Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Neal Gittleman, Music Director presents M usic a nd P o e tr y March 27, 2007 Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Neal Gittleman, Music Director Tuesday, March 27, 2007 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Schuster Performing Arts Center Mu si c a n d P o etry Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) “Spring” from The Four Seasons Ernst Toch Geographical Fugue (1887-1964) Special Guests – Wright State University Choir Students William Grant Still Symphony No. 1 (1895-1978) (Afro-American Symphony, mvt 3) Special Guest – Dr. Herbert Martin Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Les Préludes The use of photographic and recording equipment at this concert is strictly prohibited. Please do not leave the hall while the concert is in progress. A b o u t O u r Mu s ic D ire c t o r The 2006-2007 season is Neal Gittleman's twelfth year as Music Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Gittleman has led the orchestra to new levels of artistic achievement and increasing renown throughout the country. The orchestra's performance has been praised by American Record Guide magazine as well as by the Cincinnati Enquirer, which called the DPO "…a precise, glowing machine." And when the Orchestra christened the Mead Theatre in the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in March of 2003, the paper attested that “Gittleman has brought the DPO to a new level.” During Gittleman’s tenure, the orchestra has received five ASCAP awards from the American Symphony Orchestra League for its commitment to contemporary music. Prior to coming to Dayton, Gittleman served as Music Director of the Marion (IN) Philharmonic, Associate Conductor of the Syracuse Symphony, and Assistant Conductor of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, a post he held under the Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductors Program. He also served for ten seasons as Associate Conductor and Resident Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Neal Gittleman has appeared as guest conductor with many of the country’s leading orchestras and has also conducted orchestras in Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and Mexico. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Gittleman graduated from Yale University in 1975. He studied with Nadia Boulanger and Annette Dieudonné in Paris, with Hugh Ross at the Manhattan School of Music and with Charles Bruck at both the Pierre Monteux School and the Hartt School of Music, where he was a Karl Böhm Fellow. He won the Second Prize at the 1984 Ernest Ansermet International Conducting Competition in Geneva and Third Prize in the 1986 Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition in New York. At home in the pit as well as on stage, Gittleman has led productions for Dayton Opera, the Human Race Theatre Company, Syracuse Opera Company, Hartt Opera Theater, and for Milwaukee's renowned Skylight Opera Theatre. He has also conducted for several ballet productions around the U.S. and Canada. Gittleman is nationally known for his Classical Connections programs, which provide a "behind the scenes" look at great works of the orchestral repertoire. These innovative programs, which began in Milwaukee 19 years ago, have become a vital part of the Dayton Philharmonic's concert season. When not on the podium, Neal is an avid golfer and squash and t'ai chi ch'uan player. He and his wife, Lisa Fry, have been Dayton residents since 1997. Dear Educator, Welcome to the March 27, 2007 Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra High School Concert, M us i c and P o e t r y . The arts and humanities not only record human events, they connect our past and present lives through common experiences. Music Director Neal Gittleman in consultation with area high school faculty chose the concert theme which will be explored both at the performance and in these concert preparation materials. Students will experience how music reflects and captures human emotions as expressed in poetry. The program notes and the CD of concert excerpts are created to assist music specialists and classroom teachers in preparing their students for the concert experience. Please feel free to copy these materials to share with other teachers in your building who will attend the concert. You may also download these materials from the DPO website, www.daytonphilharmonic.com. From the homepage at the top, click on Education then Field Trip Programs then Secondary Grades. The teacher notes contain information about the composers and their music, and ideas for integrating this information across the curriculum. The activities are meant to be used in the regular classroom, as well as the music classroom, and do not require familiarity with the music. We hope these ideas will help provide an enjoyable and enriching experience for students and teachers. Gloria S. Pugh Director of Education Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Program Objective: To explore the connection between music and poetry, with illustrations from a wide range of musical and poetic styles. “Spring” from The Four Seasons (1725) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) About the Composer Antonio Vivaldi lived during a time when a musician’s livelihood was grounded in the church. He was born in Venice, Italy in 1678. His father was a violinist and composer at St. Mark’s Cathedral, so Antonio studied violin at home with his father while studying for the priesthood. decline