Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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III. CONTENT NOTES
Introduction
Vocal music is one of the best tools for expressing ones feelings. This form
of expression became more evident during the Romantic period. Romanticism coincided
with the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe that brought about the rise of socialism
and capitalism. The Romantic Period’s basic quality is emotional subjectivity. Composers
explore feelings of grandiosity, intimacy, unpredictability, sad, rapture and longing.
Romantic vocal forms like the art song and operas were about fantasy,
supernatural, romance and the nature as mirror of the human heart. Virtuoso performers are
not only instrumentalists but also singers. One singer sometimes sounds like several
characters by use of different vocal register. To fully understand and appreciate vocal
music of the Romantic Period, this unit will let you experience the cultural developments
and artistic forms of expression of the period. By understanding the past we learn to
appreciate the things we enjoy today.
The parallelisms of music and literature were clearly evident in almost all
forms of vocal music during the Romantic period. Composers interpret poems, mood,
atmosphere and imagery into music. Musical compositions such as the art song was
written for solo voice and piano. Like all program music, art song has its inspiration from
poetry in this period. Mood is often set at the beginning with piano introduction and
concluded with a piano postlude.
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(“Swan Song”). He also wrote piano pieces, string quartets, operetta and the Symphony
No.8 in B minor (“Unfinished Symphony”).
Giuseppe Verdi
Giacomo Puccini
Richard Wagner
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dramatic elements were fused together. He developed a compositional style in which the
orchestra has of equal importance in dramatic roles as the singers themselves. The
expressiveness is aided by the use of “leitmotifs” or musical sequences standing for a
particular character/plot element.
His famous works are; “Tristan and Isolde”, “Die Walkyrie”, “Die
Meistersinger”, “Tannhäuser”, and “Parsifal”. His work would later influence modern
film scores, including those of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings film series. Wagner
died of a heart attack on February 13,1883 at age of 69.
Georges Bizet
ROMANTIC OPERA
Components of an Opera:
Libretto - the text of an opera. Librettist and the
composer work closely together to tell the story.
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Recitative - Declamatory singing, used in the prose parts and dialogue of opera. Different
roles in operas are created taking into account different types of voices. Each role requires
a different type of singer, not only able to sing a given vocal range but also with certain
voice characteristics, color and power.
Aria – an air or solo singing part sung by a principal character. This song is what the
public will remember best when leaving the opera house. Properly and well sung, a
beautiful aria can bring an audience to its feet and decide the fate of an entire opera.
Composers like Verdi, Puccini and Wagner saw the opportunity to explore
ways to develop the vocal power of a singer. Greater range of tone color, dynamics and
pitch were employed.
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Dynamics and vocal embellishments were used to further affect the way
singers sing. Some musical terms are used like:
Here are some examples of the story of 2 famous operas of the Romantic Period:
LA TRAVIATA
Synopsis
At one of her brilliant supper parties, the beautiful but frail demimondaine
(a woman supported by a wealthy lover –Merriam Webster Dictionary), Violetta Valéry,
meets the well-born Alfredo Germont. They immediately fall in love and she decides to
abandon her life of pleasure.
Alfredo’s father did not approve of their lifestyle in the country and demands
that Violetta renounce Alfredo. Violetta determined to make the sacrifice, then departs and
leaves only a note for Alfredo.
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She appears at a ball in Flora‟s house on the arm of an old admirer, Baron
Douphol which makes Alfredo angry. Alfredo challenges the Baron to play cards where
Alfredo wins consistently. Unable to persuade Violetta to go with him, Alfredo insults her.
Violetta becomes ill, and all her friends desert her, leaving her virtually penniless.
Alfredo returns to Violetta. His father told him of the real story behind
Violetta‟s departure from their country house and urged him to seek her forgiveness.
Overjoyed at the sight of him, Violetta attempts to rise but falls into Alfredo‟s arms.
Germont and the doctor enter as Violetta dies.
Madame Butterfly
Synopsis
Training to sing for opera usually requires a long process of voice lessons or
study. It also requires a lengthy time of practice for you to master your voice.
