How I Learn About Classical Music Through Memes (Part 2)
The journey continues.
This text is part 2 in the series, where I learn the basics of classical music by analyzing memes. Part 1 can be found here. (I encourage you to read it first.)
Meme Lesson #3: Beethoven Scherzo
What is a Scherzo?
A scherzo is a piece or, in particular, movement in a symphony of very lively character. —Source: classical-music.com/what-scherzo
According to Wikipedia, the term is borrowed from the Italian scherzo, meaning “joke, play.”
Classical music symphonies are often made out of four movements in a specific pattern. The pattern goes like this:
I. The Fast Movement (Allegro)
II. The Slow Movement (Andante, Adagio)
III. The Dance Number (Scherzo, Minuet)
IV. A Fast Movement. Again. But Even More Impressive.
— source: James Bennett II, WQXR.org
According to that, Scherzo is (usually) the 3rd movement. If you’re like me, then your knowledge of symphony patterns is limited to begin with. But if the one symphony that you know happens to be Beethoven’s 9th (the one with Ode to Joy), then you’ve got bad luck on top of it.
Why is Beethoven’s 9th different from other symphonies?
Beethoven changes the usual pattern of Classical symphonies in placing the scherzo movement before the slow movement (in symphonies, slow movements are usually placed before scherzi). — source: good old Wikipedia
So…those used to listening only to Beethoven’s 9th are impatient for the party to start in other symphonies. When they hear Adagio, all they can ask is… Where Scherzo?
Speaking of listening to symphonies, I have a question for you…
Meme Lesson #4: Symphony overload
This one is a reaction sequence meme. I’d rather not delve into the origin of it (because I wasn’t impressed when I looked it up; maybe you’d be if you’re a wrestling fan). The point is
— the reactions go from ‘all right’ (approval) to ‘WOW’ (amazement aka glowing eyes).
But why is Liszt ‘all right’ and Haydn ‘wow’? I don’t want to rush, so I stick to my pal Beethoven to start with. He’s positioned in the middle anyway.
How many symphonies did Beethoven compose?
Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies.
How many symphonies did Liszt compose?
Franz Liszt, one of the best pianists of all time, wrote 2 works that are symphony-like, having multiple movements. (And another 13 called ‘symphonic poems,’ based on 1 movement only, but that doesn’t count here). What’s more interesting is that he ‘transcribed’ the 9 symphonies of the good ol’ Beethoven.
What does it mean to transcribe a symphony?
A transcription is essentially the adaptation of a composition for an instrument or instruments other than those for which it was originally written. — source: Brittanica.com
Liszt took Beethoven’s symphonies, written for an orchestra, and transcribed them for — piano.
Wow.
But wait, I did not get to the actual ‘wow’ of this meme — Haydn.
How many symphonies did Haydn compose?
Joseph Haydn composed 107 symphonies.
Why did Haydn compose so many symphonies?
Haydn spent the vast majority of his career as a court composer, most notably for the Esterhazy family, who were wealthy Hungarian nobles that had their own orchestra. As part of his “contract” with them, he had to write a certain amount of music in each genre — which kept him busy. But he was also naturally a very industrious person. — source: Joe_q from Reddit, but it sounds believable, right?
So… how many symphonies will you listen to in 2024?
I still haven’t listened to one full yet. But I recently discovered that classical music goes well with classical weightlifting, so the future’s bright for me.
