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Chapter 20 Romantic Opera.pptx

This document provides an overview of opera and music drama in the 19th century. It discusses the roles and popularity of opera, the development of bel canto singing, the rise of nationalism in opera, and the growth of grand opera in France led by composers like Meyerbeer. Italian opera of the early century is described, focused on Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. Verdi emerges as the dominant later figure in Italian opera, developing the art form with works like Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida, and Otello. German opera before Wagner is also briefly touched on.

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Opera and Music Drama in the Nineteenth Century 20 Chapter
Golden Age of Opera: 1800-1850
Opera in the Romantic Era The Roles of Opera • new opera theaters erected all over western Europe • Houses run for profit by an impresario (the opera house business manager) • backed by government funding or private support • attended by upper and middle classes • opera throughout elite and popular culture • excerpts and complete scores published, voice and piano • performed in salons by amateurs at home • selections transcribed for piano • overtures and arias on concert programs
19th Century Opera singers • focus on Italian Bel Canto technique • bel canto = beautiful singing in Italian • Ornate and elegant operatic singing style of 19th century Italy • Embellished melodies • Described as a “circus act” in the business • Takes a lifetime to learn! • Many musical elements are implied by tradition (fermatas on high notes, rubato) • Began with Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti • Star Opera singers paid more than composers • Female Stars – Jenny Lind, Pauline Viardot, and many more! Opera in the Romantic Era
Nationalism • French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars: spread concept of a nation • unified group of people, national identity through shared characteristics • intentionally created; social and political goals • nation and state • foundation for unification: common language, literature, music, other arts • presence of national elements in opera • use of exoticism, evocation of a foreign land or culture Opera in the Romantic Era
French Grand Opera ◦ Opera remained most prestigious genre throughout nineteenth century ◦ French opera under Napoleon ◦ since late seventeenth century, opera centered in Paris, shaped by politics ◦ Napoleon restricted theaters, only three presented operas ◦ the Opéra: focused on tragedy, most prestigious ◦ Opéra-Comique: operas with spoken dialogue, many with serious plots ◦ Théâtre Italien: operas in Italian ◦ other Paris theaters featured variety of stage works ◦ defeat of Napoleon, monarchy restored ◦ government sponsorship for the Opéra continued; 1821, new theater built ◦ Théâtre Italien: operas by Rossini
French Grand Opera
• Grand opera = serious opera, sung throughout, with spectacular staging, sets, ballets and large choruses • designed to appeal to newly well-to-do middle class • spectacle as important as music • librettos on romantic love, context of historical conflicts • ballets, stage machinery, choruses, crowd scenes • early examples: Rossini’s Guillaume Tell French Grand Opera
Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864) • librettist and composer: leader of grand opera • Robert le diable (Robert the Devil, 1831), Les Huguenots (1836) • defined new genre of grand opera, set pattern for musical treatment • Les Huguenots 1836 • five acts, enormous cast, ballet, dramatic scenery and lighting effects • St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572 • new view of history, influenced by 1789 and 1830 revolutions • closing scene of Act II • deep personal feelings with crowd scenes, public ceremonies • impact of grand opera • Meyerbeer’s approach admired and emulated • genre spread to Germany, London, and elsewhere • profound influence on Richard Wagner French Grand Opera
Berlioz, Les Troyens/The Trojans (1856–58) • five-act opera, libretto by Berlioz based on Virgil’s Aeneid • drew on grand opera and French opera tradition • “epic opera”: story of a nation, passions of individual characters • 4 hours long!!! • Cassandre - ’s aria • Cassandre calls upon the Trojan women to join her in death, to prevent being defiled by the invading Greeks. A group of women unite with Cassandre to die. Greek soldiers come and Cassandre defiantly mocks them, then suddenly stabs herself. The remaining women scorn the Greeks and commit mass suicide. French Grand Opera
• Opéra comique • spoken dialogue instead of recitative • less pretentious than grand opera, fewer singers and players • Straight-forward comedy or serious drama • Ballet • Romantic ballet introduced by Marie Taglioni (1804–1884) • performed in Paris, London, St. Petersburg • helped establish ballet tradition in Russia • music composed after choreography French Grand Opera
• Exoticism – evoking feelings and settings from distant lands or foreign cultures • Realism – depicting reality of everyday life, including common people and their concerns • several operas exploited interest in exoticism in France • French composers used exoticism during the 19th century • Bizet’s Carmen (premiered at Opéra-Comique, 1875) • originally classified as opéra-comique • exoticism and realism combined • set in Spain, Spanish flavor embodied in Carmen • Carmen: character outside normal society, dangerous and enticing • « L’amour est un oiseau rebelle » (Love is a rebellious bird) • three authentic Spanish melodies • rhythm of Cuban dance Bizet’s Carmen and Exoticism
