ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
A sonata is a piece of music for one instrument or one instrument with another instrument accompanying. The word comes from the Italian “sonare” which means “to sound”. A composer could call any solo instrumental piece “sonata” if he or she wants to, but usually a sonata is quite a long piece with several movements. A sonatina is a simple and short sonata. History. The term "sonata" was used in the 16th century to mean anything that was not sung. In the Baroque period (17th and early 18th centuries) many composers like Arcangelo Corelli wrote sonatas with several movements. There were two types: “sonata da camera” (“room sonata” i.e. “chamber sonata”) which were for playing in people’s homes, and “sonata da chiesa” (“church sonata”) which were for being played in churches. The first type would have harpsichord accompaniment and the second type organ accompaniment. There would also be a cello playing the bass line. The solo instrument might be a violin, flute, recorder or oboe. At the end of the Baroque period Domenico Scarlatti wrote over 500 sonatas for harpsichord. These are all short pieces in binary form (two sections). By the time we come to the Classical period sonatas have become longer pieces with three or four movements. They would usually start with a fast movement, then a slow one, and then a fast one at the end. If there were four movements the extra one would be a minuet and trio or a scherzo, either before or after the slow movement. The first movement would be in sonata form. The most important composers of sonatas at this time were Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven Many composers in the Romantic period wrote sonatas, for example: Brahms wrote piano sonatas as well as sonatas for violin and piano, cello and piano, and clarinet and piano. In the 20th century composers who have written sonatas include Bartok, Tippett and William Walton.
Sonata form is a way of organizing a piece of music. It has been used in several pieces since the Classical period (from the middle of the 18th century onwards). Listening to pieces of music in sonata form will help to understand it fully and it is helpful to know something about the different keys. Sonata form is not just used in sonatas. It can be the form for movements from symphonies, concertos, overtures etc. In the Baroque period composers like Bach and Handel wrote pieces with dance movements such as minuets. These were in “binary form”. This meant that there were two sections. The two sections were often the same length, and were separated by a double bar line which meant that each section was repeated. The music would not be in the same key all the time. The first section could modulate (change key) and then the second section would gradually modulate back again so that it sounded finished at the end. Domenico Scarlatti wrote sonatas for harpsichord also in binary form, but long and with additional complexity. The first section would start with a theme in the main key, and then modulate to another key for contrast. The second section might be longer than the first second, starting off by modulating to remote keys before arriving back to repeat the main theme. This kind of piece is the beginning of sonata form. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven developed the idea of sonata form. A movement in sonata form has three sections called: “exposition”, “development” and “recapitulation”. This way of building a piece of music was used by almost every composer from the mid 18th century onwards – well into the 20th century. It gives scope for a very dramatic piece. Of course, composers sometime use it differently. There is often a sense of development during the whole piece, not just during the so-called “development section”. The first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony spends all the time developing the famous idea heard at the beginning: the first four notes (short-short-short-long). Even the other three movements carry on developing this idea. There are many ways of changing the son
The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings may also refer to: Movies. There have been several movies based on the book by J. R. R. Tolkien:
An aria is a long song accompanying a solo voice. An aria is usually in an opera. It is an Italian word of the 18th century meaning “air” (i.e. a tune). A small amount of text is used in an aria. Characteristics include the use of melismas, repetition and sequences. Typically there would be full accompaniment to the solo voice in the aria although this is not the case in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas where the majority of its arias are only accompanied by the continuo part. In operas of the Baroque period most of the music was either “recitative” or “aria”. Recitative (from a word meaning: “to recite” i.e. “to tell”) was sung quickly, almost as if it were being spoken. The singer was accompanied just by a few supporting chords, usually on a harpsichord. The story was being told in the recitative. Once the situation in the story had changed there would be an aria. The singer would sing a song which expressed his or her feelings. The aria had more musical interest than the recitative. Arias were usually in what we call “ABA” form or “Da Capo” form. There was a main section, then a middle part, then the main section was repeated (“Da Capo” means: “back to the beginning”). In the Da Capo section the singer usually improvised, adding many embellishments and ornaments. The aria gave performers the opportunity to show off their virtuosity. The word “aria” is not just used in opera. Arias can be found in cantatas or just by themselves. Sometimes pieces for instruments are called “aria”. These are often a tune with variations, such as Handel's famous "Air with Variations" for harpsichord, also known as . In the 19th century the difference between recitative and aria in opera started to disappear. Composers like Richard Wagner made the music much more continuous. He did not want audiences clapping in the middle of his operas. He wanted the music to develop dramatically and continuously.
Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is an American actor. He has been a professional actor since he was nine years old. Wood is best known for his role of Frodo Baggins in the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy.
