Performing Music: Resisting the Obvious

MUS 224: Performing Music - Resisting the Obvious (Part 2)

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1748–1829)

  • Biography: Virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor.

    • Education: Pupil of notable composers including Mozart, Salieri, and Haydn.

    • Influence: Hummel is recognized as a key figure in the stylistic transition to Romanticism, particularly noted for his contributions to piano works.

  • Major Works:

    • Violin Concerto:

    • Completion: This work was completed by Gregory Rose.

    • Movement: Allegro risoluto.

    • Composition Period: Composed in Vienna around 1805.

Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838)

  • Biography: Virtuoso pianist and composer.

    • Personal Connections: Pupil and close friend of Beethoven, indicating his influence in the music scene of his time.

    • English pianos were more versatile than Vienesse pianos.

  • Major Works:

    • Clarinet Trio, Op. 28:

    • Movement: Allegro.

    • Composition Location: Aachen.

    • Year: Composed in 1810.

    • Piano Quintet in B minor, Op. 74:

    • Composition Location: London.

    • Year: Composed in 1815.

Maria Szymanowska (1789–1831)

  • Biography: Polish composer and virtuoso pianist.

    • Significance: One of the first professional touring virtuoso pianists in the early 19th century.

    • She had her own salon in St. Petersburg

      • Therefore, most of her pieces were written for the salon. They were not terribly virtuosic.

    • Composed almost 100 works.

    • Taught aristocracy

    • Musical Career:

    • Location: Spent much of her career in St. Petersburg, the Russian imperial capital.

    • Activities: Composed for the court, performed concerts, taught music, and ran an influential salon.

  • Contributions:

    • Notable for her composition of piano pieces, songs, and small chamber works.

    • Innovations: Created the first piano concert études and nocturnes in Poland, indicating her role in developing the piano repertoire.

  • Major Works:

    • Danse Polonaise in B-flat minor: A key composition in her repertoire.

Jan Vaclav Hugo Voříšek (1791–1825)

  • Biography: Bohemian pianist, composer, and organist.

    • Career Movements: Moved to Vienna in 1813 and studied under Hummel, enhancing his exposure to the musical innovations of the time.

    • Influence and Connections: Formed friendships with many leading musicians in Vienna, notably becoming a close friend of Schubert.

    • Professional Role: In 1818, he was appointed conductor of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (Society for the Friends of Music), a prominent musical society.

    • In the Bohemian culture, music was highly valued to be taught amongst the youth.

    • Became a close friend of Schuberts

    • The first composer to write ‘Impromptus’

  • Major Works:

    • Impromptus: Noteworthy for being one of the first composers to write pieces in this form.

    • Sonata quasi una fantasia, Op. 20:

    • Movement: Allegro con brio.

    • Composition Period: Completed in Vienna around 1825.

Conclusion

The above composers illustrate key developments in early Romantic music, showcasing their influences, compositions, and contributions to the evolution of piano music and chamber works during the era.