• Opera invented and popularized in Italy • more opera houses than any other region • forty or more new operas produced every year • dozens of composers wrote operas • Classics of Italian opera • Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti were performed throughout Italy and other nations • most famous arias became popular tunes • by midcentury, these operas were part of core repertory, staged repeatedly Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) one of the most popular and influential composers of his generation • born in Pesaro, Italy • 1806 entered Bologna Conservatory • 1810, first opera commission • 1815, musical director of Teatro San Carlo in Naples • 1824, director of Théâtre Italien in Paris • retired at age forty, disappeared from operatic scene • major works: 39 operas, including Tancredi, L’italiana in Algeri, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Otello, La Cenerentola, Mosè in Egitto; Stabat mater, Petite messe solennelle, other sacred vocal works; smaller vocal and instrumental pieces Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Rossini’s Operas • best known today for his comic operas • reputation during his lifetime rested on serious operas • blended opera buffa and opera seria • bel canto singing style (Beautiful Singing) • elegant, effortless technique, agility, flexibility, control • long lyrical lines, florid embellishment • general style • catchy melodies, snappy rhythms, clear phrases • coloratura melodies, vocal display, expressivity, depiction of character • spare orchestration supports singers – all about the voice Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
• Rossini’s The Barber of Seville/Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1816) • Premiered in Rome, Italy • opera buffa with bel canto tradition • chaotic plot: secret messages, drunken brawls, mistaken identity • Una voce poco fa • Rosina’s entrance aria (cavatina) • conveys character through changes of style • cantabile: appropriate to narration, comic patter, elaborate embellishments • cabaletta: reveals Rosina’s true nature; vocal leaps, rapid passage work • masterful combination of bel canto melody, wit, comic description Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Rossini’s serious operas • wider range in delineating characters, capturing situations, conveying emotions • Guillaume Tell (1829) (William Tell) • written for the Paris Opéra; over 500 performances during composer’s lifetime • a new kind of tenor - Gilbert Duprez (1806–1896), high C in full voice (chest voice), Guillaume Tell, Paris, 1837 • first time on operatic stage • composers wrote for his type of voice • timely theme of rebellion; subjected to censorship • choruses, ensembles, dances, processions, atmospheric instrumental interludes; • founding example of French grand opera Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Rossini’s Opera Overtures • gems of the orchestral repertoire • Guillaume Tell overture/William Tell Overture • musical depiction of a storm Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) • Born in Catania, Italy (Sicily) • came to prominence after Rossini retired • dramas of passion, fast, gripping action • action built into arias; lyrical moments in recitatives • long, sweeping, highly embellished, intensely emotional melodies • ten serious operas include: • La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker, 1831) • Norma (1831) • “Casta diva” (“Chaste goddess”) from Norma, aria - cavatina • subject reflected fascination with distant times, Italian yearnings for freedom • vocal line: constant motion, deeply expressive, unpredictable • follows Rossini’s scene pattern • chorus plays important role, creates continuous action • I puritani (The Puritans, 1835) Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) • Major works: oratorios, cantatas, chamber and church music, 100 songs, several symphonies, 70 operas • most enduring works: • serious operas: Anna Bolena (Milan, 1830) Lucia di Lammermoor (Naples, 1835) • opéra comique: La fille du regiment (Paris, 1840) – French Comic Opera • buffo operas: L’elisir d’amore (Milan, 1832), Don Pasquale (Paris 1843) – Italian comic opera • melodies capture character, situation, or feeling • constantly moves drama forward, sustained dramatic tension Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) • based on novel by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) • set among Scottish highlands, culture fascinated Romantics • “mad scene” in last act, unbroken flow of events, numerous entrances and tempo changes • flexible adaptation of Rossini’s scene structure; model for Giuseppe Verdi Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
Verdi’s Operatic Tradition The Late Italian style
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)  1813 – Born in Northern Italy  Studied in Milan privately after being rejected from the conservatory  1838 – Commissioned to write operas in Milan  1842 Nabucco launched him as star composer, next eleven years busiest of his career  1845 – Fame and Success in Italy  His operas were mainstream, not “extreme” like Wagner  Opera as business, unlike Wagner’s view  memorable melodies moved the general public  Nationalism and Politics  Verdi supported, identified with Italian Risorgimento  camouflaged patriotic messages in historical dramas  oppressed characters and tyrants, operas of 1840s
Verdi’s Major Works  dominant figure in Italian music for fifty years after Donizetti  major works: 26 operas, including Nabucco, Macbeth, Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata, Les vépres siciliennes, Simon Boccanegra, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Aida, Otello, and Falstaff; Requiem and other Latin sacred choral works, and two volumes of songs
