Chapter 28 - Opera and Musical Theatre in the Later 19th Century Flashcards
Europe in 1848-9 was rife with political tumult and revolutions. Though these ultimately failed what did they help to bring about later in the century?
These revolutions ate away at the power and influence of the old monarchies and aristocracy and sowed the seeds for democratic progress later
Nationalistic themes increased as the century went on. Depictions of the styles of a particular country or place did not necessarily have to be what?
Depictions of national styles did not necesarilly have to be authentic; the goal was dramatic effect and uniqueness.
As opposed to fantasy in the arts, what is realism?
Realism is the realistic depiction of common people in the modern day, often for an artistic purpose such as critiquing society
Explain industry changes that resulted in composers spending more time on a particular work.
Composers were now able to spend more time crafting opera due to their starting to work for themselves more often than being contracted by impresarios. Fewer new operas were staged each year with the spread of information on what works people liked, and should restage.
List a few changes to opera in the late 19th century
- Orchestras became louder and larger
- More powerful singers were required
- Electric lighting made available more stage effects
- More varied plot lines
In order to distinguish themselves form competition, 19th century opera composers were more likely to do what?
Opera composers began to shun the tried and true marketable formulas in order to stand out as something to go see
Birth and death dates: Richard Wagner
1813-1883
Explain Gesamtkustwerk
“All encompassing or total art” was a style/ idea of opera as incorporating all the arts, with music at the center. “Acts of music made visible”
Explain the relationship between the orchestra and voice in Wagner’s works
The orchestra serves to be the dramatic core while the voice is part of the texture, conveying the context/ scene and situation.
Who wrote the librettos to Wagner’s operas?
Wagner himself wrote the librettos
What is Der Ring des Nibelungen?
This is a cycle of 4 operas written by Wagner from 1848 to 1874
Name the operas in the Ring cycle
- Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold)
- Die Walkure (The Valkyrie)
- Siegfried
- Gotterddammerung (Twilight of the Gods)
Rather than the usual meter and rhyme, Wagner’s poetry in the Ring cycle and later works feature what device?
Alliteration and vigorous changing speech sounds
What are Leitmotivs?
In Wagner’s operas, these are the “leading themes” in the music that often recur. They represent a particular character, mood, object, etc, and help to give dramatic color and meaning to a scene
Ex: A love scene between a man and his mistress while the wife’s Letimotiv plays
How are Leitmotivs different from earlier reminiscence motifs?
They are different through their mutability, their constant use, and their role as the main themes of the opera.
What is the Aurel effect of Wagner’s use of Leitmotivs?
The effect is that of “endless melody” and “musical prose” rather than the poetic, classical phrasing of earlier styles
What is the source material for the Ring cycle?
Germanic and Nordic folklore and legends
Birth and death dates: Giuseppe Verdi
1813-1901
Political themes and undertones occur frequently in which composer’s operas?
Verdi’s operas often have political undertones
How did Verdi accomplish political commentary in his operas in censorship-heavy Italy?
By masking the commentary through foreign and exotic settings, and by featuring historical tyrants and rulers
How many operas did Verdi write?
26
How many operas did Wagner write?
13
Verdi’s operas are what most of all?
Verdi’s operas are works of theatre first and foremost
What was Verdi’s attitude toward singers?
He wrote his parts with specific singers in mind but it was the composer, not the singer that was firmly leading the show.
After the failed revolutions of 1848-9 Verdi’s subject switched from historical settings to what?
He switched from historical subjects to interpersonal dramas and finer portrayals of characters psychology
What is the social hierarchy in working on a Verdi opera?
Composer -> Singers -> Orchestra
What is verismo?
This is an Italian art movement in the late 19th century similar to realism
Birth and death dates: Puccini
1858-1924
Although Verdi dominated, who was the next most successful composer in Italy and his style was a blend of what?
Giacomo Puccini was the next most successful opera composer in the time of Verdi, and his operas blend exotic settings with realistic characters, and the musical styles of Verdi and Wagner
What is lyric opera?
Opera that is a middle ground between light opera comique and grand opera, with a focus on melody and largish scale
Which country produced the most new and varied operatic productions during this time?
France
When was the Moscow Conservatory founded and what effect did it have?
It was founded in 1866 and raised the standard of Russian musicianship immensely
Birth and death dates: Tchaikovsky
1840-1893
What is Tchaikovsky’s legacy and what is he most famous for?
He helped reconcile Western and Russian traditional compositional practices and style. He is best known for his ballets
Name the Russian Five
Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, Borodin, Musorgsky, and Balakirev
Name some innovative and influential practices of Russian composers in the late 19th century
Block construction, use of artificial scales, modality, and unique orchestral colors
What is block construction?
Organizing a work in blocks of material rather than continuous flow and development
