Romanticism in the Lives and Works of Romantic Composers

1. Romanticism in the Lives and Works of Romantic Composers Sam K. QRS-EHAP Horace Greeley HS

2. Essential Question: How were the ideals of Romanticism evident in the lives and works of composers of the Romantic Era?

3. Ideals Being Expressed • Fascination with exotic lands • A growing sense of nationalism • The idea of an individual having unlimited power • Increase in emotion and drama in art • The emergence of an artist as a true philosopher • Obsession with the French Revolution and other political uprisings

4. Exoticism in Music

5. Félicien David(1810-1876)

6. Origin and Travels Abroad • Born in Cadenet on April 13th, 1810 • Interested in music at a very young age • Very religious, first compositions were church music • Joined a French socialist group named the Saint-Simonians in 1831 • The group was outlawed in 1832 • David went with some members to Egypt to preach Saint-Simonian gospel in 1833 • Wrote piano music while abroad • Returned in June of 1835 with a fascination about the Middle East

7. Influential Works • Le désert (1844) • Three movements describing a desert storm, a prayer to Allah, and a traveling caravan • A long repeated pedal note is used to represent the vast wastes of the desert • La perle du Brésil (1851) • Opera about a storm off the coast of Brazil • Lalla-Roukh (1862) • Opera set in India

8. Giuseppe Verdi(1813-1901)

9. Origin and Involvement in Italian Unification • Born in Roncole on October 10th, 1813 • Always spoke of his humble “peasant” beginnings in Roncole • Became a member of the Chamber of Deputies (the newly formed Italian parliament) in 1862 • His fellow revolutionary, Count Camilo Benso di Cavour, dies in June of 1861 • The pain of his friend’s death is too much to bear and he resigns from office in 1865 • Cavour’s death makes Verdi turn back to music and change his focus away from Italy

10. Influential Works • Nabucodonsor (1841) • First example of Verdi having non-Italian inspiration • Fascinated by the chorus of the Hebrew exiles • Aida (1871) • Written for the first season of Khedvial Opera House in Cairo • NOT for the opening of the Suez canal as commonly thought • Makes aspects of old Egyptian images into major spectacles • Uses the pyramids, temple of Isis, gate of Thebes, and the Nile river as settings • Adapts Egyptian characters to an old Italian love story

11. Georges Bizet(1838-1875)

12. Origin and Involvement in the Franco-Prussian War • Born in Paris on October 25th, 1838 • Won the Prix de Rome in 1857 • France’s highest honor in music • Winner gets to study in Rome for 3 years • Enlisted as a national guard during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 • Ended up deserting the army • Happy that France was losing the war • Marks the beginning of Bizet’s search for inspiration outside of France

13. Influential Works • Chants de Pyrénées • About the Pyrenees mountains • First sign of interest in Spanish culture • Carmen (1875) • Opera about a gypsy named Carmen that seduces a soldier • Bizet refused to visit Spain • Uses the harmonic, rhythmic, and instrumental procedures of flamenco music as well as old Spanish folk songs for musical inspiration as a substitution to visiting • Exotic aspects of the score were put in only for dramatic effect

14. Conclusions on Exoticism in Romantic Music • Imperialistic desires to westernize foreign lands • Félicien David’s trip to Egypt to spread Saint-Simonian gospel • Fascination with the newly colonized and explored regions • Verdi’s interest in the Middle East and desire to distance himself from his simple past • Looking towards other places for inspiration • Bizet and Verdi’s desire to look away from their own respective countries • Adapted these foreign stimuli to their own classic European operatic style

15. Nationalism in Music

16. Frédéric Chopin(1810-1849)

17. Origin and Personality • Born in Zelazowa Wola on March 1st, 1880 • Considered the greatest Polish nationalist composer but was half French • Didn’t want to be showy and only performed for small audiences • Lived in constant misery due to a lifelong chronic lung condition • Contemporary composer Hector Berlioz said that Chopin was, “dying all his life” (213). • Had a long, turbulent relationship with author Aurore Duderant née Dupin • Ended in pain and made his work more intense