Verdi’s Approach to Opera • operas are works of theater • vivid characterization, sharp contrasts, fluid and concise dramatic and musical structure • captures characters, feeling, situations in memorable melodies • easy to follow, regular phrasing, plain harmony • Librettos of Shakespeare and others • fast action, striking contrasts, unusual characters, strong emotional situations • focused on tragic plots • wrote with singers in mind • singers subordinate to composer and the work • took more time to compose • better paid for each new opera • improved copyright laws, royalty income • sales from published scores • Used conventions of Rossini, Bellini, and especially
Verdi’s Operatic Style  Memorable operatic melodies  Bel Canto ideals of “beautiful singing”  Double aria form  Cavatina – slow first movement  Cabaletta – faster second movement  Recitative  Verdi focused less on the recitative as dialogue (unlike Mozart and other opera composers)  Ensembles  Ensembles become the vehicle for
 Premiered in Venice at Teatro alla Fenice - 1851  Libretto in Italian based on Victor Hugo’s play Le roi s’amuse (The King amuses himself)  Set in 16th century Northern Italy  Cast of Main Characters  Duke of Mantua (tenor), seducer of women  Rigoletto (baritone), the Duke’s court Jester  Gilda (soprano), Rigoletto’s secret daughter  Sparafucile (bass), the assassin  Maddalena (contralto), the assassin’s sister Verdi’s Rigoletto 1851
Verdi’s Rigoletto 1851  Musical characterization, dramatic unity, melodic invention  central characters delineated by contrasting styles  Rigoletto, declamatory arioso style • Duke of Mantua, tuneful arias • Gilda, moves between two extremes • “La donna è mobile,” Duke’s charming aria • waltz rhythm, makes him seem irresistible • Quartet from Act III, four characters sing different styles • Duke: seductive, lyrical song • Maddalena: coquettish laughs • Gilda: dramatic style • Rigoletto: arioso style
Verdi’s La Traviata (1853) La traviata • one of first tragic operas set in the present • setting and subject, link opera to realism • focus on singing, drama most important, composer in control • cadenzas written out • stark contrasts, strong emotions, catchy melodies • Plot – • Violetta – a famous courtesan • Alfredo – a bourgeois from a rich family • Alfredo fallas for Violetta, they have a relationship, but then separate • She falls ill with tuberculosis • He rushes back to her, but it’s too late, she dies in his arms • Violetta, Alfredo, and Chorus (Duet with Chorus) Brindisi « Libiamo » • Violetta’s death aria « Addio del passato »
Verdi’s Later Operas • Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball; Rome, 1859) • La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny, 1862, revised 1869) • Aida (1871) • Otello (1884; produced in Milan, 1887) • Falstaff (Milan, 1893) • scenes from Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV • opera buffa, ensemble transformed • comedy speeds to climaxes in finales • culminates in a fugue for entire cast
Viva Verdi! Verdi’s reception • phenomenal success in his lifetime • by 1850s, operas performed more often than any other Italian composer and revived in twentieth century • more operas in permanent repertory than any other composer • 1859 Verdi’s name becomes associated with the Italian Nationalist Movement • He becomes a national hero for the rest of his life • 1896 Verdi starts building a home for retired musicians • 1901 Verdi dies, Italy mourns
Viva Verdi!
• Interaction between music and literature developed fully • Singspiel root of German opera • elements from French opera • intensified genre’s specific national features Semper Opera in Dresden, Germany German Opera before Wagner
Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) • German Opera Composer • Der Freischütz (The Free Shooter, first performed in Berlin, 1821) • established German Romantic opera • plots drawn from medieval history, legend, fairy tale • supernatural incidents intertwined with human protagonists • triumph of good is form of salvation, redemption • importance to physical and spiritual background • musical styles and forms draw directly from other countries • folklike melodies, distinctly German element • more equal role for the orchestra; use of chromatic harmony, orchestral colors German Opera before Wagner
Weber’s Der Freischütz 1821 • Wolf’s Glen Scene (finale of Act II) • elements of melodrama, spoken dialogue with background music casting of bullets exploits resources of orchestra • Setting by Carl Wilhelm Holdermann for the Wolf’s Glen Scene in Weber’s Der Freischütz as performed at Weimar in 1822. In the magic circle, Caspar casts the magic bullets, while Max looks around with growing alarm at the frightening apparitions aroused by each bullet cast. German Opera before Wagner
Nationalism, Exoticism, & Authenticity • Cultural Nationalism - Germany and Italy, sense of nationhood  national identity through the arts • Nationalism in music - composers cultivated melodic, harmonic styles associated with their own ethnic group (i.e. the use of native folk songs and dances) • Authenticity - search for independent native voice important in Russia • European traditions felt as a threat to homegrown musical creativity • national style, sign of authenticity, core personality • Exoticism - Cultures and sounds of foreign lands were attractive to some parts of Europe (France) • borrowed actual melodies, stylistic features • common in later nineteenth century
Richard Wagner (1813–1883) • One of the most influential musicians of ALL time • born in Leipzig, Germany • early 1830s, began writing operas; positions with regional opera companies • 1848–49 fled Germany and settled in Switzerland, wrote his most important essays • 1864, support from King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad Ludwig) • 1870, married Cosima von Bülow, daughter of Franz Liszt • major works: thirteen operas, notably Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Parsifal
