Mozart�s Don Giovanni K. 527 is an opera in two acts on an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered at the Teatro di Praga on 29 October 1787. Mozart entered the work into his catalogue as an opera buffa. Although sometimes classified as comic, it blends comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements. Don Giovanni is one of the most-performed operas worldwide. It has also proved a fruitful subject for writers and philosophers. The overture begins with a thundering D minor cadence, followed by a short misterioso sequence which leads into a light-hearted D major allegro. Overture, 2/2 in D Minor/Major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. It was the last symphony that he composed, and also the longest. The work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony. This name stems not from Mozart but rather was likely coined by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon in an early arrangement for piano. The four movements are arranged in the traditional symphonic form of the Classical era. The third movement, a Menuetto marked allegretto is similar to a L�ndler, a popular Austrian folk dance form. iii Menuetto, Allegretto � Trio, 3/4 in C Major

The Serenade for orchestra in D major, K. 250 (248b), popularly known as the Haffner Serenade, is an eight movements work commissioned by Sigmund Haffner, Mozart�s friend, to be used in the course of the festivities before the wedding of his sister Marie Elisabeth Haffner. The Serenade was first played on 21 July 1776, on the eve of the wedding. The third movement in G minor features a prominent violin solo. iii Menuetto � Trio, 3/4 in G minor

The 40th Symphony was completed on 25 July 1788. The composition occupied an exceptionally productive period of just a few weeks in 1788, during which time Mozart also completed the 39th and 41st symphonies (26 June and 10 August, respectively). The 40th is his most famous symphony, where he achieves an almost miraculous balance between substance and form as well as between thematic invention and rhythmic dynamism. i Molto allegro, 2/2 in G Minor

The Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K.�543, was completed on 26 June 1788. It seems to be impossible to determine the date of the premiere of the 39th Symphony on the basis of currently available evidence; in fact, it cannot be established whether the symphony was ever performed in the composer's lifetime. The first movement opens with a majestic introduction with fanfares heard in the brass section. This is followed by an Allegro in sonata form. i Adagio, 4/4 � Allegro, 3/4 in E-flat Major

Mozart completed his Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201/186a, on 6 April 1774. It is one of his better known early symphonies. The symphony is scored for 2 oboes, 2 horns and strings, as was typical of early-period Mozart symphonies. The first movement is in sonata form, with a graceful principal theme characterized by an octave drop and ambitious horn passages. i Allegro moderato, 2/2 in A Major

The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The creation took place on March 10, 1785. The concerto is in sonata form. The final rondo movement is a "call and response" style movement, with the piano and ensemble exchanging parts fluidly. iii Allegro vivace assai, 2/4 in C Major

The Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453, was written in 1784. The date of the premiere is uncertain. In one view, the work is said to have been premiered by Mozart's student Barbara Ployer on June 13, 1784. Another possibility, advanced by Lorenz in 2006, is that Mozart did not wait over two months to premiere the work, but performed it himself on 29 April 1784 at the K�rntnertortheater. The piano concerto No. 17 is one of the most popular piano concertos by Mozart. The first movement includes a transition going through 13 tonalities within 20 mesures, which already points to Schubert. i Allegro, 4/4 in G Major

The Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385, was composed in 1782 and is also called the Haffner Symphony. It was commissioned by the Haffners, a prominent Salzburg family, for the occasion of Sigmund Haffner the Younger's�ennoblement. The symphony is in four movements. The third movement, Menuetto, is constant tug between two main chords � the tonic and dominant. Only three times do we see chords other than this two. iii Menuetto and Trio, 3/4 in D Major

The Divertimento No. 10 for 2 horns & strings in F major (�Erste Lodronische Nachtmusik�, First Night Music of Lodron), K. 247 was written in 1776. Mozart composed a matching pair of works, this one and the Divertimento in B flat, K.287 exactly one year later, to commemorate the name day of Countess Maria Antonia Lodron, a family friend and member of the Salzburg aristocracy. The two divertimenti are nearly identical in structure and dimension. The third movement of Divertimento No. 10 is a minuet which makes use of the horns to dramatic effect. iii Menuetto & Trio, 3/4 in F Major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his Symphony No.�40 in G minor, KV. 550, in 1788. It is sometimes referred to as the "Great G minor symphony," to distinguish it from the "Little G minor symphony," No.�25. The two are the only extant minor key symphonies Mozart wrote. The work is in four movements, in the usual arrangement for a classical-style symphony. The minuet begins with an angry, cross-accented hemiola rhythm and a pair of three-bar phrases repeated at the end and framing a contrasting gentle trio section in G Major. iii Menuetto, Allegretto � Trio, 3/4 in G minor

