Prep
for Wednesday of Week 9 (bring
you own copy of the "Music 1700 Resource Guide" coursepak
to class each day).
REMINDERS:
- Beethoven
Symphony questions due at the start of class on
Wednesday, Mar. 14
- Be
sure to go to WMU E-Learning and
do the openbook Online
Quiz Assessment #5 (must be completed by
3PM on Mon March 19).
Main items to prepare for Wednesday of Week 9
1. Review the Notes
from the previous class.
2. Go
to WMU E-Learning, click on the "Textbook Readings" icon, and read pages 48-51 of
online textbook/Chapter 6: "Music In The Classic Period," as well as
study Music Guides 30, 31, 32, and 33 on pp. 58-61--there are also miniature
versions of these guides on p. 9 of the "Music 1700 Resource Guide."
3. In the "Music 1700 Resource Guide," read/review pages
48-51, and study Music Guides 30, 31, 32, and 33 on pages 63-66
4. Read the notes below
- - - -
-
Notes for Wednesday of Week 9
TOPIC: LATE CLASSIC MUSIC/BEETHOVEN
A.
BEETHOVEN'S APPROACH TO COMPOSITIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
In each of his three style phases ("early," "middle
[heroic]", late)
1. He experimented first with piano works
2. Then, he expanded these experiments through the
realm of chamber music (trios, quartets)
3. Finally, he showcased his successful experiments in
the realm of the symphony
His
overall development can be seen especially in Symphonies
#3, #5, #6 and #9
B. BEETHOVEN'S THREE STYLE PHASES:
EARLY
PHASE (up to 1802)--by
which time he had lost his functional hearing)
- He was primarily a renowned concert pianist until career ended by deafness
- Symphonies 1 and 2 are fairly normal-Classic Haydnesque
in style
as heard in the excerpt from Symphony No. 1, movement 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mzDbai8A40
-Online score of Symphony
No. 1: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/baj7035/index.html
- A great
example of his fiery early style is the 4th movement of his
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4 (see MUS1700 Resource
Guide, p. 9--Music Guide 30)
- - - - -
MIDDLE
PHASE ("Heroic" style--1803-1819)
(Note: Starting in
1803, the Austrian Empire began to heavily censor any political/social
commentary found in literature, songs, operas, etc. [largely through the
policies of the Imperial Foreign Minister, Prince Metternich] to protect against the
emerging threat of Napoleon's
French forces. Even though Napoleon was defeated and exiled in 1815, these Imperial
censorship laws were not rescinded until Metternich's political demise in 1848.)
Fighting
Back: Social/Political Commentary In Beethoven's Symphonies:
Symphony
No. 3 in E-Flat ["Eroica"/"Heroic"]
(1803)
- Initially
intended to depict Napoleon as a freedom-fighting hero (movement 1):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHvztnHOWEQ
however, when Napoleon declared himself Emperor, Beethoven restructured the work
by inserting a funeral march in the 2nd movement (he also obliterated
Napoleon's name on the manuscript and replaced it by the label "in memory
of a great man").
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKa00qWwsMg
The
3rd movement uses a "Scherzo" (commoner "joking" dance)
instead of a "Minuet"
(see MUS1700 Resource Guide, p. 9--Music Guide 31)
Online score: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/adh1166/soundscore.html
Symphony
No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (published in 1808, composed from
1804-8)
(see MUS1700
Resource Guide, p. 9--Music Guide 31)
Online
score: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/bgp5237/index.html
-
He said that in this work he intended to take "my destiny by the throat,
and defeat it"
- All four movements of this work are based on the same 4-note motive that is
continually refined
- Experimental forms
Symphony
No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 ["Pastoral"] (published in 1808,
composed from 1807-8)
(see MUS1700
Resource Guide, p. 9--Music Guide 31)
Online
score: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/akh8735/index.html
-
Five movements
- German "programmatic" titles given to each movement
- No pause between movements 3, 4 and 5
- - - - -
LATE PHASE (1820-27)
Beethoven wrote
his first 8 symphonies by 1813, and then waited an entire decade before he
wrote his final and most important one.
Symphony
No. 9 (1822-25) Its four movements are put purposely out of normal order to make a new model
that challenges the people of his time to rise up against censorship and
oppression, and calls for humanity to unite together in peace and brotherhood
to honor their heavenly Creator. (See Music Guide 33, MUS1700
Resource Guide, p. 9)
Online score: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/cab4188/index.html
- - - - -
C. More details on Beethoven and his Symphonies 3, 5, 6, and
9
Beethoven's
"Heilingenstadt Testament" (Oct 1802)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiligenstadt_Testament
The Heiligenstadt Testament is a letter written by Ludwig van Beethoven
to his brothers Carl and Johann at Heiligenstadt
(today part of Vienna) on 6 October 1802. It reflects his despair over his
increasing deafness and his desire to overcome his physical and emotional
ailments in order to complete his artistic destiny. Beethoven kept the
document hidden among his private papers for the rest of his life, and probably
never showed it to anyone. It was discovered in March 1827 shortly after his
death, and was published in October.