in his popularity left him in poverty at the end of his life. His music fell into virtual oblivion until Bach scholars acknowledged an influence of Vivaldi’s music on Bach. They discovered several organ works transcribed by Bach from Vivaldi concerti. Consequently, 500 concertos, 90 sonatas, 21 operas, numerous masses, oratorios, psalms, 40 cantatas, and motets were published. Probably many more were discarded. Not long after his ordination, he was censured from saying Mass because he skipped out on a church service to write down a fugue! Even though Vivaldi left the priesthood, he remained a religious and pious person. He was even nicknamed the “Red Priest” because of his fiery red hair! Vivaldi’s major contribution to music was the development of the three-movement concerto form which became the basis for the later symphony of the Classical Period. He was also one of the first composers to introduce programmatic elements into his music, a style that did not become popular until the Romantic period. In 1703 he was appointed teacher of violin in a school for orphaned girls, which was run by the church. His responsibilities included the total musical training of the girls who showed musical aptitude. While at the school, Vivaldi had the opportunity to compose a wide variety of works for his students and for the school church services. His compositions included instrumental concertos and sonatas as well as masses, vespers, oratorios, motets, and operas. Although we know Vivaldi as a composer, he was best known during his lifetime as a virtuoso violinist whose technique dazzled everyone who heard him perform. By 1718, Vivaldi’s fame as a composer and violinist had spread and he embarked on a tour of Europe, writing and presenting operas. Vivaldi became a wealthy man, but extravagant living and a Events of the Time 1670 First minute hands on clocks 1691 Paris prints first directory of street addresses to aid firefighters 1697 Last remains of Mayan civilization destroyed by Spanish in Yucatan 1714 D.G. Fahrenheit constructs mercury thermometer with temperature scale 1715 Vaudevilles, popular musical comedies, appear in Paris 1721 Johann Sebastian Bach writes Brandenburg Concertos 1727 Quakers demand abolition of slavery 1741 George Frederick Handel composes Messiah Inside the Music – “Spring” from The Four Seasons * Listen to CD Track 2 Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of classical music’s most popular pieces with over 100 recordings in existence. The work is actually four concerti for solo violin, string orchestra and harpsichord. These pieces allowed violinists to show off the virtuoso possibilities of the violin, whose design had just been perfected in Italy. (An orchestra during the Baroque period usually consisted of all string instruments.) The work is based on four sonnets written by the composer himself! Programmatic music did not become prominent until the 19th century, when composers embraced this idea and wrote entire works based on extra-musical ideas. Vivaldi’s programmatic piece was very unusual for the Baroque period and was the forerunner of this form in later years. In the score of The Four Seasons, Vivaldi wrote lines of text above particular passages. The spring sonnet is: Springtime has come... ...and the joyful birds greet its arrival with festive songs, And the streams flow in a soft murmur while the springtime breezes gently blow. Now thunder and lightning announce the spring and fill the sky with dark clouds. But when the storm has passed, the little birds return to their happy song. Here, on the flowery meadow among the sweet-smelling leaves and plants, the goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog at his side. Nymphs and shepherds dance beneath the spring sky. They dance to the festive sound of the shepherd’s bagpipes. This is spring, in all its beauty and brilliance! * Listen to CD Track 3. If this excerpt corresponds to the first line of the sonnet, “Springtime has come,” what line corresponds to the excerpt on CD Track 4? Describe what musical elements inform your decision. Critical Thinking Given the word “spring,” brainstorm images, utilizing as many of the five senses as possible. Create a collage of images depicting spring. After examining the structure of the sonnet, construct one entitled “Spring.” * Listen to other movements of The Four Seasons and write your own sonnet before reading Vivaldi’s sonnets for these movements. By using poetic sound devices such as alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhythm among others, create sound pictures of any of the seasons. Use other poetic writing such as haiku to create a poem of a particular season. Use found sounds to accompany the poem. Compare/contrast the imagery of spring in other poems: “First day of spring” by Matsuo Basho, “in Just-” by e.e. cummings, “Grief” by Grace Moore Kinata, “Spring Fling” by Aldo Kraas, “The Flower-Fed Buffaloes” by Vachel Lindsay, “Over the Land Is April” by Robert Louis Stevenson, and “Spring Rain” by Sara Teasdale. Vocabulary alliteration assonance haiku onomatopoeia rhythm Geographical Fugue (1930) Ernst Toch (1887-1964) About the Composer Born in Germany, Ernest Toch is considered one of the great avant-garde composers of the preNazi era. Oddly, he grew up in a totally nonmusical family. His father was in the processedleather business and fully expected that Toch would follow in the family business. He was upset at Ernst’s leanings toward music and totally discouraged his interests, causing Ernst to learn what he could about