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Music > Berlioz > Flashcards

Berlioz Flashcards

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1
Q

Why was Berlioz unusual?

A

Not a keyboard player

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2
Q

What makes the piece fantastic?

A

Large sense of fantasy

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3
Q

Describe the typical features of Romantic music

A 
Extremes
Features the supernatural
Challenges and expresses the composers individuality
Second half on 19th century
Nationalistic elements
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4
Q

Why did Berlioz think of his work as a symphony?

A

Large-scale orchestral work with several movements

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5
Q

Describe the story

A

Young musician falls in love with a beautiful woman

whenever he thinks of her a music theme comes to mind

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6
Q

What did Berlioz invent?

A

Idee Fixe

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7
Q

Describe movement one

A

Various emotional states

Dreamy, melancholy, unfocused joy, passion, fury and jealousy

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8
Q

What’s the background of the piece?

A

1830
Frances revolution had brought Louise Phillipe to the throne
Berlioz optimistic for the future

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9
Q

What’s unusual about Berlioz for the time?

A

Exceptionally large forces

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10
Q

What strings are there?

A

at least 60 strings, 15 first violins, 15 seconds, 10 violas, 11 cellos, nine double bases

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11
Q

What’s unusual about the bassoons?

A

four rather than two

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12
Q

How many horns are there?

A

two cornets a pistons and two trumpets

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13
Q

What are cornets a pistons?

A

valved brass instruments that were new in his day

allowed chromatic notes not available in trumpets

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14
Q

What gives additional brilliance to the orchestral sound?

A

Second flute player plays the piccolo instead at times

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15
Q

What does Berlioz pay particular attention to?

A

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’

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16
Q

`What dynamics does Berlioz explore?

A

wide range
ppp-ff
extremes = mental termoil

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17
Q

Describe the texture

A

chiefly homophonic

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18
Q

What textual variety is there?

A

mel-dom-hom in slow intro
chordal homophony in close
Dialogue between lower strings and sighing w.w
monophony at start of idee fixe

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19
Q

How is Berlioz textually inventive?

A

solo oboe plays expressive melody accompanied by fragments of idee fixe in imitation

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20
Q

How are the main beats marked out?

A

By the double bass

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21
Q

What do clarinets and bassoons play?

A

consistently off-beat chord pattern

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22
Q

What do first violins play?

A

repeated note crotchet triplets

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23
Q

What does movement one begin with?

A

extended slow intro marked largo (broadly)

24
Q

What is as expected in emotional music?

A

many tempo adjustments

25
Q

How is the main section marked?

A

Allegro agitato e appassionato ) fast, agitated and very passionately)

26
Q

How is the piece rhythmically varied?

A 
Wide range of note values
Succession of rapid notes in Allegro
Triplets and Sextuplets
Syncopation
Dotted notes
27
Q

What is the structure?

A

Sonata form

28
Q

Explain the Largo

A

Extended slow intro beginning in Cm

29
Q

Explain the Allegro

A

Fast ‘main part’ in C

Sonata form

30
Q

What is weird about the instrumentation?

A

In the w.w more than the strings

31
Q

How does Berlioz alter the Sonata form?

A

Development in recapitulation

Recapitulation in G (dom) rather than the tonic (c)

32
Q

What shows sighing in the idee fixe?

A

semitones

33
Q

Who does the idee fixe represent?

A

Harriet

34
Q

What’s unusual about the idee fixe?

A

in the tonic major

35
Q

Describe the idee fixe

A

Flute and violin
Medium tesitura
begins with annacrusis
descending sigh like motif

36
Q

What is the writing?

A

Fregmental

Fragments of idee fixe heard and developed

37
Q

How is Berlioz melodic writing varied?

A 
Urgent repeated note patterns
Repetition of short motifs
Song like melodies
Chromatic ascents
Some irregular phrase lengths
Melodic sequence
38
Q

What do song-like melodies combine?

A

stepwise movement and small leaps

39
Q

Why is it not surprising the leaps are easily singable?

A

important melodic material is borrowed from vocal works

40
Q

Describe the harmony

A

Functional

Defined by perfect cadences

41
Q

Are pedals used?

A

Yes

Most strikingly the prolonged Ab in the Largo

42
Q

What creates spectacular effects?

A

Parallel chromatic movement

e.g first inversion triad

43
Q

What are most chords?

A

triads or 7th chords

44
Q

Does the piece include diminished 7th chords?

A

yes

45
Q

What do unusual harmonic effects result from?

A

surprising juxtapositions of ‘ordinary’ chords

46
Q

Why is the dominant 9th chord in Cm interesting?

A

7th and 9th above the base are neither prepared nor resolved

47
Q

Is Berlioz happy to disregard the ‘rules’ of harmony and part-writing?

A

Yes

Often navigates by sound and instinct

48
Q

What does ‘A punta d’arco’ mean?

A

At the point of the bow

49
Q

What are ‘baguettes d’esponge’?

A

Sponge-headed sticks

Softer sound

50
Q

What are ‘baguettes de bois recouvert en peau’’?

A

wooden sticks covered with skin

51
Q

Unusual/harsh instrument

A

Ophicleide

52
Q

Berlioz mov. 4

A 
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
53
Q

Berlioz mov. 5

A 
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'
54
Q

Mendelssohn - A midsummer nights dream

A

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)

55
Q

Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet

A 
1880s
Sonata form
Love theme = two families themes united
string melody over the flute
w.w homage to lovers
56
Q

context

A 
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
57
Q

How long is the Idee fixe?

A

42 bars

Music (19 decks)

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