Berlioz Flashcards
Why was Berlioz unusual?
Not a keyboard player
What makes the piece fantastic?
Large sense of fantasy
Describe the typical features of Romantic music
Extremes Features the supernatural Challenges and expresses the composers individuality Second half on 19th century Nationalistic elements
Why did Berlioz think of his work as a symphony?
Large-scale orchestral work with several movements
Describe the story
Young musician falls in love with a beautiful woman
whenever he thinks of her a music theme comes to mind
What did Berlioz invent?
Idee Fixe
Describe movement one
Various emotional states
Dreamy, melancholy, unfocused joy, passion, fury and jealousy
What’s the background of the piece?
1830
Frances revolution had brought Louise Phillipe to the throne
Berlioz optimistic for the future
What’s unusual about Berlioz for the time?
Exceptionally large forces
What strings are there?
at least 60 strings, 15 first violins, 15 seconds, 10 violas, 11 cellos, nine double bases
What’s unusual about the bassoons?
four rather than two
How many horns are there?
two cornets a pistons and two trumpets
What are cornets a pistons?
valved brass instruments that were new in his day
allowed chromatic notes not available in trumpets
What gives additional brilliance to the orchestral sound?
Second flute player plays the piccolo instead at times
What does Berlioz pay particular attention to?
Sonority, especially instructions
e. g ‘off stage’ effect in oboe in mov. 3
e. e ‘not forceful’
e. e ‘as quietly as possible’
e. g ‘muted with the point of the bow’
`What dynamics does Berlioz explore?
wide range
ppp-ff
extremes = mental termoil
Describe the texture
chiefly homophonic
What textual variety is there?
mel-dom-hom in slow intro
chordal homophony in close
Dialogue between lower strings and sighing w.w
monophony at start of idee fixe
How is Berlioz textually inventive?
solo oboe plays expressive melody accompanied by fragments of idee fixe in imitation
How are the main beats marked out?
By the double bass
What do clarinets and bassoons play?
consistently off-beat chord pattern
What do first violins play?
repeated note crotchet triplets
What does movement one begin with?
extended slow intro marked largo (broadly)
What is as expected in emotional music?
many tempo adjustments
How is the main section marked?
Allegro agitato e appassionato ) fast, agitated and very passionately)
How is the piece rhythmically varied?
Wide range of note values Succession of rapid notes in Allegro Triplets and Sextuplets Syncopation Dotted notes
What is the structure?
Sonata form
Explain the Largo
Extended slow intro beginning in Cm
Explain the Allegro
Fast ‘main part’ in C
Sonata form
What is weird about the instrumentation?
In the w.w more than the strings
How does Berlioz alter the Sonata form?
Development in recapitulation
Recapitulation in G (dom) rather than the tonic (c)
What shows sighing in the idee fixe?
semitones
Who does the idee fixe represent?
Harriet
What’s unusual about the idee fixe?
in the tonic major
Describe the idee fixe
Flute and violin
Medium tesitura
begins with annacrusis
descending sigh like motif
What is the writing?
Fregmental
Fragments of idee fixe heard and developed
How is Berlioz melodic writing varied?
Urgent repeated note patterns Repetition of short motifs Song like melodies Chromatic ascents Some irregular phrase lengths Melodic sequence
What do song-like melodies combine?
stepwise movement and small leaps
Why is it not surprising the leaps are easily singable?
important melodic material is borrowed from vocal works
Describe the harmony
Functional
Defined by perfect cadences
Are pedals used?
Yes
Most strikingly the prolonged Ab in the Largo
What creates spectacular effects?
Parallel chromatic movement
e.g first inversion triad
What are most chords?
triads or 7th chords
Does the piece include diminished 7th chords?
yes
What do unusual harmonic effects result from?
surprising juxtapositions of ‘ordinary’ chords
Why is the dominant 9th chord in Cm interesting?
7th and 9th above the base are neither prepared nor resolved
Is Berlioz happy to disregard the ‘rules’ of harmony and part-writing?
Yes
Often navigates by sound and instinct
What does ‘A punta d’arco’ mean?
At the point of the bow
What are ‘baguettes d’esponge’?
Sponge-headed sticks
Softer sound
What are ‘baguettes de bois recouvert en peau’’?
wooden sticks covered with skin
Unusual/harsh instrument
Ophicleide
Berlioz mov. 4
March to the scaffold Opening = timpani with soft headed beaters, double bass divided into 4 playing pizz, unclear/muddy - funeral 4 bassons countermelody homophonic just ww and brass opening Imagery of crowd = cross rhythms Everything stops then Idee Fixe on solo clarinet head falling = muted strings
Berlioz mov. 5
Dream of a Witches Sabbath Church bells Bassoons and Tubas play the Dies Irae Tubular bells off stage Pizz wood of the bow = skeletons pppp-ff dance rhythms fugal texture complicated rhythms 'almost to nothing'
Mendelssohn - A midsummer nights dream
Programme music
1827
Sonata form (traditional)
Traditional orchestra
double wind orchestra
Ophicleide
Subject 1 = fairy music (just strings and fast quavers) - quick, silver texture
Harmony in thirds
Second first subject = royal court of Thesins (forte, homophonic, full orchestra, regular rhythm)
Second subject = love theme passed around orchestra (major)
Second second subject = Common people (Bergomask called Rupeltanz on Opheiclide)
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet
1880s Sonata form Love theme = two families themes united string melody over the flute w.w homage to lovers
context
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) 1830 - Paris revolutionary masterpiece - invented idee fixe - autobiographical nature brand new 1827 Berlioz saw Hamlet and fell n love with Irish Actress Harriet Smithson playing Ophelia
How long is the Idee fixe?
42 bars