Wagner’s Writings • Writings and ideas • The Artwork of the Future (1850), Opera and Drama (1851, revised 1868) - saw himself as Beethoven’s true successor • Gesamtkunstwerk (total or collective artwork) • absolute oneness of drama and music • vision of new union, music and dramatic text called music drama • called his works opera, drama, or Bühnenfestspiel (Stage Festival) • core of drama is in the music • orchestra conveys inner aspects of the characters and the scenes • sung words articulate outer aspect • traditional hierarchy reversed • orchestral web is chief factor, vocal lines part of musical texture • other writings address literature, drama, political moral topics • Gesamtkunstwerk could help reform society • art not undertaken for profit • controversial views on nationalism, anti-Semitism
Wagner’s Early Operas Wagner’s Early operas • Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman, 1843), tradition of Weber • libretto by Wagner • based on Germanic legend • hero redeemed through unselfish love of heroine • themes from overture recur throughout
• Lohengrin (1850) • medieval legend, German folklore • suffused with nationalism, aspiring to universality • recurring themes further developed • Overture to Act I is popular and played alone on orchestral concerts still WAGNER’S EARLY OPERAS
Wagner’s Ring Cycle • The Ring Cycle - cycle of four operas, librettos by Wagner • Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) • Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold, 1857) • Die Walkürie (The Valkyrie, 1857) • Siegfried (1874) • Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods, 1874) • stories from medieval German epic poems, Nordic legends • love, people’s willingness to abandon it for worldly ends • gold “ring” from the river Rhine brings limitless power to wearer • curse placed on the ring, brings wearer misery and death • curse is fulfilled in course of the four dramas • Rhine maidens reclaim the ring
Rhine maidens in the 1876 Bayreuth premiere of the Ring cycle were each held up and moved about by a machine that gave the illusion that they were swimming beneath the Rhine. The watery set and stage effect matched the wave-like music Wagner wrote for them. WAGNER’S RING CYCLE
Wagner’s Bayreuth Festspielhaus
■ Wagner’s Opera House • first complete performance of the Ring Cycle was here • theater built to Wagner’s specifications • orchestra was larger, louder  singers needed more powerful, intense voices WAGNER’S BAYREUTH FESTSPIELHAUS
Wagner’s Ring Cycle • the Leitmotif (leading motive) • later dramas organized around numerous themes, motives • each associated with particular character, thing, event, or emotion • first appearance of the leitmotif and repetition establish association • may recall an object, object itself not present • varied, developed, transformed as plot develops • unify scene or opera through repetition • characterized by particular instruments, registers, harmonies, keys • complete correspondence between leitmotives and dramatic action
Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde • Tristan und Isolde (1857–59) • Beginning of the move away from common tonality and the beginning of the Modern Era in Western Classical Music • Prelude Act I • desire, inexpressible yearning: chromatic harmony, delayed resolutions • first chord (F–B–D#–G#), “the Tristan chord” • four successive dissonant sonorities “resolve” into dissonance • Night and Day metaphor for Death and Life • Tristan and Isolde can only be together during the night/death • music as secular religion • plot as backdrop to musical manifestation of character’s inner emotions • Tristan und Isolde, monument of music as secular religion
Richard Wagner (1813–1883) • Wagner’s influence • more written about Wagner than any other musician • operas as drama affected virtually all later opera • use of leitmotives imitated by many composers • standard practice for film and television music • many musicians became Wagnerians • “Wagnerism” term used from politics to aesthetics

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Chapter 20 Romantic Opera.pptx

  • 1.
    Opera and MusicDrama in the Nineteenth Century 20 Chapter
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Opera in theRomantic Era The Roles of Opera • new opera theaters erected all over western Europe • Houses run for profit by an impresario (the opera house business manager) • backed by government funding or private support • attended by upper and middle classes • opera throughout elite and popular culture • excerpts and complete scores published, voice and piano • performed in salons by amateurs at home • selections transcribed for piano • overtures and arias on concert programs
  • 4.
    19th Century Operasingers • focus on Italian Bel Canto technique • bel canto = beautiful singing in Italian • Ornate and elegant operatic singing style of 19th century Italy • Embellished melodies • Described as a “circus act” in the business • Takes a lifetime to learn! • Many musical elements are implied by tradition (fermatas on high notes, rubato) • Began with Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti • Star Opera singers paid more than composers • Female Stars – Jenny Lind, Pauline Viardot, and many more! Opera in the Romantic Era
  • 5.
    Nationalism • French Revolution,Napoleonic Wars: spread concept of a nation • unified group of people, national identity through shared characteristics • intentionally created; social and political goals • nation and state • foundation for unification: common language, literature, music, other arts • presence of national elements in opera • use of exoticism, evocation of a foreign land or culture Opera in the Romantic Era
  • 6.
