Sigismund von Neukomm (1778-1858)
Nationality:
Austrian
Born: July 10, 1778, Salzburg Died: April 3, 1858, Paris (age 79)
String Quintet, L’amante abandonée [The Abandonded Lover]
(for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello)
| I. | Amour. Allegro scherzando | ||
| II. | Infidélité Romance. Adagio [con variazioni] | ||
| III. | Dèsespoir. Allegro agitato, ma non troppo presto |
Duration: 21 minutes (approximately)
glossary
- adagio [It]—slow tempo, often implying a lyrical, poignant character
- agitato, agité [F]—agitated, restless, excited
- allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
- chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
- ma—but, however
- presto—very fast, more so than allegro.
- romanza, romanze, romance—a title for a work or movement implying a rather personal, tender, sentimental or amorous tone. Typically, lyrical.
- scherzando [I], scherzoso, scherzante—playfully, lively, jestingly
- string quintet, quintette à cordes [F], quintetto d'archi [I], Streichquintett [G], quinteto de cuerdas [S]—ensemble (work) for 5 string players, the string quartet plus guest. The additional instrument might be a viola, cello or bass. The most common choices are named: Viola Quintet, Cello Quintet.
- tema con variazioni, con variazioni, Tema e variazioni, theme and variations, Thema mit Variationen [G], Thème varié [F]—a common movement form featuring an initial theme followed by a series of variations on that theme, each of which adjusts any number of parameters to achieve variety, e.g. tempo, rhythm, key, instrumentation, etc.A challenge to the composers ingenuity and a delight for the listener
- troppo [I], non troppo, trop [F]—too, too much. non troppo means "not too much". e.g. "Allegro ma non troppo" means fast, but not too much
- variation, variazione, variatio, variato, variata—a modified re-iteration of a previous theme, reprise, couplet, etc. The music is varied, embellished or creatively transformed for variety while maintaining a unity relationship with the original. See "Theme and Variations."