Music Appreciation
Class #11
The Romantic Period, Part 2
Chopin, Schumann(s),
Wagner and Verdi
Frédéric Chopin* (1810-1849)
Web sites

http://www.chopin.pl/spis_tresci/index_en.
html

http://www.chopin.org/ip.asp?op=Home
Nationalism*
Folk tunes
 Harmonies


Influence: Wagner, Liszt
Forms
 Dedications

 “Revolutionary


Etude” (“November Uprising” 1830)
Sviatoslav Richter
Heart*
Style
New musical language
 Originality
 Exclusivity*

 170+

for piano alone
No news!
Careful edits
 Melody!

Chopin’s Life In Paris
Composer
 Performer
 Teacher
 Bon Vivant Celebrity

Parisian Friends
Franz Liszt
 Hector Berlioz
 Vincenzo Bellini
 Felix Mendelssohn
 Ferdinand Hiller
 Heinrich Heine

Salon society
Schubert abend concerts
 Social, musical, political, intellectual
gathering

Personality

“The lonely artist is surrounded by
frivolous society.”

“Romantic” appeal?
Romance

Women as inspiration
 Piano

Concerto #1 dedication:
“I have not yet exchanged a syllable with her of
whom I dream every night. While my thoughts
were with her I composed the Adagio of my
concerto”.
Aurore Duvedant...
or George Sand?
Feminist!
"I know that I am the slave and you the
lord. The law of the land has made
you my master....you have the right of
the stronger party, and society
confirms you in it; but over my will, sir,
you are powerless."
Odd couple

Prude vs. exhibitionist

Frail vs. healthy

Demure vs. aggressive
Confidence, intellect, sexuality
Inspiration

21 Nocturnes*
 Artur
Rubinstein

John Field (1782-1837)
21st Century
The “Minute” Waltz*, CD #2, Track 4

Listen for…
 Virtuoso
technique
 “Singing” quality in the melody
Robert Schumann (1810-56)
Romantic ideal

Dichter
 Poet,

writer
Denker
 Philosopher

Law student

Friedrich Wieck
Romantic paradox

Whimsical and refined

Dreamy and gritty

Vehement and visionary
“Scenes From Childhood”
Träumerei
 Horowitz in Moscow

 And
even…Katharine Hepburn in“Song of
Love”

The Wild Horseman
Health
4th finger, Right Hand*
 Physical health

 Mercury?
 Syphilis?

Mental health*
 Visions

Institutionalized
Musical pyramid*

Only composer to master compositions on one
instrument (the piano) before proceeding to larger
compositions;

Only solo piano compositions for over 8 years;

1st orchestral composition not until 1842;

Difficult with large structures.
Cultural Accomplishments

Davidsbündler * (“The League of David”)
 “Philistines!”*


Florestan und Eusebius
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik”*
 (“The
Journal of New Music”)
 1st musical journal/criticism

New composers/styles

Chopin and Brahms
Clara Wieck Schumann* (1819-1896)
Limitations...
"I once believed that I possessed creative
talent, but I have given up this idea;
a woman must not desire to compose —
there has never yet been one able to do it.
Should I expect to be the one?" *
“The High Priestess of Music”

Father & Teacher
 60-year


“amateur” career
Highly accomplished performer
Inspiration
 Robert’s
most passionate music
 150 songs in 1840 alone!