For many singers, the long process of studying also means starting early
in life. The list below shows you the different aspects that you need to learn
as you train for opera.
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Sound/ Tone Color:
For opera, the performance is about the quality of sound that the
singer makes. Singing opera requires you to sing long phrases and to sing loud
enough to be heard over an orchestra in large halls.
Language
Opera singers often sing in Italian, French, German, or Russian. You
don't have to be fluent in all these languages, but you want to be familiar enough
with them that you can easily sing and sound like you are fluent in these languages.
Fundamentals of Singing
Breathing
There are two sides of breathing-inhaling and exhaling- and both play an
important role in singing. Breathing is a natural biological function, but you can control
how you breathe in order to develop your best singing voice. Learn how to expand your
lung capacity, control your exhalation, and release air without making breathing noises.
The timbre of the voice describes its tone quality. Some singers refer to
“head” and “chest” voice. Generally, the lower the pitch, the lower it resonates. The voice
often “breaks” and the tone quality change on certain pitches. The key is to realize that the
registers are not actually separate mechanism, just have different levels on a continuous
scale.
Posture
Vocal Range
Endurance
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Singers are expected to perform well even it will take an hour or more to
perform. Endurance is expected from singers who also practice long hours to give a good
and memorable performance.
Even today popular singers still showcase their talents to a high level of
performance. The need to capture the audience with their extraordinary vocal ability is still
the main reason for showcasing their talents. Many musical plays are inspired by these
operas of the Romantic Period. They emulate the same intense emotions but are now put
into the present context.
In the Philippines, the sarsuwela, also known as the „drama simbolico‟ was
a traditional theatre genre that dominated the Philippine theatre scene over one hundred
years. It was first introduced by Dario Cespedes. Like the Opera of the Romantic period its
storyline was commonly based on domestic issues that often exemplified a strong sense of
Filipino nationalism and anguish against the countrys foreign imperialists.
Today, singers like Maria Callas and Kirsten Chenoweth are famous because of
their performances of different operas and musical plays abroad. In the Philippines artist
like Isay Alvarez, Robert Seňa, Monique Wilson, Jaime Rivera and Lea Salonga also
became famous not only in the local scene but abroad as well for their roles in musical
plays like the “Miss Saigon.” In fact Lea Salonga won various international awards like
the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk and Theatre World awards. She also received the Order of
Lakandula Award from Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in recognition of
her excellence in her craft and for using her talents to benefit Philippine society.
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IV. ACTIVITIES
Locate and encircle the word related to vocal music of the Romantic period inside the box.
The word/s may be arranged horizontally, vertically, diagonally/inverted. Match the words
found to the questions given below.
1. Romantic Opera composer who wrote his final opera that ends with “All the
world’s a joke.”
2. Late-Romantic Italian composer who composed the score for “La Boheme.”
3. German composer who adapted the leitmotif approach.
4. German term for composition for solo voice and piano.
5. Story set into music with several acts, finales and postludes.
6. Viennese composer who wrote over 600 art songs and the “Unfinished Symphony”.
7. “La Donna e Mobile” is an Aria from this Opera.
8. Georges Bizet’s famous opera
Listen to the following excerpts from different Arias and identify the dominating vocal range
by shading the circle.
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ARIA MALE FEMALE
1.La Donna e mobile o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
2.Nessum Dorma o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
3.Libiamo o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
4.Un bel di redremo o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
5.Vissi d‟arte o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
6.Quando m‟en vo o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
7.Ave Maria o Tenor o Soprano(coloratura)
o Baritone o Mezzo-soprano
o Bass o Contralto
REFLECTION:
1. How were the singers able to relay the message of the music?
2. Is it important for composers to consider the vocal range or classification of his singer?
Why?
3. What is your overall impression of the performance?
4. If a popular singer today will also perform the songs you just listen, would he/she be able
to perform the same way as the one you’ve just listened? Why?
5. Research and paste pictures of some famous modern opera singers today.
Title Composer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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V. EVALUATION
1. What form of expression became more evident during the Romantic period and
played as one of the best tools for expressing one’s feelings?
