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Unit 8: Revolutionary Music (The Symphonic Revolution and Beethoven…
Unit 8: Revolutionary Music
The Symphonic Revolution and Beethoven
Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies
There were 3 periods to his music
early
(until 1802) Symphony 1 & 2: In style of Mozart and Haydn
middle
(1802-1814) Symphony 3-8:
Symphony 3 - "Eroica" begins revolution of changing symphonic sound
originally dedicated to Napoleon
personal narrative to individual heroism
late
(1814-182)
Symphony 9 adds choir (chorale) with final "Ode to Joy"
Music transitioned from Classical form to Romantic sensibiliteis
Beethoven and Politics
Many composers responded to political climate - they are artists
Beethoven a supporter of democracy
Napoleon (at first)
Great Britain democratic parliament system (
Wellington's Victory
)
"Ode to Joy" finale was widely used for political aims
Intense, collective endeavor toward a common phrase
Symphony 1 - before the Revolution
Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 (1801) Movement 1 focus
Style of Mozart and Haydn
form: sonata allegro
begins to explore
musical joke - beginning
Sfz - sforzando
winds becoming more prominent
changing tempo within the form
Symphony 3 - Uprisings begin
Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major, Op. 55 "Eroica" (Heroic)- 1803-1804 - Movement 3 focus
Classical tradition but the Uprising Begins with:
Form: scherzo with a trio - 1st time trio appears in a symphony
length: twice as long as Mozart and Haydn and scrutinized in reviews
One critic said his songs were too long so Beethoven purposely made this symphony long and repetitive to annoy the critics
Context: Napoleon
Harmony and Emotion - 2nd movement is a funeral march
Symphony 5: Out of Conflict Comes Victory
four movements by comes together as a unified piece
conflict in movement 1 to victory in movement 4
Movement 1 - Allegro con brio
sonata - allegro form
Motive - short, short, short, LONG (theme 1)
dominates whole piece
Beethoven's description - fate knocking at your door
Movement 2
Andante con moto
serene theme and variations
2 themes
still uses the motive from theme 1
triple meter
Movement 3
Allegro
Scherzo and Trio
Rocket theme in low strings (moves from low to high)
Fugue in double bass
Transition to 4th Movement, no stopping, uses theme 1 motive
Movement 4
Allegro
much energy
more instrument: piccolo, contrabassoon, trombones
development - brief recurrence of movement 3 scherzo
extended coda - LONG final ending
Symphony 9: With Victory comes Freedom and New Ideas
Symphony No. 9 in d minor, Op. 125 (1822-1824) - "Ode to Joy"
his greatest work & one greatest woks in classical music world
1st example of using voices/choir in a symphony
"Ode to Joy" - poem by Schiller
large production - uses more musicians
Romantic era is established
Chapter 55: War is Hell - Expressionist Opera
Social Advocacy and Musical Innovation
Artist's shed light on social problems
1900s
Replacement of tonality
2nd Viennese School
Schoenberg teacher
Alban Berg and Anton Webern Students
1st Viennese School- Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven
Twelve-Tone method
Schoenberg developed a system to replace tonality
Serialism - method of composing with 12 chromatic pitches (all important)
tone row- arrangement of the 12 pitches
Alternate forms of tone row
Transposition: some order of intervals; starts different pitch
Inversion: notes move in opposite direction (up instead of down) - upside down
Retrograde: reverse order or backwards
Retrograde Inversion: upside down and backwards
Alan Berg (1885-1935)
Born in Vienna, studied with Schoenberg
fought in WW1
rose to fame with
Wozzeck
Active teacher and promoter of Schoenberg school
his works were banned (along with many others) in Germany during WW2
Also known for: Violin concerto,
Lulu, Lyric Suite
Used serialism but really had a way of making it lyrical
included lyricism and added beauty
Wozzeck
1922
opera in 3 act; 5 scenes; orchestral interludes
originally played by a Buchner - expressionist play on real life events; Berg wrote libretto
Characters:
Wozzeck (soldier)
Marie - common-law wife of Wozzeck
son of Wozzeck and Marie
Captain
Doctor
Drum Major
modern 12 tone technique and Romantic- German Romantic Expressionism
The singing sounds more like speaking - new to this style of opera (LG 46- Act 3, Scene 4)
Chapter 69: Historical Reality or Not
Contemporary Opera
Represented a historical time
not completely based on all historical facts, still based on emotional feel; fiction that is based on reality
John Adams (1947)
American Composer
Educated at Harvard
focused in serialism and atonality, but also listened to rock in his dorm- very influenced by rock
1972 moved to San Francisco
taught at San Francisco Conservatory
