Programme Music Flashcards
When was Beethoven’s Eroica written?
1804
Who was the Eroica originally written for?
Napoleon (As 1st consult)
What was the Eroica written about at its publishing?
a great man
heroism
triumph, tragedy, adversity
Name 3 pieces that influenced Programme music (Beethoven, Mendelssohn)
Pastoral symphony no.6
Midsummer night’s dream
Hebrides overture 1830
Who are the two main composers credited for the rise of programme music, and what were their specialties?
Liszt: tone poems
Berlioz: programme symphonies
name Two of Richard Strauss’ (1864-1949) tone poems, inspired by Liszt’s 1853 tone poems.
Death and Transfiguration
Alpine Symphony
When was the Death of Sardanapalus painted and what is the subject matter?
1827
funeral pyre
chaos, orgy, brazenness
When was Les Preludes published and who composed them?
Liszt
1849
A collection of verses
What is the subject matter for Erlkonig?
Poem by Goethe
a child dying in a father’s arms as they race on horseback to save him in vain
When was Dichterliebe written and what is it’s translation?
The poet’s love
1840
Name three of Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk music dramas.
Die Walkure
Tristan and Isolde
Parsifal
Which School in the War of the Romantics thought programmatic forms were the way of progress?
The New German School
What type of sub-genre is used in Monet’s Impression 1872 and Debussy’s La Mer?
Impressionism
Which Mallarme poem was used by Debussy and the Ballet Russe? (Symbolism)
l’apres-midi d’un faune
Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un faune
What is a leitmotif?
a theme or recurring melody that represents characters
What are the characteristics of Romantic programmes?
Comparison
Realism
Nature vs state
Introspection
What are the characteristics of Modern programmes?
reality and psyche mixed
hard to grasp reality
disorder mental state
introspection
What baroque piece shows programmatic forms?
Vivaldi - the four seasons
What modern composer uses programmatic forms?
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet
Who coined the term ‘programme music’
Liszt
What are the characteristics of C19 programme forms?
Nationalism, heroism
nature, myth
gothic imagery
What differs between enlightenment and romantic structures?
Enlightenment: sonata forms use key relationships
Romantic: forms use motivic relationships (orchestral emphasis)
What is a symphonic/tone poem?
usually a single movement
guided by a theme (emotional response)
Accompanied by a text
unconventionally structured
What are three of Liszt’s tone poems?
Les Preludes
Orpheus
Prometheus
What is the difference between tone poems and symphonic programmes?
Tone poems: shorter, more vague
Symphonic programmes: larger, more explicit content, larger ensemble
When was the Symphonie Fantastique written?
1830
What was the Symphonie Fantastique written about?
English Actress Harriet Smithson
What is the recurring theme in the Symphonie Fantastique called?
Idee fixe
What are the five movements of the Symphonie Fantastique?
Passions
Ball
Scene in the country
March to the scaffold (thud + silence = guillotine)
Dream of a witches sabbath
Whose poetry was Les Preludes based on (1849)?
Lamartine 1823
“Love jarring the enchanted form of all existence”
What cycle was Die Walkure 1856 part of?
The Ring Cycle (norse mythology)
What is the function of opera in Wagner’s opinion?
insertion of opinion, education
total artwork
continuous quasi-recitative style
What chord is used to show the absence of resolution in Wagner’s operas?
Tristan chord
no resolution until the end: an orgy of destruction
Who did Wagner oppose and why?
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Les Hugenots 1836
separated pieces into arias, choruses
Who painted Rain, steam, and speed in the impressionist style (Debussy admired him)
William Turner
Which Symbolist play was written by Maeterlinck and composed by_____?
Debussy
Pelleas et Melisande
What are the programmatic features of Pelleas et Melisande?
5 act plot
disjointed time, place, and actions
lietmotifs
Ariozo in dialogue
Orchestra a major protagonist
Name two of Stravinsky’s programmatic operas
Petrushka
Firebird
Schumann said: To cast light…
into the depths of the human heart - the artist’s mission!
Berlioz said: My arteries…
throb violently
Wagner said: feel this urge…
to the artwork of the future
Mallarme’s first line of his poem is: These nymphs…
, I would perpetuate them
Debussy wanted a poet who would write: no…
place, nor time
Stravinsky said music is: “powerless….
to express anything at all”
