Choral and Choral and Dramatic Music in Dramatic Music in

the Nineteenth the Nineteenth CenturyCentury

Choral Music“The oldest, truest, most beautiful organ of music, the origin to which our music owes its being, is the human voice.” Richard Wagner

Grew in popularity with the middle class Low cost Social outlet

Most popular genres were: Part songs (unaccompanied secular songs in 3 or 4

parts Oratorio—Dramatic composition based on a text of a

religious or serious character for solo voices, chorus and orchestra

Mass—Musical setting of the “service” of the Roman Catholic Church [including the Requiem Mass (for the Dead)]

Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem1868

Requiem (A Mass for the Dead) Meant to console the living Chose his own text from the Old and New

Testament: from the Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, and Ecclesiastes AND from Paul, Matthew, Peter, John, and Revelation

A German Requiem: FORM

Seven movements: One ---------------- Seven Two ---------------- Six Three ----------------- Five

FOUR AS CENTERPIECE “How Lovely is They Dwelling Place (from Psalm 84) ABACA (Rondo)

OperaOpera

Opera

Large-scale music drama that combines poetry, acting, scenery, and costumes with singing and instrumental music

Parts of the Opera

Overture (before the show) Solo arias (songs) Recitatives (speechlike)

Secco (dry) or accompanied Ensemble numbers (more than one person) Choruses (a whole bunch of people!) Libretto – The TEXT!

More than you want to know . . . but if you do, check out p. 170

Different “types of operas” from different countries Grand opera – serious, historical with spectacular

effects Opera comique – comical, with spoken dialogue Lyric opera – combination of the two above Singspiel – light, comical, with spoken dialogue Opera seria – serious Opera buffa -- comic

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Wrote 28 operas Requiem Extremely successful (Even held a political

seat in parliament) Aida (one of the most

famous) Rigoletto (another)

A Little Rigoletto

The Duke Gilda – Jester’s Daughter (dies at the end!) Rigoletto – The Jester Sparafucile – An assasin Maddalena – Sparafucile’s sister

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)“Looms as the single most important phenomenon in the artistic life of the later 19th century.”

Revolutionary! Wrote literary works Gesamptkunstwerk -- A

total work of art unifying all elements

Music dramas (Not sectional, but continuous)

Leitmotifs – Motives that represent something or someone

Use of chromaticism THE RING OF THE

NIBELUNG

The Ring of the Nibelungen

Endless melody (continuous) Orchestra had a role Leitmotifs (suggested a character, an object,

a landscape, an emotion) A complete, complex story: a cycle of four

dramas The Valkyrie, Act III: Finale

The Ride of the Valkyries

http://www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/wagnervalkyries.html

Valkyrie

A Valkyrie is a corpse goddess, represented by the carrion-eating raven. The name in Old Norse, valkyrja, means literally, "chooser of the slain."

The leader of the Battle Valkryies was Brunehilde, made popular by Wagner in his music. Brunehilde answered to the goddess Freyja who is also the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty. The Valkyries also share the folkloric motif of the swan maidens , young girls who are able to take on the form of a swan. If you could capture and hold a swan maiden, or seize her feathered cloak, you could make her grant your wish.

The Valkyrie (Second in a cycle of 4) Finale of Act III

Wotan, father of the godsBrűnnhilde, his favorite daughter

Listen for continuation of music Chromatic 4 recurring themes (leitmotifs): slumber, magic

sleep, magic fire, and Siegfried