music in secret. When an amateur violinist was a tenant in the Toch home, Ernst studied his sheet music and within a few nights had figured out the fundamentals of music notation. At the age of 10, he purchased a miniature score of Mozart and studied it under the covers at night and soon began to try his hand at composition. Somewhat of a prodigy, Toch never received any formal musical training. He learned by studying the music of the great masters of music. By the time he was in his mid-teens, he was composing quartets. Toch never considered that he could make a living in music, so he studied medicine at the University of Vienna. During this time he won the Mozart Prize for young composers, which earned him a scholarship to study at the Frankfurt Conservatory. This led to an appointment as Professor of Composition at the Mannheim School for Music. By 1923 Toch signed a ten-year contract with a major German publisher with a generous monthly stipend. During this time he experi-mented with different idioms, developing the idea of spoken music, and wrote his Geographical Fugue for spoken voices. His works were widely performed by major artists and prominent orchestras throughout Germany. All of this acclaim came crashing down with the rise of Hitler. At a rehearsal of one of his operas, Nazi brown shirts entered the hall and literally took the baton out of the conductor’s hand. The German music journal, Die Musik, published photos of prominent Jewish composers, such as Mendelssohn and Mahler. The photos were retouched to make the composers look vaguely sinister and included a quote by Hitler: “The Jew possesses no culturebuilding power whatsoever.” Toch escaped Germany and eventually took refuge in the United States, where he felt alienated and lost as a composer in such a vast country. He eventually settled in California where he developed a career as a film score composer, winning two Academy Awards. He continued to write quartets, operas, and composed six symphonies in the last fifteen years of his life. Vocabulary fugue avant-garde Inside the Music – Geographical Fugue (1930) * Listen to CD Track 5. Geographical Fugue premiered in 1930 for a music festival in Berlin as a trifle, a sort of musical joke. This is the final movement of a four-part speaking chorus called Spoken Music. Ironically, it became perhaps Toch’s most popular and most influential piece. Here the poetry is the music. The composer tried to produce musical effects through speech. Toch strictly follows the musical form of a fugue -a musical composition based on a single musical idea, which is presented in turn by each instrument or voice. The theme on which the fugue is based is the following text: “Trinidad! And the big Mississippi, and the town Honolulu, and the lake Titicaca” Each of the four voices enters in turn with these words, the hallmark of all fugues. After the opening theme, the text continues: “The Popocatepetl is not in Canada, rather in Mexico. Canada, Malaga, Rimini, Brindisi. Tibet, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet. Nagasaki, Yokohama.” There are no written pitches involved, only the rhythm of the words, strictly notated by the composer. (There is no recording of this work) Critical Thinking * Listen to a variety of fugues and define their structure and intent. * Listen to the music of Bobby McFerrin and explain how he illustrates the idea of spoken music. Using Toch’s fugue as a model, construct your own geographical fugue, perhaps focusing on one geographical area. Debate the issue: what moves a vocal composition more, the lyrics or the notes? Find out which of these your favorite writercomposer creates first. Research Ernst Toch. Why was he forced to leave his homeland and why did his music career come to an end there? Events of the Time 1876 Alexander Graham Bell transmits first clear and distinct telephone message 1879 Thomas Edison patents first electric light bulb 1886 Statue of Liberty given by France 1912 Titanic sinks 1913 Congress empowered to levy income taxes 1920 Women receive right to vote 1924 First Winter Olympic games 1929 Stock Market crash, beginning of Great Depression 1936 Jesse Owens sets world record in the 100meter run in the Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany 1936 General Motors recognizes the United Automobile Workers 1945 US drops atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima 1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama Symphony No. 1, 3rd movement (“Afro-American Symphony”) (1930) William Grant Still (1895 – 1978) About the Composer William Grant Still was born on May 11, 1895 in Woodville, Mississippi. No one would have guessed that such an impressive career lay in store for the young boy whose father, the town bandmaster of Woodsville, died when he was six months old. His mother moved the family to Little Rock to live with Still’s grandmother, where he first experienced music. His grandmother loved to sing hymns and spirituals. He graduated from high school at the age of sixteen and entered Wilberforce University. He enrolled in a premed program because his mother didn’t think there was any future for him as a black musician. However, music was the center of his collegiate life; he soon left Wilberforce to make a living as a commercial musician. The famous W.C. Handy, “the father of the blues,” hearing him perform, was impressed and offered him a job as an arranger. Yet Still wanted to continue his formal music education and enrolled at the Oberlin Conservatory and later at the New England Conservatory. While