Unit 20 – Romantic Vocal Music IB Music SL Unit 20 – Romantic Vocal Music

Romantic Choral Music Increased popularity Choral music societies as artistic outlet Part songs, the oratorio, the Mass, and the Requiem Mass Repetition helps lead to understanding 59 (Chr), 30 (Std). Romantic Choral Music Choral music grew in popularity during the Romantic era Choral music societies were an artistic outlet for the middle classes Favored genres include part songs (songs with three or four voice parts), the oratorio, the Mass, and the Requiem Mass Words in choral works are hard to understand Composers compensate for this with repetition

Brahms: A German Requiem Protestant tradition (console the living) Old Testament: Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Ecclesiastes New Testament: Paul, Matthew, Peter, John, Revelation Written after deaths of Robert Schumann and Brahms’s mother Soloists, four-part chorus, and orchestra 7 movements, arch form Connections between movements: 1 and 7 2 and 6 3 and 5 Brahms: A German Requiem (Listening Guide) Rooted in the Protestant tradition Meant to console the living Text drawn from: Old and New Testaments, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Ecclesiastes, Paul, Matthew, Peter, John, Revelation Written after the deaths of Robert Schumann and Brahms’s mother Written for soloists, four-part chorus, and orchestra 7 movements arranged in the shape of an arch Connections between movements: 1 and 7 2 and 6 3 and 5

Brahms: A German Requiem Fourth movement chorus, How lovely is thy dwelling place Centerpiece of work Psalm 84 Form: A-B-A′-C-A′ Fourth movement chorus, How lovely is thy dwelling place Centerpiece of work Taken from Psalm 84 Form: A-B-A′-C-A′ Shifting tempos and much expansion of themes Coda brings movement to gentle and serene close

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and the Romantic Part Song Older sister of Felix, raised in Berlin Trained on the piano and in composition Encouraged (as a female) not to pursue music as a career Recognized as a gifted artist Participated in salon concerts at parent's home After her mother's death Fanny took over the concerts Died suddenly of a apoplectic stroke in 1847

Fanny Mendelssohn's Music Output dominated by Lieder, choral part songs and piano music Some large-scale works Keyboard music reflects her interest in Bach's contrapuntal procedures In her Lieder she favored the poetry of Goethe

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Under the Greenwood Tree Four-voice part song A cappella Text drawn from Shakespeare's As You Like It Strophic, with two verses Chorus "Come hither" follows each verse Changing textures provide interest

Romantic Opera Basic emotions with an elemental force Suspension of disbelief Superstar performers, extravagant scenery 60 (Chr), 31 (Std). Romantic Opera Opera uses the human voice to project basic emotions with an elemental force Logic of reality gives way to the power of music and imagination

The Development of National Styles France Grand opera Opéra comique Germany Singspiel Music drama Italy Opera seria Opera buffa Bel canto singing style The Development of National Styles Opera developed into distinct national styles in France, Germany and Italy France: lyric opera represented a merger between grand opera (serious historical drama with spectacular effects), and opéra comique (comic opera with spoken dialogue) Germany: Singspiel (light, comic drama with spoken dialogue) gave way to more serious works, including Richard Wagner’s music drama, a genre that integrated all elements of opera Italy: opera seria and opera buffa were favored; marked the pinnacle of bel canto (beautiful singing) style

Exoticism in Opera Verdi’s Aida Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah Richard Strauss’s Salome Music suggests faraway locale 63 (Chr), 34 (Std). Exoticism in Opera Many Romantic composers turned to exotic plots for their operas Verdi’s Aida, Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah, Richard Strauss’s Salome The music (melody, harmony, rhythm) suggested a faraway locale

Georges Bizet (1838–1875) French lyric opera composer Prix de Rome Carmen & Roma (Gypsy) culture in Spain Based on Merimée’s story Realism in opera Georges Bizet (1838–1875) French lyric opera composer Won the Prix de Rome His reputation was based on opera composition His lyric opera Carmen romanticizes Roma (Gypsy) culture in Spain Based on Merimée’s story Tale reflects new realism in opera

Bizet: Carmen excerpt Love, hate, desire Disintegration of a personality Tempestuous Carmen is central figure Music evokes colors of Spain Realism, sensuality, and a tragic end Cuban habanera Bizet: Carmen (Listening Guide) Projects strong emotions: love, hate, desire Theme is the disintegration of a personality Carmen, a tempestuous Gypsy woman, is the central figure Brilliant orchestration and rhythmic vitality evoke colors of Spain Expanded opéra comique with realism, sensuality, and a tragic end Carmen’s aria in Act I is based on a Cuban habanera

