. The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments in human history, some primitive versions made from animal bones were found during excavations, …
When Bach plays, even God is listening! That was the saying among the lucky ones who had the privilege to hear Bach playing. Many decades later there was a composer who was listening still and listening very carefully. In this article we explore how Bach influenced Beethoven and his musical development and eventually his style. Strangely enough in Beethoven’s time …
As we continue our studies on friends and influencers in Beethoven’s life, we focus this time on the kind and noble Lichnowsky-family, in Vienna. One of Beethoven’s earliest Vienna friends was Prince Lichnowsky and his family. The Prince was a noble man, a gentleman and not least a music lover. He was the pupil of non-other than Mozart himself! Both …