A. Vocal music B. instrumental C. lyrical D. all of the above
2. Which of the following composers is not from the Romantic Period?
A. Franz Peter Schubert C. Joseph Haydn
B. Richard Wagner D. Giuseppe Verdi
3. What is the most famous opera of Bizet?
A. Otello B. Carmen C. Aida D. Madame Butterfly
4. What is the term used to refer the text of an opera?
A. Score B. coda C. lyrics D. libretto
5. What do you call by the lowest and the most unique female voice?
A. Baritone B. contralto C. coloratura D. dramatic
6. A period in which their subject in music deals with the traditional myths, legends and
folklore, supernatural, grotesque, and less ordinary.
A. Romantic period B. Classical period C. Renaissance period D. Baroque
7. What is the German word of “song”?
A. Leather B. leader C. theater D. lieder
8. Who among the Romantic composers is considered as the last among the Classical
composers and the first among the Romantic period composers?
A. Giuseppe Verdi C. Giacumo Pucinni
B. C. Franz Peter Schubert D. Georges Bizet
9. A type of music where singers and musicians perform dramatic work combining text,
musical score that are usually in an elaborated theatrical setting is called ________.
A. Bodabil B. Tragedy C. Opera D. Broadway
10. La Boheme, Tosca, Madamme Buttrefly and Turandot are examples of opera. Who is
the composer of these operas?
A. Giacomo Puccini B. Giuseppe Verdi C. Richard Wagner D. Georges Bizet
11. Which components of opera is characterized with declamatory singing that is used in
the prose parts and the dialogue of the opera?
A. Aria B. score C. nahambog D. Libretto
12. What do you call by the common middle male voice that lies between bass and tenor
voices?
A. Bass B. Tenor C. Baritone D. Soprano
13. What is the most comfortable singing range?
A. Cantabile B. Capo C. Vibrato D. Tessitura
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14. What is the main reason why popular singers in the contemporary time still showcase
their talents?
A. For inspirations
B. For high level of performance
C. To impress the audience or fans
D. To capture the audience with their extraordinary vocal ability
15. A slight slowing down or speeding up of the tempo, characteristically employed in the
performance of much Romantic music, is
A. rubato B. syncopation C. ostinato D. chromatic
16. Music that is written to convey an extra-musical idea is called __________.
A. Nationalism B. Gesamtkunstwerk C. Program Music D. Absolute Music
17. During this era, Romantic period composers drew their inspiration from all the
following except:
A. Church B. Drama C. Literature D. Nature
18. An art song is a musical composition for ___________.
A. solo voice and orchestra
B. multiple voices
C. solo voice and piano
D. all of the above
19. Who among the following masters built an opera house designing it in his own
specifications in Bayreuth?
A. Berlioz B. Brahms C. Puccini D. Wagner
20. Composers were given greater rhythmic freedom and used all the following
techniques in their compositions except:
A. Simpler, more balanced rhythms C. Cross-rhythms & Macro-rhythms
B. Cyclic Principle D. Leitmotifs & Idèe Fixe
21. A short musical idea associated with a person, object, or thought, used by Richard
Wagner in his operas, is called
A. leitmotif B. lied C. speech-song D. unending melody
22. Why is Maria Callas and Kristen Chenoweth famous in the field of singing?
A. because they are nice to the audience
B. because they perform well on stage
C. because they have good voice
D. because of their performances of different operas and musical plays abroad
23. What play presented a not so conventional plot showing marriage as a casual affair
that ended up being a romantic tragedy?
A. La Traviata C. Madame Butterfly
B. Miss Saigon D. Man of Lamancha
24. Which of the following is not characteristic of romanticism?
A. A fascination with fantasy.
B. An emphasis on balance and clarity of structures.
C. An enthusiasm for the culture of the Middle Ages.
D. An interest in exoticism and the past.
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25. Which of the following would not complete the phrase "With the rise of program
music…”?
