Unit XX Choral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century

1
Unit XXChoral and Dramatic Music in the
Nineteenth Century

• Chapter 58
• Romantic Opera

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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.

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French National Style

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

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French Opera

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

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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

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German Opera

• Music drama
• Invention of Richard Wagner
• Attempted to blend all arts in the service of the
  drama

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Maria Malibran

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

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Pauline Viardot

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