    French Grand Opera ◦Opera remained most prestigious genre throughout nineteenth century ◦ French opera under Napoleon ◦ since late seventeenth century, opera centered in Paris, shaped by politics ◦ Napoleon restricted theaters, only three presented operas ◦ the Opéra: focused on tragedy, most prestigious ◦ Opéra-Comique: operas with spoken dialogue, many with serious plots ◦ Théâtre Italien: operas in Italian ◦ other Paris theaters featured variety of stage works ◦ defeat of Napoleon, monarchy restored ◦ government sponsorship for the Opéra continued; 1821, new theater built ◦ Théâtre Italien: operas by Rossini
  • 7.
  • 8.
    • Grand opera= serious opera, sung throughout, with spectacular staging, sets, ballets and large choruses • designed to appeal to newly well-to-do middle class • spectacle as important as music • librettos on romantic love, context of historical conflicts • ballets, stage machinery, choruses, crowd scenes • early examples: Rossini’s Guillaume Tell French Grand Opera
  • 9.
    Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864) •librettist and composer: leader of grand opera • Robert le diable (Robert the Devil, 1831), Les Huguenots (1836) • defined new genre of grand opera, set pattern for musical treatment • Les Huguenots 1836 • five acts, enormous cast, ballet, dramatic scenery and lighting effects • St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572 • new view of history, influenced by 1789 and 1830 revolutions • closing scene of Act II • deep personal feelings with crowd scenes, public ceremonies • impact of grand opera • Meyerbeer’s approach admired and emulated • genre spread to Germany, London, and elsewhere • profound influence on Richard Wagner French Grand Opera
  • 10.
    Berlioz, Les Troyens/TheTrojans (1856–58) • five-act opera, libretto by Berlioz based on Virgil’s Aeneid • drew on grand opera and French opera tradition • “epic opera”: story of a nation, passions of individual characters • 4 hours long!!! • Cassandre - ’s aria • Cassandre calls upon the Trojan women to join her in death, to prevent being defiled by the invading Greeks. A group of women unite with Cassandre to die. Greek soldiers come and Cassandre defiantly mocks them, then suddenly stabs herself. The remaining women scorn the Greeks and commit mass suicide. French Grand Opera
  • 11.
    • Opéra comique •spoken dialogue instead of recitative • less pretentious than grand opera, fewer singers and players • Straight-forward comedy or serious drama • Ballet • Romantic ballet introduced by Marie Taglioni (1804–1884) • performed in Paris, London, St. Petersburg • helped establish ballet tradition in Russia • music composed after choreography French Grand Opera
  • 12.
    • Exoticism –evoking feelings and settings from distant lands or foreign cultures • Realism – depicting reality of everyday life, including common people and their concerns • several operas exploited interest in exoticism in France • French composers used exoticism during the 19th century • Bizet’s Carmen (premiered at Opéra-Comique, 1875) • originally classified as opéra-comique • exoticism and realism combined • set in Spain, Spanish flavor embodied in Carmen • Carmen: character outside normal society, dangerous and enticing • « L’amour est un oiseau rebelle » (Love is a rebellious bird) • three authentic Spanish melodies • rhythm of Cuban dance Bizet’s Carmen and Exoticism
  • 13.
    • Opera inventedand popularized in Italy • more opera houses than any other region • forty or more new operas produced every year • dozens of composers wrote operas • Classics of Italian opera • Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti were performed throughout Italy and other nations • most famous arias became popular tunes • by midcentury, these operas were part of core repertory, staged repeatedly Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 14.
    Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) oneof the most popular and influential composers of his generation • born in Pesaro, Italy • 1806 entered Bologna Conservatory • 1810, first opera commission • 1815, musical director of Teatro San Carlo in Naples • 1824, director of Théâtre Italien in Paris • retired at age forty, disappeared from operatic scene • major works: 39 operas, including Tancredi, L’italiana in Algeri, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Otello, La Cenerentola, Mosè in Egitto; Stabat mater, Petite messe solennelle, other sacred vocal works; smaller vocal and instrumental pieces Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 15.
    Rossini’s Operas • bestknown today for his comic operas • reputation during his lifetime rested on serious operas • blended opera buffa and opera seria • bel canto singing style (Beautiful Singing) • elegant, effortless technique, agility, flexibility, control • long lyrical lines, florid embellishment • general style • catchy melodies, snappy rhythms, clear phrases • coloratura melodies, vocal display, expressivity, depiction of character • spare orchestration supports singers – all about the voice Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 16.
    • Rossini’s TheBarber of Seville/Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1816) • Premiered in Rome, Italy • opera buffa with bel canto tradition • chaotic plot: secret messages, drunken brawls, mistaken identity • Una voce poco fa • Rosina’s entrance aria (cavatina) • conveys character through changes of style • cantabile: appropriate to narration, comic patter, elaborate embellishments • cabaletta: reveals Rosina’s true nature; vocal leaps, rapid passage work • masterful combination of bel canto melody, wit, comic description Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 17.
