Concise History of Western Music - Exam #2

Lyric Opera

French form of opera between Opera Comique and Grand Opera

- recitatives

- Subject matter is usually romantic drama or fantasy.

- Usually is larger scale than opera comique but smaller than grand opera.

(Ex: Faust - Charles Gounod)

Opera comique

French form of comic opera

- spoken dialogue instead of recitative

- less pretentious that grand opera, required less singers/players

- presented plots as straightforward comedy or semiserious drama

(Ex: Fra Diavolo - Daniel-François Auber)

Grand Opera

French form of serious opera

- sung throughout.

- included ballets, choruses, and spectacular staging.

- had romantic elements such as rescue plots, and huge choral scenes

(Ex: Robert le diable and Les Huguenots - Meyerbeer)

Who composed Les Huguenots and what historical backdrop does it set on?

Meyerbeer, the conflict between the catholic and protestant churches in France

How many acts are in a grand opera? and what other distinctive features could be found in a grand opera?

- 5 acts

- uses special effects that could be produced with the help of elaborate stage machinery, ballets, choruses, and crowd scenes.

- sung throughout

- mix of spectacle and historical, political, and religious themes

- catered to the middle classes by painting aristocrats as wicked and their opponents as virtuous

Who composed Les Troyens?

Hector Berlioz

Who composed Carmen? What is the composer's nationality? What type of opera is it? Why did it create an outrage at the premiere? What is the background story of the main character Carmen? The composer borrowed three melodies from which national tradition?

- Bizet

- French

- Opera Comique

- Sparked outrage by its portrayal of Carmen as a wild and provocative gypsy who was classified as "Other", her character was very suggestive in body and spoken language

- She is a Spanish gypsy who works at a cigarette factory and "lives only for the pleasures of the moment."

- Spanish tradition

Name the three composers mentioned in class who are associated with the bel canto tradition. List one opera by each of these composers.

Related to three Italian composers: Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti.

- Rossini: Barber of Seville, Guillaume Tell

- Bellini: Norma

- Donizetti: The Elixir of Love

What does Bel Canto mean?

- "beautiful singing"

- singing characterized by seemingly effortless technique, an equally beautiful tone throughout the singer's entire range, as well as agility, flexibility, and control.

What are the two main sections, features and structures of the "double aria" in Rossini's opera?

- Found in The Barber of Seville - Una voce poco fa.

- Still recitative, but the aria becomes much longer, now contains two main sections.

- Cantabile: smooth style of singing. Small phrases punctuated by orchestral chords. Brief style change to comic pattern song.

- Cabaletta: faster, more brilliant. Starts in a bel canto style then into more buffo style of singing with large leaps and rapid passagework.

- In this double aria, Rossini combines multiple elements including bel canto melody, wit, and comic description

Operas by Rossini

- The Barber of Seville

- Otello

- Guillaume Tell

What is the Rossini crescendo

Builds up excitement by:

- repeating a phrase, louder each time and often at a higher pitch

- sometimes giving the impression of a world about to spin out of control.

- The crescendo, also a prominent feature of many of Rossini's popular overtures, became his trademark.

Why did Rossini have to constantly produce new work and compose very rapidly?

Copyright laws did not exist in Italy at that time, so to make more money he either had to help with all performances of his operas or compose new ones.

Which was Rossini's last opera, and for whom (audience) did he write, and in what language?

Guillaume Tell (William Tell), written in French for Parisian audiences.

Who is the composer of Una voce poco fa and which opera does this aria belong to?

Rossini - the Barber of Seville

Who is the composer of Casta diva and which opera does this aria belong to?

Bellini - Norma

Which pianist composer at the time was a huge fan of Bellini?

Chopin

How many operas did Verdi produce when he was 26 years old?

His first opera was produced when he was 26, and over his lifetime he produced exactly 26 operas total.

How did Verdi carry out the idea of "nationalism" in his operas?

Verdi believed that each nationality should have its own style to stick to, and that they shouldn't influence each other. As such his opera was 'nationalist' in the way that he only composed in the Italian tradition

What does "“Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re d’Italia!” mean and how does it relate to Verdi?

Means "Long Live Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy", the first letters spelled VERDI. Was used as a rally cry for Italian patriots, since he supported sticking to Italian traditions.

What was the usual compositional process for Verdi?

Usually chose the story himself and worked closely with the librettist, composed essential instrument parts and vocal parts first, then filled in the orchestral parts after rehearsals had already started so he could write them to what he heard.

How did Verdi achieve dramatic impact through his opera?

- Verdi's ability to count on royalties for income due to improved copyright laws instead or having to compose more and more, Verdi had more time to consider the most effective settings to enhance the dramatic impact

- through the vocal melody, he was able to capture the character, feeling, and situation in more memorable melodies that sound both fresh and familiar

Which opera does the famous chorus "Va pensiero" belong to? What's the background of this specific chorus?

