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Feeling tired? Need to unwind? Then how about some gentle, soothing piano music? Welcome to the Episode 6 of the third Series of Relaxing Piano Playlist! In this episode, I perform for you music by Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Schubert-Liszt, and the Second Movement from Mozart's Piano Concerto No.9 in E Flat, K.271.
EPISODE 6
0:31 James Quinn (Introduction)
Hello and a warm welcome to Episode 6 of Series 3 in the Relaxing Piano Playlist, with your host James Quinn here at the piano, thank you very much for joining me. In this episode, you’re going to hear a short number of pieces covering a wide range of composers. This episode will feature heavily on the Romantic period, followed by another movement from a piano concerto.
`The first piece that you’re going to hear comes from the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Although he was born in the Classical period, he did live on into the Romantic period as well, and the piece that you’re going to hear, comes from one of his named Piano Sonatas. Specifically, you’ll hear movement 2 from the “Tempest” Piano Sonata, which he published as Opus 31 Number 2.
We then go further into the early part of the Romantic period with our next piece, and in this case, you’ll going to hear a short work from the composer, Robert Schumann, and you’re going to hear a movement called ‘The Prophet Bird’ which comes from his Woodland Scenes, which he published as Opus number 82.
We also have another offering from the composer, Johannes Brahms. In this particular case, you will hear one of his late piano pieces, which consisted of a number of character works, and you’re going to hear Intermezzo Number 2 in B Flat, which he published in a set of 3 Intermezzos, bearing the Opus number 117.
To finish this section off of our short pieces, we’ll have one more revisit from the composer Franz Schubert, and in this case, you’re going to hear a transcription of one of his own original songs, which was achieved by the Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt, and you’re going to hear the song Sei mir gegrüsst, which translates as ‘I greet Thee’.
We’re going to finish this episode with another movement from a piano concerto. In this case, we’re going back to the Classical period with the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In particular, you’ll hear the second movement which comes from his Piano Concerto Number 9, which he wrote in the key of E Flat Major. Naturally, the second movement is a complete contrast to the first and third movements, which start in the key of E Flat and are very spirited and joyous. The second movement here, gives a combination of two themes; one which sounds a little mournful, yet the second offers a little bit more rays of hope, before the piano is given it’s own cadenza passage before both piano and orchestra finally meet together and conclude the movement into a C minor chord.
So to recap, here is the order once more: Movement 2 from the “Tempest” Piano Sonata Op.31 No.2 by Beethoven, ‘The Prophet Bird’ from the Woodland Scenes Op.82 by Schumann, Intermezzo No.2 from Op.117 by Johannes Brahms, Sei mir gegrüsst by Schubert and transcribed for the piano by Franz Liszt, and finally the second movement from the Piano Concerto in E Flat K.271 by Mozart.
So sit back, relax, and I do hope that you all enjoy the music. Thank you.