Composition Quiz

[gprengel]

Yes the first one is Shostakovich piano concerto 2 slow movt, I think the second one is Tchaikovsky, but I'm not sure what, it's not any of his symphonies. The 3rd piece sounds Russian even Tchaikovsky in parts, Glazunov?

1) yes, Peter, you are right with the first one - how I love this wonderful Andante from Shostakovich's piano concerto 2! What a deep simplicity and beauty! Why didn't he wrote more works of this kind? Apart from this so far only parts of his 7th symphony and parts from his gorgous 'Gadfly' filmmusic could reach me in any way.

2) You are also right, of course, with the composer, but indeed it is a symphony! But unfortuneately Tchaikovsky abandoned it which should have become his 6th symphony and the material was used in his 3rd piano concerto instead. But it was reconstructed and today it is known as his 7th symphony. Of this I love the slow and the final movements so much, and I wonder why Tchaikovsky abandoned it. This is much better than the 3rd piano concerto.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NCLKiZRfQ4

3) yes, indeed it is also Russian - the wonderful prelude of the opera Chowantschina from Mussorgsky:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDquWRuskVI (listen to 2:06 - one of an absolute highlight of Russian music!!)

[Michael]

A lifetime isn't enough! I recall reading somewhere that even Yehudi Menuhin only first heard the last Beethoven quartets towards the end of his life.

That's amazing. I heard the late quartets (on recordings) when I was about 22 and had no knowledge of music beyond Elvis and the Beatles (and that is not to demean them!). But how could an artist of the caliber of Menuhin not have heard those transcendent works much earlier?

Anyway, well done, Peter, on identifying the gorgeous music presented by gprengel who should keep up the quizzes (if there's such a word). I need a push to draw me away from my musical drug, Beethoven.

[Peter]

1) yes, Peter, you are right with the first one - how I love this wonderful Andante from Shostakovich's piano concerto 2! What a deep simplicity and beauty! Why didn't he wrote more works of this kind? Apart from this so far only parts of his 7th symphony and parts from his gorgous 'Gadfly' filmmusic could reach me in any way.

2) You are also right, of course, with the composer, but indeed it is a symphony! But unfortuneately Tchaikovsky abandoned it which should have become his 6th symphony and the material was used in his 3rd piano concerto instead. But it was reconstructed and today it is known as his 7th symphony. Of this I love the slow and the final movements so much, and I wonder why Tchaikovsky abandoned it. This is much better than the 3rd piano concerto.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NCLKiZRfQ4

3) yes, indeed it is also Russian - the wonderful prelude of the opera Chowantschina from Mussorgsky:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDquWRuskVI (listen to 2:06 - one of an absolute highlight of Russian music!!)

Thank you Gerd for introducing me to that wonderful Mussorgsky prelude - a real gem. I knew about Tchaikovsky's abandoned symphony but haven't heard it, the first movt is definitely the weakest part, but I particularly like the 2nd movt.

[gprengel]

Thank you Gerd for introducing me to that wonderful Mussorgsky prelude - a real gem.

Yes, Peter, definitely a gem, but also the interlude (a funeral march) and the heartbreaking dying of the Christian martyrs is very moving:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqP7IR_8CEM ( 2:35:00 - 2:38:20, 2:48:00 - 2:52, 3:13:30 - )

[gprengel]

Here some more beautiful works for our quiz. To guess the composer of the first 2 works should not be too difficult, but the pieces?

www.gerdprengel.de/piece11.mp3

www.gerdprengel.de/piece12.mp3 (so awesome, especially the second half!)

www.gerdprengel.de/piece13.mp3 (one of my favourite violin concertos)

Enjoy!

[Humoresque]

Here some more beautiful works for our quiz. To guess the composer of the first 2 works should not be too difficult, but the pieces?

www.gerdprengel.de/piece11.mp3

www.gerdprengel.de/piece12.mp3 (so awesome, especially the second half!)

www.gerdprengel.de/piece13.mp3 (one of my favourite violin concertos)

Enjoy!

I'm thinking Example 1 and 2 are both Dvorak; a movement from a symphony and another from a String Serenade. You've lost me on the third item, I'm afraid. Fritz Kreisler? It sounds a bit derivative.

[Peter]

The first one is the Larghetto from Dvorak's string quintet Op.97 and I think the 2nd is Sibelius Karelia suite. The last is unknown to me, but I'd take a guess at Wieniawski. Second thoughts I think it's Saint-Saens, but I'm not sure which concerto.

[gprengel]

Peter, of course you are right with the first 2 works - very good as always!
The last one is indeed the great Violin Concerto No 3 by Saint Saents which is one of my most beloved concertos, listen also to the melodious slow movement at 9:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-gCf0nmDH8


my favourite parts are however 3rd movement's passages at 23:30 and 28:50 !

[Peter]

Peter, of course you are right with the first 2 works - very good as always!
The last one is indeed the great Violin Concerto No 3 by Saint Saents which is one of my most beloved concertos, listen also to the melodious slow movement at 9:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-gCf0nmDH8


my favourite parts are however 3rd movement's passages at 23:30 and 28:50 !

Thanks for that Gerd - I'm only really familiar with his 2nd piano concerto and the 'cello concerto which I adore. Also his symphonies (aside from the well known no.3) contain some fine music and should be performed more often.

[gprengel]

Thanks for that Gerd - I'm only really familiar with his 2nd piano concerto and the 'cello concerto which I adore. ...

Peter, when you like the 2nd piano concerto, then please listen to his 5th which I think is much, much more beautilful - actually for me one of the 7 best piano Concertos of the Romantic period!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6nSa6UDiKc , with especially 14:50 - 18:00 ... being my favourite part!!

[gprengel]

Hi, I wonder whether you would right away recognise this introduction of a work which I orchestrated:

www.gerdprengel.de/raetsel02.mp3

:-)
Gerd

[Peter]

Hi, I wonder whether you would right away recognise this introduction of a work which I orchestrated:

www.gerdprengel.de/raetsel02.mp3

:-)
Gerd

Hi Gerd, that's the opening of Beethoven's Bb quartet Op.130.

[gprengel]

Right you are :-). What a wonderful introduction, but I must admit I did not adore it until I began orchestrating it. Here 3 whole movements:

http://www.gerdprengel.de/Beeth-op130-1-orch.mp3 (one of the most complex works of the late Beethoven)

http://www.gerdprengel.de/Beeth-op130-2-orch.mp3 (one of the most furious and shortest movements by Beethoven)

http://www.gerdprengel.de/Beeth-op130-4-orch_neu.mp3 (maybe the loveliest movement by Beethoven)

Gerd

[Michael]

http://www.gerdprengel.de/Beeth-op130-2-orch.mp3 (one of the most furious and shortest movements by Beethoven)

This is the movement that started my son's serious interest in classical music when I first played it for him - about 20 years ago.