- Verdi's Nabucco

-initiating a time of enormous productivity that the composer later referred to as “my galley-slave period”

- chorus is also known as the "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves"

- It recollects the period of Babylonian captivity after the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem

- Some scholars have thought that the chorus was intended to be an anthem for Italian patriots, who were seeking to unify their country and free it from foreign control in the years up to 1861

- opera that Verdi thought was the real start of his artistic career

Which of Verdi's opera was among the first tragic operas to be set in present time (rather than the past)?

La traviata

Two operas from Verdi's early period

- Oberto (debut opera)

- Nabucco

Two operas from Verdi's middle period

- Rigoletto

- La traviata

Two operas from Verdi's late period

- Fallstaff

- Othello

In general, how are the Romantic Italian operas and German operas different from each other? (How do composers express differently by using different devices)

Italian - Bel canto style, cantabile, cabaletta, roots in opera buffa and seria - emphasis on the voice

German - leitmotiv, Gesamtkunstwerk, roots in singspiel - uniting the music and the text, increasingly chromatic harmony, use of orchestral color for dramatic expression, emphasis on inner voices.

Who was the first representational Romantic German opera composer?

Carl Maria von Weber

Who composed the German romantic opera Der Freischütz?

Carl Maria von Weber

What is a melodrama?

a genre of musical theater that combines spoken dialogue with background music.

Which composer was first associated with leitmotiv? What is leitmotiv?

- Wagner

- is the "leading motive"

- can be recognized from the words to which it is first sung or from its being played by the orchestra at the first appearance or mention of the subject and by its repetition during subsequent appearances or references.

- Gains more significance as it reoccurs in new contexts

Which composer was first associated with Gesamtkunstwerk? What is it?

- Wagner

- means "united artwork"

- His vision of a new union of music and dramatic text

- Poetry, scenic design, staging, action and music work together to create this

What is the title of Wagner's opera cycle (in German)? List the four operas in order (in German).

- Der Ring des Nibelungen

- Das Rheingold

- Die Walküre

- Siegfried

- Götterdämmerung

In addition to the Ring cycle, name 3 other operas by Wagner

- Tristan und Isolde

- Rienzi

- Der fliegende Holländer

- (extra) Tannhäuser

In which location did Wagner start his opera festival?

Bayreuth, Germany

Which four notes make "the Tristan chord"?

F-B-D#-G#

How are the distinctive roles of text and music different in Wagner's opera (inner and outer aspects)?

Role of text: outer aspect, the events and situations that further the action and give names to the feelings and experiences suggested by the music.

Role of music: inner aspect, the core of the drama.

Which composers belong to the "more conservative" circle?

- Mendelssohn

- Roberts Schumann

- Clara Schumann

- Brahms

Which composers belong to the "more progressive" circle?

- Liszt

- Wagner

Of the "more conservative" and "more progressive" groups, which is considered as "the New German School"?

The progressives

How do the conservatives and progressives view Beethoven differently? And how are the types of music they compose generally different from each other?

- Conservatives looked at Bach and Beethoven as the peak, and will never be surpassed.

- Progressives thought Beethoven was just the beginning, a starting point of sorts

What are "program music" and "absolute music" and how are they different from each other?

- Program music: having something, like a theme, that ties the music together - progressive's style

- Absolute music: music for music's sake - conservative's style

Which violin virtuoso did Franz Liszt look up to? And which are the works which he has transcribed by this person?

- Niccolo Paganini

- transcribed 4 of his solo violin Caprices and La Campanella

What are some of the concert traditions started by Liszt?

- invented the modern piano recital; one artist playing a variety of selections from a variety of composers.

- placing the piano sideways on stage so the audience could see both his face and hands.

Who was Liszt's piano teacher, and who was his teacher's teacher?

He studied piano with Carl Czerny, whose teacher was Beethoven

Where did Liszt serve as a court music director?

Weimar

Which opera by Wagner did Liszt premiere?

Lohengrin

Besides opera, how are Liszt and Wagner related family wise?

One of Liszt's children, Marie d'Agoult, married Wagner

Which of Liszt's pieces requires the two hands brave treacherous leaps over each other to pick out a floating pentatonic tune. The notation makes it look as though the pianist needs three hands, but the bottom staff is played with the left hand, the middle with the right, and the top with whichever hand is free at the time?

Trois études de concert (three concert etudes)

Liszt's Sonata in B minor was modeled after which work by which composer?

Inspired by Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasie

How many movement(s) are in Liszt's Sonata in B minor, and what is so special about the structure of this work?

The work has 4 movements, but they are played straight through without a pause.

According to the textbook, in which particular orchestral work did Liszt demonstrate the idea of "thematic transformation"?

Les Préludes

Name two oratorios by Liszt.

- St Elisabeth

- Christus

How many symphonies did Bruckner compose?

9 numbered symphonies + 2 unnumbered symphonies

What is Bruckner's primary instrument?