Influenced and Encouraged

Mendelssohn, Brahms, Chopin
Musician, Wife, Mother

Finances
 Concerts
 Teaching
 Premieres

Eight children
 “Revolution
of Dresden” rescue
Rumors...
“Symphony #1: Larghetto”
CD #2, Track 5

Listen for…
 Full
orchestral score
 Intricate harmonies
 Importance of melody
Richard Wagner* (1813-1883)
Biography

Step-father’s influence

Composition training
 Beethoven
 Bach

Opera as drama
Gesamtkunstwerk*

“Complete art work”
 Total
synthesis of
Music
 Drama
 Theater
 Dance
 Politics

Thirteen complete “music dramas”

http://wagneroperas.com/indexwagneroper
as.html
Leitmotif*

Musical idea or Melody
 Associated with
 Character
 Event
 Prop

Idée fixe and Ritornello
 Hector Berlioz and Antonio Vivaldi
 Symphonie Fantastique & Four Seasons
“Mad” King Ludwig II*
King Ludwig and Wagner

Admirer
 Musical and personal

Patron
 Saved Wagner’s career?

“Swan King”
 Lohengrin
Neuschwanstein
Bayreuth Festspielhaus*

Mecca for Wagnerites

Replacement for Easter/Church

Complete “Ring” cycle

Hidden Orchestra pit*
Der Ring des Nibelungen* (1848-74)

Das Rheingold (The Gold of the Rhine)
 Creation
of the Ring

Die Walküre (The Valkyries)

Siegfried

Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)
Introduction and Background

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haO3BeuE_0s&feature=related
Ring Cycle Facts

Libretto
 German,
Scandinavian and Norse myth
 34 characters

God(s) vs. humans


Aryan culture vs. Jewish “threat”
Music
 15
hours
 Through-composed
Die Walküre* (2nd opera in the cycle)

God*+
 (Wotan

or “Wälse”)
God’s children on earth in human form
 Siegmund*+

“victory” + “mouth” (“shield”)
 Sieglinde*+

“victory” + “gentle”
Background

Winter Storm*+

Wandering, nameless stranger*+

Hunding*+
 Mystery guest*+ at the wedding*+

Tree*+ with a Sword*+ (“Notung”)
Bayreuth : Jeanine Altmeyer and Peter Hoffman
End of Act 1

Wehwal asks Sieglinde to grant him a name;

They realize that they have the same father, (Wälse =
God), and that they are twin brother and sister;

Sieglinde names him Siegmund;

Siegmund is then empowered to pull Notung out of the
tree;

The two declare their love for each other.
God in Human Form

The Wagner ideal

Sieglinde and Siegmund

Sister/bride and Brother/groom


“Now let our race flourish and continue!”
Siegfried*+ (“Victory” + “Freedom”)

(Savior/Führer /Leader)
Wagner’s Essays

Anti-Semitic

Sexist

Socialist

Inspiration for Nazis
The Ring and Star Wars

http://www.trell.org/wagner/starwars.html
Cosima Liszt von Bülow Wagner*
Cosima (1837-1930)
 Relationship


with Franz Liszt*
Schooling
Musical education
 Hans von Bülow*
 Favored conductor



Liszt and Wager
Married Cosima (two children)
Richard Wagner
 Affair and three illegitimate children
 Marriage and four children
Mrs. Wagner
 Disowned
by Liszt
 Denounced

by von Bülow
“Frau Wagner”

Age difference: 24 years

Three children

Bayreuth Festival

Director and producer: 31 years
 Anti-Semite
Bayreuth, then and now
“Ride of the Walküres”
CD #2, Track 6

Listen for…
 Enormous
orchestra
 Emphasis on the brass section
 Epic quality
 Continual repeats
Giuseppe Verdi* (1813-1901)
Giuseppe Verdi

“Il Re d’Italia”* (“The King of Italy”)
 Vittorio
Emanuele Re D'Italia (Victor Emmanuel King
of Italy)

Nationalism* (il Risorgimento*)
 “Va,
Pensiero”*
 Exiled slaves singing of their homeland
 Italy under Austrian occupation
Career

Almost 30 complete operas
 Shakespeare
influence

Rigoletto (1851)*
 Quartet

Aida (1900)*
 Leontyne Price
“La Traviata” Prelude
CD #2, Track 7

Listen for…
 High,
sustained string section
 Short, concise, dramatic
 Establishes a specific mood/emotion for the
drama which will follow.