#ClassicsaDay #Opus1 Annotated List Week 5

I'm a regular contributor to the #ClassicsaDay Twitter feed. For January 2018, I decided to mark the first month of the new year with firsts. Each post features the first published work of a different composer.

Emphasis on the word "published," In some cases, the Opus 1 is the first mature work of the composer. Sometimes the work was written mid-career. A few are spurious, and a few were written quite late and simply assigned the Opus 1 designation.

Each work seems to have a story that's a little long for the typical tweet. So here they are. This is the fifth and final week of the #ClassicsaDay #Opus1 series.

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)- Singedichte Walzer, Op. 1

The Singedichte (Epigrams) Waltzer was the first in a long string of published works by Johann Strauss II. His catalog would eventually contain over 500 works, including numerous waltzes, marches, waltzes, and operettas.

Carl Stamitz (1717-1757) - Viola Concerto in D major, Op. 1, No. 1

Stamitz spent the first part of his career playing in the Mannheim court orchestra. Mannheim was a center for musical innovations. Stamitz incorporated most of them into his music. Stamitz spent most of his life touring as a virtuoso violinist, violist, and viola d'amore player. His viola concerto was one of over 60 that he wrote for various instruments.

Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) - Concentus musico-instrumentalis, Op. 1

Fux is best remembered for his Gradus ad Parnassum. This treatise on renaissance counterpoint was a standard reference works for generations of composers. His 1701 Concentus musico-instrumentalis is a compendium of instrumental works. It consists of overtures, suites, sinfonias, serenades, and other late 17th Century forms.



Annotated List Week 1
Annotated List Week 2
Annotated List Week 3
Annotated List Week 4