|
Africa (Saint-Saëns)
''Africa'', Opus number, Op. 89, is a Fantasia (music), fantasia for piano and orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns. Composed in 1891 during a stay in Egypt, this Piano concerto, concertante piece is marked by its mosaic-like structure and interplay of various themes, blending African musical elements with European Musical composition, compositional techniques. Written during a period of personal grief following his mother's death, Saint-Saëns dedicated ''Africa'' to the pianist Marie-Aimée Roger-Miclos, to whom he had pledged a new composition. The work is held in a single Movement (music), movement and calls for outstanding technical virtuosity, agility, and a certain lightness of touch from the soloist, also reflecting Saint-Saëns's own formidable pianistic skill. The premiere on 25 October 1891 was met with great acclaim, and subsequent performances took place around the globe, Saint-Saëns even considering it a signature work. History Following the loss of his mother i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fantasia (music)
A fantasia (; also English language, English: ''fantasy'', ''fancy'', ''fantazy'', ''phantasy'', german: Fantasie, ''Phantasie'', french: fantaisie) is a musical composition with roots in improvisation. The fantasia, like the impromptu, seldom follows the textbook rules of any strict musical form. History The term was first applied to music during the 16th century, at first to refer to the imaginative musical "idea" rather than to a particular compositional genre. Its earliest use as a title was in German keyboard manuscripts from before 1520, and by 1536 is found in printed tablatures from Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. From the outset, the fantasia had the sense of "the play of imaginative invention", particularly in lute or vihuela composers such as Francesco Canova da Milano and Luis de Milán. Its form and style consequently ranges from the freely improvisatory to the strictly contrapuntal, and also encompasses more or less standard sectional forms. One of the most impo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