at Oberlin, he heard a symphony orchestra for the first time. In his early career Still supported himself as a musician and as an arranger for band leaders and entertainers. However, as his classical compositions became known, he relied less and less on popular music for his income. In the 1950s Still turned to writing for young audiences. Still’s many accomplishments are: 1) first African-American to compose a major symphonic work, 2) first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra - the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of his own works at the Hollywood Bowl, 3) first African-American to conduct an all white symphony orchestra in the Deep South, and 4) first African-American to compose an opera produced by a major American company. Still was concerned about a black identity in music. In 1969 he spoke about what it meant to be a black composer at Indiana University: “Although no one holds authentic jazz in higher esteem than I, I still refuse to concede that it is the only, or even the most important, form of Negro musical expression. True, it has spread all over the world, but so have Negro spirituals, and so, I venture to guess, would a certain amount of Negro symphonic music if it had behind it the same commercial drive that has long activated jazz. American music is a composite of all the idioms of all the people comprising this nation, just as most Afro-Americans who are ‘officially’ classed as Negroes are products of the mingling of several bloods. This makes us individuals, and that is how we should function, musically and otherwise.” In addition to his classical compositions, Still also wrote background music for radio and later TV shows, like “Gunsmoke,” “Perry Mason,” and “The Three Stooges.” Vocabulary symphony movement About the Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) Poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar was born on June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio. While he was not the first African-American poet and writer, he was the first to achieve a national reputation and to be accepted by both white and black audiences. Dunbar’s mother supported her family by working as a washerwoman. One of the families for which she worked was the family of Orville and Wilbur Wright, with whom Paul attended Central High School. Dunbar was inspired to write poetry by his mother who had heard poems read by the family she worked for when she was a slave and passed on a love for reading to her children. Dunbar was the only African-American in his class at Dayton Central High School where he was a member of the debating society, editor of the school paper, and president of the school’s literary paper. He wrote for Dayton community papers, working as an elevator operator until he established himself as a writer. His first public reading was in 1892 at a meeting of the Western Association of Writers. As a result of this address, literary figures began to take notice of Dunbar’s works and this led to the publication of his first collection of poems, Oak and Ivy. Dunbar’s reputation spread as more people came in contact with his work. He was invited to recite at the World’s Fair in 1893 where he met Frederick Douglas, who called Dunbar “the most promising young colored man in America.” His biggest break came with the publication of his second book which won high praise from William Dean Howell, a literary critic and editor of Harper’s Weekly. Soon Dunbar was reciting his works not only in the United States, but in London as well. Paul Lawrence Dunbar produced twelve books of poetry, four books of short stories, a play and five novels. His work also appeared in numerous magazines and journals such as The Saturday Evening Post and Harper’s Weekly. Dunbar wrote his poetry in both dialect verse and literary English. Due to the economics of the day, Dunbar’s works were targeted mostly to white audiences, but his work was respected among black leaders as well. Dunbar was criticized for perpetuating black stereotypes through the use of dialect, but these were the works the public preferred and which sold. Dunbar’s solution was to include the subtle use of irony and veiled allusions to the dilemmas of race. His personal conflict with this issue can be seen in his autobiographical poem The Poet. He sang of life, serenely sweet, With now and then, a deeper note. From some high peak, high yet remote, He voiced the world’s absorbing beat. He sang of love when earth was young, And Love, itself, was in his lays, But, ah, the world, it turned to praise A jingle in a broken tongue. Paul Laurence Dunbar died at the young age of 34 after a battle with tuberculosis. Inside the Music – Symphony No. 1, 3rd movement (“Afro-American” Symphony) * Listen to CD Track 6. William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1 is the first symphony composed by an African-American composer. His symphony is a mix of traditional neo-Romantic classical music and the harmonies and melodies traditionally associated with jazz and the traditional 12-bar blues. The four movements, “Longings,” “Sorrows,” “Humor,” and “Aspirations,” depict different characteristics of the African-American experience in America. Each movement is prefaced by a brief epigraph drawn from the poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. The epigraph for the 3rd movement, “Humor,” is: An’ we’ll shout ouah halleluyahs, On dat mighty reck’nin day. Say and clap these two lines several times. * Listen to CD Track 7. Listen to the rhythm of the two-line epigraph quoted