    Rossini’s serious operas •wider range in delineating characters, capturing situations, conveying emotions • Guillaume Tell (1829) (William Tell) • written for the Paris Opéra; over 500 performances during composer’s lifetime • a new kind of tenor - Gilbert Duprez (1806–1896), high C in full voice (chest voice), Guillaume Tell, Paris, 1837 • first time on operatic stage • composers wrote for his type of voice • timely theme of rebellion; subjected to censorship • choruses, ensembles, dances, processions, atmospheric instrumental interludes; • founding example of French grand opera Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 18.
    Rossini’s Opera Overtures •gems of the orchestral repertoire • Guillaume Tell overture/William Tell Overture • musical depiction of a storm Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 19.
    Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) •Born in Catania, Italy (Sicily) • came to prominence after Rossini retired • dramas of passion, fast, gripping action • action built into arias; lyrical moments in recitatives • long, sweeping, highly embellished, intensely emotional melodies • ten serious operas include: • La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker, 1831) • Norma (1831) • “Casta diva” (“Chaste goddess”) from Norma, aria - cavatina • subject reflected fascination with distant times, Italian yearnings for freedom • vocal line: constant motion, deeply expressive, unpredictable • follows Rossini’s scene pattern • chorus plays important role, creates continuous action • I puritani (The Puritans, 1835) Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 20.
    Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) •Major works: oratorios, cantatas, chamber and church music, 100 songs, several symphonies, 70 operas • most enduring works: • serious operas: Anna Bolena (Milan, 1830) Lucia di Lammermoor (Naples, 1835) • opéra comique: La fille du regiment (Paris, 1840) – French Comic Opera • buffo operas: L’elisir d’amore (Milan, 1832), Don Pasquale (Paris 1843) – Italian comic opera • melodies capture character, situation, or feeling • constantly moves drama forward, sustained dramatic tension Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) • based on novel by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) • set among Scottish highlands, culture fascinated Romantics • “mad scene” in last act, unbroken flow of events, numerous entrances and tempo changes • flexible adaptation of Rossini’s scene structure; model for Giuseppe Verdi Early Romantic Italian Opera (Bel Canto)
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) 1813 – Born in Northern Italy  Studied in Milan privately after being rejected from the conservatory  1838 – Commissioned to write operas in Milan  1842 Nabucco launched him as star composer, next eleven years busiest of his career  1845 – Fame and Success in Italy  His operas were mainstream, not “extreme” like Wagner  Opera as business, unlike Wagner’s view  memorable melodies moved the general public  Nationalism and Politics  Verdi supported, identified with Italian Risorgimento  camouflaged patriotic messages in historical dramas  oppressed characters and tyrants, operas of 1840s
  • 23.
    Verdi’s Major Works dominant figure in Italian music for fifty years after Donizetti  major works: 26 operas, including Nabucco, Macbeth, Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata, Les vépres siciliennes, Simon Boccanegra, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Aida, Otello, and Falstaff; Requiem and other Latin sacred choral works, and two volumes of songs
  • 24.
    Verdi’s Approach toOpera • operas are works of theater • vivid characterization, sharp contrasts, fluid and concise dramatic and musical structure • captures characters, feeling, situations in memorable melodies • easy to follow, regular phrasing, plain harmony • Librettos of Shakespeare and others • fast action, striking contrasts, unusual characters, strong emotional situations • focused on tragic plots • wrote with singers in mind • singers subordinate to composer and the work • took more time to compose • better paid for each new opera • improved copyright laws, royalty income • sales from published scores • Used conventions of Rossini, Bellini, and especially
  • 25.
    Verdi’s Operatic Style Memorable operatic melodies  Bel Canto ideals of “beautiful singing”  Double aria form  Cavatina – slow first movement  Cabaletta – faster second movement  Recitative  Verdi focused less on the recitative as dialogue (unlike Mozart and other opera composers)  Ensembles  Ensembles become the vehicle for
  • 26.
     Premiered inVenice at Teatro alla Fenice - 1851  Libretto in Italian based on Victor Hugo’s play Le roi s’amuse (The King amuses himself)  Set in 16th century Northern Italy  Cast of Main Characters  Duke of Mantua (tenor), seducer of women  Rigoletto (baritone), the Duke’s court Jester  Gilda (soprano), Rigoletto’s secret daughter  Sparafucile (bass), the assassin  Maddalena (contralto), the assassin’s sister Verdi’s Rigoletto 1851
  • 27.
    Verdi’s Rigoletto 1851 Musical characterization, dramatic unity, melodic invention  central characters delineated by contrasting styles  Rigoletto, declamatory arioso style • Duke of Mantua, tuneful arias • Gilda, moves between two extremes • “La donna è mobile,” Duke’s charming aria • waltz rhythm, makes him seem irresistible • Quartet from Act III, four characters sing different styles • Duke: seductive, lyrical song • Maddalena: coquettish laughs • Gilda: dramatic style • Rigoletto: arioso style
  • 28.