18. Revolutionary Étude (1831) • The November Uprising in Warsaw in 1830 broke out three weeks after Chopin left Warsaw • The November Uprising was in response to Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich ignoring Polish Constitution by agreeing to help put down revolts in France • Polish government took over the region and declared war on Russia in 1831 • The war ended in disaster with the deaths of thousands of Poles and no improvement in the situation with Russia

19. Revolutionary Étude (1831)(continued) • Chopin wanted to go back and protect his family and his country • Couldn’t because of his lung condition • Instead, he used music to support the efforts in Warsaw • The piece caused many in Poland to join the cause • Contemporary composer and music critic Robert Schumann said that: “Beneath the flowers in Chopin’s work, there are hidden cannons” (217). • Refers to the nationalistic passion this piece evoked in its listeners

20. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky(1840-1893)

21. Origin and Personality • Born in Votkinsk on May 7th, 1840 • Studied at the St. Petersburg conservatory for 3 years • Had trouble interacting with people and got upset easily • Tchaikovsky was quoted saying: “Every new acquaintance, every fresh meeting with someone unknown, has always been for me a source of suffering” (354). • Was a very shy person • Couldn’t conduct his own works • Let his music speak for him • Closet homosexual

22. Tchaikovsky’s Homosexuality • Source of Tchaikovsky’s insecurity • Was afraid anyone would find out • Married Antonia Ivanova Miliukova in 1877 to try to hide his homosexuality • Angst from trying to hide his homosexuality led to a failed suicide attempt • Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality comes out in his music • His ballets are very aesthetically pleasing and delicate

23. Slavonic March (1876) • Tchaikovsky was asked to write a piece in memoriam of Christian slavs that had recently been murdered by Turkish soldiers • Only took five days to write • Tchaikovsky uses Serbian folk songs as inspiration for different movements • The Slavonic March unified a nation over a tragedy • This sense of nationalism is foretelling of the Russo-Turkish war of the following year

24. 1812 Overture (1880) • Based on Russia’s defeat of Napoleon’s army at the Battle of Borodino • Battle occurred on September 7th, 1812 • Napoleon’s army had lost its supply lines and was unable to defeat Russia troops • The piece follows a story, starting with the battle and ending with the return of the troops • Tchaikovsky scored parts of the piece for a cannon to simulate the feeling of being on the battlefield

25. Conclusions on Nationalism in Romantic Music • Tragic events inspired composers to write pieces honoring the victims and rallying their country of origin to stop any injustice present • Chopin’s Revolutionary Étude and Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March • Painful personal lives made their music have even more passion • Chopin’s lung condition and Tchaikovsky’s insecurity about his homosexuality • Let their music express their opinions

26. Individual Power and Revolutionary Fervor in Music

27. Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827)

28. Origin and Personal Life • Born in Bonn, baptized on December 17th, 1770 • Went to Vienna in 1787 to pursue his music career • Left immediately to tend to his ailing mother • Had trouble with women and never married • Began going deaf in 1802 • Wrote a will-like manuscript thinking that he was going to die • Along with his naturally belligerent personality, going deaf made him focus more on his music

29. Sketchbook Method • Beethoven was very meticulous when writing his music • Wrote all his music in sketchbooks where he would constantly cross out work, making him work into the wee hours of the night and lengthening the composition process by a significant amount

30. Beethoven vs. Aristocracy • Beethoven relied heavily on noble patronage • These patrons were horrible people • Resented the nobles because he felt that he was more talented and more deserving of their wealth • Knew he would never reach their status • Would do many things to disrespect his benefactors • Made them beg him to play • Dressed and acted inappropriately

31. Beethoven vs. Aristocracy(continued) • Frau von Bernhard, one of Beethoven’s piano students, had this to say about an encounter between Beethoven and one of his patrons: “I myself saw the mother of Princess Lichnowsky, countess Thun [one of Beethoven’s patrons] go down on her knees to him as he lolled on the sofa, begging him to play something. But Beethoven did not…”(78)