The Pavane pour une infante d�funte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) is a well-known piece written for solo piano by the French composer Maurice Ravel in 1899 when he was studying composition at the Conservatoire de Paris under Gabriel Faur�. Ravel also published an orchestrated version of the Pavane in 1910. Ravel described the piece as "an evocation of a pavane that a little princess [infanta] might, in former times, have danced at the Spanish court". The pavane was a slow processional dance that enjoyed great popularity in the courts of Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This antique miniature is not meant to pay tribute to any particular princess from history, but rather expresses a nostalgic enthusiasm for Spanish customs and sensibilities, which Ravel shared with many of his contemporaries (most notably Debussy and Alb�niz) and which is evident in some of his other works such as the Rapsodie espagnole and the Bol�ro. Ravel dedicated the Pavane to his patron, the Princesse de Polignac. He published it in 1900, but it attracted little attention until the Spanish pianist Ricardo Vi�es gave the first performance on April 5, 1902. The work soon became very popular, although Ravel came to think of it as "poor in form" and unduly influenced by the music of Chabrier. Pavane, Mod�r�ment anim�, 4/4 in G Major

Ma m�re l'Oye (Mother Goose) is a work of Maurice Ravel after the tales of Charles Perrault (The Sleeping Beauty and Little Tom Thumb, 1697), Madame Leprince de Beaumont (Beauty and the Beast, 1757) and Mrs. Aulnoy (Serpentine green, 1697). There are three versions: the original first, written for piano four hands (between 1908 and 1910), the second is for a modest "Ravel" orchestra (1911), the latter, extended and scored for larger forces, was adapted for a ballet choreographed by Jeanne Hugard (1912). Ravel composed the piece for the children of his friends Ida and Cipa Godebski, Mimie and Jean. Mother Goose reflects the taste of the musician, unmarried and childless, for a "children" thematic which is also found later in L'Enfant et les Sortil�ges. The piano version was meant to be played by young hands and its public premiere on April 20, 1910, was given by two children aged six and ten respectively. Unlike his Daphnis and Chlo� of the same period using large instrumental and vocal forces, Ravel wrote Mother Goosefor a small symphony orchestra; this orchestral "intimacy", almost "chamber like", favours solo parts and subtle blends of timbre, it evokes the special and enchanting atmosphere of children's tales as we also find in Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Sa�ns and Peter and Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. i. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Lent, = 58) ii. Petit Poucet (Tr�s mod�r�, = 66) iii. Laideronnette, Imp�ratrice des Pagodes (Mouvement de marche, = 116) iv. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la B�te (Mouvement de Valse tr�s mod�r�, = 50) v. Le Jardin f�erique (Lent et grave, = 56)

The Overture on Russian Themes, Op 28 was composed 1866 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, inspired by Balakirev's�Overture On Three Russian Folk Themes. Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov�s teacher during their time in the Russian Navy, conducted the first version of the work in 1866, but Rimsky-Korsakov revised the work in 1880 and this is the version that is usually performed today. The final version was premiered in Moscow 8 May, 1880, the composer conducting. Despite Rimsky-Korsakov�s admiration for Balakirev�s piece, his Overture on Russian Themes is structured rather differently. It opens solemnly with an arrangement of the traditional hymn known as �Slava� (Glory), familiar to modern audiences for its use in the Coronation Scene of Mussorgsky�s opera Boris Godunov (1869), though Beethoven had already used it in the Scherzo of his Second Rasumovsky Quartet (1806). It�s followed by a quicker-paced tune called �At the Gates� � also familiar because Tchaikovsky chose it for the central episode of his 1812 Overture (1880) � and another, �Ivan Is Wearing a Big Coat,� immediately after. The three themes are ingeniously interwoven in the rest of the piece, until the solemn opening with �Slava� returns in expanded form, capped by a Vivace treatment in the final bars. Overture on Three Russian Themes, Andante, 3/4 in D Major

The Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, known as the Great, is the final symphony completed by Franz Schubert. Originally called The Great C major to distinguish it from his Symphony No. 6, the Little C major, the subtitle is now usually taken as a reference to the symphony's majesty. Unusually long for a symphony of its time, a typical performance of The Great takes around 55 minutes. The finale is in an extended sonata form. There are no less than six unique elements in the main themic group alone and an extensive use of ostinato in accompaniment of two of the thematic elements. iv Finale. Allegro vivace, 2/4 in C Major

The Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, known as the Great, is the final symphony completed by Franz Schubert. Originally called The Great C major to distinguish it from his Symphony No. 6, the Little C major, the subtitle is now usually taken as a reference to the symphony's majesty. Unusually long for a symphony of its time, a typical performance of The Great takes around 55 minutes. The third movement is a lengthy Scherzo and Trio which is structured in Sonata form. iii Scherzo 3/4. Allegro vivace in C Major, Trio in A major

The Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, known as the Great, is the final symphony completed by Franz Schubert. Originally called The Great C major to distinguish it from his Symphony No. 6, the Little C major, the subtitle is now usually taken as a reference to the symphony's majesty. Unusually long for a symphony of its time, a typical performance of The Great takes around 55 minutes. The first movement begins with an extensive introduction with its own miniaturized exposition, development and recapitulation. The opening theme is used in a modified form as secondary subject matter in the main section of the movement. The rest of the movement is in sonata form with two periods for each theme and several transition themes and extra material. The opening theme of the introduction is restated in the coda before the final cadences. i Andante - Allegro ma non troppo�- Piu Moto, 2/2 in C Major

The Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, known as the Great, is the final symphony completed by Franz Schubert. Originally called The Great C major to distinguish it from his Symphony No. 6, the Little C major, the subtitle is now usually taken as a reference to the symphony's majesty. Unusually long for a symphony of its time, a typical performance of The Great takes around 55 minutes. The second movement is in a modified sonata form (ABAB) without a development section. ii Andante con moto, 2/4 in A minor

Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D.759 (sometimes renumbered as Symphony No. 7), commonly known as the "Unfinished Symphony" (German: Unvollendete), was started in 1822 but the composer left only two movements � though he lived for another six years. A scherzo, nearly completed in piano score but with only two pages orchestrated, also survives. To this day, musicologists still disagree as to why Schubert failed to complete the symphony. Was it his initial outbreak of syphilis or was he absorbed in the composition of his Wanderer-Fantasie for solo piano? The first movement opens with a slow unison motive in the cellos and double basses that ends on the dominant as a question. The "answer" follows immediately in a the somber sounding sixteenth notes figures of the violins as background for the main theme which appears in a very innovative type of instrumental doubling: the oboe and the clarinet. During this first section, the music cultivates a wonderful ambiguity between ternary and binary meters. A typically laconic Schubertian transition consists of just four measures for the two horns and two bassoons, effectively modulating to the subdominant parallel key of G major (measures 38�41). The second subject begins with a celebrated lyrical melody in that key, stated first by the celli and then by the violins to a gentle syncopated accompaniment. This is interrupted by a dramatic closing group alternating heavy tutti sforzandi interspersed with pauses and developmental variants of the G major melody, ending the exposition. i Allegro moderato, 3/4 in B minor

Album for the Young (Album f�r die Jugend), Op. 68, was composed by Robert Schumann in 1848 for his three daughters. The album consists of a collection of 43 short works. Unlike the Kinderszenen, they are suitable to be played by children or beginners. The second part, starting at Nr. 19 (Kleine Romanze), is marked F�r Erwachsenere (For more grown-up ones) and contains more demanding pieces. N� 1, Melodie, Nicht schnell (Not Fast), 4/4 in C Major

Transfigured Night op. 4 (Verkl�rte Nacht) is a work for string sextet (two violins, two violas, two cellos), composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1899. In the summer of 1899, the musician falls in love with Mathilde, sister of Alexander von Zemlinsky with whom he will marry later. He composed the piece in less than three weeks. This is an early work, written before his dodecaphonic period, with strong passionate accents of late romanticism. We can perceive the influence of Wagner and Brahms and some harmonic sequences strongly evoke Tristan und Isolde. Although an early work, it already goes well beyond the conventions of the time. The young twenty-five years old Sch�nberg has already assimilated and surpassed the art of the great German romantic masters while remaining within the boundaries of the tonal system. This early masterpiece remains one of the most played and most acclaimed works of the future innovative Viennese. The piece is based on a a poem from The Woman and the world (Weib und Welt) by Richard Dehmel, a friend of the musician. The text later published separately under the title "Zwei Menschen: Roman in Romanzen" describes an evening walk of a loving couple whose wife says she is expecting a child of another. Her lover stresses the importance of motherhood and assures him that he is willing to endorse this child. They walk happy, under the moon, in that transfigured night. Transfigured Night, in D Minor/Major

The Five Pieces for Orchestra (F�nf Orchesterst�cke Op. 16) were composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1909. The work further develops the notion of "total chromaticism" that Schoenberg introduced in his Three Piano Pieces Op. 11 (composed earlier that year) and were written during a time of intense personal and artistic crisis. The Five Pieces and their world premiere in London at a Promenade Concert on September 3, 1912, conducted by Henry Wood. Schoenberg explains in a note added to the 1949 revision of the score, "The conductor needs not try to polish sounds which seem unbalanced, but watch that every instrumentalist plays accurately the prescribed dynamic, according to the nature of his instrument. There are no motives in this piece which have to be brought to the fore". The Five Orchestral Pieces are intensely expressionistic, more emotional than abstract, where motives build on motives. Schoenberg avoids a clear sense of meter as well as triadic harmony, increasing the sense of fragmentation. The first piece, �Premonitions� is based on essentially three elements: a short, fanfare-like motive, often outlining an augmented triad; a trichord D, A-sharp, C-sharp virtually omnipresent; and a relentless multiphasic ostinato. The ostinato dominates the middle section (tutti orchestration and varied rates of speed) while the trichord triumphs at the close (low brass, flutter-tongue, crescendo) over the ostinato (cello and double-bass, diminuendo) and the descending modified fanfare motive in the low woodwinds. i Vorgef�hle: Sehr rasch (Premonitions: very fast), 3/8