advocate for contemporary music and politics
Style
Minimalist - take small ideas and repeat them over and over again; simple is good
Neo-Romantic - accessible and deeply expressive
Stage works often topical and controversial
Doctor Atomic
(LG 65)
2005
Opera (3rd one)
Libretto
Peter Sellars
based on memoirs, government documents, poetry, and Hindu scripture
Focuses on the last days and hours before the first atomic test in 1945
overall theme: hope but also fear
Politically driven
Hugely complex subject, combining science and art and highly criticized at the time
At the Sight of This
(LG 65)
Bhadavad Gita - Ch. 11 - Hindu Scripture
Chorus
Setting: New Mexico 1945
short/choppy repetition of ideas
after each section there is a refrain
lots of syncopation
VERY dissonant
includes some mysterious electronic sounds and music
brass and timpani are featured
big, loud production
Ch 42 & 61: The Rise of Nationalism
Music Nationalism
Music builds community cohesion
since the 19th century, sense of community tied to the concept of nationality
distinctive culture and heritage shared by people who live in a common territory
political conditions in 19th century Europe encouraged growth of nationalism
composers expressed nationalism in a variety of way
basing music on songs and dances of their people
dramatic works based on folklore or peasant life
works celebrating national heroes, historic events, or scenic beauty
political expression was sometimes banned
Nationalism in Czech Republic - Dvorak
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
used folk music of Moravia and Bohemia
Brahms helped him become famous
Famous during lifetime
wrote symphonic, chamber, concerti, and operas
Musica Examples:
Slavonic Dance #8
New World Symphony
Cell Concerto
Nationalism in Scandinavia - Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
born in Norway
attended Leipzig Conservatory
Stipend from Norwegian government allowed him to focus on composition
goal was to create art accessible to all the public
international figure, notable for lyricism and use of folk music and dances
Peer Gynt
Suite No. 1 (LG 33)
1876
play by Henrik Ibsen based on moralistic Norwegian folk tale
Grieg composed twenty-two pieces as incidental music for the play
later extracted eight of them, created two four-movement suites
listening excerpt
Morning Mood
- atmospheric depiction of sunrise
In the Hall of the Mountain King
- grotesque ballet music as troll daughter chase Peer
Modern Nationalism
Integration of traditional ad folk music into experimental art music
music characters meaningful in a certain culture may change meaning when added to another art form
departed from conventions of 19th century music
musicologists
phonographs were taken to villages to preserve songs as they were meant to be performed
captured original music
composers tried to retain that idea in new music
Bartok & Kodaly collected over 2,000 Eastern European songs and dances
20th Century Neo-Classicism
revolt against traditions and return to 18th century music idealism of Bach, Handel,and Vivaldi
revolt again romantic music and symphonic poem
Revival of older forms- fugue and suite
key ideas:
absolute music
balance
formality
Nationalism in England - Elgar & Vaughan Williams
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Influences from all of Europe - not JUST England
Self-taught composer
Gramophone recordings - important for symphony
Musical examples:
Enigma Variations- Nimrod
Pomp and Circumstance
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
wrote opera, ballets, chamber music, symphonic music, vocal pieces
english folk songs
served in WW1
Music Examples:
The Lark Ascending
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Nationalism in Spain - De Falla
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
from Cadiz
studied piano and taught
wrote operas, piano, orchestral, choral, chamber, guitar works
Musical Examples:
Three Cornered Hat
Nights in Spanish Garderns
Nationalism in Hungary - Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
born in Hungary
Musicologist
toured remote villages of Hungary to collect native songs
these songs serves as "raw" material for his neo-classical style
Moved to NYC in 1940 due to WW2
used the features of Eastern European traditional music while adhering to Classical form
ancient modes
unfamiliar scales
non-symmetrical rhythms
Bartoks's
Concerto for Orchestra
(LG 54)
commissioned in the summer of 1943
orchestral concerto
Movement 4,
Interrupted Intermezzo
(LG 54)
rondo-like form
opening tune evokes Hungarian folk song in pentatonic (A)
followed by a broad string theme (B)
mood disrupted by clarinet melody borrowed from Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 (C)
Two opening themes eventually return (B' A')
Irregular meters
Soloists - oboe, clarinet, & flute