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These three iconic works of classical music were crafted by composers who drew inspiration from personal experiences, art, and even literature. The "Moonlight Sonata," formally known as Piano Sonata No. 14, was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1801. He dedicated the piece to his pupil, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, with whom he was reportedly in love. The popular nickname "Moonlight" was not given by Beethoven himself but originated from a poet's description of the first movement resembling moonlight on a lake. At the time of its composition, Beethoven was grappling with his advancing deafness.
"Pictures at an Exhibition" was written in 1874 by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. This suite for piano is a musical tribute to his friend, the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, who had died suddenly the previous year. The composition takes the listener on a tour through an exhibition of Hartmann's artwork, with each of the ten movements representing a specific piece. A recurring "Promenade" theme signifies the viewer walking from one artwork to the next. While originally a piano piece, it gained widespread fame through an orchestral arrangement by Maurice Ravel.
The "Pomp and Circumstance" marches were composed by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar. The title is a phrase taken from Shakespeare's play Othello (Review). The most famous of these, March No. 1, was composed in 1901 and its trio section is widely known as "Land of Hope and Glory." This particular march gained immense popularity in the United States as a graduation processional after it was played at a 1905 Yale University ceremony where Elgar was receiving an honorary doctorate. It was also used for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.
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