Jean Sibelius began composing his Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 43 during his stay in Rapallo in Italy early 190. It was completed in 1902 in Finland. The trip to Italy was made at the incentive of a friend, Baron Axel Carpelan to which Sibelius dedicated this work. This invitation fell into a tormented period of the composer's life: his daughter had died of typhus in the previous year, and Finland was experiencing political unrest. It's under the pseudonym "X" that Carpelan addressed a surprising letter to the young Sibelius (35), at the beginning of the summer of 1900: "You have wasted your time long enough staying at home, Mr. Sibelius - it's enough! It's time for you to travel. Preferably, you should spend the fall and winter in Italy. The eternal Italy, a country where one is able to learn the cantabilit�, proportions and harmony, plasticity and symmetry of lines ... You know very well how significant Italy was for the artistic development of Richard Strauss or Tchaikovsky! " At first taken aback and surprised, Sibelius received a stipend from a patron provided by Baron Carpelan, allowing him this Italian trip. During his stay in Rapallo and Florence, Sibelius sketched a symphonic poem in four parts on the life of Don Juan. He brought everything in Helsinki in May 1901 to finally use it as the frame of his second symphony which he completed at the end of the year or early 1902. But the final composition does not bear any trace of Don Juan nor Mozart or Dante, as originally planned. The work was created March 8, 1902 in Helsinki by the composer conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic and was immediate popular success that made Sibelius a national hero. The first and last movements, heroic and optimistic, were possibly what the Finnish public needed in 1902, under the yoke of Russian oppression. The symphony four movements and lasts about forty-five minutes. It has sometimes been called, without irony, the "Path�tique tcha�kovskienne in Finnish dialect." In this piece, Sibelius displays above all a rhapsodic conception, a free and often very contrasting structure; he achieves a genuine and personal style while speaking a universal symphonic language. Second Movement: In his villa in Rapallo, Sibelius wrote in his sketchbook: "Don Juan: I was sitting in the dark in my castle when a stranger entered. I asked who he could be again and again � but there was no answer. I tried to make him laugh but he remained silent. At last the stranger began to sing � then I knew Juan knew who it was. It was death." On the same piece of paper, Sibelius wrote the bassoon theme for the first part of the second movement, out of which the pizzicatoed string "walking bass" stems. Two months later in Florence, he drafted the second theme, with a note reading "Christus," perhaps symbolizing the death and resurrection of the movement, or even of Finland. Scholars also suggest that Sibelius modeled the second movement after Dante's Divine Comedy. Robert Kajanus proposes that the movement "strikes one as the most broken-hearted protest against all the injustice that threatens at the present time to deprive the sun of its light and our flowers of their scent." The movement culminates with a towering, brassy theme, following by an ethereal, mist-like motif in the divided strings. ii -Tempo andante followed by multiple tempi variations, in D minor/Major

Ma vlast (meaning "My homeland" in the Czech language) is a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana. While it is often presented as a single work in six movements and � with the exception of Vltava � is almost always recorded that way, the six pieces were conceived as individual works. They had their own separate premieres between 1875 and 1880; the premiere of the complete set took place on 5 November 1882 in Zof�n Palace, Prague, under Adolf Cech. In these works Smetana combines the symphonic poem form pioneered by Franz Liszt with the ideals of nationalistic music which were current in the late nineteenth century. Each poem depicts some aspect of the countryside, history, or legends of Bohemia. Vltava, also known by its German name Die Moldau (or The Moldau), was composed in 1874 and was premiered on 4 April 1875 under Adolf Cech. It is about 13 minutes long. In this piece, Smetana uses tone painting to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia's great rivers. In his own words: "The composition describes the course of the Vltava, starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer's wedding is celebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in the night's moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins aloft. The Vltava swirls into the St John's Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vysehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe (or Elbe)." The piece contains Smetana's most famous tune. It is an adaptation of the melody La Mantovana, attributed to the Italian renaissance tenor, Giuseppe Cenci, which, in a borrowed Romanian form, was also the basis for the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah. Vltava (The Moldau), Allegro commodo non agitato, 6/8 in E minor