in the music. It is tossed about the orchestra and played by various combinations of instruments: first the strings, then pizzicato strings, then the brass and woodwinds each take a turn. Fragments of this rhythm are developed before it returns once more in various disguises. These two lines were extracted from one of Dunbar’s most entertaining poems, “An Ante-Bellum Sermon.” In it the speaker preaches a powerful anti-slavery sermon, couched in Biblical language. AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON We is gathahed hyeah, my brothas, In dis howlin’ wildaness, Fu’ to speak some words of comfo’t To each othah in distress. An’ we chooses fu’ ouah subjic’ Dis--we’ll ‘splain it by an’ by; “An’ de Lawd said, ‘Moses, Moses,’ An’ de man said, ‘Hyeah am I.’” Now ole Pher’oh, down in Egypt, Was de wuss man evah bo’n, An’ he had de Hebrew chillun Down dah wukin’ in his co’n; ‘T well de Lawd got tiahed o’ his foolin’, An’ sez he, “I’ll let him know – Look hyeah, Moses, go tell Pher’oh Fu’ to let dem chillun go.” “An’ ef he refuse to do it, I will make him rue de houah, Fu’ I’ll empty down on Egypt All de vials of my powah.” Yes, he did – an’ pher’oh’s ahmy Was n’t wuth a ha’f a dime; Fu’ de Lawd w ill he’p his chillun, You kin trust him evah time. An’ yo’ enemies may ‘sail you In de back an’ in de front; But de Lawd is all aroun’ you, Fu’ to ba’ de battle’s brunt. Dey kin fo’ ge yo’ chains an’ shackles F’om de mountains to de sea; But de Lawd will sen’ some Moses Fu’ to set his chillun free. An’ de lan’ shall hyeah his thundah, Lak a blas’ f’om Gab’el’s ho’n, Fu’ de Lawd of hosts is mighty When he girds his ahmor on. But fu’ feah some one mistakes me, I will pause right hyeah to say, Dat I’m still a-preachin ancient, I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout to-day. But I tell you, fellah Christuns, Things’ll happen mighty strange; Now, de Lawd don dis fu’ Isrul, An’ his ways don’t nevah change, An’ de love he showed to Isrul Wasn’t all on Isrul spent; Now don’t run an’ tell yo’ mastahs Dat I’s preachin’ discontent. ‘Cause I is n’t; I’se a-judgin’ Bible people by deir ac’s; I’se a-givin’ you de Scriptuah, I’se a-handin’ you de fac’s. Cose ol Pher’oh b’lieved in slav’ry But de Lawd he let him see, Dat de people he put bref in, – Evah mothah’s son was free. An’ dahs othahs thinks lak Pher’oh, But dey calls de Scriptuah liar, Fu’ de Bible says “a servant Is a-worthy of his hire.” An’ you cain’t git roun’ nor thoo dat, An’ you cain’t git ovah it, Fu’ whatevah place you git in, Dis hyeah Bible too ‘ll fit. So you see de Lawd’s intention, Evah sence de worl’ began, Was dat His almighty freedom Should belong to evah man, But I think it would be bettah, Ef I’d pause agin to say, Dat I’m talkin’ ‘bout ouah freedom In a Bibleistic way. But de Moses is a-comin’, An’ he’s comin’, suah an fas’ We kin hyeh his feet a-trompin’, We kin hyeah his trumpit blas’. But I want to wa’n you people, Don’t you git too brigity; An don’t you git to braggin’ ‘Bout dese things, you wait an’ see. But when Moses wif his powah Comes an’ sets us chillun free, We will praise de gracious Mastah Dat has gin us liberty; An’ we’ll shout ouah halleluyahs, On dat mighty reck’nin’ day, When we’se reco’nixed ez citiz’ – Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray! Still’s “Humor” captures the excitement and enthusiasm that would have surely met the preacher of this sermon. Interestingly enough, if you hear the music thinking only of the two-line epigraph, it fits, but if you think of the entire poem, then you appreciate not only the enthusiasm of the music, but also the sly humor behind it. At our performance of Still’s music, Dr. Herbert Martin, noted Dunbar scholar and professor at the University of Dayton, will recite the Dunbar poem. Critical Thinking Focusing on dialect as a poetic device, read Dunbar’s “Ante-Bellum Sermon” and rewrite a stanza or two in modern English, noting the changes in style, tone, and theme. * Listen to other works by William Grant Still and categorize his style. Research why blues is considered an American-born music form. Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) About the Composer Claude Debussy is recognized as the greatest French composer who ever lived. His first piano teacher discovered his special musical talent and arranged for him to study at the Paris Conservatory, where he studied piano and composition. His ambition was to be a concert pianist, but he failed to pass piano examinations twice and consequently changed his career path to composition. Unlike most talented composers, however, Debussy did not compose any significant music until he was past the age of 30. Debussy’s music is closely linked with the Impressionist painters of his time, Degas, Monet, Pissaro, Renoir, Manet, and Cassatt. Debussy disliked the association of Impressionism with his music. However, just as visual artists developed new theories of light and color in their painting, Debussy developed new theories of light and color in his music. His style was revolutionary. He totally rejected the strict formal rules and princi-ples of harmonic theory that composers had followed up to this time. There was very little previously composed music that Debussy liked! “I am more and more convinced that music, by its very nature, is something that cannot be cast into a traditional and fixed form. It is made up of color and rhythms. The rest is a lot of humbug invented by frigid imbeciles riding on the backs of the Masters, who for the most part, wrote nothing but period music. Bach alone