o Notes for Exam 3 Music Nationalism The nineteenth century was a period in which various European ethnic groups sought to free themselves from foreign domination They exhibited pride in their national traditions highlighting cultural individuality through artistic expression Music gave voice to ethnic and linguistic distinctions in a process called musical nationalism A flood of national anthems native dances protest songs and victory symphonies evoked national identity through music National color in music was communicated by means of indigenous folk elements folksongs native scales dance rhythms and local instrumental sounds It could also be conveyed by using a national subject as the basis for a symphonic poem or opera Indigenous musical elements o Folksongs Scales o Dance Rhythms o Local instrumental sounds o Programs based on national subjects Modest Mussorgsky 1839 1881 o Career Earned a precarious living Composed during his spare time Part of the Mighty Handful or Russian 5 Talented amateur musicians Composed in Russian style o Pictures at an exhibition 1874 Musical tour through a gallery of purely Russian art Based on paintings of Victor Hartman 1833 1873 Each movement depicts a drawing or picture Orchestra by Marvin R in 1922 Promenade Suggest people wondering though the exhibition o Transition music between many movements Solo contrasts with full brass and then full orchestra Polish Ox cart o Painting is lost o Two note ostinato o A long crescendo and diminuendo Doppler effect Tuba was color of the day written in minor Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyl two jews rich and poor Individuals of different social status Goldenberg Rich and confident The melody played in unison Schmuyle Poor and despairing Melody fragmented between woodwinds and muted trumpet Rapid quivering notes o The music causes the characters to interact The Great Gate of Kiev o Majestic conclusion to pictures at an exhibition o Evokes Hartmann s vision of a great triumphal arch o Each three section relates to the drawing Three A section match the three arches B and X section procession and prayers of pilgrims o o o C promenade theme viewer walks through the arch o Chapter 22 Introduction to Romanticism Romantic Classic Emotionalism Reason Passionate self expression Beethoven Rules and forms Wonders of nature Monuments of Ancient Greece and Rome Romanticism revolted against the Age of Reason It was a period when order and balance gave way to passionate subjective emotion Artists and musicians sought inspiration in the wonders of nature and in such intense human emotions as love frenzy exaltation and despair The idea of a musical canon of masterpieces that would endure and be enjoyed by future generations took hold during the Romantic period In many respects the attitudes about art and music that arose in the early nineteenth century still govern our thinking today In musical terms Romantic style was not so much a revolt against Classical ideals as an evolution beyond them Composers adapted forms already in use and introduced only two new genres the art song and symphonic poem Love Sentiment pervaded entire era secular Longing and despair not happiness and fulfillment Someone is typically always pining for someone unattainable Music expresses inarticulate depth of emotion Unrequited Love Loving someone is the love is not returned Role of Composer No longer servants to aristocracy Now prophet or demigod Inspire audience o Music morally uplifting and beautiful Music no longer entertainment but art Serious tone in concert hall Sit in respectful silence Changed because of Beethoven o Had more than 1 patron Melody Broad sweeping themes that engulf the listener o Lyrical and expressive o Build to grandiose climax Phrases o Longer o Rhythmically flexible Irregular in shape Harmony Colorful harmony contributes to emotional intensity Chromatic notes o Add color o Make distant modulations easier Very different key signatures More striking sound Prolonged Dissonance creates greater anguish and drive to resolution o o o o 3 dimensional characters o Bold harmonic shifts o Forms melody rhythm grow out of characters o Chromatic harmony o Tension in story creates rhythm The three dominant characteristics of Romantic harmony are chromaticism bold chordal shifts and prolonged dissonance Rhythm Flexible and languid Meter can be obscure Rubato Italian for robbed o Exaggerates rhythmic flow o Gives performers more artistic freedom No strict time regulations can speed up and slow down later etc Form No new forms thru composition Moving to lack of forms Extended existing forms Character piece o Brief binary ternary form o Essence of single mood o Whimsical titles Romantic Orchestra Increased in size to 100 musicians Conductor o Larger ensemble required someone to coordinate effort o Position involved from time keeper to interpreter Major responsibility Woodwinds o New fingering mechanisms Silver flute replaced wood flute o Piccolo English Horn and Contrabassoon frequently included Brasses o Full brass section o French Horn Addition of valves Favored for rich dark tone Associated with nature and the hunt Percussion Standard feature o Very significant feature of orchestra Special effects are concern of the day New instrument of the day o Tuba The Virtuoso Pianists and violinists most common o Wizard like dexterity o Often more showmanship than musical substance Niccolo Paganini 1782 1840 o Violinist o Thought to have sold soul devil for talent o o o o o o Chapter 23 Romantic Music The Art Song The decade 1803 1813 was perhaps the most auspicious in the history of Western music It witnessed the birth of Berlioz Mendelssohn Chopin Schumann Liszt Verdi and Wagner all unconventional individuals who lived lives characterized by passion self expression excess selfishness irresponsibility and even a bit of lunacy The Art Song Composition for solo voice and piano accompaniment a song for solo voice and piano accompaniment with high artistic aspirations Lied o German for art song Strong bond between music and poetry o Music intensifies poetic sentiments o Expresses emotions without words Frenzy of poetic activity during 19th century o English Wordsworth Keats Shelley o German Goethe Eichendorff Heine o Poets viewed music as purest form of art Form Strophic Same music for each stanza of poem Single poetic mood Schubert Ave Maria Modified Strophic o Alters music at some point the music is modified on occasion to accommodate a particularly