“Never let truth get in the way of a good story”. So said Mark Twain, supposedly, whose writings often blurred the lines between truth and fiction. That axiom was well in vogue long before Mark Twain.
The librettists for Verdi’s opera Nabucco and Rossini’s La Cenerentola both took liberties with the original story, embellishing or altering characters or circumstances to make their narratives more compelling or entertaining. Happily, in both cases their actions didn’t affect the overtures to either, which introduced each of our February sessions.
Franz Schubert was also bitten by the same bug when he set to music a poem called “The Trout”. Although the poem is an analogy (of a fisherman using underhand tactics to capture a fish) warning young women to be wary of advances made by men; Schubert, having no time for such moralism, left out the all-important last verse making his song more about annoyance at the trickery used to catch the fish. Again, happily, the alteration of the story didn’t get in the way of the music when Schubert wrote his Quintet in A major for which his famous song “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”) became the inspiration.
Prokofiev was tempted to make some modification to the Romeo and Juliet story, but, ultimately, thought the better of interfering with Shakespeare. Because, however, the premiere of his ballet of the play was delayed by intrigue and skullduggery, he extracted three suites from his composition each of which has the events of the story out of sequence. And even those suites vary today according to the whim or preference of orchestra conductors.
No such liberties were taken by Elgar when he responded to a commission to compose a violin concerto. Although it was more than a bit long for a concerto, the work takes us on an extended tour of Elgar’s soul which has been described as “all pure, unaffected music”.
“Music of the soul” is descriptive also of Brahms’ Horn Trio. Composed in the picturesque seclusion of Germany’s Black Forest as Brahms mourned the death of his mother, the work is a combination of adventure, nostalgia, and lament. Such was the music which opened our year 2025.
Links to the notes and the recordings played can be accessed below.
Bill Squire
The librettists for Verdi’s opera Nabucco and Rossini’s La Cenerentola both took liberties with the original story, embellishing or altering characters or circumstances to make their narratives more compelling or entertaining. Happily, in both cases their actions didn’t affect the overtures to either, which introduced each of our February sessions.
Franz Schubert was also bitten by the same bug when he set to music a poem called “The Trout”. Although the poem is an analogy (of a fisherman using underhand tactics to capture a fish) warning young women to be wary of advances made by men; Schubert, having no time for such moralism, left out the all-important last verse making his song more about annoyance at the trickery used to catch the fish. Again, happily, the alteration of the story didn’t get in the way of the music when Schubert wrote his Quintet in A major for which his famous song “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”) became the inspiration.
Prokofiev was tempted to make some modification to the Romeo and Juliet story, but, ultimately, thought the better of interfering with Shakespeare. Because, however, the premiere of his ballet of the play was delayed by intrigue and skullduggery, he extracted three suites from his composition each of which has the events of the story out of sequence. And even those suites vary today according to the whim or preference of orchestra conductors.
No such liberties were taken by Elgar when he responded to a commission to compose a violin concerto. Although it was more than a bit long for a concerto, the work takes us on an extended tour of Elgar’s soul which has been described as “all pure, unaffected music”.
“Music of the soul” is descriptive also of Brahms’ Horn Trio. Composed in the picturesque seclusion of Germany’s Black Forest as Brahms mourned the death of his mother, the work is a combination of adventure, nostalgia, and lament. Such was the music which opened our year 2025.
Links to the notes and the recordings played can be accessed below.
Bill Squire
Session Notes - 14th February
Verdi - Overture to Nabucco
Verdi - Nabucco - Complete Opera
Schubert - The Trout (Song)
Schubert - Piano Quintet in A (The Trout)
Brahms - Horn Trio
Session Notes - 28th February
Rossini - Overture to La Cerenterola
Elgar - Violin Concerto
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Suite
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene (danced)
Verdi - Overture to Nabucco
Verdi - Nabucco - Complete Opera
Schubert - The Trout (Song)
Schubert - Piano Quintet in A (The Trout)
Brahms - Horn Trio
Session Notes - 28th February
Rossini - Overture to La Cerenterola
Elgar - Violin Concerto
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Suite
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene (danced)