The Bartered Bride (The Sold Bride) is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863�66, and first performed at the Provisional Theatre, Prague, on 30 May 1866 in a two-act format with spoken dialogue. Set in a country village and with realistic characters, it tells the story of how, after a late surprise revelation, true love prevails over the combined efforts of ambitious parents and a scheming marriage broker. The music of the Overture is drawn largely from the finale of Act II. In this scene, the hero signs a contract relinquishing his claim to his fianc�e, and the legal sale is witnessed by the townspeople. The Overture begins with full orchestral thrust, out of which a scherzo-ish figure accumulates in the strings, and then a syncopated dance figure makes its vigorous appearance. These materials are developed with great instrumental brilliance � the Overture�s high spirits are activated as much by virtuosic orchestration as by vital, folkish picturesqueness. The Bartered Bride Overture, Vivacissimo 2/2 in F Major

The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der sch�nen blauen Donau, Op.�314, a waltz cycle by Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Its initial performance in February 1867 at a concert of the Wiener M�nnergesangsverein (Vienna Men's Choral Association) was considered only a mild success. Strauss adapted it into a purely orchestral version for the 1867 Paris World's Fair, and it became a great success in this form. When Strauss's stepdaughter, Alice von Meyszner-Strauss, asked Johannes Brahms to sign her autograph-fan, he wrote down the first bars of The Blue Danube, but adding "Leider nicht von Johannes Brahms" ("Alas! not by Johannes Brahms�). The work commences with an extended introduction in the key of A major with a shimmering tremolo in the violins and a beautiful horn solo, followed by four waltzes. The first waltz is in D major, featuring the well-known gently rising triad motif played by the violins, cellos, a bassoon and a horn, accompanied by the harp, gentle pizzicato strings and staccato winds. Waltz 2 glides in quietly and is still in D major, before waltz 3 is introduced in G major. Waltz 4 starts off in a luscious romantic mood in F major. For the coda the piece hurries back to the famous theme of waltz. The Blue Danube, in D Major

Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verkl�rung), Op. 24, is a tone poem for large orchestra by Richard Strauss, begun in the late summer of 1888 and completed on November 18, 1889. The music depicts the death and transfiguration of an artist. At Strauss's request, this epic was described in a poem by composer's friend Alexander Ritter, after the music was composed, to preface the score. The music is in free sonata form (A-B-C)�(A�-B�-C�)�(B"-C") and begins with an Largo introduction followed by a inflamed Allegro molto agitato. The massive death motif B is first presented with a sudden fortissimo of the bass drum and scathing brasses. Demonic lower strings then alternate with strongly accented tutti. This first emotional climax softens gradually into the grandiose Transfiguration motive C. The work ends with a coda based on the Transfiguration motive in luscious full orchestral sound, moving towards what seems like a heavenly apex which soon dissolves, while maintaining its assertive character. The style is reminiscent of the musical language of Richard Wagner, a strong influence on Richard Strausss� idiom. Death and Transfiguration: Largo � Allegro molto agitato, 4/4 in C Major

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical treatise of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour. The work has been part of the classical repertoire since its first performance in 1896. The initial fanfare � entitled "Sunrise" in the composer's program notes � became particularly well known to the general public due to its use in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey". The fanfare has also been used in many other productions. The piece starts with a sustained double low C on the double basses, contrabassoon and organ sustained by a low bass drum rumble. This transforms into the brass fanfare of the Introduction and introduces the "dawn" motif (from "Zarathustra's Prologue", the text of which is included in the printed score) that is common throughout the work: the motif includes three notes, in intervals of a fifth and octave, as C�G�C (known also as the Nature-motif) followed by an oscillation between the Major and minor third (E-Eb). The motif is build on the first five partials of the natural overtone series: the fundamental, the octave, octave and fifth, two octaves, two octaves and major third (played as part of a C major chord with the third doubled). Also sprach Zarathustra, in C and B Major

Don Juan, Op. 20, is a tone poem in E major for large orchestra written by Richard Strauss in 1888 when he was only twenty-four years old. It is singled out by musicologist Carl Dahlhaus as a "musical symbol of fin-de-si�cle modernism", particularly for the "breakaway mood" of its opening bars. The premiere of Don Juan took place on 11 November 1889 in Weimar, conducted by the composer. The work became an international success and established Strauss's reputation. The tone poem is based on Don Juans Ende, a play derived from an unfinished 1844 retelling of the tale by poet Nikolaus Lenau. The through-composed work begins with an effusive introduction in E major and a powerful woodwind theme for the title character. This is followed by lyrical themes with solo violin and oboe, alternating with the hero's theme that accompany the courtship of womanizing. After a surprising general pause the work ends in deceasing E Minor. The challenges of the work make excerpts from Don Juan a staple of orchestral audition lists for many instruments. Don Juan: Allegro molto con brio, 2/2 in E Major

The "Song of the Volga Boatmen" (known in Russian as __, _____! [Ey, ukhnem!, "yo, heave-ho!"], after the refrain) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev, and published in his book of folk songs in 1866. It was sung by burlaks, or barge-haulers, on the Volga River. Balakirev published it with only one verse (the first). The other two verses were added at a later date. Ilya Repin's famous painting, Barge Haulers on the Volga, depicts such burlaks in Tsarist Russia toiling along the Volga. Igor Stravinsky made a striking arrangement for winds and percussion in 1917.

