18th and 19th Century Music, Dance, and Theatre

18th and 19th Century Music, Dance, and Theatre

                                                           

Hayden

Joseph Hayden is the first great composer or the classical repertoire.  Most of his compositions are for musicals, operas, and orchestras.  He not only plays, but sings as well.  During his first employment at age 25, it’s up to him, the court orchestra, and singers to perform every night for the prince.  In the 1780’s he and Mozart become good friends; play in a string quartet together and dedicating works to each other. Hayden lives another 18 years after Mozart’s death.

Mozart

Born in 1756, Mozart starts touring at the age of six in courts and cities of Europe starting in Munich.  Mozart plays the harpsichord and violin. At 8, he publishes violin sonatas and his first two symphonies. Mozart composes a piece directly influenced by Hayden, before he even meets him. In 1780 he begins writing operas. What people are most familiar with is the requiem he is requested to write at the end of his life.  Contrary to popular belief the requiem is not asked to be written by Salieri, who is said to have killed Mozart.  In fact it was an anonymous request by a man who pays for written work and then sells them as his own.  Mozart’s requiem goes on hold as he finishes his last opera. Mozart dies in 1791 and the requiem isn’t actually finished by Mozart but by his pupil. Mozart’s fame came in the 19th century as his insurmountable works are discovered and published.  His reputation at it’s high in the 19th century, doesn’t diminish in time.

Bach

Born in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach spends his life working in the provincial courts for German princes.  In 1723 he moves to Leipzig for the rest of his life and completes some of his greatest works.  In 1721 he writes the six Brandenburg Concertos. The Brandenburg Gate is well known to Germans. In fact this year was very special as it marked the 25th anniversary of the wall falling. They held a ceremony there with lighted balloons.  They were released to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, also known as Ode to Joy.

Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven performed his Ninth Symphony at his last public concert in 1824, at which he had to be turned around to see the standing ovation of the audience, since he couldn’t hear it. Beethoven has been a large part of Germany’s music since 1783.  Born in 1770, his first performance was in 1778.  Beethoven composed his first piece in 1783. He continued to compose and play music along with teaching piano.  He composed many pieces even after he started to lose his hearing at 26 years of age.  By 1814, he was almost totally deaf. His music didn’t died with him on March 26, 1827. It lives on.


DANCE

The Viennese Waltz is an older and more traditional dance of Germanys. Below is a link where you can go to if you wish to watch this dance. This waltz, like others, is a ballroom style dance. Unlike other waltz's though, the Viennese is danced at 180 beats per minute, where as other ones are taken at about 90 beats per minute. It is a much faster paced waltz and is made up of mostly turns and "change steps" while traveling counter clockwise on the dancefloor. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IAOkXSNsc&spfreload=10







Sources

Gascoigne, B. (2001). History of Music. Retrieved from History World: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=khw

Ludwig van Beethoven. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viennese_Waltz 

20th and 21st Century Writers and Poets

20th and 21st Century Writers and Poets

Kafka

Franz Kafka 

Franz Kafka was born July 3, 1883 in Prague, Bohemia. He died June 3 1924. He was fluent in both German and Czech. He is referred to as one of the most influential authors of the 20^thcentury. Famous works are “Die Verwandlung”, “Der Prozess” as well as “Das Schloss”.  Franz Kafka was a lawyer before he became an author. Although he is now recognized as one of the most important writers of his time, most of his works were not published until after his death.

Musil

Robert Musil

Robert Musicl was born November 6, 1880 and died April 15^thof 1942. His novel “The Man Without Qualities” is thought of to be an important modernist novel; however, it is not a book that has been widely ready for several reasons. When he was a teenager his parents sent him away to a military boarding school and this is exhibited through his writing. He graduated as a Cadet, and then went to mechanical engineering. He also fought in World War I.

Wolfgang Herrndorf

Herrndorf

Wolfgang went to the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, where he attained a degree in illustrations. His first novel was published in 2002, however he didn’t become really famous until 2010 with his book “Tschick”. Later in 2011 he would accept the “Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair”, as well as the “German Book Prize” in 2012. Wolfgang killed himself August 26^th in 2013, after living with depression from the discovery of a malignant tumor in his brain back in 2010.

Schatzing

Frank Schatzing was born May 28^th, 1957. His best selling novel was released in 2004, “The Swarm”. He started writing in 1990, and his first book was published only shortly after in 1995. His novel “The Swarm” has received many awards such as: the Goldene Feder in 2005, Deutscher Science Fiction Preis in 2005, and the Corine in 2004.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Musil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sch%C3%A4tzing

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Herrndorf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/durs-grunbein

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/jan-wagner