had an idea of the truth.” Debussy’s music led to the break-up of the traditional scales of the 19th century, introduced new concepts of orchestration, and emphasized the power of sound for sound’s sake. Though many of his works had programmatic titles, Debussy insisted that they were not meant to convey a story. The intent of his music was to capture a fleeting impression or mood. Debussy’s music was a new and magical world of sound that inspired several generations of classical and jazz musicians. Events of the Time 1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln 1874 U.S. Congress creates preserve in Yellowstone Valley leading to national park system 1881 American Red Cross is organized 1884 For the first time in history, by a freak of nature, Niagara Falls stops flowing 1886 An Atlanta pharmacist launches Coca-Cola as a tonic 1896 Henry Ford build his first experimental car in a workshop behind his house Vocabulary 1903 Work begins on Panama Canal conservatory 1917 Russian Revolution begins with Impressionism street rioting in St. Petersburg program music About the Poet Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898) Stéphane Mallarmé was one of the pioneers of modern poetry and the leader of the Symbolist movement in poetry. He began writing at an early age under the influence of Charles Baudelaire. His first important poem, “L’Azur,” was published when he was 24. From the 1880-02, Mallarmé was part of a group of French writers in Paris, such as Gide, Paul Valéry, and Proust, with whom he communicated his ideas on poetry and art. Mallarmé was noted for his conversation, which was as clear as his writings were obscure. At his renowned Tuesday-night receptions at his home in Paris, his critical comments stimulated writers, artists and composers of the Impressionist school. As the leader of the Symbolist movement, Mallarmé meant for his poetic lines to suggest, rather than to state a meaning. His poetry and prose are characterized by musical quality, experimental grammar, and thought that is refined and allusive to the point of obscurity. The meaning of the poetry is always to be found between, not in, the lines. He believed that the point of a poem was the beauty of the language. “You don’t make a poem with ideas, but with words.” * Listen to CD Track 21 His best-known work L’aprés-midi d’un faune, written in 1865, was the inspiration for Debussy’s composition of the same name and was illustrated by the famous painter Manet. The poem is a monologue told by the faun (half man, half goat) and is loosely based on the myth of the god Pan’s attempt to seduce the nymph Syrinx. Since Mallarmé’s intent was to explore the rhythm and sound of the words, an English translation is nearly impossible. This brief translated excerpt is included merely to shed some light on the meaning. Ces nymphes, je les veux perpétuer. Si clair Leur incarnat léger, qu’il voltige dans l’air Assoupi de sommeils touffus. Aimai-je un rêve? Mon doute, amas de nuit ancienne, s’achève En maint rameau subtil, qui demeuré les vrais Bois mêmes, prouve, hélas!, que bien seul je m’offrai Pour triomphe la faute ideále de roses -Réfléchissons… Vocabulary symbolist movement These nymphs, I want them to live forever So clear, Their light flesh, that flutters in the air Made supple by bushy sleeps. Did I love a dream? My doubt, amassed in night past, is completed In many a fine bough, which, given the true Woods themselves, prove (alas) that I offer myself As a triumph is only an ideal lack of roses – Let’s think… Inside the Music – Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune The Prélude was Debussy’s first important orchestral work and firmly established the style of Impressionism in which he rejected the overblown forms and harmonic styles of the Romantic period and the development of motivic ideas a la Beethoven. Debussy found inspiration in the same images as those that attracted the French Impressionist painters – clouds, rain, wind, water, sunlight, and shadow. From many artistic sources he forged a musical style that is both original in its harmonies, rhythms, and musical tones, and often quietly beautiful. The Prélude does not a have a regular metric feeling and there are no sharp sectional contrasts and development of ideas. In reference to the Prélude, Debussy wrote, “Extreme complication is contrary to art…. Beauty must appeal to the senses, must provide us with immediate enjoyment, must impress us or insinuate itself into us without any effort on our part.” Mallarmé said that he was trying to create poetry that behaved like music. Debussy composed a new music that behaved like poetry. They met halfway in the Prélude. It is a quiet and beautiful piece which was described by the fellow French composer Maurice Ravel – “Everything else sounds as if it were worked over very hard, but this piece sounds like it was improvised just a moment before you hear it.” * Listen to CD Track 9. Imagine a slightly outof-focus Impressionist painting. A faun wakes up in the forest and tries to recall his experience of the previous afternoon. Was he actually visited by beautiful nymphs or was it just an illusion? It’s just too much to think about so he falls back asleep in the warm sun and soft grass. The dreamy principal theme is played by the flute which is prominent throughout the work. Critical Thinking In Mallarmé’s “Afternoon of a Faun,” show how the poet has tried to capture poetry as music. Walt Disney’s first creation of “Fantasia” focuses on music as imagery. Watch the selection “Pastoral,” Beethoven’s 