Classical music implies the western world’s formal musical tradition, which is different from folk music and other prominent music traditions. The classical music pieces focus on aesthetic content that primarily has musical essence.
Behind every piece, a back story is likely to exist, which could be a funny, thrilling, horrifying, or sad narrative. Many people are now interested in listening to pieces of Classical Music with story as they can get to know about the creation and development of that particular masterpiece.
Top 4 Pieces Of Classical Music With A Touching Behind Story
Here are the intriguing stories behind a few of the best music pieces.
- Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
The Ninth Symphony by Ludwig Van Beethoven is one of the renowned classical masterpieces. You may be aware that Beethoven developed hearing loss. He practically banged the piano and kept his ear near the keys to writing some of his final compositions. He conducted the incredible 9th Symphony’s world premiere without listening to a single note.
Beethoven’s directing was inconsistent and out of sync with the orchestra due to his deafness and maybe because he did not perform for 12 years in a crowd. A musician had to roll him around to allow him to see the audience’s angelic applause.
- Symphonie Fantastique
Hector Berlioz, a French composer, wrote Symphonie Fantastique, a piece of classical music with a story. He desired the love of an actress named Harriet Smithson, something he could not obtain. After seeing her portray Ophelia in Hamlet, Berlioz was madly in love with Smithson. He inscribed a long letter describing his feelings to her, but Smithson turned down his approaches.
Berlioz was motivated by his perception of Smithson as the ideal woman to create a symphony that illustrates an artist who is perpetually tormented by a poet. Although the music was first performed in 1830, Smithson first heard Symphonie Fantastique in 1832 and speculated that she might be the one behind the idea of its creation. In 1833, the two were eventually united in marriage.
- The Rite of Spring
The abnormal melodic energy and generalization of Russian folk songs make Rite of Spring by Stravinsky an impressive classic. Thus, people can not withstand it and get sucked into its frenzied proficiency.
The 1913 ballet and orchestral performance were divided into dual sections: “The Sacrifice,” in which a young woman dances to death, and “Adoration of the Earth,” an atheistic spree of Spring. The song itself has a dramatic and exciting storyline.
The Rite of Spring’s world debut at the brand-new Theatre des Champs-Elysees caused a commotion. During the performance, the torment from the audience grew so loud that the dancers could not hear the music, and Stravinsky himself left the stage.
- Quartet for the End of Time
The “Quartet for the End of Time” is a classical musical piece by French composer Olivier Messiaen. This melody is known for the piano, violin, clarinet, and cello and was made under challenging conditions.
In the Second World War, France entered, because of which many people enlisted in the battle, including Olivier Messiaen. He was taken captive by the opponents in 1940 and lodged at a POW camp in Poland. Messiaen met Jean le Boulaire, Henri Akpka, and Étienne Pasquier, who were three skilled musicians who had also been detained.
Messiaen started with a little trio and finally extended it into a complete quartet. It was performed in the Stalag in January 1941 on instruments that were ostensibly in horrible condition. The Book of Revelation was the source of inspiration for the eight titled portions that make up The Quartet for the End of Time, each of which reflects a different segment of the holy book.
Conclusion
Some of the famous classical music pieces have incredible behind stories that not many people are aware of, which led to the creation of this post. In short, the classical music pieces convey profound beliefs, and the composers sketch an impression of the times and civilization they inhabited.
