Works Trivia Flashcards
Performing forces of Smetana’s Vltava:
orchestra
Year of Verdi’s La Traviata:
1853 (first performance in Venice)
Which Messiaen work are we studying?
Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time)- 2nd movement: “Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps” (Vocalise, for the Angel who Announces the End of Time)
Tempo of Webern’s Symphony op. 21:
- Theme: Sehr ruhig (very quiet)- V1: Lebhafter (livelier)- V2: Sehr lebhaft (very lively)- V3: Wieder massiger (again more moderately)- V4: Ausserst ruhig (extremely quiet), slowest tempo within the movement- V5: Sehr lebhaft (very lively)- V6: Marschmassig (marchlike)- V7: Etwas breiter (somewhat broadened)- Coda: delicate ‘raindrop’ effect
Which Liszt work are we studying?
La Campanella (The Little Bell) from Grandes etudes de Paganini
Characters of Wagner’s Die Walkure:
- Wotan (baritone): ruler of the gods- Fricka: wife of Wotan (mezzo soprano); goddess of marriage- Valkyries: Brunnhilde and her 8 sisters (soprano, mezzo sopranos); warrior daughters of Wotan and Erda (an earth spirit)- Siegmund (Heldentenor): mortal son of Wotan; Sieglinde’s twin brother - Sieglinde (soprano): mortal daughter of Wotan; Siegmund’s twin sister- Hunding (bass): Sieglinde’s husband; Siegmund’s enemy- Brunnhilde (Soprano): The Valkyrie of the title; favourite daughter of Wotan
Performing forces of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto:
solo violin and orchestra
Year of Part’s Cantate Domino canticum novum:
1977, revised in 1996
General structure of Wagner’s Die Walkure:
3 acts
What makes Liszt’s La Campanella physically challenging to play?
- technical difficulties- exceeds natural span of hand- right hand must pivot back and forth very quickly
Tempo of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra:
allegretto
Characters of Berg’s Wozzeck:
- Wozzeck: feeble minded corporal (Baritone)- Marie: Wozzeck’s common law wife (Soprano)- The Boy: son of Wozzeck and Marie (boy soprano)- The Captain: his superior officer (Tenor)- The Doctor: coldly scientific man (Bass)- The Drum Major: rival for Marie’s attention (Tenor)
Meter of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps:
3/4
Plot summary of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire, O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit:
Pierrot revels in his memories of old times, looking out serenely on a world bathed in sunlight. With all of his ill-humour spent, he yearns for joy, and dreams of life’s happy possibilities
Tempo of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
Massig bewegt (moderately fast)
Genre of Schumann’s Dichterliebe:
Art Song, Lied, Song Cycle
Plot summary of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
- soloist takes us on a musical journey as we trace the exploits of Pierrot, a sad but mischievous clown character
Mood of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra:
mood of the work represents, apart from the jesting 2nd movement, a gradual transition from the sternest of the 1st movement and lugubrious death song of the 3rd, to the life-assertion of the last
Historical context of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
- rooted in protestant tradition- not religious in a conventional sense, composed because of the deaths of Robert Schumann (teacher and friend), and mother- desired for music to have universal appeal: chose biblical text but avoided any specifically Christian references- Originally wanted to call the work “A Human Requiem” because he didn’t want any nationalist sentiments to be assumed
Genre of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra:
orchestral music
Source of text of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau:
includes an excerpt of a poem by Henri de Regnier which translates as “The river god laughs at the water as it tickles him”
General Structure of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4:
4 movments
Year of Webern’s Symphony op. 21:
1928
Which Ligeti work are we studying?
