Transition to the 20 th Century

1. Transition to the 20th Century • Focus on less “romantic” emotions and ideals • Instead often a focus on “realism” • 20th Century was a time of controversy • Pushing the boundaries of what audiences were comfortable with • Music starts to change because of Wagner • More dissonance, less “classical” form

2. Gustav Mahler(1860-1911) • 1895-Brother committed suicide • Jew who converted to Catholicism in preparation to take post at Vienna Opera • 1902-Marriage to Alma Schindler • Two daughters, Maria, Anna • 1908- Conductor of the Met, then the New York Philharmonic • Marital problems

3. Gustav Mahler(1860-1911) • Two major genres: Symphony and Lied • Often mixed voice and orchestra • Highly emotional • Sometimes romantic, sometimes realist • Lied • Orchestral, not piano • Symphonic Song Cycles including: • 'Songs on the Death of Children' (Kindertotenlieder)

4. Kindertotenlieder • Song Cycle for voice and orchestra • 5 chosen from a group of 425 poems by Friedrich Rückert. • 4 years after he composed this piece, his daughter, Maria died of scarlet fever • Added to Alma’s resentment • 3. "Wenn dein Mütterlein""When your mother steps in through the door and I turn my head to look at her, my glance does not go first to her face, but nearer the doorstep, there, there where your dear little face used to be, as if you were bringing joy's beauty in with you as you used to, my little daughter. When your mother steps in through the door with the glowing candle, it is to me as if you came in with her as you used to, as of old hurrying behind her into the room. O you, your father's being, ah light of joy lost too soon!"

5. Symphonies • Largely influenced by Beethoven • “Curse of the ninth” • Use of choir (influenced by Beethoven’s 9th) • Use of folk elements • Including offstage German folk instruments Large in all scopes: • Orchestral size • Use of massive orchestra for romantic purposes, and for spotlighting chamber ensembles • Also, use of offstage bands • Length (90m) • Dynamic extremes

6. Symphony No. 2 • Nicknamed “The Resurrection” • Premiered 1895 • Most popular work • Programmatic picture of the ‘march of the dead’, ‘summons call’ and then ‘resurrection’. • Text from 4th and 5th movements: • I am from God and will return to God! The loving God will give me a little light, Which will light me into that eternal blissful life!

7. Symphony No. 9 • Composed ~1910 • Time of personal crisis • Alma’s infidelity • Considered his most ‘intense’ work • Employs quotes from Kindertotenlieder • The day is fine on yonder heights; in other words the ultimate destination, beyond life • Considered “Farewell to the world” • Premonition of his death

8. Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Like Mahler, a famed conductor 1880’s & ’90’s spent perfecting the Symphonic Poem He called them Tone Poems Perfected them by the use of “realistic” sound effects to tell the program Most famous include: Also Sprach Zarathustra (based on Nietzche’s poem) Don Quixote (based on Cervantes’ novel)

9. Salome (1905) Turn of the century – focus on opera Gruesome plots, mixture of tonal music and modernistic sounds Salome - Based on play by Oscar Wilde Instant success, scandal Most controversial moments: Dance of the Seven Veils Salome singing a beautiful love aria to the severed head of John the Baptist

10. Eventually turned to Neo-Classicism 20th century development, particularly popular in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers drew inspiration from music of the 18th century Had a near run-in with Hitler Hitler tried to make him a member of his propaganda team Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

11. Transition to the 20th Century • Gustav von Holst (1874-1934) • - most famous work The Planets • Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter: Romantic Symphony • Saturn, Uranus, Neptune: 20th Century-like movements • Romantics who held on: • - Edward Elgar (1857-1934) • - Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)