Organ

Name three important motets by Bruckner as mentioned in lecture.

- Christus factus est, WAB 11(1886)

- Virga Jesse, WAB 52(1896)

- Os Justi, WAB 30(1879)

Which of Bruckner's compositions was a unique neo-medieval work for eight part chorus and fifteen wind instruments?

Mass No.2 in E Minor (1866)

In addition, name another sacred piece by Bruckner mentioned in class, written for voices and full orchestra.

Te Deum (1885)

How was Bruckner as a person relate to him as a musician?

- described as a "half genius, half simpleton." - Was a genius in music but not in person

Brahms' opus 118, as mentioned in class, is a?

- collection of six solo pieces for piano

- dedicated to Clara Schumann,

- was Brahms second to last (penultimate) published work

How many chamber music works did Brahms compose, and which of these, as mentioned in class, demonstrate the use of "developing variations"?

- 24 chamber works

- Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor Op. 34(1864)

How many symphonies did Brahms compose?

4 symphonies

How many years did it take for Brahms to write his first symphony?

20 years.

What is the key scheme of his first symphony, and how is it related to Schubert, Liszt, and Beethoven?

- C Minor-E Major-Aa major/Bmajor-Cminor/major; - Schubert, Liszt, and Beethoven used the major-third relation and shift between minor and major.

- Beethoven uses this scheme in his 5th symphony, which begins in C minor and ends in C major as a way to show struggle in the beginning and ending in a more triumphant manner.

The fourth movement of Brahms' first symphony assimilates which of Beethoven's work?

The Finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Brahms was a very close friend to which couple?

The Schumanns

What compositional technique does Brahms use in the final movement of his fourth symphony, and from which work (and whom) did he draw inspiration from?

- Chaconne, a seventeenth-century form that reflects Brahms’s fascination with Baroque music.

- It is a set of variations on an ostinato bass as well as on a harmonic pattern.

- Brahms adapted the bass from the final chorus of Bach’s Cantata 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (For thee, O Lord, I long)

Name the most famous choral-orchestral work composed by Brahms.

A German Requiem

How many movements are there in Brahms' Requiem?

8

Brahms's Requiem is also called "A German Requiem", "A Human Requiem", or "Requiem for the Living". But why is it called "A German Requiem"? How is it different from the traditional requiems?

It is called "A German Requiem" because the text of the requiem itself is not from the liturgy of the Latin Requiem, but instead is from passages in German chosen by Brahms from the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament.

Who founded the Moscow Conservatory?

- Anton's brother, Nikolay Rubinstein, founded the Moscow Conservatory with the same goal as his brother in St. Petersburg -- to help with musical training during the westernization period of Russia

Who founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory?

- Anton Rubinstein founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862 to help with musical training during the westernization period of Russia in the mid-19th century following the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II.

How do the Moscow and St. Petersburg conservatories contribute to the music tradition in Russia? And how is Tchaikovsky related to them?

- The founding of these two institutions resulted in an overall increase in the standards of Russian music.

- Led to a strong tradition of Russian composers, pianists, violinists, and others that continues to this day.

- Tchaikovsky was a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory

What are the three ballets by Tchaikovsky?

- Swan Lake (1876)

- The Sleeping Beauty (1889)

- The Nutcracker (1892)

What are the two operas by Tchaikovsky?

- Eugene Onegin (1879)

- The Queen of Spades (1890)

How many symphonies and piano concertos did Tchaikovsky compose?

- 6 Symphonies

- 3 piano concertos

What is the nickname for Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony?

Pathetique

Name the wealthy widow who supported Tchaikovsky for 13 years, but they never met.

Nadezhda von Meck

What are the nicknames for Smetana's String Quartet No. 1 and the cycle of his six symphonic poems?

- String Quartet No. 1 - "From my Life"

- Cycle of six symphonic poems - "Ma vlast"

How many symphonies did Dvorak compose, and what is the nickname of the ninth symphony? Why this nickname?

- 9 symphonies

- Symphony No. 9 used the nickname "From the New World" because Dvorak consciously used themes from Native American melodies and African American spirituals

What musical elements did Dvorak use to achieve musical nationalism?

Dvorak used elements from Czech traditional music to achieve musical nationalism.

Which German composer strongly influenced Dvorak?

Johannes Brahms

What were Dvorak's connections to Russia and the United States?

- Dvorak was invited to become the artistic director of a musical academy in New York City in 1892

- Dvorak traveled to Russia via his friendship with Tchaikovsky

German: 🇩🇪

- Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)

- Carl Maria Von Weber (1786-1826)

- Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

- Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Austrian: 🇦🇹

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Hungarian: 🇭🇺

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Russian: 🇷🇺

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Bohemian/Czech: 🇨🇿

- Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

- Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Polish: 🇵🇱

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

French: 🇨🇵

- Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) - Georges Bizet

Italian: 🇮🇹

- Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

- Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)

- Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)

- Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)