Atmospheres
Meter of Smetana’s Vltava:
- 6/8- 2/4 for peasant wedding- 4/4 for nocturnal scene- 6/8 again for ancient castle theme
Source of Text of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
- A German Requiem: text chosen from Old and New Testaments from German Lutheran bible: Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Ecclesiastes, Paul, Mathew, Peter, John, and Revelation- 4th movement: based on verse from Psalm 84
Specific form of Webern’s Symphony op. 21:
- theme and 7 variations followed by a coda- symmetrical, arch shape shows the workings of Webern’s mind: variations 1&7 are double canons, 2&6 are trios, 3&5 are pointillistic in effect, and the 4th serves as a turning point of the movement
Language of Verdi’s La Traviata:
Italian
Year of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps:
1941
Specific form of Ligeti’s Atmospheres:
according to Ligeti, overall form is like a single, broad arch with individual sections melting together
Genre of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
song cycle
Source of text for Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture:
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Mood/character of Part’s Cantate Domino canticum novum:
- Part’s spirituality is joyfully expressed in this work- immediately captures the leggiero (light, nimble) joyous dance-like character, interrupted by brief moments of silence at text punctuation - rejects the sounds of modernity, returning to purity and simplicity
Year of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4:
1899-1901
General structure of Berg’s Wozzeck:
- 3 acts with 5 scenes in each act- 3 acts usually performed without intermission- 5 short scenes linked by brief orchestral interludes
Musical character of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
- gentle lyricism- emotional expressions of loss and acceptance of death- lilting triple meter marked dolce (sweetly)
Form of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau:
- resembles sonata form- based on 2 motives in the manner of a first movement of a sonata, without subjecting itself to the Classical tonal plan
Performing forces of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
- set for a female reciter (mezzo soprano in German-translated from the original French) and a chamber music ensemble of 5 players using 8 instruments: piano, flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin/viola, and cello- Der Mondfleck uses voice, piccolo, clarinet in B flat, violin, cello, and piano
Tempo of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4:
opening marked Sehr behaglich (very comfortably)
Describe the process and impact of the creation of Berg’s Wozzeck.
- delay due to military service, finished score in 1922- premiered at the State Opera House in Berlin in Dec. 1925- broke new ground musically, emotionally, and dramatically; critical financial success that brought Berg recognition as a composer of international standing
Genre of Smetana’s Vltava:
symphonic poem (tone poem)
Performing forces of Part’s Cantate Domino canticum novum:
- SATB chorus, organ - voices often paired SA and TB- changing textures: 1 voice, 2 voices, and 4 voices
Genre of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite:
Originally composed for ballet, later reworked into orchestral suites
Genre of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau:
solo piano work
Plot summary of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
- aim was to console the living and lead them to a serene acceptance of death as a inevitable part of life- song of mourning for all of humanity- 4th movement: the text offers up a song in praise of the gifts of heaven- opening words “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted” reveal his intention: to deliver universal message of hope and consolation
Plot Summary of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps:
The Revelation of St. John (Chapter 10)- angel descending from sky (description)- sets right foot on sea, left foot on earth, raises his hands to the sky and share by Him saying: There shall be no more time, but on the day of the 7th Angel’s trumpet the mystery of God shall be accomplished
Which Mahler work are we studying?
Symphony no. 4 in G Major, 4th movement
Context within whole work of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra:
4th of 5 movements
How did Verdi’s situation mirror the story of La Traviata by Alexandre Dumas?
- In the same year, Verdi visited Paris for the first time and fell in love with Giuseppina Strepponi (retired opera singer with whom he had worked with in Milan several years earlier; loving relationship that was to last for 50+ years). Before marriage, they suffered judgement of many fellow Italians
Which Schumann work are we studying?
Dichterliebe (A Poet’s Love), op. 48: Und wussten’s die Blumen (In the Lovely Month of May)
Name the Leitmotifs used in the section we are studying of Wagner’s Die Walkure.
