Category: Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Frankenstein

Aubrey Leaman

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Prelude in G sharp minor

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Walton is approaching the mysterious, unknown North Pole. He has hopeful expectations of what he will find there.

As he continues to approach, there is a real sense of fate or foreshadowing…but Walton himself is engaged in optimistic hope. His daydreams become mixed with the fate theme of the beginning.

But now, Walton’s longing grows, even as he discovers nature and fate’s refusal to fulfill his wishes (descending lines). This leads to his growing fury.

At the climax of the piece, his fate is revealed Continue reading “Classical Music Stories: Frankenstein” →

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Pride and Prejudice

Aubrey Leaman

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Waltz in E-Flat Major, Op. 18 “Grande valse brillante”

Frédéric Chopin

It is the opening of the Lucas’s ball. Everyone is talking about the rich newcomer and his friend.

We see Jane as she genuinely admires Mr. Bingley: a beautiful, kind, and agreeable girl, though Mr. Darcy’s pride is a bit of a dent in the overall mood.

The music becomes creeping and mysterious as Mrs. Bennett sees Jane and Mr. Bingley together. We keep alternating between Jane and Bingley’s joyful purity and Mrs. Bennett’s clueless Continue reading “Classical Music Stories: Pride and Prejudice” →

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Alice in Wonderland

Aubrey Leaman

Down the Rabbit Hole

You’re falling! Down, down, down you go. You keep expecting to collide with the ground and keep bracing yourself but you keep falling just the same.

You’re still falling.

You’re still falling.

You start to fall asleep (high notes). After all, you can only grit your teeth in expectation for so long.

Once you’re asleep, you have a nightmare (very low notes). What if you never ever stop falling but are stuck in a loop forever??

When you wake up you find yourself on the floor. Apparently landing woke you up, but you’re not hurt at all—phew.

(But of course you still have no idea what’s going on…)

 

Where do you think the music would go next if it continued?

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Wuthering Heights

Aubrey Leaman

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Divertimento for Strings No. 4 by Antonio Salieri

Quartetto Amati

Young Catherine Linton is wandering out on the moors, basking in the beauty of nature and birdsong. The music becomes mixed with some darkness as she catches sight of Heathcliff, though…but she doesn’t know the danger she’s in and keeps rejoicing and just being her bubbly self. Besides, Heathcliff is acting the perfect gentleman! Nelly, who is with her, tries to interject a few timid worries and warnings, but she is basically unaffected. After all, what’s the worst that could happen??

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Aubrey Leaman

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Brahms Waltz No. 3, Op. 39

(Brass version)

The music is slightly creepy and mysterious as Dorian flits around at parties, acting and sounding like the perfect gentleman (especially as the sound gets brighter). But there have been rumors about his horrible actions that leave people unsure of him…who is this man, really??

 

Missed the last one on Peter Pan? Here it is!

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Peter Pan

Aubrey Leaman

Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op 25: IV. Intermezzo

This is like the ticking of the clock inside the crocodile. It seems unthreatening, and to most of the pirates it is—but not to Hook. He is terrified because he recognizes that crocodile as an overhanging and absolutely terrifying threat to him. In return, the creature plays with his fear by pretending to leave or feigning harmlessness, but Hook knows better and feels only an increase in terror. Though it finally leaves, Hook is still nervous as he never knows how far it’s gone, or when it will return, or if it will lose the clock inside of it that warns him of the impending danger…

 

Can you hear Hook’s fear? Do you hear something else?

You can also discover Classical Music Stories about The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights, and more.  

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Great Gatsby

Aubrey Leaman

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Daisy is driving Gatsby away from town after the fight.  She sees her life shattering around her as she frantically rushes home.

There are a few temporarily happier sections, perhaps showing Gatsby’s (or even Daisy’s) unyielding optimism that it will all turn out right in the end, but even these are constantly moving and frantic.


 And of course, after the music ends, we know what happens next…

 

Do you hear this story, too, or do you hear something different? And what was your favorite part?

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Wuthering Heights

Aubrey Leaman

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Read the story first or listen to the music first–the choice is yours!

SPOILERS

The Firebird: Lullaby by Igor Stravinsky

Near the end of his life, Heathcliff wanders at night in search of Catherine—it is like she has put him under a spell. Night after night he keeps plodding along without sleep.

At one point he thinks he glimpses her and is filled with a soaring hope! …But then he realizes his mistake and returns to endless searching.
 

Can you hear it? Do you hear something different?

Check out similar musical adventures with Hamlet and Jane Eyre.  Visit the “Classical Music Stories” category on the home page to find even more!

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Hobbit

Aubrey Leaman

Hobbit robot

(SPOILERS)

Hungarian Rock by György Ligeti

Imagine if Bilbo and the dwarves were robots.

Off they go on their adventure! As robots they can’t feel the hardships of inclement weather or food shortages, so they’re basically happy and oblivious for the entire length of their journey.

(3:01) Suddenly, they find Smaug and things grind to a screeching halt…the dwarves now mourn the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili.

Despite their overwhelming loss, the music ends on a somewhat happy note.  After all, the hobbit and dwarves did fulfill their quest…albeit at a steep cost.

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Sherlock Holmes

Aubrey Leaman

Imagine that Sherlock is playing the violin while pondering a particularly thorny case. Although tantalizingly close to solving it, he knows he’s still missing something important…

His excitement starts to poke through as he gets closer and closer to untangling the mystery, but he tries to remain cautious in case he’s wrong (even though he feels he must be right).

With the final flourishing notes, it is time to find the proof…


What can you hear?