Music Appreciation Chapter 10

Nationalist Composers

Verdi(italy) & Wagner(germany) became the symbol of opera for his own country others wrote operas in their native languages based opera and symphonic poems on stories from national folklare and on descriptions of native scenes of natural beauty often their own countries' folk tunes into their compositions to give their music a distinct national identity nationalism was first felt in Russia composers began to write operas in their own language and on Russian themes Bohemia symphonic program music the Moldau describes the flow of the river across Bohemian countryside

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

court musician at the Esterhazy Palace studied composition with Salieri, who had taught Schubert and Beethoven at age 20 he heard Paganini and decided to achieve the as the "Paganini of the piano" transcendental Etudes Transcriptions Liszt helped to make music more accessible to a wider audience by transcribing hundreds of opera and orchestral works into music for the piano

Brahms, Johannes

fascinated with gypsy tunes and rhythms Brahms and Clara became very close & continued to rely on her advise & comments on his compositions. their friendship lasted until Clara death 43 years later one year before Brahms death her enormous enthusiasm undoubtedly bolstered his self- confidence deliberately attempted to avoid modern day genres such as the symphonic poem and the music drama opera preferred passed traditional forms like solo piano pieces, songs, choral works, chamber music , concertos and symphonies payed homage to Beethoven by referencing Beethoven Ninth Symphony in his own First Symphony in the last movement payed homage to Bach in the last movement of his Fourth symphony by using a Baroque form and by basing it on a theme by Bach highly original music in Classic and Baroque forms romantic songs follow those of Schubert and Schuman wrote 4 symphonies all of which are masterpieces choral works most important German requiem

Mahler

music director of Vienna Opera House unpopular with the orchestral musicians because he was strict and Jewish died after completing 9 symphonies tried to capture the whole world and world of nature God love death despair invent new musical genres and forms connected to song wrote some important orchestral song cycles used unorthodox harmony compostions that end in different key symphonies longer than others 90 mins or more used enormous orchestras widest possible range of tone colors music is programmatic full of quotations

Tchaikovsky

suddently decided to get married in 1877 but then ran away attempted suicide, and had a nervous breakdown

Mid- Romanticism

symphonic program music programmatic symphony -a full length symphony with each of its 3-5 movements depicting an episode in the narrative symphonic poem -a single movement self-contained work for orchestra -also programmatic Liszt was the greatest mid-Romantic composer known for his symphonic poems opera - three national schools of opera French, Italian, and German each had roots going back 150 years Italian opera dominated by Verdi German opera central figure was Richard Wagner Nationalism European countries began to assert their independence and to stress national identity

style summary

the central tenent of musical Romanticism is that music should present human emotions to the highest

Verdi and Wagner

these two brought european opera to a dramatic and theatrical high point became the symbol of opera for home country Verdi ITtaly Wagner Germany had first success in 1842 1850 Wagner completed 1st major masterpiece 1851 Verdi completed 1st major masterpiece had long careers, writing their operas in their 70s

Wagner

wrote his own librettos and achieved remarkable unity between drama and music believed music and words should completely interwoven into a genre he called music drama This "Bayreuth Festspielhaus" is significant in opera history because it was the final element in Wagners concept of a total art work (music drama

Nationalism

-this movement was reflected in the arts -local language was fostered -books of national poetry were published -intellectuals turned with increasing interest to the folk tale, dances, and songs of their native heritage -operas were based on national legend or history and were written in the native language -folk tunes appeared in symphonic music -rhythms of the folk dances were used in chamber music -Verdi wrote barley disguised political protests into opera and was regarded as a national hero

Puccini

Milan the opera capital got his first break by playing and singing portions of one of his own works at a party operas demonstrate the Romantic fascination with the exotic because many are set in foreign locales before he died Puccini wrote "When I was born , the Almighty touched me with his little finger and said: "write operas-mind you, only operas!" opera trademarks soar vocal lines enhanced by doubling and tripling in the orchestra especially the strings stirs the strongest emotions sense of timing drama and poignancy were perfect sets a scene or mood with few phases wrote in fresh modern harmonies used strong dissonances and unexpected chord progressions heightened drama used unusal scaled pentatonic suggest an exotic locale action is continuous with short orchestra phrases woven together under the snug dialouge little distinction between recitative and aria in some operas however there are arias that are unforgettable soaring melodies exotic oriental sounds

Verdi

Milan was the center of Italian opera and home of the famous La Scala opera house he wrote 3 more opera including Aida, which was commissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal Otello in 1887

Late Romanticism

Movement known as "Realism" affected all of culture; the novels of Dickens, Flaubert, and Zola; the plays of Henrik Ibsen; the paintings of Gustave Courbet, and the philosophy of William James are all manifestations of this movement Johannes Brahms 1833-1897 used the rigor of Classical and Baroque musical genres and forms but in Romantic style Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924 wrote dramatic realist operas with acute psychological insight Gustav Mahler 1860-1911 created synthesis oof song and symphony with a mood of resignation