Soundscapes

Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 77 by Johannes Brahms

2009-06-28T09:45:00.003-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
29 1/2 x 33 framed
$700

Brahms only wrote one violin concerto, but it was called one of the 4 great German violin concerti by Brahms' contemporary, violinist Joseph Joachim. Of course, he may have been a bit biased, as he was not only a friend of Brahms', but the very man Brahms dedicated the piece to.

To read a bit more about Brahms' Violin Concerto, click here.
For more on Johannes Brahms himself, click here.
And for a bit of multimedia, if you'd like you may watch (and listen to) a performance of Brahm's Violin Concerto in D major below:

Incidental music to L'Arlésienne by Georges Bizet

2009-06-26T10:02:00.003-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1991
29 x 31 framed
$700

Georges Bizet composed this music for the Alphonse Daudet play (title in English: The Girl from Arles), and the 27 numbers (some very short) were widely panned by critics in its original form. Undaunted, Bizet rearranged his music into two suites, which have since been performed and recorded many times. Fun facts: Music from L'Arlésienne has been appropriated by a wide range of historical figures, from Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

For more information about Bizet's music from L'Arlésienne, click here.
To read more about Georges Bizet, click here.

To listen to excerpts from Bizet's suites, try out the widget below:

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Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor by Frédéric Chopin

2009-06-25T09:21:00.003-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
30 1/2" x 33" framed
$700

Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed when he was only 20 years old and not yet finished with school. It was debuted with the composer himself as the soloist. Although it was written first, it was not published until after his other piano concerto, hence the "No. 2" designation.

For more info on this concerto, click here.
To read more about Frédéric Chopin, click here.

Cello Concerto in B minor by Antonín Dvořák

2009-06-24T08:54:00.003-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
30 1/2" x 33" framed
$700

Written from 1894-1895, Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor remains widely performed and admired. The genesis of the piece is not without its share of interpersonal drama. It's still a mystery (and probably always will be) as to why this piece was debuted by English cellist Leo Stern, despite having been written for Dvořák's good friend and famed cellist Hanuš Wihan.

For more information on the history of the concerto, click here.
To read more about Dvořák, click here.

Symphony No. 5 in C minor by Ludwig van Beethoven

2009-05-31T10:33:00.004-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1991
32 3/4" x 27 3/4" framed
$700

Few symphonies are as widely known and loved as is Beethoven's Fifth, which inspired Aldworth to create this, one of his most unique works.

For more information about Ludwig van Beethoven, click here.

Overture to Semiramide by Gioachino Rossini

2008-06-25T21:53:00.006-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
35 x 35 framed
$900

Semiramide is an opera in two acts by Rossini which is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis. It was first performed in Venice in 1823. Aldworth chose to use sweeping curves and angular swatches of many colors, primarily oranges, greens, blues, and black to interpret the Overture.

For more information about Gioachino Rossini, click here.

Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat by Franz Schubert

2008-06-25T21:03:00.003-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
30¼ x 31½ framed
~~$700~~ SOLD!

Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 21 was written during the 1820s. The pieces written during this time show a marked advance in development and maturity of style. Aldworth chose to use fields of black and blue, sedate and somber, to describe this piece.

For more information about Franz Schubert, click here.

Symphony No. 1 in D by Gustav Mahler

2008-06-22T12:05:00.006-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
30¼ x 30¼ framed
$900

Gustav Mahler wrote Symphony No. 1 during a summer vacation in Austria. Mahler was deeply spiritual and often described his music in terms of nature. Aldworth chose to use natural colors in a horizontal layering style to describe this beautiful piece.

For more information about Gustav Mahler, click here.

Fate, Opus 77 Symphonic poem in C minor by Tchaikovsky

2008-06-22T11:19:00.005-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
34¼ x 31 framed
$900

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's symphonic poem Fate was written in 1868. It brims with melody, color, and passion, all of which inspired Aldworth's lyrical brush strokes and brilliant yellows, oranges, and blues.

For more information about Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, click here.

Dante Symphony by Franz Liszt

2008-06-22T10:48:00.005-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
35 x 35 framed
$900

Written in 1857 in the high romantic style, Franz Liszt's Dante Symphony premiered in Dresden conducted by Liszt himself. The piece is based on the journey through Hell and Purgatory depicted in Dante Alighieri's The Devine Comedy. Aldworth chose to use geometric, angular shapes in black, white, and blue to express the feelings evoked by this piece.

For more information about Franz Liszt, click here.

Symphony No. 1 Opus 7 by Hugo Alfvén

2008-06-22T10:42:00.005-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1992
30¼ x 30¼ framed
$800

Hugo Alfvén was a Swedish composer and violinist known for his skillful and colorful orchestration. His Symphony No. 1 in F minor was written i n1897. To interpret this work, Aldworth chose the deep, somber tones of gray, green, blue, and black.

For more information about Hugo Alfvén, click here.

Leonore Overture No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven

2008-06-22T10:37:00.004-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1991
33 x 28 framed
$700

The opera Fidelio was first produced in a three-act version under the title Leonore in Vienna, in 1805. The success of the performances was greatly hindered by the fact that Vienna was under French military occupation, and most of the audience were French military officers. After this premiere, Beethoven was pressured by friends to revise and shorten the opera into just two acts, and he did so, composing a new overture now known as "Leonore No. 3". In this form the opera was first performed in 1806, with greater success.

Aldworth chose to depict the piece using choppy slashes in fields of blue, orange, and yellow.

For more information about Ludwig van Beethoven, click here.

The Grand Concerto in F Major for Bassoon and Orchestra by Jan Nepomuk Hummel

2008-06-21T13:13:00.004-04:00

James P. Aldworth acrylic on paper 1991
$700

Hummel's Grand Concerto in F Major for Piano and Orchestra was relegated to a place of obscurity until the mid-1950's when Professor Himie Voxman noticed the work in a catalog of manuscripts in the British Museum. Professor Voxman ordered photocopies of the manuscript, and Ronald Tyree edited the manuscript as a part of his doctoral dissertation. The concerto was written between 1811 and 1816, when Hummel lived in Vienna.

For more information about Johann Nepomuk Hummel, click here.