Composer

:

Alphonse Hasselmans

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Average_duration

:

3:54

Alphonse Hasselmans was a French harpist and composer who lived from 1845 to 1912. One of his most famous works is "Rêverie, esquisse Poétique, d'après la Mignon de Goethe, Op. 26," which was composed in 1899. The piece is based on a character from Goethe's novel "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship." Mignon is a young girl who has been taken from her homeland and forced to work as an entertainer. She is melancholic and yearns for her home. Hasselmans' piece captures this mood perfectly, with its dreamy and wistful melody. "Rêverie, esquisse Poétique, d'après la Mignon de Goethe, Op. 26" premiered in Paris in 1900. It is a single-movement work that lasts around six minutes. The piece is written in the key of G major and is marked "Andante con moto." It begins with a simple, flowing melody in the harp's lower register. This melody is then repeated in the higher register, with added embellishments. The middle section of the piece is more complex, with faster arpeggios and a more intricate melody. However, the overall mood remains melancholic and introspective. The piece ends with a return to the opening melody, but with added ornamentation and a more elaborate accompaniment. "Rêverie, esquisse Poétique, d'après la Mignon de Goethe, Op. 26" is a beautiful example of Hasselmans' skill as a composer and his ability to capture a specific mood and character in his music. It remains a popular piece for harpists today and is often performed in recitals and competitions.

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