LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770-1827 Egmont Overture Opus 84

Throughout Beethovens lifetime Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the leading literary figure in German-speaking Europe. The relationship between Beethoven and Goethe dates from 1809, when Beethoven was commissioned to write incidental music for a new production of Goethe's play Egmont. The play is set in Brussels during the sixteenth century, when the Netherlands lay under Spanish occupation. The Duke of Alba, King Philip II of Spains representative, has the local resistance leader, Count Egmont, imprisoned and condemned to death, after which his grief-stricken wife takes her own life. The night before Egmonts execution, she appears to him in a dream, transformed into the goddess of freedom. She foretells that his death will inspire his countrymen first to rebellion, then to the re-establishment of their liberty. Heartened by this vision, Egmont is able to face his execution with courage and dignity. The overture is in F minor, a rare key for Beethoven, and to some extent acts as a prcis of the drama itself. The somber slow introduction, with block chords and dotted rhythm, leads smoothly into the body of the movement, a triple-metre Allegro, in which the main theme is characterized by an offbeat accent in the upper strings and a descending line. A stormy transition leads to the second theme, a major-key transformation of the overture's opening material, following which the brief development section is entirely concerned with elaborating on the components of the main theme. Rather than a conventional coda, Beethoven ends with entirely new material in F major (4/4, Allegro con brio).This exhilarating music is used again at the end of the drama, as Egmont climbs the scaffold to his death. In commissioning the music for Egmont, Goethe specified that this moment should not be a lament, but rather a 'Symphony of Victory.'

Dvork (1841-1904) - Cello Concerto

The cello is a beautiful instrument, but its place is in the orchestra and in chamber music. As a solo instrument it isn't much good; I have written a cello concerto, but am sorry to this day that I did so, and I never intend to write another. What is really the Cello Concerto No. 2 in B minor was written during 1894-5, towards the end of his successful stint in the States. Typically, much of the musics tension derives from the collision of the New Worlds young, vibrant culture and Dvorks ineffable homesickness. However, theres more. Learning that Josefina was seriously ill, he was moved to refer to his song Leave Me Alone, a particular favourite of hers. Characteristically, this reference was not arbitrary, but woven into the fabric of his creation. Although substantially completed in the USA, back home following Josefinas untimely death, Dvork further reworked the concertos ending into a heartfelt tribute. The symphonically-inclined Dvork was disinclined to dilute his arguments. His friend, the cellist Hanus Wihan, tried his damnedest to secure a juicy solo cadenza. Dvork wouldnt budge. His cadenzas were brief, meditative and generally shared with orchestral soli. This entire approach is pretty radical: a red-blooded romantic concerto that eschews the raison dtre of red-blooded romantic concertos. Whilst following Schumann and Brahms, Dvork remained entirely his own man.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Holberg Suite, Opus 40

One wonders if there is some artistic virus that thrives in the people of Bergen, Norway, for three Scandinavian giants of the arts were born there. The first was Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) who would become one of Scandinavias great literary figures. To honor Holberg in 1884, the 200th anniversary of his birth, the Bergen organizing committee turned to their newest "favorite son" to compose a musical tribute. (Grieg was already internationally known for his piano concerto and music for Ibsens Peer Gynt.) They wanted him to write a cantata to be sung in December at the time of the unveiling of a statue of Holberg in the Main Square of Bergen. Grieg accepted half-heartedly and, in October, wrote to friends that not only was he bored in composing the choral work, but afraid of the event itself. . Four months later in March, 1885, he conducted the premiere in Bergen of a suite of pieces entitled Aus Holbergs Zeit ("From Holbergs Time.") Grieg had written the suite for piano the previous summer as his personal tribute to Holberg (before being asked to write the cantata.) With the orchestration, he produced one of his greatest works, full of strength and gentility, playfulness and meditation. Grieg chose the musical language of the 18th Century, the era of Holberg, a type of French suite consisting of a Prelude, Sarabande, Gavotte/Musette, Air, and Rigaudon. It is as if Grieg musically honored his fellow Bergenite, Ole Bull, a man who championed the young Grieg.

Schubert: Symphony No.5 in B flat major D485

In 1816, when Symphony No.5 was written, Schubert was 19 years old. He was a prodigious but not precocious youth, composing many pieces but producing little of any real originality. During his 18th year, he composed 150 songs, which works out to more than one every three days. He wrote more than songs during this time and when all his output is added up, it works out to roughly 65 bars of music per day, much of it for full orchestra. Despite this massive amount of material and large circle of friends, neither Schubert nor his supporters had enough money to hire the musicians necessary to perform most of it. As such, very little of his work was performed during his liftetime. His fifth symphony was an exception and received its first performance in August of 1817 as part of a house concert series put on by Otto Hatwig, a prominent violinist in whose amateur orchestra Schubert often played viola. Although considered by a musicologist to still be a juvenile work of Schuberts the fifth symphony represents a significant advancement in originality and style from the fourth even thought they were composed in the same year. A heavy debt is still owed to Mozart, particularly in the third movement where he essentially quotes the corresponding movement of his colleagues Symphony No. 40. Teenagers are not the most subtle of creatures, so the obviousness of this tribute is not entirely surprising. It is easy to point to Schuberts influences and conclude that his early symphonies are not really of any consequence. That, however, would be a mistake. Symphony No.5 is full of good humour, good tunes and in places, sparkles with the promise of things to come.

Pirates of the Caribbean

The franchise originated with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme ride attraction, which opened at Disneyland in 1967, the last Disney theme park attraction overseen by Walt Disney. Disney based the ride on pirate legends and folklore. As of August 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean attractions can be found at four Disney theme parks. One of the most popular film series of the last ten years has been Disneys PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; the original inspiration for the stories came from Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean theme park rides. The first of these films, THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, introduces viewers to Will Turner, a handsome young blacksmith, who joins with the eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow to save of the life of the independent Elizabeth Swann, whom Will loves. The fact that she must be rescued from Jacks former pirate allies makes things difficult, the fact that they are also dead and are now zombies make things really tough. The pirates of the Black Pearl capture the beautiful Elizabeth Swann, as they believe her blood will set them free of their curse; by day they appear normal, but by moonlight they are revealed as skeletal zombies. Will Turner sets off to rescue her, enlisting the help of pirate Jack Sparrow, who has his own agenda after being overthrown as captain of the Pearl by the mutinous Captain Barbossa. Walt Disneys "Pirates of the Caribbean Symphonic Suite", by Klaus Badelt includes themes from the songs "The Medallion Calls", "The Black Pearl", "To the Pirates Cave", "One Last Shot" and "Hes a Pirate".