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Programme music of the Romantic period (Symphonic Poem ("Vltava"…
Programme music of
the Romantic period
Programme Symphony
Features
Multi-movement work
Includes extra-musical content
Designed to evoke a specific idea, tell a story etc
Roughly follows the same structure as a symphony
"Symphonie Fantastique" - Berlioz
Inspired by his obsession with Harriet Smithson
Follows a clear programme
Instrumentation
Score calls for over 90 instruments
Double woodwind (4 bassoons) + piccolo + cor anglais
4 horns, 2 cornets, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 ophicleides
2 timpani, cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, bells, 2 harps
At least 30 violins, 10 violas, 11 cellos, 9 basses
Assigned emotional attributes to instruments
Symphonic Poem
Features
Developed from Concert Overture
Inspired by a picture, story, poem etc
Sometimes called a Tone Poem
Single movement with freer structure + tonal plan
"Danse Macabre" - Saint-Saens 1874
Inspired by poem "Dance of Death" by Henri Cazalis
Orchestration
Double woodwind + piccolo
4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
Xylophone, 3 timpani, triangle, cymbal, bass drum, harp
Strings + solo violin
Harp = chiming of the clock at midnight
Violin often associated with the figure of Death
Scordatura: Non-standard tuning (E->Eb)
Xylophone = rattling of dancing skeleton bones
Use of percussion for orchestral colour/timbre
"Vltava" (Ma Vlast) - Smetana 1874
Orchestration
Double woodwind + piccolo
4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
Timpani, triangle, bass drum, cymbal, harp
Strings
Uses upper/lower limits of register
Auxiliary instruments
Eg. Bar 287-295 very high piccolo adds tension
Uses instruments to represent different elements of the narrative
Eg. Flutes + clarinets play complementary melodic ideas representing the two sources of the river
Fast rhythms + scaling movement = running water
Bar 1-15 alternating flutes play melody
Bar 16-35 clarinets play idea in inversion + sources intertwine
Bar 40-55 main river theme played by 1st oboe + 1st violins
Increased orchestra allows greater timbral freedom + textural complexity
Instrumentation + dynamics are used to create drama
Eg. Bar 271-281 increased brass + percussion + fortissimo dynamics = fast flowing water
Uses overlapping, contrasting musical ideas
Typical feature of Romantic music
Eg. Bar 80-117 horns + trumpets play hunting calls + fanfares while strings play river semi-quavers
Incorporated Nationalism
National myths + folk music
Eg. Bar 122-137 woodwind + string melody in parallel 3rds resembles a polka
Eg. "Dance of the Water Sprites" is inspired by Czech folklore
Harmony + Tonality
Frequent + remote modulations
Eg. Bar 56 implied modulation to the mediant
(E minor -> G major)
Eg. Finishes in tonic major to give a triumphant feel
More chromaticism + chromatic chords
(augmented 6ths, diminished 7ths, secondary dominants)
Eg. Bar 229-238 enharmonic shift from Eb major to B major
Structure
Follows narrative rather than strict structure
8 sections
Coda
The Broad River
St Johns Rapids
Moonlight and Dance of the Water Sprites
Rustic Village Wedding
The Forest and Hunting
The Two Sources of Vltava
Vltava
Ends with a prolonged cadence that moves to a tonic pedal
Represents river flowing into the distance
Follows the journey of the eponymous
river in Prague
Texture
Initially monophonic
Concert Overture
Features
Develops from opera overtures
Stand alone symphonic work
Follows a programme
Often based on sonata form
May use a freer structure
"Midsummer Night's Dream" - Mendelssohn 1826
Orchestration
Typical early-Romantic/late-Classical orchestra
Double woodwind
Horns, trombones, ophieclide
Timpani
Strings with divisi violins
Scampering fairies theme played staccato by upper strings in upper range
Feels light + busy (4 lines)
Orchestral tutti + introduction of heavier instruments = arrival of Thesius
Contrast between mortals + fairies with heavy + light
Harmony + Tonality
First 5 bars in E major: I V IVminor I
E minor scampering fairies theme
Arrives at E major (bar 62) with Orchestral Tutti
Emphasis on tonic/dominant relationship
Arrives in B major for pairs of lovers theme + tradesmen theme
Texture
Homophonic, chordal opening
4 violin parts -> thicker, more complex textures
Homophonic fairies theme
Melody-led homophony for Thesius
More + heavier instruments = thicker
Uses Tutti for dramatic moments
"Romeo + Juliet" - Tchaikovsky 1880
Orchestration/Instrumentation
Double woodwind + piccolo + car anglais
4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba
3 timpani, cymbals, bass drum, harp
Strings (separated double bass + cello)
Structure
Based on Sonata form
Stretches form to suit narrative
Long, slow introduction Bar 1-111
Harmony + Tonality
Overall in B minor
Introduction starts in F# minor (dominant)
1st subject B minor
Transition B minor -> D major
(Moves down a semitone)
2nd subject + codetta Db major
Makes use of enharmonic relationships for modulations
Eg. Shift at end of Codetta as Db->C# (bass)
Chromatic harmony used to add colour + drama
Modality related to Russian music (Nationalism)
Texture
Full Tutti saved for important climaxes
Eg. Bar 151 tutti statement of 1st subject
Imitation
Eg. Bar 90-96 horns imitate woodwind
Mostly homophonic, melody + accompaniment or
melody-led homophony
Themes
Introduction
Friar Lawrence theme played in 4-part harmony
by clarinet + bassoon
F# minor with modal colouring (hymn-like)
Low register + dark colour of instruments suggests tragedy
First subject
Feud between Montagues + Capulets
Initially in B minor
Some development in exposition
Loud + syncopated theme
Scored for most of the orchestra
Second subject
1st theme = love of Romeo + Juliet
Bar 184 played by car anglais + muted violas
Db major (flattened mediant)
2nd theme =
Bar 193 played by muted strings
Db major
Development
Uses Friar Lawrence theme
First played by horns
Heard many times, each a semitone higher
Piano Minatures
The Romantic Period
Romanticism
Significant events
Nationalism