Unit 2: 19th-Century Instrumental Music Flashcards
Double Stopping
A string-instrument technique where two parts are produced by playing on two string simultaneously.
True or false? Tchaikovsky wrote only lyrical pieces, and did not incorporate any virtuosity in his music.
False, his first piano concerto and his violin concerto were deemed unplayable by designated premiere performers due to their virtuosity.
Tchaikovsky was known for his ___ in his symphonies, operas, and ballets.
Lyricism.
Who presented a historic solo piano recital in London in 1840?
Franz Liszt. Up until that point, concerts involved many performers and ensembles.
With whom did Liszt have an affair with during his Concert Pianist era?
Marie d’Agoult from 1835 to 1839. She left her husband to be with him, and they had three children together. Relationship ended bitterly.
Who did Liszt celebrate with La Campanella?
Nicolo Paganini.
Etude
French for “study.” Solo instrumental work intended to develop technical facility. Focuses on one or more specific technical challenges.
Who did Mendelssohn study piano theory with?
Carl Friedrich Zelter, director of the Berlin Singakademie.
Who did Liszt first take piano lessons with?
His father. Displayed talent at an early age, composing by the age of eight; concert debut at nine.
What are Romantic qualities in Tchaikovsky’s music?
Lyrical melodies, heightened emotionalism, and rich orchestration create an expressive quality that speaks directly to the heart.
Smetana achieved ___ unity in Ma Vlast, where themes from an earlier symphonic poem are recalled in a later one.
Cyclical.
What is Vltava inspired by?
Moldau river in Bohemia.
What did Liszt focus on composing?
Orchestral music: symphonic poems, program symphony, piano concertos.
Who was appointed director of music in Dusseldorf and held the position for three years?
Felix Mendelssohn.
What event was very traumatic to Felix Mendelssohn?
The death of his sister Fanny (Hensel).
Who taught theory at the Moscow Conservatory and published two harmony books?
Tchaikovsky.
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, op. 64, First Movement
Composed in 1844 for the celebrated violinist Ferdinand David. Impassioned opening solo violin melody immediately captures the listeners’ attention. Dramatic passion, poetic lyricism, virtuosity. Three movements. Performed by solo violin and orchestra.
Who was appointed Royal Kappemeister in Berlin but continued to conduct in Leipzig?
Felix Mendelssohn.
Who worked as a conductor and music director in Weimar?
Liszt.
Who became conductor of Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra, and held his post until 1846?
Felix Mendelssohn.
Who became the president of the music academy in Budapest?
Liszt.
Mendelssohn revolutionizes music and maintains little Classical influences. True or false?
False, Mendelssohn’s music captures the spirit of Romanticism, yet maintains respect for the Classical tradition.
What is the program to Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture?
Friar Laurence, Romeo, and Juliet are each identified by their own themes. Recurring feud theme evokes conflict between Montagues and Capulets. Elsewhere the music suggests the love shared by the star-crossed lovers, as well s their tragic deaths. Does not try to delineate specific plot developments, but still maintains essential emotions.
Who came up with the master class format?
Liszt.
Who was refused entry to the Paris Conservatoire because he was a foreigner?
Franz Liszt.
Liszt was an advocate of “Music of the Future,” a movement that supported the fusion of music and drama. what was this called?
Gesamtkunstwerk.
Pedal Point
A sustained note over which harmonies change.
Where was Liszt born?
Raiding, Hungary just outside Vienna, Austria.
Which composer frequently travelled to European countries, and met celebrated German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at age twelve and Franz Liszt and Luigi Cherubini at age sixteen?
Felix Mendelssohn.
Who organized the historic revival of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion?
Felix Mendelssohn.
Who conducted the inaugural concerts at Carnegie Hall in NYC?
Tchaikovsky.
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C sharp Minor by Liszt
Projects Liszt’s fiery temperament and proud nationalism. Popularized by many famous performers, even cartoon characters.
Who did Robert Schumann call the “Mozart of the 19th Century?”
Felix Mendelssohn.
With whom did Liszt have an affair in his Weimar Years?
Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein. She was a married aristocrat he met in Kiev while on tour. Their home in Weimar was a major centre for artists, musicians, and writers.
True or false? Liszt’s harmonic language was often chromatic and progressive? Give examples.
True. He favoured mediant relationships over the circle of fifths, used augmented triads and other altered chords; late works such as Nudges gris foreshadow Impressionism.
What are some Romantic features in Mendelssohn’s music?
Programmatic elements (descriptive titles, natural imagery, literary references), memorable melodies, unexpected modulations, virtuosic writing.
What kind of upbringing did Mendelssohn have?
Privileged. Obtained the finest education, travels throughout Europe, and opportunities to perform with outstanding professional musicians in his family’s home.
How did Liszt change the culture of piano performance?
Played from memory, sat with profile to audience, referred to concerts as “recitals.”
Sonata Form
Formal structure often used in first movement of sonata cycle. Consists of Exposition (statement of two or more contrasting themes), Development (departure), and Recapitulation (return). Also known as sonata-allegro form.
Who contributed to the development of the formal structure of the Romantic concerto?
Felix Mendelssohn.
What is the source theme material of La Campanella?
Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor (Nicolo Paganini).
What are new Romantic idioms developed by Mendelssohn?
Concert overture, incidental music, short lyric piano pieces.
True or false? Tchaikovsky became famous and popular after his death.
False, he is among the composers whose music enjoyed immense popularity with audiences.
Who was influenced by Fredric Chopin?
Franz Liszt.
Who, upon retirement, developed the “master class” format as a teacher and welcomed any capable student, occasionally offering instruction free of charge?
Franz Liszt.
Who married Cecile Jeanrenaud in 1837, and had five children?
Felix Mendelssohn.
Where was Mendelssohn born?
Hamberg, Germany.
When was Liszt’s Weimar Years?
1838-1861.
What extra-musical associations can be made from Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture?
Themes from the sonata form can be connected with the characters they represent.
Cadenza
A solo passage herd in a concerto, aria, or any large orchestral work. Often of a virtuosic nature, suggests an improvised style. 19th century cadenzas were usually written out by the composer.