A. Music began to tell stories.
B. Music was written only for the beauty of the music itself.
C. Music began to imply meaning beyond the purely musical.
D. Composers found ways to make their musical ideas represent people, things, and
dramatic situations.
26. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. Composers used music as a tool for highlighting national identity.
B. Composer wrote works based on stories of exotic lands and people.
C. Composers took an interest in the music of various ethnic groups and incorporated
it into their music.
D. Instrumental composers referred to folk music and national images while operatic
composers never used political or national themes.
27. When music conservatories were founded, women _______.
A. were not admitted
B. were admitted only as vocalists or pianists
C. could only study musical composition, since performance was considered
undignified
D. were at first accepted only as students of performance, but by the late 1800s could
study musical composition
28. Which of the following statements is not true of the Romantic art song?
A. The art song is restricted to strophic or through-composed forms
B. Through-composed is a song form that allows music to reflect a poem's changing
moods.
C. The accompaniment of a Romantic art song is an integral part of the composer's
conception, and it serves as an interpretive partner to the voice.
D. A song cycle is a set of Romantic art songs that may be unified by a story line that
runs through the poems, or by musical ideas linking the songs.
29. Wagner envisioned the music drama as a gesamtkunstwerk, or "universal art work," in
which ________.
A. the vocal line is inspired by rhythms and pitch fluctuations in the German text
B. all the arts-music, drama, dance, painting-are fused
C. there is a continuous musical flow
D. all of the above
30. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. While music alone makes no definite reference to ideas, emotions, or objects, it can create
moods, emotions, and atmosphere.
B. Musicians and audiences in the Romantic period liked to read stories into all music,
whether intended by the composer or not.
C. The Romantic concert overture was modelled after the opera overture, but the concert
overture is not intended to usher in a stage work, being instead an independent composition.
D. The symphonic poem, or tone poem, is a one-movement composition in sonata- allegro
form.
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VI. ADDITIONAL READINGS / AGREEMENT / ASSIGNMENT
Heralded by the French Revolution, the Romantic Period was one of subjectivity. The
music intensely emotional, deriving its strength from massive forces and vivid orchestration.
It was also in this period, that the virtuoso emerged and performed in numerous concerts.
The Romantic Era brought further changes in the world of vocal music. Composers made
great strides during this time to closely associate the text or words of a piece with its musical
counterpart.
The real achievements of the Romantics in theatre were in opera. One of the striking
characteristics of the late 18th and early a9th centuries is the development of the idea of
romantic love linked to marriage. Romantic operatic voice is trained to be full and rich,
powerful enough to fill an opera house in the days before electronic amplification.
Activity 1
VIII. REFERENCES
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Control No: _______________
SLK for MAPEH 9 (MUSIC 9)
QUARTER 4 WEEK 1-2
Name: ___________________________________ Grade & Sec.: ______________
School: ___________________________________ Contact No: ______________
Subject Teacher: ___________________________
X. ANSWER/ACTIVITY SHEETS
Activity 1. Evaluation
1.__________________________________ 1. _____________________________
2.__________________________________ 2. _____________________________
3.__________________________________ 3. _____________________________
4.__________________________________ 4. _____________________________
5.__________________________________ 5. _____________________________
6.__________________________________ 6. _____________________________
7.__________________________________ 7. _____________________________
8.__________________________________ 8. _____________________________
9. _____________________________
Activity 2. 10. _____________________________
11. _____________________________
1.__________________________________ 12. _____________________________
2.__________________________________ 13. _____________________________
3.__________________________________ 14. _____________________________
4.__________________________________ 15. _____________________________
5.__________________________________ 16. _____________________________
6.__________________________________ 17. _____________________________
7.__________________________________ 18. _____________________________
19. _____________________________
Activity 3. 20. _____________________________
21. _____________________________
1.__________________________________ 22. _____________________________
2.__________________________________ 23. _____________________________
3.__________________________________ 24. _____________________________
4.__________________________________ 25. _____________________________
5.__________________________________ 26. _____________________________
6.__________________________________ 27. _____________________________
28. _____________________________
IX. FEEDBACK NOTES 29. _____________________________
30. _____________________________
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