Terms Flashcards
Heiligenstadt Testament
Beethoven’s letter to his brothers about his deafness: the social consequences and contemplation of suicide. But he decided to be the best composer he could despite the deafness.
conversation books
How people communicated with Beethoven when he went deaf. It is great insight into Beethoven’s life, but they have been tampered with.
Beethoven
3 periods of music. Genres: symphonies (9),
Archduke Rudalf
He was to be made an Archbishop, comp student, and good friend of Beethoven’s.
Schubertiade
A salon centered around Shubert’s music
Lied
German for song. Plural: Lieder
strophic form
A song with the same text for every stanza.
modified strophic form
A song with the same text for every stanza, except one (or more) of the stanzas.
through composed
No predetermined form. Change the music with the text.
ballad
Goethe
Franz Schubert
Had little recognition for his compositions early on. Wrote about 1000 compositions: Lieder, Masses, piano, chamber, symphonies, operas.
Brilliant melodies.
Modulation in 3rds.
Imaginative harmonies, lots of pedal points.
Felix Mendelssohn
Fanny Mendelssohn
Lutheran
Came from a very wealthy family
Studied with the best tutors: academic, musical, etc.
Felix revived the St. Matthew Passion
Fanny was disencouraged to compose ambitiously
St. Matthew Passion
Forgotten piece by J. S. Bach. Felix Mendelssohn revived it when he was still young.
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Concert overture
1 movement piece for orchestra not associated with a story
(as opposed to an Overture that is)
orchestration
The arrangement and idiomatic writing for instruments within an ensemble.
Idée fixe
Confessions of an English Opium Eater
Thomas De Quincey
Dies irae
Hector Berlioz
1803-1869 “A true romantic”
Loved literature. Hated Italian Opera.
Adjusts standard forms
Friedrich Wieck
Taught Robert Schumann piano
Robert Schumann
1810-1856
Learned piano. Due to an injury, he Shifted to composition and music criticism.
Tended to focus on one genre at a time: piano, Lied, symphony, chamber