Beethoven's
Hair (Reveals The Causes of His Deafness, His Physical Suffering and His
Painful Death)
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1525353.htm
A Strange New
Twist on Beethoven's Hair: http://www.lifegem.com/secondary/BeethovenLifeGem.aspx
- - - - -
Symphony No.
5
(1804-8; 4 movements with an unusual structure)--see Music Guide 31 and 32
- Depicts
struggle and ultimate triumph over oppression:
- 1st movement: battle between oppressive theme in Cmi
vs. heroic common "horn theme" ultimately in C major (C minor vs. C
major) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SExR2h20HlQ
- 2nd movement: Theme & Variations in which the lyrical theme in A-Flat is
transformed into a brass call in C major that revives the implied hero from mvt. 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQIVWhKhwPA
- 3rd movement: common dance "Scherzo" eventually gains power until
it is unstoppable and blasts right in to the 4th movement without a
pause
- 4th movement is in C major (triumph over oppression) adds trombones, piccolo
& contrabassoon for new sound dimension
Mvts 3 and 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q4FkKsBk8s
- - - - -
Symphony No.
6
(1807-8; "Pastoral"--5 movements with German titles)--see Music
Guide 31
- Beethoven actually completed most of this work BEFORE completing Symph No. 5 [the two works were published and premiered side-by-side in
1808 as Op. 67 and Op. 68]
- Depicts common people struggling for simple life vs. oppressive
forces (German movement titles depicting commoners/French horn/scherzo are
references to common folk)
- FIVE movements each given a programmatic GERMAN title depicting common folk
people in some way:
Mvt 1-Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arriving in
the country http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsYjxXd7Nuk
Mvt 2-Scene by the brook (Andante, slow movement) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3wJzecTJQY
Mvt 3-Merry gathering of country folk (Scherzo--shows same circular
"gathering" of potential power heard in mvt
3 of Beethoven's 5th symphony) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbFxVVLM2zc
Mvt 4-Thunderstorm/Tempest!! (The merry gathering of mvt.
3 is intruded upon by a vehement and oppressive force beyond their control) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZVdVuskkKU
Mvt 5- Shepherd's Song: Happy, Thankful feelings after the storm (In other
words, if the commoners can hang through the "Storm" of oppression,
there is a happy new world for them on the other side--and a "new world
order" because there is a 5th movement required for this to take place). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A63Wuy2gEY
4th movement
"Tempest" storm scene is metaphor for social conflict; 5th movement
(peace will eventually come if we can weather the "storm")
So many aspects
of Symphony 6 sound like sections of Symphony 5, it is not hard to decipher the
implied socio-political meaning of symphony 5, especially when coupled with the
harmonic structure of the work and its constant refining of the bare-bones
4-note motive until it is a powerful majestic idea by the end of the work.
- - - - -
Symphony No.
9
(1822-25; mvts. are purposely out of normal
order)--see Music Guide 33
1st mvt: chaos and hopelessness depicted leading to a
cold, oppressive main theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSJkveq0Krg&feature=fvst
2nd mvt: Scherzo! (common
dance, but now angry, frantic, unfocused)--Scherzo should have been a 3rd
movement, but when moved up to mvt 2 it implies a
certain urgency of getting back to "the common dance gathering"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ilponKJL0
3rd mvt: Slow and VERY peaceful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV7pV4MzJIE
4th mvt: Theme and Variations-- Shows relationship of the 4 mvts to each other
Starts with "recitative" style of double basses/cellos that try to
speak as a "voice of reason" to the orchestra (the masses in chaos)
When the voice of reason tries to get the orchestra to focus, the orchestra
refuses to try anything new at first (insists on hanging on to what they
know--so they successively/timidly play themes from mvts
1, 2 and 3)
- mvt 1 theme is rejected by voice of
reason as too chaotic;
- mvt 2 theme is rejected too (needs to
be more peaceful)
- mvt 3 theme is close but not exactly
what "voice" wants
- Double basses finally feature a new theme (at this point, it is a new
tune by Beethoven, with no reference to Schiller's "Ode to Joy text")
- Orchestral Theme and Variation on the "Ode" theme
all of the above can be heard in this YouTube excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHuGktVssdc
- 8 minutes into the 4th movement, Beethoven starts the 4th mvt again, this time bringing in a singer (baritone instead
of double bass) who SINGS the recitative, calling for the people to abandon the
ugly sounds that they have been forced to endure [censorship], and focus on
more enlightened ideas ("joy/freedom")
- As this baritone singer sings Beethoven's new tune, he now renders
the words to Schiller's famous political poem "Ode to Joy," a
political text of the time calling for all of mankind to love each other in order
to pay homage to their Creator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZzUqd-dEA&feature=fvsr
- followed
by Theme & Variations resume with 4 soloists, full chorus, orch.