Bellini and Rossini Flashcards
1
Q
Bellini operas
A
- La straniera (1829)
- La Sonnambula (1831)
2
Q
Canto declamato
A
- Lyrical, less ornamented style of vocal melody attracted attention. Tying melody closer to rhythm of spoken words (compared to showy style of Rossini)
- Emerging Romantic ideal of ‘filosofico’. Speaking to the heart; but declamatory ‘force’ could overpower gentleness.
- La straniera demonstrates lots of canto declamato
3
Q
Public tears in 1820s
A
- 1820s debate about emotional expression
- Cynical response against emotional outburst because of height of sentimental opera in Classical period meant people crying and jumping out of seats
- Tears seen as weak/emasculating: critics concerned with forging new stoic masculinity
- Copious tears seen as self-indulgent.
4
Q
melodic style of la straniera
A
- Stripped down melodies echo critiques of sentimental excess
- But for 1829 audiences actually recalled lyrical simplicity of Classical period (Paisiello – actually hallmark of sentimental style)
SIGHING:
Canto declamato saturated with appoggiatura, actually imitation of weeping/sighing. Bellini specifically notated the appoggiatura - Rousseau theories of speech as stemming from sigh/appoggiatura – cries etc primal form of emotional expression.
- Esse argues that canto declamato therefore a reflection of Rousseau’s notions of natural impassioned utterance rather than meaningless/excessive tears.
5
Q
La straniera and gender roles
A
- Bellini’s approach helped form new mode of restrained feminine expression.
- Alaïde in La straniera is a woman rendered mute by emotion: she cannot speak of her love.
- Bellini shows this by making her music more speech like: when she witnesses deaths of her brother and lover at end of Act I she can only bring out brief, halting phrases.
6
Q
Bellini and gender roles
A
- Women being restrained by trend of corsets while Bellini restrains them melodically.
- Critics against this ‘unnatural’ restraint caused by corsets can mirror idea of unnatural restraint of Bellini’s melody
- BUT strategic moments of restraint in fact imply a heightened emotional intensity
- Corset restrains and shows virginal nature BUT ALSO marks out susceptible, sexually desirable nature.
- Therefore paradox: also corsets used as justification for fainting spells (which they supposedly wanted to stop) – trying to ‘naturalise/rationalise’ emotion.
- Canto declamato not control of bodily excess but a type of restraint which actually emphasises the body and more emotional spillage.
7
Q
Stendhal on Rossini (and melody/harmony)
A
- 1824 Vie de Rossini.
- Sees Rossini as new Napoleon: all nations succumb to the charms of his music.
- Suggests German and Italian trends going to merge and do so in France.
- Favours importance of melody over harmony: harmony as requiring ‘science’. Melody divinely given (common thought in 1820s writers).
- Sees Tancredi (1813) as ideal balance, for him, of melody and harmony.
- Accepts that Italian harmonies becoming more German (ie more complex and thickly orchestrated) but states his position.
8
Q
La sonnambula (style and restraint)
A
- Not restrained in style like La Straniera – ornamental, showy melodies
- About a maid (Amina) who is a sleepwalker – psychological expression of repressed desires
- Flowing nightgowns instead of corsets, but still accentuated waist.
- However, there is a moment of restraint: act II aria has repeated four quavers in slow melodic section – dry hiccupping sobs.
- Even fast section shows breathlessness with quaver rest between repeated high notes – Esse says it replicates the shallow breathing of corseted body .
- So these moments of restraint actually suggest heightened emotional intensity.
9
Q
Senici and Rossini’s melodies
A
- 1820s collective memory and listening to Rossini evokes memory of Napoleonic wars – onstage bands as war noicses
- Senici argues this as the reason for Rossini’s tunes being popular
- Rossini melodies more concisely articulate than predecessors with clear delineation of phrasing and rhythm (thus memorable)
10
Q
William Tell political background
A
- 1829 a year retrospectively coloured by revolution to come: July Revolition 1830 overthrowing King Charles X
- Lots of censorship in Paris
- William Tell has revolutionary themes: depiction of Swiss uprising against overlords.
- Complicated relationship between opera and political action because of a desire for self-understanding
- Could equally echo first French revolution
- French restoration (1814-30) categorised by temporal change: desire for acceleration moving away from slow daily life
- Plot show this because stasis of life to drama to uprising to victory
11
Q
William Tell plot
A
- Switzerland led by Gesler who is tyrant and harasses peaceful Swiss
- William Tell offers to take a rebel peasant across the lake
- Tell brought before Gesler and made to shoot an apple off his son’s head; he is found with another arrow meant for Gesler and arrested
- He escapes by boat through a storm; shoots Gesler
- Swiss take back their town
12
Q
Rossini concealing revolutionary themes
A
- Detailed focus on scenery and landscape
- Switzerland setting ideal: seen as boring, place of mass tourism which is overhyped
- Rossini saturated the score with specific local colour e.g. ranz des vaches, a tune played by shepherds
13
Q
Use of chorus in William Tell
A
- Gerhard argues the liberal use of chorus demonstrated a new relationship between protagonist and crowd: chorus as political force
- Walton disagrees: chorus (and its Swiss musical focus) detracts from revolutionary aspect
- Act I successive choruses of villagers enjoying simple happiness and ignore Tell’s fears about future of country
14
Q
Is William Tell revolutionary?
A
- Focus on peace as revolution and revolution only being necessary suggests no
- Showcases complex attitude of the time wishing for acceleration but also nostalgic desire for past (pastoral and revolution)
- Nostalgic themes as a curtain over the revolution
- Audience took range of interpretations
- It is political in the same way the 1820s were generally