32. Beethoven and Napoleon • Beethoven admired many aspects of Napoleon’s traits and accomplishments including: • His endorsement of the merit system • His talent, determination, and strength • His belief in equality and democracy • Beethoven felt hurt and betrayed when Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 • This act dissolved all of Napoleon’s positive qualities that Beethoven admired • Beethoven’s work output dramatically decreased with the exile and eventual death of Napoleon

33. Beethoven and Napoleon(continued) • When asked in 1802 to write a sonata about the events and ideas of the French Revolution, Beethoven said: “…you suggest I should compose such a sonata? …Well, perhaps at the time of the revolutionary fever… [but] now that Bonaparte has concluded his Concordat with the Pope…to write sonata of this kind? …you won’t get anything from me” (184). • Shows his frustration and disappointment with his once beloved Napoleon

34. Symphony No. 3: Sinfonia Eroica (1806) • Originally dedicated to Napoleon • Beethoven tore up the dedication when Napoleon crowned himself emperor • Subtitle of the symphony was, “composed to celebrate the memory of a great man” • Written as a funeral march • Supposed to symbolize the death of the egalitarian Napoleon • Beethoven wanted it to seem like Napoleon sealed his own fate by crowning himself emperor

35. Richard Wagner(1813-1883)

36. Origin and Personal Beliefs • Born in Leipzig on May 22nd, 1813 • Had strong anti-Semitic opinions • Said to be rooted in his relationship with composer and benefactor Giacomo Meyerbeer, who was Jewish • Meyerbeer’s career flourished while Wagner suffered in political refuge in Zϋrich • Wrote a pamphlet entitled Des Judenthum in der Musik (Judaism in Music) • Wrote it under a pseudonym • Talks about the excessive control Jews had over the music scene during that time

37. Hitler and Wagner’s Music Hitler would play some of Wagner’s music during his speeches to his Nazi followers

38. Involvement in Revolution: Student Revolt in Leipzig • Wagner was obsessed with the French Revolution from reading history books • This student uprising in Leipzig was inspired by the July Revolution that was occurring in Paris at the same time • Jumped at the chance to participate in his own revolt and joined the Leipzig students on a march to the city hall • In his autobiography, Wagner said that, “the world of history came alive for me from that day on; and naturally I became a fervent partisan of the revolution” (39). • Shows his obsession with revolutions

39. Involvement in Revolution:Uprisings of 1849 in Dresden • An abandonment of a constitutional monarchy under Fredrich Wilhelm IV caused riots all over Prussia • Almost got arrested and had to flee to Zϋrich for ten years • Wagner was even more involved this time around • Would lead people into the town square screaming, “To the barricades!” (393) • Put up anti-government propaganda posters all around Dresden • Ran through gun fire to be able to watch battles from atop a tower

40. Wagner and Nietzsche • Nietzsche admired Wagner, believing he embodied his “superman theory” (society reaching perfection under a gifted leader) • Believed this because of Wagner’s ability to evoke emotion amongst those around him • Eventually lost respect for Wagner, realizing that his dramatic personality was superficial, later saying that: “[when] viewed from close proximity and without bias, Wagner’s life appears in many ways as a …grotesque comedy” (878). • Wagner’s anti-Semitism as well as his connection to Nietzsche’s “superman theory” would later be used by Hitler and the Nazis

41. Lohengrin (1850) • Opera based on an old medieval story of a knight of the holy grail named Lohengrin and his conquests • Famous for its Bridal Chorus (“Here comes the bride”) • The knight is supposed to symbolize the rise to power of one man • Some compared the knight and his conquests to Bismark and his efforts towards German unification • Another example of Nietzsche’s “superman theory” • Possible explanation for the 2nd Reich’s superiority complex

42. Conclusions on Individualism in Romantic Music • Obsession with revolutions affected the way in which composers operated • Beethoven’s belief in Napoleon’s merit system when dealing with aristocracy and Wagner’s confidence from participation in revolution • Contradictory idea of individual power mixed with an assimilation with a mob • Wagner’s integration with the process of German unification • Personal opinion more present • Beethoven’s Sinfonia Eroica and Wagner’s Judenthum in der Musik (Judaism in Music)

43. The End