    Verdi’s La Traviata(1853) La traviata • one of first tragic operas set in the present • setting and subject, link opera to realism • focus on singing, drama most important, composer in control • cadenzas written out • stark contrasts, strong emotions, catchy melodies • Plot – • Violetta – a famous courtesan • Alfredo – a bourgeois from a rich family • Alfredo fallas for Violetta, they have a relationship, but then separate • She falls ill with tuberculosis • He rushes back to her, but it’s too late, she dies in his arms • Violetta, Alfredo, and Chorus (Duet with Chorus) Brindisi « Libiamo » • Violetta’s death aria « Addio del passato »
  • 29.
    Verdi’s Later Operas •Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball; Rome, 1859) • La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny, 1862, revised 1869) • Aida (1871) • Otello (1884; produced in Milan, 1887) • Falstaff (Milan, 1893) • scenes from Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV • opera buffa, ensemble transformed • comedy speeds to climaxes in finales • culminates in a fugue for entire cast
  • 30.
    Viva Verdi! Verdi’s reception •phenomenal success in his lifetime • by 1850s, operas performed more often than any other Italian composer and revived in twentieth century • more operas in permanent repertory than any other composer • 1859 Verdi’s name becomes associated with the Italian Nationalist Movement • He becomes a national hero for the rest of his life • 1896 Verdi starts building a home for retired musicians • 1901 Verdi dies, Italy mourns
  • 31.
  • 32.
    • Interaction betweenmusic and literature developed fully • Singspiel root of German opera • elements from French opera • intensified genre’s specific national features Semper Opera in Dresden, Germany German Opera before Wagner
  • 33.
    Carl Maria vonWeber (1786–1826) • German Opera Composer • Der Freischütz (The Free Shooter, first performed in Berlin, 1821) • established German Romantic opera • plots drawn from medieval history, legend, fairy tale • supernatural incidents intertwined with human protagonists • triumph of good is form of salvation, redemption • importance to physical and spiritual background • musical styles and forms draw directly from other countries • folklike melodies, distinctly German element • more equal role for the orchestra; use of chromatic harmony, orchestral colors German Opera before Wagner
  • 34.
    Weber’s Der Freischütz1821 • Wolf’s Glen Scene (finale of Act II) • elements of melodrama, spoken dialogue with background music casting of bullets exploits resources of orchestra • Setting by Carl Wilhelm Holdermann for the Wolf’s Glen Scene in Weber’s Der Freischütz as performed at Weimar in 1822. In the magic circle, Caspar casts the magic bullets, while Max looks around with growing alarm at the frightening apparitions aroused by each bullet cast. German Opera before Wagner
  • 35.
    Nationalism, Exoticism, &Authenticity • Cultural Nationalism - Germany and Italy, sense of nationhood  national identity through the arts • Nationalism in music - composers cultivated melodic, harmonic styles associated with their own ethnic group (i.e. the use of native folk songs and dances) • Authenticity - search for independent native voice important in Russia • European traditions felt as a threat to homegrown musical creativity • national style, sign of authenticity, core personality • Exoticism - Cultures and sounds of foreign lands were attractive to some parts of Europe (France) • borrowed actual melodies, stylistic features • common in later nineteenth century
  • 36.
    Richard Wagner (1813–1883) •One of the most influential musicians of ALL time • born in Leipzig, Germany • early 1830s, began writing operas; positions with regional opera companies • 1848–49 fled Germany and settled in Switzerland, wrote his most important essays • 1864, support from King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad Ludwig) • 1870, married Cosima von Bülow, daughter of Franz Liszt • major works: thirteen operas, notably Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Parsifal
  • 37.
    Wagner’s Writings • Writingsand ideas • The Artwork of the Future (1850), Opera and Drama (1851, revised 1868) - saw himself as Beethoven’s true successor • Gesamtkunstwerk (total or collective artwork) • absolute oneness of drama and music • vision of new union, music and dramatic text called music drama • called his works opera, drama, or Bühnenfestspiel (Stage Festival) • core of drama is in the music • orchestra conveys inner aspects of the characters and the scenes • sung words articulate outer aspect • traditional hierarchy reversed • orchestral web is chief factor, vocal lines part of musical texture • other writings address literature, drama, political moral topics • Gesamtkunstwerk could help reform society • art not undertaken for profit • controversial views on nationalism, anti-Semitism
  • 38.
    Wagner’s Early Operas Wagner’sEarly operas • Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman, 1843), tradition of Weber • libretto by Wagner • based on Germanic legend • hero redeemed through unselfish love of heroine • themes from overture recur throughout
  • 39.
    • Lohengrin (1850) •medieval legend, German folklore • suffused with nationalism, aspiring to universality • recurring themes further developed • Overture to Act I is popular and played alone on orchestral concerts still WAGNER’S EARLY OPERAS
  • 40.
