Mozart Piano Sonata No. 11, Movement 2

If we think of the first movement of this piano sonata as a quiet, thoughtful and reflective morning kept to oneself, then this second movement is sort of like the day/afternoon. The happy theme that the movement begins with seems to illustrate the normal, happy interactions with others in everyday life. This theme (don't laugh :P) reminds me of playing pokemon on a gameboy when you are walking around a town and the chipper music is playing in the background.
However, not everyday can be completely pleasant. When you walk through the grassy sections in a pokemon game, you can be called into a battle by a wild pokemon, and the music changes to the battle music. The chipper happy beginning theme of this movement sometimes takes a turn into A minor, perhaps representing a little drama or problem amongst everyday life- but, like a pokemon battle, it isn't major drama and is quickly resolved.

So there you have it- Pokemon: Inspired by Mozart!
Well, just kidding about that.... but you never know...
Again, Mitsuko Uchida with movement 2: Menuetto

Mozart Piano Sonata No. 11, Movement 1

The introspective, yet mainly optimistic feel to this piano sonata is a real treat to listen to. This first movement is played as a theme with six variations that follow it. The main theme which everything is based off of is simple, quiet and reflective.

The first variation is a more bubbly and bright version of the theme and leaves the listener satisfied. The second variation is still more bubbly that the original theme with perpetual sixteenth notes, but keeps the same introspective quality of the beginning. The third variation takes a turn into A minor and is a little darker, but is kept moving by perpetual sixteenth notes again. The fourth variation is similar to the first variation in the fact that is also bubbly, but the fourth variation also sounds very springy. The fifth movement is also optimistic, but also is usually played a bit slower and has the same reflective element from the original theme and sounds more lyrical than the other variations. Now, if we were to combine the reflective quality of the original theme, the bubbly feeling of the first variation and the springiness of the fourth variation- plus a little extra pizazz, I think we end up with the sixth variation which finishes this movement with a simple cadence.

A friend of mine once said that Mozart's music is: simple plus elegant with a touch of fun. I think that this piece of music embodies that description exactly.

Here is Mitsuko Uchida's interpretation of this sonata:
I. Allegretto Grazioso Part 1
I. Allegretto Grazioso Part 2
Please stay tuned for the second and third movements (:

Overture to "Candide"

This first time I heard this piece of music, I wasn't completely taken by it. The first time I played it, I absolutely loved it. Maybe it was something about being there in the middle of the music and being able to feel the energy in the hall. This piece is high-energy, but I think that with this piece of music specifically (although some people will argue every piece of music) experiencing it live in a concert hall gives you the full effect.

You may be acquainted with the satirical novel "Candide" or sometimes known as "Optimism" by Voltaire, from which this music is modeled after. Like the literature, Leonard Bernstein's composition is full of musical "jokes" and lots of little themes seem to spring up randomly throughout the piece, as if someone had been talking and then been distracted. The percussion lays down lots of big bangs and crashes, but they are always offset by a cheerful melody in the strings or woodwinds. This music is certainly optimistic and sometimes romantic, just like Voltaire's character, Candide.

Here is the Overture to Candide with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer himself, Leonard Bernstein.

A Night on Bald Mountain

This piece of music reminds me of a graveyard. Does that sound weird? Well if you have ever seen the original Fantasia movie, perhaps it doesn't. The animation shows lots of spirits flying around during the night. This piece of music has two very distinct parts to it. The first part sounds somewhat scary and is a sort of fast dance. The second part sounds like a reverie and begins with bells. The flute and clarinet melodies accompanied by a harp in this section are just absolutely gorgeous.

In the Fantasia animation, when the bells chime, the spirits go back from where they came from so they are gone before dawn. I suppose it's like Halloween in a way- the spirits come out at night, but disappear before a certain time the next day.

I have played this piece before with one of the youth orchestras I took part in. Leonard Slatkin of the DSO came in to conduct us during one of our rehearsals on this piece, it was quite exciting! And of all the violinists he could have called on to play the col legno part (where you bounce the wood of your bow against the strings)- he called on me! I was a little nervous, but it was totally worth it. Not many people my age can say they have worked with a conductor like Leonard Slatkin- definitely a memory I will never forget.

Here is Modest Mussorgsky's night on Bald Mountain played by the philharmonic orchestra of Ural at Nantes conducted by Dimitri Liss

And also, here is the Fantasia animation of the same piece