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has had a Tony Award and two Oscar nominations. Life. McKellen was born on 25 May 1939 in Burnley, Lancashire. In 1939, he moved to Wigan. In 1951, he moved to Bolton. His work has spanned genres from serious Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction movies. In a television movie role in 1970 titled "Edward II", he and his co-star, James Laurenson kissed in British television's first gay kiss. Best known for his roles as Gandalf in the 2001-2003 "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, as Sir Leigh Teabing in "The Da Vinci Code", and as Magneto in the "X-Men" series of movies. He appeared in The Hobbit movie series. He is openly gay and is a prominent activist for the rights of LGBT people. He said that the reason why he took the role in the "X-Men" movies was because of his sexuality. He said: "Mutants are like gays. They’re cast out by society for no good reason". He was made a CBE in 1979 and knighted in 1990 for his outstanding work and contributions to the theatre. In 2008 he was made a Companion of Honour. McKellen said in 2012 that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006. McKellen once signed an autograph to a fan stating "Fuck off, I’m gay." The person given the autograph was politician Michael Howard.
Gandalf is a Middle-earth wizard from the books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Fictional biography. Gandalf the Grey wanted Bilbo Baggins to let him go an adventure with him and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield to take back Erebor from Smaug. Decades later, he would help Bilbo's nephew Frodo bring the One Ring back to the fires of Mount Doom. Peter Jackson adaptations (2001–2003, 2012–2014). In the Peter Jackson movie adaptations of both books, Gandalf was played by Ian McKellen. In The Hobbit movies, which were written as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings movies, he figures out that the Necromancer happens to be Sauron. Reception. His notable quote "You shall not pass" is known for fantasy and literary fans.
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. (born October 20, 1958, in New York City) is an American theater and movie actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He is best known for his role as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Other websites. &lt;br&gt;
Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971 in Santa Monica, California, U.S.) is an American movie actor. Astin is also a director and Oscar nominated producer. He is the son of Patty Duke and he is the adoptive son of John Astin. Personal life. Astin married Christine Harrell on July 11, 1992. They have three daughters, Alexandra (born November 27, 1996), Elizabeth (born August 6, 2002) and Isabella (born July 22, 2005), all with the same middle name of Louise.
Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert CBE (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020), known professionally as Ian Holm was a retired English actor.  Ian Holm was born at Goodmayes Hospital in Goodmayes, Essex, He was son of James Harvey Cuthbert and his wife Jean Wilson (née Holm), The hospital was his father working there . He married to four times, He had five children in his life.  He died in a London hospital on 19 June 2020 from Parkinson's disease-related problems, at the age of 88.
Luigi Boccherini (born in Lucca, 19 February 1743; died Madrid, 28 May 1805) is an Italian cellist and composer. As a boy he showed great talent and was sent to Rome to study music. When he returned to Lucca he entered the theatre orchestra and the town band. He travelled a lot, visiting France, Spain, and Germany. In Berlin he was offered the job of chamber composer to the King of Prussia. He took the job, but had to promise only to work for the king, and no one else. When the king died he found himself without a job, so he went back to Madrid. There he found work at times, but a lot of the time he was very poor. Boccherini is famous for his chamber music. He wrote more than 100 quintets for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos. He also wrote 4 cello concertos. Boccherini is sometimes nicknamed "Haydn’s wife" because his music sounds similar to that of Haydn. They may have known one another, but we cannot be sure.
George Frideric Handel (German: Georg Friedrich Händel) (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was an German composer who went to live in England when he was a young man and later became a naturalised Briton. Johann Sebastian Bach and Handel were born in the same year. They were the greatest composers of their time, but they never met. Handel changed his name to George Frideric Handel when he became British; he removed the dots above the "a" and changed the spelling of Georg and Friedrich. The German spelling of his name (Georg Friedrich Händel) is still used by German writers. Although they both lived in the late Baroque period, Bach and Handel’s music developed differently. Handel wrote many operas and oratorios and by them became very famous. He took many trips, including to Italy where he learned a lot about composition. Bach never left central Germany, and most of the time he was a church musician who was not well known by the general public. Handel wrote over 42 operas. Later he wrote oratorios. His most famous oratorio is the "Messiah". He wrote anthems, chamber music and orchestral music including "the Water Music" and "Music for the Royal Fireworks". Life. Early years. Handel was born in Halle in the northeast of Germany, in today's Saxony-Anhalt. His father was a barber and a surgeon. He started playing the harpsichord and the organ when he was very young. He was given a clavichord when he was seven and he used to practice it in the attic where his father could not hear him. At the age of nine he was already composing. He had a teacher called Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow who was the organist of the big church, the Marienkirche, in Halle. He learned the organ, harpsichord and violin as well as composition, harmony. Handel’s father did not want him to study music; he wanted him to be a lawyer. Although Handel's father died in 1697, Handel enrolled at the University of Halle in
Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 in Leipzig – 13 February 1883 in Venice) was a German opera composer. He was one of the most important opera composers in Germany during the Romantic period. Apart from some music that he wrote as a student he wrote ten operas which are all performed regularly in opera houses today. Most of his operas are about stories from German mythology. He always wrote the words himself. Wagner changed people's ideas of what operas should be. He thought that the drama (the story that is being told with all its tensions) was very important, and he chose the singers for his operas himself, so that he could train them into his way of thinking. The music in his operas did not give the audience a chance to applaud after big solos as it had done in the 18th century: it continues throughout the whole act. He made his music tell the story by using what he called “leitmotifs”. These were melodies or short musical phrases which belonged to particular characters in the opera, or to particular ideas. He had more influence on other composers than anybody else in his time, largely because of his harmonies which became more and more chromatic (using lots of sharps and flats), with many changes of key. He built an opera house to his own design in the German town of Bayreuth. Nearly all musicians in Europe tried to make a journey to Bayreuth to hear Wagner's music. The Wagner festival still takes place every year there. His life. Early years. He studied at the University of Leipzig, although he was not allowed to be a full student because he did not have proper school qualifications. Although he lived a wild life he worked hard at his music. He studied the scores of Beethoven's string quartets and symphonies and he wrote his own symphony which was performed in 1833 at the famous Leipzig Gewandhaus. He wrote his first opera, "Die Feen" ("The Fairies") in Würzburg. He became the conductor of a travelling opera group and fell in love with one of the singers called Minna Planer and he married her in 1836. His second opera,
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a novel. It was written by Mark Twain. It was published in 1889. It is one of the first stories about time travel.  Story. Hank Morgan is an American from late 19th-century Connecticut. He travels back in time to King Arthur's Camelot. He has a lot of knowledge of science and technology. He becomes very powerful. People call him "The Boss". He tries to improve medieval society according to the morals and technologies of his time. In the end, Merlin puts Hank in a magic sleep. Hank wakes in his own time.
Juno (), in Roman mythology, is the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the gods. Her father was Saturn. She was later identified with the goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus in Greek mythology. She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. She was called Juno Regina ("Queen"). She was the patron goddess of Rome and a protector of the state. With Jupiter and Minerva, she was part of the Capitoline triad of gods. Juno, Roman goddess and Hera, Greek goddess, are the same person just believed to be different.
Excalibur is a legendary sword in the mythology of Great Britain. It was owned by King Arthur. The sword and its name have become very widespread in popular culture, and are used in fiction and films. Excalibur is a symbol of divine kingship and great power. History of the sword. The sword was obtained by the king with the advice of his wizard-adviser. But it was considered that there existed two Excalibur swords. The first was the one Merlin put into the stone and said that the throne will be taken by the one who will take the sword out of the stone.do it. The second Excalibur was the one to which Merlin took the King. The sword was located at a magical lake where the Lady of the Lake gave it to Arthur. The Excalibur was made by an elf. Later, the sword was stolen by his sister, and it was the time when the scabbard (sword coverage) was lost. In the battle of Camlann, Arthur was hurt, and he told Bedwyr (Griflet) to return the Excalibur to the lake. One of the earliest names of King Arthur's sword was Caladfwlch. It is a Welsh word that comes from Calad-Bwlch (Hard cleaving). Later it was changed to Caliburn by Geoffrey of Monmouth. And today we know it as Excalibur, due to the French. The legend of Excalibur is similar to the Irish hero, Cú Chulainn, who had a sword named Caladbolg; or to the Norse Legend of Sigurd. All these swords were made by an elf. Sometimes he is named Wayland (Saxon myth); and Gofannon (Celtic myth). Clarent is one of King Arthur's two mythic swords. The first is Excalibur, the sword of war, and the second is Clarent, the sword of peace. The Clarent sword is less known because it was used for peaceful acts, whereas the Excalibur was well known because it was used to defend Camelot. But by the legend, the Clarent Sword plays a very important role. It was stolen
Georg Philipp Telemann (March 24, 1681 June 25, 1767) was a German baroque composer. He wrote more than 3,000 pieces of music, many of which were published. As publishing cost much money at that time, this was quite unusual. He mostly taught himself musically and knew how to play instruments. During his life people thought he was one of the greatest composers. He also wrote lots of church music, most of which is not common today. Life. Early life. Telemann was born in Magdeburg. His father died when he was four years old. He studied music with an organist for two weeks. He wrote his first opera at the age of 12. However, his mother did not want him to become a musician. So, she took away his instruments. She did not let Telemann write music. Telemann continued to play and write music secretly. His mother sent him to a school in Zellerfeld. She hoped that Telemann would lose his interests in music. Even so, Telemann continued to write and study music. He