What is the Story behind the Composition?

[survivor23]

Valentina often talks about reading the letters that inspired the composers to write certain songs, and she sites the mood, and etc. I think the interview I was watching, she was talking about Chopin, and one of his pieces.

I've been searching for the inspiration behind certain pieces. I was able to find something about Beethoven and his inspiration behind Moonlight Sonata, (if I remember right, he was writing about his girlfriend or fiance).

If there are any good links that describe the inspiration behind the composition, please do share.

I for the most part have only found generalities, (ie, Chopin devoted Minute Waltz to his girlfriend), but nothing passionate that would tell the story of the piece.

[revanyoda777]

Another interesting tidbit about the minute waltz is that Chopin's friend had a dog that always chased its tail and ran around in circles, and the minute waltz is supposedly trying to convey that circular motion. There are a lot of theory's about the inspirations behind certain pieces, and for the most its good to study them, but I like to convey what the piece means to me personally when I play

[newto43]

I had heard that Beethoven wrote Fur Elise for a student that he was in love with, rather than Moonlight Sonata...

[survivor23]

•   PRELUDE;
•   Sergei Rachmaninoff
•   OP. 3 No. 2

This is from a comment off youtube:

•   I`ve read in a comment of other video where this prelude is recorded that Rachmaninov composed this because a dream he had. At first he was in a funeral,with a coffin in the center of the site where was taking place.Then,Rachmaninov approaches to the coffin and he finds himself inside.This corresponds to the agitato part in the prelude.Rachmaninov is completely terrified,but,after,he sadly accepts the situation,and because that the prelude finish in a more calm part.


Wow.. Thats sounds accurate, the song is pretty creepy, (but beautiful)

[49410enrique]

•   PRELUDE;
•   Sergei Rachmaninoff
•   OP. 3 No. 2

This is from a comment off youtube:

•   I`ve read in a comment of other video where this prelude is recorded that Rachmaninov composed this because a dream he had. At first he was in a funeral,with a coffin in the center of the site where was taking place.Then,Rachmaninov approaches to the coffin and he finds himself inside.This corresponds to the agitato part in the prelude.Rachmaninov is completely terrified,but,after,he sadly accepts the situation,and because that the prelude finish in a more calm part.


Wow.. Thats sounds accurate, the song is pretty creepy, (but beautiful)

i think sources need to be carefully checked with a lot of these 'back stories' all too often it's people imposing their view on a work rather than true musicology and music history research being conducted into the particular aspects surrounding a composer and a particualr composition.

as for the rachmmaninoff prelude, yeah i'd double check and take that comment with more than  a littel grain of salt. my source has commentary along this line (from Lenard Pennario's commentary on one of my vintage capitla records LP recordings (which normally have lengthy music work discussions that were researched and then added to the packaging /inserts for listener enrichment)

and i quote
"...among Rachmaninoff's exntensive output for solo piano, the preludes in c# minor and g minor have been phenomenally famous.  It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the Prelude in C sharp minor has made its composer's name a household word whever there is a piano.  It is related that when Rachmaninoff was asked what inspired him to write this work he replied "forty rubles."  My publisher offered me two hundred rubles for five short pieces for piano and that prelude was one of them."

the great thing about youtube is everyone has a voice. the bad thing about youtube is everyone has a voice. misinformation and bad info are almost prepetually  synthesized and recycled.  i think probably there are many romanticised versions of the back story to that prelude and many other works simply becuase the truth is pretty unremarkable most of the time. Rachmaninoff was just out to make a buck, the work became incredibly popular and as such folks probably felt they needed more for the piece to justify their love for it i suppose. i rather prefer the truth.

[thorn]

I think if a false interpretation aids your performance of a piece, then it can't be all bad? Though I do think it is important to make this known, there's a difference between "this is the ACTUAL story" of the piece and "this is what the piece says to ME".

I think both are equally important though. I have Gaspard de la nuit in mind, where yes Ravel took the text as inspiration, but no he did not "translate" it word for word into music. The text can be interpreted in as many ways as the pieces can, most obviously demonstrated from the variance in English translations of the poems. Scarbo appears throughout the entire text of Gaspard, so does the performer need to read the whole text? Ondine is a legend that existed before Bertrand wrote that poem, so does the performer need to research this?

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer to be honest. But I do think people need to be specific about where their "repertoire knowledge" has come from.

[survivor23]

Really, what is to me, is that I fall in love with a song, and I have intepretations of what it means to me. That will never change. But when I fall in love with a song, I am just curious to want to know every thing about it. What inspired it, etc.

When Valentina was talking about how she read the letters between Chopin and his love interest, it was more curiousity, and I wanted to understand how in the world you would find this stuff out! If there were some good links online, GREAT, but if not, thats fine too.

Kids are off school tomorrow, and I can head to city and visit the music library for some tidbits.

I agree that youtube is youtube is youtube, which is why I told everyone, "hey, this is from youtube" so you would know to take it from the grain of salt that it is. That Rachmaninoff song does sound like he is running from his grave. I would have to agree with that interpretation.

[robson]

I believe there is always either a story or current reflection behind the great compositions.
Poets tell them using words while musicians are using notes, same thing. Even in pop music
one of the greatest songs were always actually a sang story.

[worov]

I`ve read in a comment of other video where this prelude is recorded that Rachmaninov composed this because a dream he had. At first he was in a funeral,with a coffin in the center of the site where was taking place.Then,Rachmaninov approaches to the coffin and he finds himself inside.This corresponds to the agitato part in the prelude.Rachmaninov is completely terrified,but,after,he sadly accepts the situation,and because that the prelude finish in a more calm part.