Women in Opera Visibility for women composers: And singers Louise Bertin La Esmerelda And singers Jenny Lind (1820–1887) Maria Malibran (1808–1836) Pauline Viardot (1821–1910) Women in Opera Opera was one medium that allowed women musicians a good deal of visibility Prominent singers included: Jenny Lind 1820–1887), the “Swedish nightingale” Maria Malibran (1808–1836), daughter of Spanish tenor Manuel Garcia Pauline Viardot (1821–1910), younger sister of Maria Malibran

Verdi and Italian Opera Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) Italian composer Studies in Milan Austrian Hapsburg rule Patriotic, nationalistic works 28 operas Composed successfully until age 80 Died at 87 National hero Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) Italian composer Verdi is best known for his twenty-eight operas Studied music in Milan Married benefactor’s daughter Tragic loss of two children and his wife in 1839 Unhappy living under Austrian Hapsburg rule Works were interpreted as patriotic, for the nationalist cause Composed successful operas until he was nearly 80 years old Died at 87 Revered as national hero

Verdi’s Music Romantic drama and passion Melody above all Three compositional periods Early period: Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata Middle period (French grand opera): A Masked Ball, The Force of Destiny, Don Carlos Final period: Aida, Otello, Falstaff Verdi’s Music Epitome of Romantic drama and passion Prized melody above all Career is divided into three compositional periods Operas from the early period: Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata Operas from the middle period show the influence of French grand opera: A Masked Ball, The Force of Destiny, Don Carlos Operas from the final period: Aida (commissioned to mark the opening of the Suez Canal), and the Shakespeare operas Otello and Falstaff

Verdi: Rigoletto Tenor aria, “La donna è mobile” Quartet, “Un di” Based on Victor Hugo’s The King is Amused Libretto by Francesco Piave Three acts Renaissance Mantua Themes of seduction and deceit, with a tragic end Popular moments from Act III: Tenor aria, “La donna è mobile” Strophic Quartet, “Un di” 4 characters/emotions Verdi: Rigoletto (Listening Guide) Based on Victor Hugo’s play The King is Amused (Le roi s’amuse) Libretto by Francesco Piave In three acts, the opera is set in Renaissance Mantua It tells the tale of seduction and deceit, with a tragic end Two of the most popular operatic moments come from Act III: The tenor aria, “La donna è mobile” (Woman is fickle) Strophic setting, brings back opening text as refrain Quartet, “Un di” (One day) Each character portrays a different emotion

Wagner and the Music Drama Richard Wagner (1813–1883) German composer, early career in Dresden Grand operas, nationalistic operas Exile in Switzerland after 1849 Art and Revolution, The Art Work of the Future, and Opera and Drama Music drama The Ring of the Nibelung Ludwig II summoned him back to Germany Festival Theater at Bayreuth Married Cosima Liszt Last work: Parsifal Died at age 70 Richard Wagner (1813–1883) German composer Richard Wagner revolutionized opera with his idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk A “total art work” unifying all elements Abandoned studies at the University of Leipzig for a music career Wrote his won librettos Wrote grand operas, nationalistic operas After failed revolution in 1849, fled to Switzerland Wrote literary works Art and Revolution, The Art Work of the Future, and Opera and Drama while in exile Developed theory of music drama, an opera that integrated theater and music completely Most famous work is the four-opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung Ludwig II summoned Wagner back to Germany Festival Theater at Bayreuth was built specifically for presentation of Wagner’s music dramas Married Cosima Liszt (daughter of Franz Liszt) Last work, Parsifal, was based on the legend of the Holy Grail Died at age 70, buried at Bayreuth

Wagner’s Music Music dramas “Endless melody” Total artwork (Gesamtkunstwerk) Orchestra as unifying element Leitmotifs Chromatic dissonance Music dramas are not sectional but continuous “Endless melody” was molded to the natural inflections of the German language His concept was that of a total artwork, Gesamtkunstwerk, in which music, poetry, drama, and visual spectacle were fused Orchestra is the unifying element in the music drama Unified by leitmotifs, or recurring themes that represent a person, place, or thing Emotional quality is heightened by his extensive use of chromatic dissonance