learned how to play the figured bass himself. He wrote music for school events. He also wrote church music. After studying in Zellerfeld for four years, he went to study in Hildesheim. Leipzig. After Telemann graduated, he gave up music. He went to Leipzig to study law. One day, his friend found a piece of Telemann's music. It was a setting of the sixth Psalm. It was soon performed in the Thomaskirche. The mayor of Leipzig heard the performance. He asked Telemann to write church music for the two churches in Leipzig, the Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche. So, Telemann went back to writing music. He became the director of the Leipzig Opera in 1702. He was chosen to become the organist of the Neukirche. Telemann founded a collegium musicum in Leipzig. The collegium was a group of students who loved music. On Sundays they performed Telemann's church music. They also performed in coffee houses and for nob
Giovanni da Palestrina (born Palestrina, (c.1525 – February 2, 1594 in Rome) was a very important Italian composer of church music of his time. He lived in the period called the Renaissance. Most of his music was choral (written for choirs). It is very polyphonic. This means that the different voices (sopranos, altos, tenors or basses) are often singing different words and different parts of the tune at the same time. Many composers since have studied the way that Palestrina wrote, because this is an excellent way to learn to write contrapuntal music. Palestrina took his name from the town where he was born. We are not sure of the exact date of his birth. Any records of his birth were destroyed when the town burned in 1577. He was probably a choirboy in Palestrina. When he was grown up he got a job as organist and choir director at the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. He was not earning much money, but he married a lady who came from a very rich family, so he was comfortably off. Pope Julius III heard about how good this young composer was. He asked him to come and meet him. He was given the job of master of the Capella Juliana, the choir that sang at the services in St Peter’s, Rome. This was the top job in Italy and he was only 26. Of course, Palestrina composed a mass in the pope’s honour. Palestrina composed 93 masses (these are musical settings of the words of the ordinary of the Mass). He also wrote motets and madrigals. Palestrina and Lassus were the two greatest composers of the late Renaissance.
The Prince and the Pauper is a book by Mark Twain. It was published in 1882. The story has been adapted to stage, television, and movies. Story. The story takes place in England, in the year 1547 when the King has a glorious and much rejoiced birth of the son he awaited, Edward the fourth, after many sisters (Mary and Elizabeth)and still births. By chance, Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymor, and Tom Canty, a pauper (poor boy), find out that they look exactly the same, like identical twins. After they put on each other's clothes for fun, the prince is thrown out of the palace, while people think that Tom is the prince. Now both Edward and Tom have to live in a world where they are treated different and which they do not understand.  Tom lives the life of a prince. On the streets of London, Edward is saved by the nobleman Miles Hendon. Edward travels with Miles around England. There Edward sees and has to live with the poverty and cruel treatment in the life of the poor people.  Then King Henry VIII dies. People prepare to make Tom the next King. At the crowning ceremony, Edward arrives and says that he is the real Prince. In the end, Tom and Edward can clear everything up. Edward becomes King of England. Tom Canty becomes "The King's Ward", a position in which he can live comfortably for the rest of his life. Miles Hendon is made an Earl. King Edward's rule is very good to the common and poor people, because he has lived that way for a while and knows how hard it is.
A typhoon is a type of cyclone that is formed in the Western Pacific Ocean. The strongest recorded typhoons were Typhoon Haiyan and Typhoon Tip.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book written by Mark Twain, published in 1876. There is also a sequel, the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". It is the story about the boy Tom Sawyer who lives in America in the first half of the 19th century and has adventures in his everyday life. Plot. Tom Sawyer is 12 years old and lives with his Aunt Polly, his half-brother Sid and his cousin Mary in St.Petersburg, a small town along the Mississippi River. Because Tom went to school and made his clothes dirty in a fight, he gets punished and he had to whitewash the fence. Because he does not want to do this, he tells some boys what a “pleasure” it is to do the work. His plan works and the boys even pay him for this. As the story goes on, Tom falls in love with Becky Thatcher, the Judge’s daughter. He convinces her to get “engaged” to him but when she finds out that she is not the first girl he is engaged to, she breaks up with him. One night, Tom goes with Huckleberry Finn, the town drunk’s son, to the graveyard to try out a “cure” for warts. When they arrive there at midnight, they see Injun Joe murdering Dr. Robinson. The murderer blames his drunken companion Muff Potter for committing the crime and in addition to that, Injun Joe’s accomplice gets arrested the next day. Because Tom and Huck are afraid of him, they swear not to tell anybody about what they have seen. Some days later, Tom, Huck and their friend Joe Harper run away to an uninhabited island on the Mississippi. They want to become pirates there. The boys are having a great time there and do not care about their families and friends. After some days, their families search their bodies in the river because they think the boys are drowned. Because Tom wants more information, he returns home without being seen and overhears his aunt and some other people from town talk about the boys’ funeral. Afterwards he goes back to the island to tell his friends about his idea to return home at their funeral.