6th Symphony that illustrates Disney’s imagery of a day in the country as perceived by Beethoven. This day, in Disney’s piece, takes place during mythical times. Check out a recording of the complete work and while listening to Debussy’s Prélude, sketch visual images of whatever comes to mind. Create a collage, poem, or both from the imagery. Trace the correlation between Impressionism in music and art. Vocabulary faun Les Préludes Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Franz Liszt is most renowned as an astounding pianist, whose impressive technique and captivating concert personality has not been rivaled. He was the “piano rock star” of his generation. A pioneer in stage performance, he was THE greatest piano virtuoso of his time. Blessed with extremely large hands, long fingers, and a talent for the theatrical in performance, he created the idea of a solo recital. He used the recital format not only for his own promotion, but also to raise funds for national disasters or charities. In so doing, he expanded the audience from nobility to broader mixed audiences. Liszt toured Europe as a concert pianist from 1836 to 1844. Just like rock stars today, he was idolized everywhere he went. Eventually Liszt settled in Weimar, Germany where he began to devote his time to teaching and composition. As a composer, he invented the technique called “transformation of themes” in which all the motifs in a work come from a single idea. Liszt was the first composer to meld poetry and instrumental music. He first came up with the idea in 1840 with a piano piece titled Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne (What You Hear on the Mountain). In 1849, he adapted this piece for orchestra and invented the new term “symphonic poem”. This form was meant to replace the traditional four-movement symphony. So, Liszt, not Debussy, first imagined the synthesis of poetry and instrumental music. Events of the Time 1818 Mary Shelley writes Frankenstein, an attack on industrialization 1828 First edition of Webster’s Dictionary published 1835 Texas declares its right to secede from Mexico 1840 Antarctica discovered by American Charles Wilkes 1848 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels predict the end of capitalism About the Poet Alphonse de Lamartine (1790-1869) Alphonse de Lamartine was a French poet and statesman whose lyrics to Méditations poétiques, written in 1820, established him as one of the key figures in the Romantic movement in French literature. Growing up in France during the reign of Napoleon, Lamartine wanted to enlist in the army when he became of age. However, his parents, who were faithful royalists, would not allow it. So, he did nothing until the Bourbon monarchy was restored in 1814, when he served in Louis XVIII’s bodyguard. When Napoleon returned from exile, Lamartine emigrated to Switzerland and abandoned the military profession. Lamartine became attracted to literature and wrote several tragedies in verse and a few elegies. During this time, he was ill and visited the spa of Aix-lesBains where he met and was fiercely attracted to Julie Charles, who was very ill. Charles had many connections in Paris and was able to secure Lamartine a position. When she died in 1817, Lamartine dedicated many strophes to her. In 1820, Lamartine published his first collection of poetry, Méditations poétiques and also joined the diplomatic corps as secretary to the French embassy at Naples. The Méditations was so successful because of its new romantic tone and sincerity of feeling. It brought to French poetry a new music. The resonance of the sentences, the power of the rhythm, and the passion for life sharply contrasted with the oftenwithered poetry of the 18th century. Continuing his diplomatic career, Lamartine was elected to the French Academy in 1829 and the following year wrote the two volumes of Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. In 1830, Lamartine abandoned his diplomatic career to enter politics. He became the voice of the working class and openly supported a working class revolution. The bourgeoisie was enraged by this behavior and threw him out of office in 1848. The working class revolt was crushed. Lamartine continued to write during his political career and for 20 years after his career ended. He died nearly forgotten by his contemporaries. Inside the Music – Les Pr éludes * Listen to CD Track 22. Les Préludes is the most famous of Liszt’s thirteen tone poems. Composed in 1856, it is based on the text from Alphonse de Lamartine’s Méditations Poétiques, a vast meditation on life, love, nature, fate, and death. The poem takes about an hour to recite! Liszt boiled it down to a 17-minute musical synopsis and prefaced the musical score with a prose summary of Lamartine’s text: What is life but a series of preludes to that unknown hymn, the first solemn note of which is intoned by Death? Love is the glowing dawn of all existence; but such is Fate that the first delights of happiness are to be interrupted by a storm whose mortal blast dissipates Love’s fine illusions, whose fatal lightning consumes Love’s altar. Having escaped these tempests, what cruelly wounded soul would not endeavor to rest his memories in the calm serenity of life in the fields? But man barely allows himself to enjoy the stillness which he shared in Nature’s bosom, when the trumpet sounds the alarm and whatever the war may be, he hastens to battle, in order to finally recover in combat full consciousness of himself and complete possession of his power. Musically, Liszt’s piece