Ch. 17 Dramatic and Choral Music

Chapter 17 Dramatic and Choral Music A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-1 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Italy in the Early 19th Century: Rossini Gioacchino Rossini (1792–1868) enjoyed unquestioned preeminence in world of opera Helped establish style of Italian opera known as bel canto (“beautiful singing”) – lyrical melodic lines, legato phrasing, seemingly effortless vocal technique Il Barbiere di Siviglia (“The Barber of Seville,” 1816), integrates traditions of opera buffa into style of bel canto A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-2 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Italy at Midcentury: Verdi Composers devoted increasing attention to issues of dramatic integrity Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901): leading composer of Italian opera in middle of 19th century Key characteristics of new approach: dramatic realism, use of scena (scene) as unit of dramatic organization, dramatically justified virtuosity A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-3 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Italy at Midcentury: Verdi Dramatic realism – committed to idea of realism on stage and sought librettos of high literary quality Larger units of dramatic organization – extended spans of music and drama uninterrupted by scenery changes or obvious opportunities for applause Dramatically justified virtuosity – arias never interrupt flow of drama and always reflect nature of character A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-4 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Verdi. When preparing a new opera for production, Verdi’s attention to detail was legendary. He coached the singers, kept or had made copious notes on staging and scenery, and devoted great care to historical detail. A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-5 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Opera and Politics Influence of opera extended beyond music into realm of social and political expression Opera house was meeting place for socialites and businesspeople and a forum for often symbolic dramatization of political and moral ideas A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-6 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera France: Grand Opéra and Opéra Comique French opera divides into two broad categories, each with its own tradition 1) Grand opéra emphasized story lines from historical subjects and typically featured lavish stage designs, ballets, and large choral numbers Long in duration, usually five acts, sung in French, written by composers from across Continent (Rossini, Meyerbeer) A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-7 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera France: Grand Opéra and Opéra Comique 2) Opéra comique: not always comic, allowed for spoken dialogue, placed less emphasis on ballet, stage design, crowd scenes Composers: Gounod, Bizet, Massenet A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-8 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Germany: Weber to Wagner Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) caused a sensation in 1821 with Der Freischütz Electrifying combination of music and special effects Folklike arias, choruses, dance scenes Inspired next generation of German composers to write stage works in native tongue A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-9 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera Germany: Weber to Wagner Richard Wagner (1813–1883) – most important of Weber’s successors Committed to making opera more dramatically realistic Approach differed radically from that of any other figure in history of genre: integrate drama and music in a way that was advantageous of both A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-10 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera The Elements of Wagnerian Music Drama Wagner summarized his approach with the term Gesamtkunstwerk (“total art work”) Drama acted on stage could be treated as visible and verbal manifestation of drama acted by instruments of orchestra Should be able to follow course of music drama through music alone, by tracing fate of various musical ideas or Leitmotivs A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-11 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera The Elements of Wagnerian Music Drama Leitmotiv (“leading motive”) – brief musical idea connected to some person, event, or idea in a Wagnerian music drama Leitmotiv is musical figure capable of growth, development, transformation Leitmotivs are sometimes sung but more often appear in orchestra alone A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-12 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera The Elements of Wagnerian Music Drama Wagner’s shift of melodic elements from voice to orchestra allowed characters on stage to sing in a declamatory manner that lay between aria and recitative This allowed words to come through with clarity A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-13 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Cross-section of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. In addition to writing his own librettos and music, Wagner designed his own theater. The design puts most of the orchestra beneath the stage. This ingenious device brings the audience closer to the stage. A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-14 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Opera The Elements of Wagnerian Music Drama Wrote his own librettos Avoided distinctions between verse and prose in librettos Librettos in free poetic style avoided suggestion of metrical (as well as melodic and musical) regularity “Endless melody” kept music moving from beginning to end of an act, leaving audience no opportunity to applaud in between A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-15 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Operetta Form of musical theater operated on a smaller scale than opera Mixed spoken dialogue with sung numbers. Subject matter was humorous and lighthearted Likely performed in vernacular Grew out of tradition of songs with plays Mozart, Johann Strauss, Jacques Offenbach, Arthur Sullivan A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-16 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Choral Music Composers and publishers found a ready market for secular choral music Often written for amateur small choruses Settings of Mass grew considerably in length Oratorio flourished – combined large choruses, solo arias, solo ensembles, recitative Caecilian movement – sought to restore Gregorian chant and style of 16th-century a cappella polyphony as ideals of church music A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 17-17 © 2014 Education, Inc. By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458