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Unit XX Choral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century

Unit XX Choral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century. Chapter 58 Romantic Opera. Definition. Drama that is sung. Combines soloists, ensembles, chorus, orchestra, ballet, poetry and drama, acting, pantomime, scenery, and costumes.

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Unit XX Choral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century

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  1. Unit XXChoral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century Chapter 58 Romantic Opera

  2. Definition • Drama that is sung. Combines soloists, ensembles, chorus, orchestra, ballet, poetry and drama, acting, pantomime, scenery, and costumes. • While suspension of disbelief is a main tenet of opera (characters that sing?), the same is true of poetic Shakespeare monologues, etc.

  3. French National Style • Grand opera • Serious, historical themes • Full of spectacle • Huge choruses • Crowd scenes • Dance episodes • Ornate costumes and scenery • Sung throughout

  4. French Opera • Opéra comique • Smaller performing forces • Simpler style • Includes spoken dialogue • Lyric opera • Hybrid form, featuring appealing melodies and romantic drama. • Sung throughout

  5. German Opera • Singspiel • German comic opera form • Uses spoken dialogue • Grand opera • German Romantic opera reveled in the supernatural (Weber, Der Frieshütz) • Use of simple, direct, almost folk-like melodies

  6. German Opera • Music drama • Invention of Richard Wagner • Attempted to blend all arts in the service of the drama

  7. Italian Opera • Opera seria • Serious in character • Usually grand historical, mythic subjects • Sung throughout • Opera buffa - Italian comic opera; sung throughout. • Italian opera is dominated by bel canto style--florid melodic lines sung by voices of great agility and purity of tone.

  8. Exoticism in Romantic Opera • Far-off lands provided fertile ground for the creativity of the Romantic composer. • Authenticity was not the primary concern. Instead, the picturesque atmosphere of foreign lands, sounds, sights and customs as imagined by the composer was primary. • While the musical language remained distinctly western, it was flavored by melodies, harmonies and rhythms of the faraway locales.

  9. Examples of Exoticism in Opera • Verdi, Aïda • Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), Samson and Delilah • Richard Strauss, Salome, Elektra • Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), Turandot, Madame Butterfly • Georges Bizet (1838-75), Carmen

  10. Women in Opera in the Nineteenth Century • Opera provided great visibility for women. Some composers also gained limited prominence. • Louise Bertin • 1805-77 • Had several operas produced at the Opéra-Comique in Paris including Esmerelda (1836) - based on the Hugo novel about the hunchback of Notre Dame.

  11. Jenny Lind • 1820-87 • One of the most prominent sopranos of all time. • Known as the "Swedish Nightengale" • Made her American debut in 1850 in a national tour managed by circus impressario P. T. Barnum

  12. Maria Malibran • 1808-1836 • Oldest daughter of famed Spanish tenor Manuel Garcia. • Renowned interpreter of Rossini. • Died in a riding accident.

  13. Pauline Viardot • 1821-1910 • Youngest daughter of Manuel Garcia. • Premiered works for Brahms, Schumann, Berlioz • Her artistry is responsible for furthering many men’s careers including Gounod, Massenet and Fauré.

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