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The Art Song and the Romantic Era
Song and Society The Art Song and the Romantic Era
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Key Terms Art Song Lied (pl. Lieder) Mélodie Strophic
Strophic Variations Through-Composed Declamation Poetic Meter
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The Romantic Era and Romanticism
ca Most prominent in the 1800s Related to the Romanticism movement in literature Friedrich Schlegel (philosopher/critic) Romantic ideals: Strong emotions Unrequited love Honor Ideals Heroic individualism The Individual and Expression of the Self
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Romantic Era Music More exploration of tonality and range
Breaking down of forms and structures of the Classical era In search of the original, evocative, expressive, individual, interesting, or extreme Ludwig van Beethoven is the link between Classical and Romantic Development of instrumental music genres Concept of “absolute music” Organic musical form Literature plays a central role—inspiration for composers Composers are accomplished writers
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The Art Song Before the Nineteenth Century:
Simple folk songs that could be sung by an amateur Written to be played at home Accompaniment was mostly to keep the singers in tune Grew and developed into a professional genre throughout the Romantic Era Different names in different countries German Lied French Mélodie American Parlor Song Poetic text set to music Voice and simple accompaniment (usually piano)
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German Lieder Fusion of poetry and song
Expression of emotions and feelings Musical imagery Poets drew from both folk and classical tradition Common themes: Man vs. forces of nature Nature as metaphor for the human experience Vulnerable, yet ennobled encounters Lyric poem: short, strophic, one viewpoint Regular meter and time—ideal for music Ballade: longer poem; alternates between narrative and dialogue; fantastical event
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Prominent Composers Ludwig van Beethoven Franz Schubert**
( ) Franz Schubert** ( ) Robert Schumann** ( ) Hugo Wolf ( )
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Poets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Heinrich Heine Joseph von Eichenforff
( ) Heinrich Heine ( ) Joseph von Eichenforff ( ) Johann Mayrhofer ( )
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Poem to Song Composers spent a great deal of time and energy analyzing the poetry in order to depict the words musically Recite out loud Listen for rhythm, stressed syllables Pauses for punctuation How long are the lines? Stanzas? Syllables and rhyme scheme Meaning of the poem Images/symbols Determine musical form Strophic, through composed, strophic variations
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Beethoven Credited with the first song cycle
Group of songs unified by an underlying characteristic Same poet, similar theme Can tell a story An die ferne Gelibte (To the Distant Beloved) 1816 Songs performed in a set, specific order Before this, songs had little or no continuity from one to the next
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Franz Schubert Wrote over 600 Lieder Organized “Schubertiads”
Informal gatherings at Schubert’s home Premiered much of his Lieder at these functions Set 59 of Goethe’s poems Two song cycles of poems by Müllerein: Die schöne Müllerin (1823) Wintereisse (1827)
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Compositional Characteristics
Believed that text and music should be equal counterparts Capture an image musically Embody poem’s narrator, scene, and situation through harmony, form, melody, and accompaniment Piano supports the voice—voice takes the lead Famous Lieder: Gretchen am Spinnrade Erlkönig Der Döppleganger
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Gretchen am Spinnrade Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel
Scene from Goethe’s Faust
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Gretchen
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Robert Schumann Composed 120 Lieder in 1840 Focused on love songs
“Year of Lieder” …finally allowed to marry Clara Focused on love songs Two cycles (1840) Dichterliebe Frauenliebe-und-leben Passions and frustrations of love #same
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Compositional Characteristics
More experimental with tonality/rhythm Thought voice and piano should be equal partners Extended piano interludes, preludes, postludes Saw the musical interpretation as another layer of art Might not be a direct interpretation of the poem Im wunderschönen Monat Mai (1840) Schumann’s interpretation is not entirely related to the poem; imposes some of his own ideas
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Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
(Heinrich Heine) In the wonderfully fair month of May, as all the flower-buds burst, then in my heart love arose. In the wonderfully fair month of May as all the birds were singing, then I confessed to her my yearning and longing.
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Follow the Lieder… The German Lied tradition set an example for the rest of the world, which wanted to celebrate its own poets and composers France: Mélodie Debussy, Faure, Massenet, Berlioz Poets: Silvestre, Bourget, Hugo America: Parlor Song Stephen Foster Russia: Bïtvoy romans Modest Mussorgsky
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Performance and Pop Culture
The art song became a cultural phenomenon! Approachable genre for amateurs (for the most part) Recitals of song cycles in concert halls by well-known performers (1856) Bridge the divide between professional and domestic art Vienna, Austria Began recording Lieder (as technology developed)
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The Orchestral Song Cycle
Orchestra accompanies singer instead of piano Late Nineteenth century Allows for greater exploration of ranges, timbres, and dynamics that a full orchestra provides Lieder needed to be “amplified” in order to have a place amidst Romantic concerts and recitals Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été Voice and piano ( ) Voice and orchestra (1856) Required a more powerful, operatic singer Wagner’s influence Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
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The Twentieth Century Everything changes! Major shift in music theory
Second Viennese School Schoenberg Death of the song cycle? American composers and poets Modern influences
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Next Time! Richard Wagner
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