Wagner: Die Walküre excerpt The Ring of the Nibelung Gold in the Rhine River Rhine Maidens Norse sagas, medieval German epic poem, the Nibelungenlied Cycle: Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung Wagner: Die Walküre (Listening Guide) The story of The Ring of the Nibelung centers on the gold that lies in the Rhine River, guarded by three Rhine Maidens The gold is powerful and is made into a ring The cycle follows the path of the ring and its eventual return to the Rhine Maidens Wagner adapted the story from Norse sagas and the medieval German epic poem, the Nibelungenlied The cycle consists of: Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung

Wagner: Die Walküre Act III (Finale) of Die Walküre Leitmotifs: slumber, magic sleep, magic fire, and Siegfried Act III (Finale) of Die Walküre Leitmotifs: slumber, magic sleep, magic fire, and Siegfried

Puccini and Late Romantic Opera Post-Romantic Italian composers verismo Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo and Giacomo Puccini 64 (Chr), 35 (Std). Puccini and Late Romantic Opera Post-Romantic Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo and Giacomo Puccini were associated with a movement known as verismo (realism)

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Italian composer Early operatic successes: Manon Lescaut, La bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly Last work Turandot left unfinished Died in 1924 of a heart attack Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Italian composer Wrote some of the best-loved operas in the verismo tradition including La bohème, and Madame Butterfly Driven to compose opera Early operatic successes include Manon Lescaut, La bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly International premieres required extensive travel Personal life riddled with questions of infidelity Last work, Turandot, was left unfinished at his death Died in 1924 of a heart attack

Puccini: Madame Butterfly 1 2 Verismo and exoticism Inspired by performance of a play Disastrous premiere Revised version Central tragic-heroic character: geisha Cio-Cio-San Act II, Cio-Cio-San’s aria “Un bel di” describes desire for her lover’s return Puccini: Madame Butterfly (Listening Guide) A combination of verismo (realism) and exoticism Inspired by a performance of a play by the same name Disastrous premiere, a “veritable lynching” (too long) Revised version was instantly successful Central tragic-heroic character is a geisha named Cio-Cio-San Act II, Cio-Cio-San’s aria “Un bel di” describes her desire for her lover’s return

Tchaikovsky and the Ballet Ballet—Past and Present Part of larger work: intermedio, masque, ballet de cour Independent art form in 18th century (France and Russia) Ballet—Past and Present Ballet had long been part of larger work: intermedio, masque, ballet de cour Became an independent art form in the 18th century, particularly in France and Russia

19th-century Russian ballet (czar’s court) Marius Petipa (St. Petersburg) Pas de deux 19th-century Russian ballet was fostered by the patronage of the czar’s court Marius Petipa (St. Petersburg) created dances for more than 100 works Invented the pas de deux (dance for two)

Serge Diaghilev (1872–1929) Ballets Russes Vaslav Nijinksy and Tamara Karsavina Picasso and Braque Igor Stravinsky Serge Diaghilev (1872–1929) Genius, impresario, brought his dance company, the Ballets Russes, to Paris Greatest dancers in the group were Vaslav Nijinksy and Tamara Karsavina Scenery painted by the likes of Picasso and Braque Commissioned three ballets from Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Russian composer End-of-the-century pessimism Sexual identity Antonina Milyukova Nadezhda von Meck Correspondence Carnegie Hall in New York (1891) Died suddenly at age 53 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Russian composer Left career in law for music His music captures the mood of end-of-the-century pessimism Struggled with sexual identity Disastrous marriage to student, Antonina Milyukova Career subsidized by patron Nadezhda von Meck (recluse) Stipulated that she and Tchaikovsky were never to meet Correspondence between the two is revealing of his compositional methods Invited to participate in the opening ceremonies of Carnegie Hall in New York (1891) Died suddenly at the age of 53

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann Christmas tale: Clara and her gift nutcracker March, Act I Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Celesta “Exotic” dances: Arab, Chinese, Trepak Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Listening Guide) Three of Tchaikovsky’s ballets, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, remain popular today The Nutcracker is based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann A Christmas tale about young Clara and her gift nutcracker The March heard in Act I is played as the guests arrive In the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Tchaikovsky introduces the celesta (set of tuned metal bars operated by means of a keyboard) Tchaikovsky includes a set of “exotic” dances, including the Arab, Chinese, and Trepak dances