The first three of Stravinsky's Four Etudes for orchestra are adaptations of the composer's Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914), to which he appended an arrangement of his Etude for Pianola (1917), originally composed directly onto a piano roll -- a format that, obviously, greatly limited performance possibilities. When Stravinsky assembled these arrangements ca. 1929, he gave new titles to each of the movements. In the opening "Danse," the woodwinds sound a repetitive figure over harsh punctuation from the strings. The woodwinds are again highlighted in the playful, abrupt "Excentrique," which, according to the composer, was inspired by the antics of the English clown Little Tich. The slow-moving, somewhat dissonant, vaguely ominous chant-like tune of "Cantique" moves between the winds and strings. The piece on which the fourth Etude was based had been written during a tour of Spain by the Ballets Russes. Stravinsky was inspired to write an homage to the country, incorporating traditional Spanish rhythms and melodic gestures; when he orchestrated it as the last of the Etudes, he renamed it, appropriately enough, "Madrid." The Four Etudes were premiered in Berlin on November 7, 1930 under the direction of long-time Stravinsky champion Ernest Ansermet. ii. "Eccentric", Moderato

The first three of Stravinsky's Four Etudes for orchestra are adaptations of the composer's Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914), to which he appended an arrangement of his Etude for Pianola (1917), originally composed directly onto a piano roll -- a format that, obviously, greatly limited performance possibilities. When Stravinsky assembled these arrangements ca. 1929, he gave new titles to each of the movements. In the opening "Danse," the woodwinds sound a repetitive figure over harsh punctuation from the strings. The woodwinds are again highlighted in the playful, abrupt "Excentrique," which, according to the composer, was inspired by the antics of the English clown Little Tich. The slow-moving, somewhat dissonant, vaguely ominous chant-like tune of "Cantique" moves between the winds and strings. The piece on which the fourth Etude was based had been written during a tour of Spain by the Ballets Russes. Stravinsky was inspired to write an homage to the country, incorporating traditional Spanish rhythms and melodic gestures; when he orchestrated it as the last of the Etudes, he renamed it, appropriately enough, "Madrid." The Four Etudes were premiered in Berlin on November 7, 1930 under the direction of long-time Stravinsky champion Ernest Ansermet. iv. "Madrid", Allegro con moto

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by way of Alexander Dumas' adapted story 'The Nutcracker'. It was given its premi�re at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. One novelty in Tchaikovsky's original score was the use of the celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky had discovered in Paris. He chose it for the character of the Sugar Plum Fairy to characterize her because of its "heavenly sweet sound". The Overture skips delicately and the atmosphere of charmed fantasy is heightened by omitting bass instruments. Overture, Allegro giusto, 2/4 in B-flat Major

Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, was composed in 1880. The Serenade was given a private performance at the Moscow Conservatory on 3 December 1880. Its first public performance was in St Petersburg on 30 October 1881. Tchaikovsky intended the first movement to be an imitation of Mozart's style, and it was based on the form of the classical sonatina, with a slow introduction. The stirring 36-bar Andante introduction is marked "sempre marcatissimo" and filled with double-stops in the violins and violas, forming towering chordal structures. This introduction is restated at the end of the movement, and then reappears, transformed, in the coda of the fourth movement, tying the entire work together. i Pezzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo � Allegro moderato, 6/8 in C Major

The Orchestral Suite No. 4, Op. 61, in G Major, more commonly known as Mozartiana, is an orchestral suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, written in 1887 as a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on the 100th anniversary of that composer's opera Don Giovanni. Because this suite consists of four orchestrations of piano pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky did not add it to his previous three suites for orchestra. Instead, he considered it a separate work entitled Mozartiana even if it is often referred to as his suite No. 4. Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere himself, in Moscow in November 1887. The graceful Minuet orchestrates Mozart�s Minuet for piano, K. 355, written in 1780. Although some have accused Tchaikovsky of a "cavalier" treatment of Mozart's works, Tchaikovsky's affection as well as his playful ingenuity in this artful homage to his idol are never in doubt. ii Menuet, Moderato, 3/4 in D Major

Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, was composed in 1880. The Serenade was given a private performance at the Moscow Conservatory on 3 December 1880. Its first public performance was in St Petersburg on 30 October 1881. The second movement is a walz that became very famous. In a very classical cut (ternary ABA� form), it showcases a graceful melody in the violins I, later in violins II and cellos. The minor sections drop a shadow to Part B, which plays a lot with questions-answers between instruments. The recapitulation has few changes, and the coda resonates with echoes of the waltz before ending on ppp pizzicati. ii Valse: Moderato, Tempo di valse, 3/4 in G Majo

