Chapter 50 Flashcards
Heiligenstadt Testament
Beethoven’s will that he prepared while staying in Heiligenstadt, Austria, in 1802; ostensibly addressed to his 2 brothers, it is actually an expression of his innermost feeling for all his posterity
Symphonie concertante
a concerto-like composition of the Classical period with 2 or more soloists
Academy (Acadamia)
a learned society, sometimes devoted to presenting concerts; in Germany in the eighteenth century, the term often referred to a public concert
Program music
instrumental music that explicitly embodies extra-musical content
Melodrama
a musical genre in which spoken text is accompanied by, or alternates with, instrumental music
Cabaletta
the fast, virtuosic concluding part of an aria or duet, often found in 19th century Italian opera
Which symphonies did Beethoven write in the middle period?
3-7/8
How many piano sonatas did he write in the middle period?
7
How many concerti did he write in the middle period?
3
What kind of jobs did he have in the middle period?
he taught piano, sold works to publishers, and gave concerts
When did he write his first and second symphony?
1800 and 1802
Which symphony did he add the trombone to?
the 5th one, he brought more attention to the middle range instruments in his symphonies
Tell me about his 3rd symphony.
theme is eroica (heroism), has four movements, larger scale and more expressive than past symphonies, first movement is 30 minutes long, 2nd movement has ternary form and is image of hero in the eye of a mourner, 3rd movement is scherzo/trio/scherzo, and fourth is a set of variations
Who wrote the libretto for Fidelio? Who was supposed to write the libretto?
Bouilly wrote it but Schikaneder was supposed to
What opera inspired Beethoven?
Cherubini’s (1760-1842) Les deux journees (The two days, 1800)
What was the title of the libretto?
Leonore, ou l’amour conjugal
Where did Fidelio premiere?
Theater-an-der-Wien
Why didn’t people like Fidelio after the premiere?
nothing new, vocal pieces were too long, repeated text too often
What did he change in the first revision and when?
1806, made it shorter by making 2 acts instead of 3
When did he revise it for the 2nd time?
1814
What is the story of Fidelio?
man was mistakingly put in jail, heroine dresses up like a man to get into the jail to save the man
What is the difference between an ensemble and a chorus?
ensemble shows many viewpoints while chorus just has one
Immortal beloved
found a letter addressed to immortal beloved in 1811
What are the dates for the middle period?
1802-1814
