Connect to web sites recommended by WKSU’s classical announcers.
La Folia — The history of
La Folia, widely used as a theme for variations by generations of composers from the 17th century to the present.
Johann Strauss Jr. and Johannes Brahms — Even though Johann Strauss Jr. was eight years older than Brahms in this picture, one might think quite the opposite. Brahms was 59 years old, but the year had taken a lot out of him. Close friends had died, and he was as sad as he had ever been. Clara Schumann was shocked when Brahms sent her this photo, because he had gained weight and grayed so much since she had last seen him.
Karelia — Karelia is a beautiful place north of St. Petersburg, Russia. The name means in Finish “Place for Cattle.” It is considered the ancient home of Finish Culture. Yet, today, it is part of the Russian Federation.
Hugo Alfven paintings — Many composers at least dabbled in painting, from Arnold Schoenberg to Mendelssohn. But maybe the most talented of them all was Hugo Alfven. I wanted to let you know just how good, so here are some samples of his work.
Alfred Brendel — A very well done personal website for a great performer.
The real Pictures at an Exhibition — In 1874 Modest Mussorgsky lost a friend and was deeply moved. Victor Hartmann was an architect and artist who left behind a small body of works that were to be viewed in a show, which the music was to accompany. Sadly, most of the paintings or drawings that inpired Mussorgsky are now lost or were never found. Here are the images that still exist.
Malcolm Arnold’s web page — A very well thought out web page about one of the twentieth-century’s best-known British composers.
Courtly Love — An introduction to the medieval concept of
l’amour courtois.
A photo of Georges Sand — Georges Sand was Franz Liszt’s lover, and was also famous for her stormy relationship with Frederic Chopin. Sand was a feminist before the term was invented. In a day when it was impossible to think of it, let alone do, she proudly wore men’s clothes, because it was far more comfortable. (And, yes, maybe it was fun for her watching the shocked faces of men and women of polite Parisian society.) However, this photo shows her the way she was seen on more formal occasions.
The MacDowell Colony — A dream-come-true for artists who want to grow and need the perfect environment for nurturing. Founded by Edward MacDowell not long before he passed away, it has lived on for nearly a century because of those committed to the arts.
Sunrise…an Impression — Claude Debussy was called an Impressionist, after a style of painting made famous by done by Renoir, Cezanne and others. The name came from a painting by Monet called “Sunrise…an Impression.” An art critic, at the time, thought the Monet work appeared sketchy and unfinished. Maybe tha’s one of the reasons Debussy hated being called an impressionist. Here is a photo of the painting.
Bach’s Art of Fugue — In 1747 J S Bach, by then old and in deteriorating health, paid a visit to Frederick the Great of Prussia. The result of that visit was
The Art of Fugue. Many tales have been spun of his meeting with the flute-playing monarch. This page tries to determine what's verifiable fact and what’s legend.
James Whistler’s “Nocturne in Black and Gold” — This is the painting that inspired Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Mozart’s Musical Game — On top of everything else, Mozart was an inventor of sorts, creating a musical dice game in 1787. By throwing the dice and correlating the numbers with the notes they represented, one could actually compose a piece of music. The little game was published in London several years after he died, and was a hit. You can play it now by clicking on this link.
The Sackbut or sacbutt — The top picture shows what a sackbut looks like. It is very much like a modern trombone.
In Nomine — In the late Renaissance and early Baroque, many composers created works called “In Nomine.” This page explains the origins of the form and its name.
Historical tunings — It’s often said that Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier was written for an instrument in equal temperament, but that’s not correct. This document explains the difference, and what “well tempered” really means.
The Finnish Civil War of 1917 — The chaos in Helsinki in 1917 greatly affected Jean Sibelius, who was working on at least 2 and probably 3 of his symphonies at the time. This page describes the background of the conflict.
Origins of Haydn’s “Emperor” Theme — How and when Haydn composed the tune which became the Austrian (and later German) national anthem. It’s the theme he used for the second movement of his “Emperor” quartet (Opus 76 #3). From Vienna Online.
A Handel on everything. — May be the best web page I have ever seen on Handel.
Fingal’s Cave — This site has a lot about the history of Fingal’s Cave, and photos of the landmark that inspired the Mendelssohn work.
Origins of Stravinsky's Ballet Pulcinella — Pulcinella marked the beginning of a new, leaner style for Stravinsky. Her’s how it came to be written.
BBC documentary on events during Delius’s time in Florida — Delius composed his Florida Suite with inspiration from the songs of the African-American workers on his orange plantation near Jacksonville, Florida, Solano Grove. Delius stayed there only about 18 months, from March of 1884.
Violinist Tasmin Little believes that Delius may have had a romantic relationship with one of the workers. She thinks that Delius’s remorse over subsequent events added a “yearning intensity” to his music, including the Florida Suite. This page describes Little’s search for evidence, and the BBC documentary it inspired.
