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This jig, first found in Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland (Chicago, 1903), is an Irish version of the traditional Scottish tune “Blue Bonnets Over the Border”.
Here is another relatively easy étude, in F major this time, from the first book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by flutist and composer Ernesto Köhler.
As was his practice with most of his dances in his early years, Beethoven scored his 12 German Dances for orchestra first, then transcribed them for piano. The instrumentation he employed in the orchestral rendition of the third dance, which we present today in an arrangement for four flutes, was oboes, bassoons, horns and strings. Among the twelve dances, this third one is particularly notable for its skillful polyphonic writing.
Arguably the best-known number ever written by Giuseppe Verdi, the “Chorus of Hebrew Slaves”, Va', pensiero, sull'ali dorate (“Fly, thought, on golden wings”), is regularly given an encore when performed today; indeed, it is the only encore Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine has ever allowed.
This chorus from the third act of Nabucco (1842), inspired by Psalm 137. recollects the story of Jewish exiles from Babylon after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem. The opera, with its powerful chorus, established Verdi as a major composer in 19th century Italy.
Some scholars initially regarded it as an anthem for Italian patriots, who were seeking to unify their country in the years up to 1861 and free it from foreign control. The chorus' theme of exiles singing about their homeland, and its lines like O mia patria, si bella e perduta (“O my country, so beautiful and so lost”) was thought to have resonated with many Italians. However, much of modern scholarship has refuted this concept, and fails to see connections between Nabucco and Italian nationalism.
This tune appears in both of Chicago Police Captain Francis O'Neill's large collections Music of Ireland (1903) and The Dance Music of Ireland (1907). Curiously, O'Neill prints the jig twice, once as “The Merry Maiden” and once as “Willy Walsh's Jig”, with only a difference between the two in the last two measures. Both versions are sourced to “O'Reilly”; perhaps Martin O'Reilly, “The Blind Piper of Galway”, or possibly Philip O'Reilly from Cavan.
This study in triplets is taken from Giuseppe Gariboldi's Vingt petites études, or Twenty Studies. It opposes two long successions of triplets with a central 3/4-time section marked grandioso (“majestic”, “grand”).
This famous aria is sung by Tamino in the Finale of Act I of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Tamino plays his magic flute in hopes of summoning Pamina and Papageno, and the tones of his instrument summon a group of magically tamed beasts.
How strong is your magic tone!
For, gracious flute, gracious flute,
Through your playing
Even wild animals feel joy.
Then Tamino hears Papageno's pipes, which Papageno is blowing in response to the sound of Tamino's flute. Ecstatic at the thought of meeting Pamina, Tamino hurries off.