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Romantic Program Music

Program music. Concert overtureA single-movement concert piece for orchestra based on a literary idea, i.e., Romeo and JulietIncidental musicConsists of an overture and a series of pieces to be performed between the acts of a play and during important scenes, i.e., A Midsummer Night's Dream. Absolute Music.

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Romantic Program Music

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    1. Romantic Program Music Instrumental music that has literary or pictorial associations: indicated by the title or by an explanatory note supplied by the composer

    2. Program music Concert overture A single-movement concert piece for orchestra based on a literary idea, i.e., Romeo and Juliet Incidental music Consists of an overture and a series of pieces to be performed between the acts of a play and during important scenes, i.e., A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    3. Absolute Music Music for “music’s sake” Just because . . . i.e., Symphonies

    4. Symphony vs. Program symphony Classical Period Most popular form was the symphony No pictorial idea—merely abstract Romantic Period Program Symphony (However, abstract type still composed)

    5. Fusion of Program Music/Absolute Program Symphony A multimovement orchestral work with a literary or pictorial association Symphonic Poem (or tone poem) A one-movement work in which contrasting sections develop a “pictorial” idea, i.e., The Moldau, or Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

    6. Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) French composer Studied medicine and music Among his passions were the creations of Beethoven and Shakespeare

    7. Harriet Smithson

    8. Hector Berlioz His Music One of the boldest innovators of the Romantic Period “Creator of the modern orchestra” Originality in handling the instruments Music called for larger orchestras than ever before

    9. Symphonie fantastique (A five-movement program symphony) by Hector Berlioz Written when he was only 27 Story draws from his personal life A young musician of morbid sensibility and ardent imagination, in . . . lovesick despair, has poisoned himself with opium. The drug, too weak to kill, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by strange visions. . . . The beloved one herself becomes for him a melody, a recurrent theme that haunts him everywhere.

    10. Idée fixe (Fixed idea) The recurrent theme of the symphony Symbolizes the “beloved” Unifies all five movements

    11. Symphonie Fantastique Manuscript

    12. Symphonie fantastique (5 movements) I. Reveries, Passions II. A Ball III. Scene in the Fields IV. March to the Scaffold V. Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath Contains the Dies Irae (heard with bells) Combines the Dies Irae with the “dance” “Ghouls” by Jacqui Grantford

    13. Musical Nationalism “I grew up in a quiet spot and was saturated from earliest childhood with the wonderful beauty of Russian popular song. I am therefore passionately devoted to every expression of the Russian spirit. In short, I am a Russian through and through!” Political unrest stimulated Nationalism Works written to celebrate national heroes, events, places Prominent schools arose in: Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, England, Bohemia Wrote music containing folk songs or dance types of their country Wrote dramatic works based on folklore or peasant life Wrote symphonic poems based on a national hero, a historic event, or their countryside.

    14. From Bohemia: Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) “My compositions do not belong to the realm of absolute music, where one can get along well enough with musical signs and a metronome.” Political unrest in his country Successful uprising against Austrian Rule Wrote 8 operas Best known for the symphonic poem, Má Vlast (My Fatherland), inspired by the beauty of Bohemia’s countryside

    15. The Moldau River

    16. The Moldau River “Vltava” in Czech

    17. Má Vlast (1874-79) (My Country) [Fatherland] A series of 6 symphonic poems No. 2 “The Moldau” Source of river, two springs, then theme enters Hunting scene Peasant wedding Nymphs in moonlight St. John Rapids Ancient castle

    18. The Romantic Symphony (“Abstract” form) Favored genre alongside program music Increased in size, with new instruments Multimovement orchestral work, with 3-4 movements in a specific form

    19. The “Form” of the Symphony First Movement – Sonata-allegro form Second Movement – Usually slow, ternary OR theme and variation Third Movement – Scherzo/Trio (ABA) – lively movement (scherzo means “joke), with a mood anywhere from elfin lightness to demonic energy. Fourth Movement – Usually Sonata-allegro form OR rondo

    20. Sonata-Allegro Form Exposition Theme I – Home key Theme II – Contrasting key Closing section Development Anything goes, but one generally hears part of a theme that was heard in the exposition Recapitulation Theme I – home key Theme II – home key Closing section – home key (So that the piece ends in the home key)

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