The composers utilized and created distinctly national styles of music.

The
composers were known for creating music identified with the country or nationality
of their origin. Modest Mussorgsky was a Russian composer. He came from a
wealthy background. He was rather musically talented at a young age. Being of
Noel background his family wanted him groomed for high military position and was
sent to military school. After military school he joined the Army. His actual lifes
career was neither as a composer or as a member of the military but as a clerk in
Russian civil service, a bureaucratic position. He composed music in his spare time.
He was a member of the mighty five which were a group of Russian composers
including Rimsky-Korsakov and only one of the members had formal musical
training. The group was in a sense centered on him as he served as a trainer of
sorts to each of them at some point. Including music theory and composition. He
provided training to everyone including Mussorgsky. He was an accomplished
musician simply had a day job. Together they worked through various classical
works analyzing and criticizing them along the way. They were essentially self
educated. St. Johns night on bald Mountain. He began working on the piece in 1860
but it was shelved not to be completed until 1867. It is a programmatic piece. The
piece tells a story through instrumental music. It is intended to tell a story even
though the performance itself has no words. The piece, like most program music,
was accompanied by a a few descriptive paragraphs which guides the listener as to
what they should be listening for in the music. The story is of a witches Sabbath on
bald Mountain. St. Johns night is actually kupala night. A rather ancient Russian
pagan event which is associated with the summer solstice and just so happens to
line up with the feast of St. John the Baptist. There is nothing Christian related about
the story. Mussorgsky one of the piece accompanied by a program to ensure the
audience was listening to and for things as he intended. Story is about a witches
gathering on bald Mountain. Satan arrives at celebration under glorified by the
witches. Satan sanctifies the occasion by taking numerous witches into an orgy with
him. Its basically about witches making love to Satan. Mussorgskys music is trying
to be Russian. There is a certain Russian nest about the music. He wanted it to be a
distinctly Russian piece outside the scope of the German tradition. The most famous
composers and most played composers of instrumental music at the time were from
the German tradition and or of German descent. He was trying to do something
typically Russian. The music itself is not overtly nationalistic. Mussorgsky makes use
of certain scales associated with Russian music. The content of the story is in a
sense Russian and its depicting a type of mythical Russian scene. It is also
musically Russian in its emulation of Russian folk music. He was quite excited for
the piece which he expected to be conducted by public era of who actually did not
like the piece. Mussorgsky decided to scrap the debate debut. We do not want to
have his premier work be the result of anothers voice. The piece was innocence
revamped by Rimsky-Korsakov. For many years people were only familiar with this
piece through Rimsky-Korsakovs attempts to improve the piece. This effectively
nullified Mussorgskys particular approach to music and its distinct character. The
original version was rediscovered in 1968
Edvard was a Norwegian composer. He was given lessons on the panel by his
mother who was herself an accomplished pianist. He was discovered by a
Norwegian composer when he was 15. His parents were convinced to send him to a
musical conservatory in Leipzig Germany. As an adult he developed a style of music
modeled on Norwegian music. He was influenced by Norwegian legends and
folktales. Made use of and was influenced by various Norwegian harmonies and
melodies some of which came from folk dances. As in Mussorgsky is not overtly
nationalistic peace. It is a piano Concerto written in 1868. He was only 25 at its
premiere. The opening flourish of the piano is based on a style common to
Norwegian folk melodies. The piano part in the third movement is inspired
Norwegian folk dance music. On the whole the Concerto is a classical European
model sprinkled with Norwegian influences. Piano concertos for the most part seek
to show off the soloist, the virtuosity skill of the soloist. It is a piano solo Concerto
where the soloist is backed up by the orchestra. The Concerto serves as a kind of
vehicle to showcase soloists skill. There are periods where the orchestra stops
altogether allowing the soloist pull out all the stops so to speak. It has a fast slow
fast arrangement to the movements.
Janecek. Janecek was a check composer. He was the son of a schoolteacher himself
became a schoolteacher. Janeceks nationalistic style is different than the previous
two. Greek and Mussorgsky hailed from independent nations. There are nationalism
was an issue of sheer cultural expression. They were showing off elements of their
culture musically speaking. The nationalistic style could take on more than a
cultural concern and also a political concern as well. What is now the Czech Republic
was at the time a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nationalistic music from this
area was not from an established nation. Czech Republic was at the time Bohemia
and simply a check speaking part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They had never
been an independent nation. After World War I the Austro-Hungarian Empire
collapsed leading to the birth of Czechoslovakia. Composers such as Janecek who
were writing music modeled on check speaking cultures folk musical traditions is
beyond simply composing music giving expression to the culture. In a way it is a
way of establishing a Czech national identity which is distinct from the culture of the
occupying power. They were under control of forces whose language and customs
and musical heritage were not their own. Writing music inspired by the check
speaking tradition was a way of establishing a distinct identity. Janecek traveled
around collecting folk music. He composed music whose rhythms were modeled on
the Czech language itself. Language has a specific pattern and accents. The piece is
Thomas Bobo-based on a Russian novella by Nikolai Gogol. It was written during the
time of World War I. Janecek himself was a fan of Russian literature. Peace is
dedicated to the newly formed check army. The time of its completion check army
was completing its involvement in World War I and Czechoslovakia was becoming its
own nation in the wake of the crumbling of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They now
for the first time had their own actual army which was not simply an arm or
subsidiary of the Austro-Hungarian forces. The novella and the piece inspired by it
tell the story of a war between the Cossacks and the polls during the 17 th century. It
is a story which portrays the tragic downfall and death the Cossack leader Tyrus
pulled. Each movement has a title. The first is the death of Andre. Andre is the son
of the Cossack military leader Tyrus Bobo. Andre falls in love with a Polish woman
which is a no no Cossacks are at war with the polls. Andre forsakes his father people
to fight for the people of his lover the polls. Andre is killed by his father in the heat
of battle. First Bobo kills his son in battle for siding with the enemy. Movement to is
the death of Falstaff. His stars Bobos other son and is distracted by the death of his
brother. His distraction is captured by the Polish Army and put to death. The second
movement features a Mazzuca. Elements of the second movement are inspired by
Polish style folk music since representing the involvement of the Polish military.
Movement three is the prophecy and death of Tyrus Bobo. It avenges the death of
all staff. However it is also captured by the Polish military and sentenced to death
and burned at the stake. He prophesies triumph of his people. She is put to death
his final words pronounce the strength the spirit of the Russian people and that
nothing can stand to break it. Peace is inspired by Russian literature dedicated to
the newly formed check army. Its story portrays a Russian military hero during a
time when the check army is actually at war with Russia. The piece clearly identifies
with the Russian characters. One could make the argument that Janecek sees his
people in the Russian characters. Tyrus Bobos last words could very well be about
the strength and enduring spirit of the Czech people themselves. The English horn is
representative of Andre thinking of his lover. It is a nice romantic melody which is
interrupted by the orchestra which in effect represents his native people and their
enmity at his life choices and his impending doom.