Mimi Ezust <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> One correction: Someone mentioned Berg's violin concerto as either atonal
> or serial...  forgive my vagueness.  I've been reading on the run.
>
> This piece is neither.  It has beautiful melodies, "noodling" of the
> kind that violinists do to warm up or amuse themselves (on purpose:
> Berg asked Louis Krassner who commissioned it to please demonstrate
> his personal "noodling" and make sure it was original and not bits
> from other concerti or sonatas).  The Berg also contains an entire Bach
> Chorale ("Es ist genug" from KK.60) and a Viennese waltz-tune.  But they
> are hidden from first-time-listeners.  You need to work a little bit to
> 'get' this, but it's well worth the effort.  The chorale starts with a
> whole-tone scale! Bach was one hip guy.

Actually I think the chorale is pretty obvious even on a first hearing!
Several later composers have also used it:
<http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Es-ist-genug.htm>

I can still remember the first time I heard the concerto - in a music
class at school - and the way I had to redefine my idea of what beautiful
music was as a result. I shall be listening to it again when it's broadcast
on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday night.  (available on 'Listen Again' for a
week afterwards).

Virginia Knight
[log in to unmask]
Personal homepage: http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/~cmvhk/virginia.html

             ***********************************************
The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R)
list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability
Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery.  For more information,
go to:  http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html