Key Terms Romantic opera Italian opera German opera Bel Canto (It., the art of beautiful song) opposed to recitative & Wagners declamatory style Recitative declamatory singing free in tempo and rhythm. Aria (It., = song, tune or melody) opposed to recit. Arioso hybrid genre between aria and recitative Romantic Opera- traits (a) 19th century was a golden age for opera Directly associated with Politics (i.e. nationalism) Influenced by Romantic Themes Transcendence of artistic barriers Blurring art forms: drama, music and art Total Art Work (Wagner) Romantic Opera- traits (b) Message and Meaning taken seriously Not created only for entertainment Based on respectable subjects from literature New Genres of lighter opera appeared: a. Operetta (Austria, England & The United States) b. Opera Bouffe (France) c. Zarzuela (Spain) Early Romantic Opera Starting in 1820s predilection for serious, even tragic operas French grand operasMeyerbeer and Rossini National Opera (Verismo) -- Verdi Tragic Italian operasBellini and Donizetti German Romantic operasWeber Gioacchino Rossini (17921868) Best know for his opera buffa crisp, elegant style, (Mozartian) Barber of Seville but admired equally for serious operas Established style and form of Italian Romantic opera bel canto styleglorifies beautiful singing full of coloratura arias for virtuoso singers Wrote 39 operas and retired in 1829 Gaetano Donizetti (17971848) Dominated bel canto opera after Rossini preferred simple, sentimental arias lots of blood-and-thunder action music most famous: Lucia di Lammermoor Enormously prolific more than 60 operas Opera buffa:Don Pasquale, Lelisir damore Requiem, orchestral Pieces, Concertos (Flute,Clarinet), 18 String Quartets Vincenzo Bellini (18011835) Preferred serious & tragic bel canto wrote in refined, elegant, melodic style influenced Chopins nocturnes admired by Verdi more Romantic (melody/harmony) than Rossini or Donizetti Famous works: Norma & La Sonnambula (1831), I Puritani (1835) Carl Maria von Weber (17861826) Born in Eutin, Germany d. in London First cousin of Mozarts wife (Constanze Weber) 1798 studied with Michael Haydn in Salzburg First published compositions: Six Fuggettas for Piano At 14 he wrote the opera The Silent Forest Maiden which became a great success in Vienna, Prague, St.Petersburg Cont. Weber (Bio) 1807 to 1810, Weber held a post at the court of the Duke of Wurttemberg (Stuttgart, Germany) 1813 - Director of Opera in Prague 1817 Director of Opera in Dresden 1826 Oberon @ Covent garden, London Died of tuberculosis at 39 (June,1826 in London) Cont. Weber- OUTPUT 10 Operas (most famous: Der Freischutz, Euryanthe, Oberon) 2 Masses 2 Symphonies 6 vocal works with orchestra 2 Piano & 2 Clarinet concertos Konzertstck for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 79, (1821) 2 pieces for Viola & Orchestra Konzertstck for Horn and Orchestra in e Cont. Weber Importance (a) Founder of German Romantic opera As innovator and orchestrator considered equal to Schubert and Beethoven Creator of the Konzertstuck (Concert Piece: continuous one movement concert piece in several sections). Use of Motives in his operas (in association with characters & events) Listening: Der Freischutz (The Free-shooter) Premiere: June 1821, Berlin 3 Acts Ballad on Music Libretto: Friedrich Kind (gloomy, Gothic) based on German Folktales Combines Nature & the Supernatural Mix of Romantic arias, folk-song choruses, & devilish conjuration Use of Melodrama ( spoken dialog over background music ) Cont. Weber (d) Der Freischutz - PLOT (1821) The gamekeeper Max loves Agathe and is to become the successor to Kuno, the head ranger and Agathe's father. But a test of skill in marksmanship is required, the trial to be held the following day. At a target shooting, Max loses to the young peasant Kilian Cont. Weber (d) Der Freischutz - PLOT (1821) Because Max has had ill luck for several days he easily falls under the influence of Kaspar, who persuades Max to cast seven magic bullets to be used in the contest. Kaspar, whose soul is to be forfeited to the devil, hopes to obtain three more years of grace by substituting Max in his place Cont. Weber (d) Listening: Der Freischutz (1821)
1822 illustration of Der Freischtz depicting the opening scene
with Max and Kilian Cont. Weber (e) Listening: Der Freischutz (1821) Orchestra plays significant role in establishing mood and telling story revolutionary orchestration & sitting: Orchestra pit: 2 piccolos, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings On stage: 1 clarinet, 2 horns, 1 trumpet, violins, celli YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FojsiGXZYDU&playnext=1&list=PL4EE7 B5CBC3D0525A&feature=results_main Cont. Weber (e) Listening: Der Freischutz (1821) Use of Keys and Motives in connection to persons & events (Samiels Motive diminished seventh-chord : E flat - f sharp A - C; also represents the keys used in the last scene of Act II Directly influenced Mendelssohn, Liszt, Wagner, Meyerbeer and Berlioz Webers music is almost cinematic and influenced greatly modern composers of film and television music