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, was written between 1877 and 1878. Its first performance took place at a Russian Musical Society concert in Moscow on February 22, 1878, with Nikolai Rubinstein as conductor. In Middle Europe it sometimes receives the nickname "Fatum," or "Fate." The symphony opens with horns and woodwinds, and trumpets join with a higher A-flat. As the music solidifies into large, slow syncopated chords, Tchaikovsky unleashes the musical equivalent of lightning bolts: two short fortissimo chords, each followed by a long measure of silence. As the music ebbs away, the woodwinds hint at the main melody, which is properly introduced by the strings at the Moderato con anima. Much later in the movement, the same A-flat is played by the trumpets. This movement is marked by continual introductions of the fate motif, the A-flat phrase. The motive serves as a separation between each section of the sonata-allegro form. i Andante sostenuto � Moderato con anima � Moderato assai, quasi Andante � Allegro vivo, 3/4 in F Minor

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by way of Alexander Dumas' adapted story 'The Nutcracker'. It was given its premi�re at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. One novelty in Tchaikovsky's original score was the use of the celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky had discovered in Paris. He wanted it genuinely for the character of the Sugar Plum Fairy to characterize her because of its "heavenly sweet sound". The March is an exciting profusion of fanfares and swirling strings. a) March, Tempo di marcia viva, 4/4 in G Major

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by way of Alexander Dumas' adapted story 'The Nutcracker'. It was given its premi�re at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. One novelty in Tchaikovsky's original score was the use of the celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky had discovered in Paris. He wanted it genuinely for the character of the Sugar Plum Fairy to characterize her because of its "heavenly sweet sound". The Dance of the Reed Flutes (Danse des Mirlitons) is one of the most famous dances of the ballet; it features three solo flutes in close voicing in a charming, uplifting melody with sweet harmonies framing a slightly darker brass episode in F# minor. f) Dance, Andantino, 2/4 in D Major

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by way of Alexander Dumas' adapted story 'The Nutcracker'. It was given its premi�re at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. One novelty in Tchaikovsky's original score was the use of the celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky had discovered in Paris. He wanted it genuinely for the character of the Sugar Plum Fairy to characterize her because of its "heavenly sweet sound". The Dance is one of the ballet's best known musical numbers. Choreographer Marius Petipa wanted the Sugar Plum Fairy's music to sound like "drops of water shooting from a fountain". b) Dance, Andante ma non troppo, 2/4 in E minor

A London Symphony is the second symphony composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. First performed in 1914, the four-movement work was lost, reconstructed and later modified by Vaughan Williams. The composer said that while the title may suggest a programmatic piece (and the work includes sounds heard in London such as the Westminster Quarters), it was intended to be heard as absolute music. In a programme note in 1920, he suggested that "Symphony by a Londoner" might be a better title. The work opens quietly with large divisi strings, and after a few nocturnal bars, the Westminster chimes are heard, played on the harp. After a short dramatic pause, the allegro risoluto section begins, much of it triple forte, vigorous and brisk, and the ensuing second subject is dominated by the wind and brass. After a contrasting gentle interlude scored for string sextet and harp, the vigorous themes returns and brings the movement to a lively close, with full orchestra playing fortissimo. i Lento�� Allegro risoluto, 3/2 in G Major

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 8 in D minor was composed between 1953 and 1955. Sir John Barbirolli conducted the premiere of the piece on May 2,1956, with the Hall� Orchestra in Manchester. The Eighth Symphony is the shortest of Vaughan Williams' nine symphonies; yet it is remarkably inventive, especially in the composer's experiments in sonority. This short, quick march (with trio) is somewhat akin to that of a British military band. The trio section revisits Vaughan Williams's "pastoral" style. ii Scherzo alla marcia (for wind instruments only), 2/4 in C minor

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 8 in D minor was composed between 1953 and 1955. Sir John Barbirolli conducted the premiere of the piece on May 2,1956, with the Hall� Orchestra in Manchester. The Eighth Symphony is the shortest of Vaughan Williams' nine symphonies; yet it is remarkably inventive, especially in the composer's experiments in sonority. The composer refers to this movement as being "seven variations in search of a theme." Even though the variation structure predominates the acute listener may notice elements of sonata form. i Fantasia (Variazioni senza tema/variations without a theme), 6/8 in D minor