- Slumber Motive- Magic Sleep Motive- Spear Motive- Magic Fire Motive- Siegfried Motive- Slumber and Magic Fire Motives
Context within the whole work for Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture:
independent concert work; not connected to the opera
Meter of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4:
4/4
Historical context of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture:
- romantic composers drawn to the works of Shakespeare, particularly to Romeo and Juliet- often referred to as a overture-fantasy
General structure of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra:
- 5 movements, called a concerto because of its tendency “to treat the single orchestral instruments in a ‘concertina’ or soloistic manner”- virtuoso is the entire orchestra
Characteristics of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4:
contains some of Mahler’s most joyful and luminous passages
Which Smetana work are we studying?
Vltava (The Moldau) from Ma vlast (My Country)
Characteristics of Ligeti’s Atmospheres:
- all entries are to be played imperceptibly and dolcissimo- extreme dynamic range (pppp to ffff)
Characters of Verdi’s La Traviata:
- Violetta Valery (coloratura soprano): a courtesan in 19th century Paris- Alfredo Germont (tenor): a young aristocrat- Giorgio Germont (baritone): Alfredo’s father- Baron Douphol (baritone): Violetta’s lover- Flora Bervoix (mezzo soprano): Violetta’s friend
Mood of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
- light, ironical, satirical tone- abrupt changes of mood from guilt to depression to atonement and playfulness- musical expression of bizarre images in text- voice part is haunting and dramatic
Meter of Berg’s Wozzeck:
- Act III Scene 4 and Orchestral Interlude: 3/4- Act III Scene 5: 12/8
Source of text of Schumann’s Dichterliebe:
- 16 poems from Lyriches Intermezzo by Heinrich Heine- poetry often presents ironic, cynical, yearning, nostalgic, bitter remarks that reflect disillusioned hopes, but the tone of the music is more neutral
Language of Wagner’s Die Walkure:
German
Genre of Ligeti’s Atmospheres:
orchestral music
Plot summary of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture:
- captures the essential emotions of the drama without trying to delineate specific plot development- characters of Friar Laurence, Romeo, and Juliet are each identified by their own themes- recurring feud theme evokes the conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets
Meter of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture:
4/4
Which Schoenberg work are we studying?
Pierrot lunaire (Moonstruck Pierrot), op. 21- Nos. 18 “Der Mondfleck” and Nos. 21 “O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit”
Meter of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
- Der Mondfleck: 3/4- O alter Duft aus Märchenzeit: 4/4
Meter of Liszt’s La Campanella:
6/8
Meter of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite:
- 4/4 in introduction, A section, A’ section- 3/4 in B section
Year of Ligeti’s Atmospheres:
1961
Specific form of Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire:
each text is a Rondeau
Which Tchaikovsky work are we studying?
Romeo and Juliet Overture
Genre of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps:
chamber music
Characteristics of Liszt’s La Campanella:
- transcended the limitations of the keyboard- main theme requires light touch (staccato) to imitate bell- highly virtuosic style- each variation builds and becomes more elaborate and faster than the previous until dramatic closing in loud octaves
Performing forces of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau:
piano
Genre of Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
Sacred choral music
Tempo of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto:
- allegro molto appassionato (very fast and impassioned) in exposition- agitato (varied moods and dynamics) in development- più presto (faster tempo) in coda
Source of text for Berg’s Wozzeck:
- Source of plot: 19th century Expressionist play “Woyzek” by Georg Buchner- “Woyzek” was based on gruesome real life events- “Woyzek” is a work intended to give voice to people who, through no fault of their own, remain victims at the mercy of an unfeeling world- Language: German- libretto prepared by the composer himself
Meter of Schumann’s Dichterliebe:
2/4
Context within whole work for Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem:
- 4th movement is positioned at the core of this work’s arch design and offers a comforting vision of heaven- 4th movement chorus “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” is widely sung
Year of Berg’s Wozzeck:
1922
Form of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto:
- Exposition- Development- Cadenza- Recapitulation- Coda
Source of text for Wagner’s Die Walkure:
A fusion of Norse mythology and an epic medieval poem called the “Nibelungenlied” (The Song of the Nibelungs): a complex story involving gods and mortals