breaks into four main sections, each illustrating one of Lamartine’s main themes: Love, Fate, Nature, War. So although Les Préludes is a single non-stop movement, it does have four parts, just like the four movements of a symphony. This work illustrates Liszt’s technique of thematic transformation – every theme in the work derives from the one presented in the introductory passages. * Listen to CD Track 11. Listen for the opening three-note theme that is introduced by the strings and then played by the woodwinds. This theme is repeated in various disguises throughout this 15 minute work. * Listen to CD Tracks 12-15. Which of the four main themes – Love, Fate, War, Death - do you think each demonstrates and why? The answers may vary from person to person as we all respond to music differently. Liszt’s symphonic poem is a true synthesis of two different forms drawn from two artistic disciplines. Critical Thinking Give at least one interpretation of Liszt’s meaning when he wrote the following question on the score of his Les Préludes: Is life anything but a series of preludes to that unending melody of which death strikes the first grave note? Liszt was considered a “superstar.” What are the qualities of a superstar? What did Liszt possess that made him a “superstar?” Who are your music superstars and why do you regard them as such? Research modern poetry and find music that would illustrate it or vice versa. Present your work to the class. Liszt at the piano with Dumas, Hugo, Sand, Paganini and Rossini Glo ssa ry § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § Alliteration – the repetition of initial sounds of stressed syllables Assonance – close juxtaposition of vowel sounds, e.g. “Asleep under a tree” Avant-garde – artist that stands at the beginning of a movement, and whose works and ideas are new and non-conformist Concerto – a composition for orchestra and solo instrument Conservatory – a school specializing in music study Faun – a rural deity which is half goat and half man Fugue – a composition characterized by melodic imitations Haiku – an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines, usually 5, 7 and 5 syllables, respectively; a poem having a seasonal reference Impressionism – a French style of painting, poetry, and music which hints rather than states Movement – a section of a larger work which can also stand alone Onomatopoeia – words whose sound is suggestive of its meaning. (Sizzle. Boom! Buzz.) Program music – music inspired by a non-musical idea Rhythm – in poetry it refers to the regular or progressive patterns of accents in lines or sentences Symbolist movement – a belief that art should capture absolute truths by indirect methods Symphonic poem/tone poem – a category of program music which is always in one movement Symphony – a long work for orchestra in 3-5 sections or movements Poetry is rhythmical, imaginative language expressing the invention, taste, thought, passion, and insight of the human soul. – Edmund Clarence Stedman Music W e b Site s Classical Net http://www.classical.net/music/welcome.html Find 4200 classical music files right with links to 2500 more. Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra http://www.daytonphilharmonic.com Our website has Teacher’s Notes available as well. From our homepage select Education then Field Trip Programs then Secondary Grades. Teacher’s Notes downloads are at the bottom of that page. From the Top http://www.fromthetop.org Explore the world of classical music by meeting other young musicians. Discover musical facts, stories, or guides to all things music-related. Karadar Classical Music Dictionary http://www.karadar.com Information on composers, works by genre, MIDI and MP3 files. Music History 102 http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/mushist Read about composers from the Middle Ages to the present and hear MIDI files of their music. Music Notes: An Interactive Online Musical Experience http://www.hyperion.advanced.org/15413/ Clear, concise explanations of many aspects of music, plus a section of interactive games. World History http://www.hyperhistory.com Over 2000 files covering 3000 years of world history. Other relevant sites A poem...begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.... It finds the thought and the thought finds the words. – Robert Frost Poem Hunter: http://www.poemhunter.com Source for thousands of poems and poets as well as lyrics, music, quotations. Database includes forums: Rhythm + Rhyme Workshop, Writing Poetry, Poetics & Poetry Discussion. eFUSE: http://www.efuse.com/Design/wa-poetry.html Christopher Meeks writes for and teaches creative writing at CalArts, also teaches at Santa Monica College and UCLA Extension. In a column titled “Poetic Sense: Sound & Imagery,” he describes, in a conversational way, adding a poetic sense of sound and imagery to improve one’s writing. He details devices useful in writing both prose and poetry, and relates poetry musically. A va i l a b l e Co m pa c t D i s c Re c o rdi n g s Recorded excerpts were taken from the following compact disc recordings: “Spring” from The Four Seasons (Vivaldi): London Chamber Orchestra/Christopher Warren-Green, Angel/EMI 67219. Symphony No. 1, mvt 3 (Afro-American) (Still): Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi, Chandos 241-23. Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) (Debussy): Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch, Sony 85240. Les Préludes (Symphonic Poem No. 3) (Liszt): Vienna Philharmonic/Giuseppe Sinopoli, Deutsche Grammophon 453-444.