    Wagner’s Ring Cycle •The Ring Cycle - cycle of four operas, librettos by Wagner • Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) • Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold, 1857) • Die Walkürie (The Valkyrie, 1857) • Siegfried (1874) • Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods, 1874) • stories from medieval German epic poems, Nordic legends • love, people’s willingness to abandon it for worldly ends • gold “ring” from the river Rhine brings limitless power to wearer • curse placed on the ring, brings wearer misery and death • curse is fulfilled in course of the four dramas • Rhine maidens reclaim the ring
  • 41.
    Rhine maidens inthe 1876 Bayreuth premiere of the Ring cycle were each held up and moved about by a machine that gave the illusion that they were swimming beneath the Rhine. The watery set and stage effect matched the wave-like music Wagner wrote for them. WAGNER’S RING CYCLE
  • 42.
  • 43.
    ■ Wagner’s OperaHouse • first complete performance of the Ring Cycle was here • theater built to Wagner’s specifications • orchestra was larger, louder  singers needed more powerful, intense voices WAGNER’S BAYREUTH FESTSPIELHAUS
  • 44.
    Wagner’s Ring Cycle •the Leitmotif (leading motive) • later dramas organized around numerous themes, motives • each associated with particular character, thing, event, or emotion • first appearance of the leitmotif and repetition establish association • may recall an object, object itself not present • varied, developed, transformed as plot develops • unify scene or opera through repetition • characterized by particular instruments, registers, harmonies, keys • complete correspondence between leitmotives and dramatic action
  • 45.
    Wagner’s Tristan undIsolde • Tristan und Isolde (1857–59) • Beginning of the move away from common tonality and the beginning of the Modern Era in Western Classical Music • Prelude Act I • desire, inexpressible yearning: chromatic harmony, delayed resolutions • first chord (F–B–D#–G#), “the Tristan chord” • four successive dissonant sonorities “resolve” into dissonance • Night and Day metaphor for Death and Life • Tristan and Isolde can only be together during the night/death • music as secular religion • plot as backdrop to musical manifestation of character’s inner emotions • Tristan und Isolde, monument of music as secular religion
  • 46.
    Richard Wagner (1813–1883) •Wagner’s influence • more written about Wagner than any other musician • operas as drama affected virtually all later opera • use of leitmotives imitated by many composers • standard practice for film and television music • many musicians became Wagnerians • “Wagnerism” term used from politics to aesthetics

Editor's Notes

  • #23 Verdi’s life and influence in Italy Background 1813 Born in small town in Northern Italy Studied music as a child Began playing organ for his church at age 9 Studied privately in Milan, after being rejected from the conservatory 1836 returned to his home town to work as a musician, also married Margherita Barezzi and started a family 1838 Soon commissioned to write operas for La Scala in Milan moves there officially in 1839 1840-1841 Family Crisis Death of young daughter, son and his young wife Led him not to compose during this time 1845 - 1893) Fame and Success for the rest of his life (thanks to his opera Nabucco) Negotiations with theaters Verdi was a business man, charged high fees for his productions, as well as being close to his publisher Ricordi, usually paired a premiere with a new publication of his opera score Major Works 28 Operas (Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Otello, Falstaff) composing these all the way up into his 70s Requiem Mass (Dies irae) Other vocal music Solo songs Choral music Some instrumental music (a string quartet, a few sinfonias, and few piano pieces)
  • #26 Verdi’s Operatic Style Musical Style Double aria format Recitative - happens less in Verdi (where before in Mozart, this is where the dialogue happened) Ensembles - now the dialogue is happening in the group numbers duets
  • #31 Viva Verdi! 1859 Verdi’s name becomes associated with the Italian Nationalist Movement 1861 Verdi’s political career begins in the Italian Parliament 1896 Started building a home for retired musicians, which is still open today (Movie “The Quartet”) 1901 Verdi’s death, public memorial was huge, the nation was in grief
  • #34 Carl Maria von Weber, in a portrait by Caroline Bardua. (UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES)
  • #35 Setting by Carl Wilhelm Holdermann for the Wolf’s Glen Scene in Weber’s Der Freischütz as performed at Weimar in 1822. In the magic circle, Caspar casts the magic bullets, while Max looks around with growing alarm at the frightening apparitions aroused by each bullet cast. (STAATLICHE KUNSTSAMMLUNGEN, SCHLOSSMUSEUM, WEIMAR. PHOTO: LEBRECHT MUSIC & ARTS PHOTO LIBRARY)
  • #42 The singers portraying the three Rhine maidens in the 1876 Bayreuth premiere of the Ring cycle were each held up and moved about by a machine, operated by several stagehands, that gave the illusion that they were swimming beneath the Rhine. The watery set and stage effect matched the wave-like music Wagner wrote for them. (LEBRECHT MUSIC & ARTS PHOTO LIBRARY)
  • #43 The Bayreuth Festival Theater, designed by Otto Brückwald, incorporated Wagner’s highly innovative ideals for the production of his operas. Here he was able to produce the Ring cycle in its entirety for the first time in August 1876. Parsifal (1882) was written for this theater, which continues to be the stage for the Bayreuth Festival today. (BETTMANN/CORBIS)