o
pus
Plural
opuses
1
a musical piece or collection that is written by a famous composer followed by the date in which it was created
An opus is a term used to identify a particular musical work by a composer, with each opus usually assigned a number that reflects the order in which it was composed. This numbering helps organize and catalog a composer’s body of work, especially when they have created many pieces. For example, Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" is also known as "Opus 67," indicating it is the 67th work in his catalog. The use of "opus" provides a way to organize and reference a composer's compositions systematically.
- Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 18" was completed in 1901.
- Schubert's "Winterreise, Opus 89" is a song cycle composed in 1827.
- The performance highlighted Mozart’s "Violin Sonata in E Minor, Opus 303," composed in 1778.
- Brahms’s "Hungarian Dances, Opus 103," written in 1869, was a crowd favorite at the concert.
- Beethoven's "Opus 28," the "Piano Sonata No. 7," showcases his early compositional style from 1800.