Vivid pages in the lives of many outstanding composers were traveling to different countries of the world. The impressions received from trips inspired great masters to create new musical masterpieces.
The great journey of F. Liszt.
The well-known cycle of F. Liszt’s piano plays is called “Years of Travel”. The composer combined in him many works inspired by visits to famous historical and famous cultural places. The beauties of Switzerland were reflected in the musical lines of the plays "At the Spring", "On Lake Wallenstadt", "The Thunderstorm", "Valley of Oberman", "Geneva Bells" and others. During his stay with his family in Italy, Liszt met Rome, Florence, and Naples.
F. Liszt. Fountains of Villa Este (with views of the villa)
Piano pieces written to the impression of this journey are inspired by Italian Renaissance art. These plays confirm Liszt’s conviction that all forms of art are in closest kinship. Seeing Raphael’s painting “Betrothal,” Liszt writes a musical piece with the same name, and the harsh sculpture of L. Medici by Michelangelo inspired a miniature “The Thinker”.
The image of the great Dante is embodied in the Sonata fantasy-“After reading Dante”. Several plays are combined with the title "Venice and Naples". They are brilliant transcriptions of popular Venetian tunes, among them is the fiery Italian tarantella.
In Italy, the composer’s imagination was struck by the beauty of a XVI century legendary villa, the architectural complex of which included a palace and lush gardens with fountains. Liszt creates a virtuoso, romantic play "The Fountains of the Villa d. Este," in which the thrill and glimmer of water jets is heard.
Russian travelers composers.
The founder of Russian classical music, M. I. Glinka, managed to visit different countries, including Spain. The composer traveled a lot on horseback through the villages of the country, studying local customs, customs, Spanish musical culture. As a result, the brilliant "Spanish Overtures" were written.
M. I. Glinka. Aragon Jota.
The gorgeous "Aragon Jota" is based on the authentic dance melodies of the province of Aragon. The music of this work is characterized by bright colors, richness of contrasts. The castanets, so typical of Spanish folklore, sound particularly impressive in the orchestra.
The cheerful, gracious theme of the jota rushes into the musical context, after a slow, majestic introduction, brilliantly, like a “jet of fountain” (as noted by one of the classics of musicology, B. Asafiev), gradually turning into a jubilant stream of unbridled popular fun.
M. I. Glinka Aragon Jota (with dance)
M.A. Balakirev was delighted with the witch nature of the Caucasus, its legends, the music of the mountaineers. He creates the piano fantasy "Islamey" on the theme of Kabardian folk dance, the romance "Georgian Song", the symphonic poem "Tamara" based on the famous poem by M. Yu. Lermontov, which turned out to be consonant with the intentions of the composer. The basis of Lermontov's poetic creation is the legend of the beautiful and cunning Queen Tamara, inviting the knights to the tower and condemning them to death.
M.A. Balakirev "Tamara".
The introduction of the Poem draws a dark picture of the Darial Gorge, and in the central part of the work there are bright, full of passion melodies in the oriental style, revealing the image of the legendary queen. The poem is concluded with restrained dramatic music indicating the tragic fate of the admirers of the crafty Queen Tamara.
The world has become cramped.
The exotic East attracts C. Saint-Saens travels, and he visits Egypt, Algeria, South America, Asia. The composer’s acquaintance with the culture of these countries resulted in the following compositions: orchestral “Algerian suite”, fantasy “Africa” for piano and orchestra, “Persian melodies” for voice with piano.
Composers XX century. there was no need for weeks to shake off-road stage to see the beauty of distant countries. The English musical classic B. Britten in 1956 went on a long journey and visited India, Indonesia, Japan, Ceylon.
Ballet - a fairy tale "Prince of Pagodas" was born under the impression of this grand voyage. The story of how the Emperor's evil daughter, Ellyn, takes away her father’s crown, and Rosa’s sister tries to take away her fiancé, is woven from many European fairy tales, and there are scenes of Eastern legends in it. A cunning and noble princess Rosa, the treacherous jester takes her to the mythical Kingdom of Pagodas, where she is met by the Prince enchanted by the Salamander monster.
Kiss princess removes the spell. The ballet ends with the return to the throne of the Emperor's father and the wedding of Rosa with the Prince. The orchestral part of the Rosa and Salamander date scene is full of exotic sounds reminiscent of a Balinese gamelan.
B. Britten "Prince Pagodas" (Princess Rose, Salamander and Jester).
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