I know this is off topic but that YouTube comment is interesting. It reminds me of a scene from a film I have seen years ago. The Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman.

Here's the scene :

[bdf2d]

I think the simplest way is that: In common, Major is happy story! Minor is sad story.

[robson]

I think the simplest way is that: In common, Major is happy story! Minor is sad story.

And diminished chord will be a boring story ? 

[rmbarbosa]

I think that most of theese stories are only fantasy... For example, Chopin didnt like to link his compositions with facts of his life.
Yes, there`s a story linked to "Raindrop" (Chopin never named his prelude op.28 no 15 as "raindrop" ). That story is told by George Sand and is well known: one day, in Spain, Sand and a fellow of Chopin went to by some pills, because Chopin was ill. That day, there was rain. When they came back, Chopin was sad and, looking for them, he exclaimed: I thaught you were dead...
But, even in this case, Sand didnt say that the prelude was the "raindrop". She talks only about "one prelude"...
I think theese stories have its origin in a time of exacerbated romanticism and that they are mostly legends...
Sorry for my English.

[ted]

My view is that, unlike literature for instance, music is completely abstract; nothing specific is communicated at all, and the listening mind imposes images and associations of its own. This is not a popular stance, but it is consistent, and seems to me to greatly augment the power of music. How the creators, composers or improvisers felt or what they did is irrelevant to me. The knowledge that a piece I enjoy actually had its origins in a love affair, a tragedy, a triumph, or more likely a satisfying feed of sausages, is of no relevance. What is important is the capacity of abstract sound to trigger cascades of imagery and association in my brain; that is the true miracle of music.

Certain chords for certain meanings ? No, not for me. Some people say they have such associations, but if true, it must surely be a frightful restriction on their listening enjoyment.

[bdf2d]

And diminished chord will be a boring story ? 

Maybe! 

[revanyoda777]

My view is that, unlike literature for instance, music is completely abstract; nothing specific is communicated at all, and the listening mind imposes images and associations of its own. This is not a popular stance, but it is consistent, and seems to me to greatly augment the power of music. How the creators, composers or improvisers felt or what they did is irrelevant to me. The knowledge that a piece I enjoy actually had its origins in a love affair, a tragedy, a triumph, or more likely a satisfying feed of sausages, is of no relevance. What is important is the capacity of abstract sound to trigger cascades of imagery and association in my brain; that is the true miracle of music.

Certain chords for certain meanings ? No, not for me. Some people say they have such associations, but if true, it must surely be a frightful restriction on their listening enjoyment.

Ive also heard many people that associate music with colors (and that it happens subconsciously.) For them certain notes correspond to certain colors and this is a way for their brain to process music. Does this happen to anyone on this forum? It sounds very interesting and I'm curious to how this affects the imagination and interpretive aspects of music making.

[survivor23]

Here is what I found about Chopins Etudes. This website says that like Bach, Etudes was a method of teaching.

Very good website, and just wanted to share.

https://www.ourchopin.com/analysis/etude.html

[iratior]

The credibility of the "stories" behind pieces ought to depend on evidence, but a wide range of evidence ought to be admissible.  I once wrote a term paper on the Matthew Passion and was struck by how programmatic the Bach music was.   Diminished seventh chords were sounded as the crowd said "Barabbus", for example.  I would not object if someone cited that confluence as evidence that Bach had something sinister in mind when using diminished seventh chords somewhere else in his music.  It might not be conclusive evidence, but it would be evidence nonetheless.  I don't see how there can be any question that religion was an important part of the "story" behind many Bach works.  And politics in nineteenth-century Europe was surely part of the "story" behind Chopin.   Chopin was, of course, well known to be bitterly opposed to the lack of Polish independence.  The Revolutionary Etude deserves its name because the last few notes of the Marseillaise are in it.  The Ocean Etude would be more appropriately invested with a funereal rather than a maritime attitude, because of its having in it the first notes of the Dies Irae.   To delve into the "story" behind a composition thus requires extremely thorough familiarity with the biographical information on the composer, as well as with the scores and the music theory.  But stories backed by evidence can be useful because of their being able to offer more justification for a certain interpretation, in the sense of its being what the composer wanted.

[ceapaire]

I've been searching for the inspiration behind certain pieces. I was able to find something about Beethoven and his inspiration behind Moonlight Sonata, (if I remember right, he was writing about his girlfriend or fiance)

Not quite - people often over-romanticise the Moonlight Sonata and usually miss the point. Listen to Andras Schiff's lecture about the piece. He says that it's a march, a death scene based on Don Giovanni by Mozart. You can read more here in Edwin Fischer's book about the sonatas (definitely recommend it!). It's a very persuasive interpretation; I guarantee you'll never think about the sonata the same way again

I don't see how there can be any question that religion was an important part of the "story" behind many Bach works.

That much is obvious. Everything Bach wrote was signed Soli Deo Gloria - For the Glory of God Alone. He was in his element when composing music for religious reasons. There may not be a "story" behind all his pieces in the programmatic sense, but the reasons for their composition are often interesting enough in their own right. The Passion is a wonderfully creative work though - far ahead of its time.

I think knowing the context of the works you're studying is most helpful. Who the composer wrote for, what occasion, what piece of literature inspired it, what composers influenced it etc. Knowing where a work fits into the life of the composer reveals a lot. And then the work itself will reveal a lot about the composer's life. It goes both ways - very satisfying