The Lark Ascending is a poem of 122 lines by the English poet George Meredith about the song of the skylark. Siegfried Sassoon called it matchless of its kind, "a sustained lyric which never for a moment falls short of the effect aimed at, soars up and up with the song it imitates, and unites inspired spontaneity with a demonstration of effortless technical ingenuity... one has only to read the poem a few times to become aware of its perfection". The poem inspired the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams to write a musical work of the same name, which is now more widely known than the poem. He originally composed it in 1914 for violin and piano. It premiered in 1920, the same year the composer re-scored it for solo violin and orchestra. The piece is one of the most popular in the Classical repertoire among British listeners. George Meredith died in 1909. Vaughan Williams worked on his "pastoral romance for orchestra" The Lark Ascending before the outbreak of the Great War, and inscribed selected lines from Meredith's poem on the flyleaf of the published work. They are the opening and closing lines, and between them the six lines in which the lark is made to embody the wine. In choosing these lines Vaughan Williams may have been drawing out a eucharistic resonance in Meredith's image. The Lark Ascending, Andante sostenuto - Allegretto - Allegro tranquillo - Allegretto molto tranquillo, 6/8 - 2/4, in E minor

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 8 in D minor was composed between 1953 and 1955. Sir John Barbirolli conducted the premiere of the piece on May 2,1956, with the Hall� Orchestra in Manchester. The Eighth Symphony is the shortest of Vaughan Williams' nine symphonies; yet it is remarkably inventive, especially in the composer's experiments in sonority. The finale, entitled Toccata to indicate its virtuoso nature, contains much exuberant writing for the percussion section. Harmonically, the movement seems uncertain of whether to be in D minor or D major. The movement ends loudly with a D, in a D Aeolian (natural minor) context. iv Toccata: Moderato maestoso, 3/4 in D major

Aida is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Isma'il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write a new work to celebrate the opening of the Khedivial Opera House. Verdi demanded and obtained for the composition 150,000 gold francs, the highest fee ever paid to a composer until then. But the premiere was delayed and Verdi's Rigoletto was performed instead. Aida was finally premiered in Cairo on December 24th, 1871. Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, for which Verdi had been invited to write an inaugural hymn, but had declined. For the Stage Orchestra in the famous triumphal march, Verdi had special trumpets built, called since then the "Aida trumpets", as a special request. Act II includes a jolly dance of a few young Moorish slave-boys. Orchestrated with triangle, cymbals, bass drum and piccolo, the music exudes a wonderfully exotic Turkish flavour. Aida, Act II, Allegro giusto, 4/4 in G Minor/Major

La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La Dame aux Cam�lias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The opera was originally titled Violetta, after the main character. It was first performed on 6 March 1853 at the La Fenice Opera House in Venice. The Prelude of the opera opens with a haunting strain that foreshadows the impending tragedy of Violetta Valery but is immediately followed by one of the most appreciated melody of the opera repertoire presented by the strings (mes. 17). The character of Violetta and the story is based on the life of a real figure from Paris, Marie Duplessis, a ravishing courtesan who lived and loved exuberantly. Of her many courtiers, Alexander Dumas is the most renowned. La Traviata, Overture, 4/4 in E Major

Parsifal (WWV 111) is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach, a 13th-century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail. Wagner first conceived the work in April 1857 but did not finish it until twenty-five years later. It was Wagner's last completed opera and in composing it he took advantage of the particular acoustics of his Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Wagner described Parsifal not as an opera, but as "Ein B�hnenweihfestspiel" ("A Festival Play for the Inauguration of the Stage"). The Prelude of Act I was scored in August 1878. The rest of the opera was scored between August 1879 and 13 January 1882. On 12 November 1880 Wagner conducted a private performance of the Prelude for his patron Ludwig II of Bavaria at the Court Theatre in Munich. The premiere of the entire work was given in the Festspielhaus at Bayreuth on 26 July 1882. The opening prelude introduces two important leitmotifs, generally referred to as the Communion theme and the theme of the Grail. Parsifal, Overture, Sehr langsam (Very Slow), 4/4 in A-flat Major

The music of the Prelude to Tristan und Isolde is in constant transformation, projecting a seemingly unbroken arc of intensification followed by release. It thus seems to defy traditional formal analysis, which aims to articulate music into discrete units with clearly differentiated functions. Yet the Prelude, despite its continuously developmental nature, is characterized by constant repetition of only three formal units, which are subjected to significant surface variation but retain their underlying melodic, harmonic, and linear identities. This process, which would seem to be overly segmental, is reconciled with the ongoing quality of the music. There is first the circular arrangement of the three repeating units, along with their relation to five brief passages that occur but once; then the circularly repeating harmonic-linear pattern they project. The Prelude's formal units differ from traditional ones in that they are designed to emerge out of those preceding them and flow into those that follow, avoiding strong segmentation. The music is thus revealed to have a unique, yet easily comprehensible, overall tonal and formal design that supports, rather than contradicts, its evolutionary nature. (Robert P. Morgan) Tristan, Overture, Langsam und schmachtend, 6/8 in A Minor