Chapter 15 Listen to Programmatic Music

Programmatic Music Tells a story external to the music Symphonic Poems Ballet Film

Symphonic Poem “One movement composition for symphony orchestra that portrays an external story through the music”

Symphonic Poem Franz Liszt (1811-1886) George Gershwin Father of the Tone Poem Hamlet Orpheus Prometheus George Gershwin (1898-1937) An American In Paris

Symphonic Poem Paul Dukas (1865-1935) Richard Strauss (1864-1949) The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks Don Juan Also Sprach Zarathustra 2001 Space Odyssey

Symphonic Poem Biedrich Smetana (1824-1884) Nationalism Ma Vlast (My Country) 1. Vyšehrad (The High Citadel) 2. Vltava (River Moldau) 3. Šárka (Leader of Bohemian Amazons) 4. Z Ceskych Luhu a Háju (From Bohemia's Meadows and Forests) 5. Tabor (Stronghold of the Hussites) 6. Bláník (Valhalla of the Hussite heroes: a mountain in S. Bohemia)

“Vltava” or “The Moldau” Two springs pour forth in the shade of the Bohemian forest, one warm and gushing, the other cold and peaceful. Coming through Bohemia’s valleys, they grow into a might stream. Through the thick woods it flows as the merry sounds of a hunt and the notes of the hunter’s horn are heard ever closer. It flows through grass-grown pastures and lowlands where a wedding feast is being celebrated with song and dance. At night, wood and water nymphs revel in its sparkling waves. Reflected on its surface are fortresses and castles—witnesses of bygone days of knightly splendor and the vanished glory of martial times. The Moldau swirls through the St. John Rapids, finally flowing on in majestic peace toward Prague to be welcomed by historic Vysehrad. Then it vanishes far beyond the poet’s gaze.

“Vltava” or “The Moldau” Two Springs The River Hunting Wedding Festivities Wood and Water Nymphs at Night The Rapids of St. John Vysehrad, the Great Ancient Castle

Ballet Music -Often tones poems have stories to become ballet -Ballet music often same characteristics as symphonic poems Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) The Firebird The Rite of Spring Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Ballet Music Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Appalachian Spring: Simple Gifts Rodeo: Hoedown Billy the Kid Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Swan Lake Sleeping Beauty The Nutcracker

Overture Prelude to opera Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) The Magic Flute Don Giovanni The Marriage of Figaro

Overture Ludwig von Beethoven (1770- 1827) “Loenore” or “Fidelio” Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) The Thieving Magpie The Barber of Seville William Tell

Overture Independent Programmatic Composition Incidental Music Felix Mendelssohn Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Music for Film Music for silent films Camille Saint-Saens Piano Organ Camille Saint-Saens 1908 First music for film L’Assassinat du Duc de Guise Joseph Carl Breil The Birth of a Nation

Music for Film Incidental Music in Film Underscoring Source Music Type I: Newly composed to accentuate action Type II:Music existing independently from the film Source Music

Music for Film Leitmotif Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

Music for Film Leitmotif Richard Wagner: Opera Die Meistersinger The Flying Dutchman Logengrin Tristan and Isolde The Ring of the Nibelung The Rhinegold The Valkyrie Siegfried Twilight of the Gods

Music for Film Leitmotif The Valkyries Apocalypse Now The Ride of the Valkyries (Prelude to Act III) Apocalypse Now

John Williams (b. 1932) Julliard Conservatory U.S. Air Force Composer Arranger Conductor Boston Pops Orchestra: Conductor

John Williams (b. 1932) Gilligan’s Island Fiddler on the Roof (Oscar: Best Score) The Cowboys (1972) Jaws (1975) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ET, the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Indiana Jones: All Jurrasic Park (1993) Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Leitmotif in “Star Wars” 6 Lietmotifs or Themes Luke Skywalker Rebel Fanfare Imperial/Darth Vader Ben Kenobi Princess Leia Death Star

Leitmotif in “Star Wars” Luke Skywalker Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner Rebel Fanfare Imperial Attack

Leitmotif in “Star Wars” Princess Leia/Ben Kenobi Hologram/Binary Sunset Leia’s Motif Luke’s Motif Ben Kenobi Motif Rebel Fanfare Kenobi Motif

Leitmotif in “Star Wars” Imperial/Darth Vader Motif “Imperial Attack” Rebel Fanfare Imperial/Darth Vader (incomplete fragments) Vader Enters Kenobi (pre-statement) Princess Leia Death Star (Timpani) Leia Vader Imperial/Vader Direct Death Star Fanfare

Leitmotif in “Star Wars” Empire Strikes Back Introduction of new Darth Vader Theme “Vader Enters the Rebel Compound” “Death of Darth Vader” Dies and goes to heaven Vader Enters at 3:40 in the youtube video

Summary Programmatic Music Symphonic Poem Overture Ballet Film Music Leitmotif Vader Enters at 3:40 in the youtube video