Romantic era music history

• Who wrote the poem Erlkonig? Goethe
• Who set Erlkonig to a song


  Franz Shubert
• why would ppl like erlkonig

  • dramatic characters
  • extreme emotions
  • appealed to their desire for emotion
• what is the story of erlkonig

  • scared son and father riding through the forest
  • trying to escape the elf king
  • elf king trying to seduce the son
• how is the mood established

  • urgency and panic through frantic piano(horse)
  • minor ley + major key for elf king
• narrator description

  • sorrowful
  • dramatic
  • explains the plot
  • ornaments
  • low range for expression
• father description

  • full of fear
  • comforting his son
  • low, limited range
• son description

  • scared of elf king
  • highest voice to contrast dad
  • range shows his fear
• elf king description

  • deceitful
  • violent
  • desperate for the son
  • begins in major to seduce the sonn
  • when the son refuses he forcefully takes the son in minor
• horse description

  • frantic triplets
  • sets the mood of urgency and panic
• verdi personality traits

  • patriot
  • slogan viva verdi was musical and political
• what was opera in italy

  • showcase for singers
  • the most popular music form
• what is lieder

  • song set to a poem
  • means song in german
• who sings in each verse of the poem

  1. narrator
  2. father +son
  3. elf king
  4. father+fson
  5. elf king
  6. father+son
  7. elf king +son
  8. narrator
• what is the singular form of lieder 


  lied
• how many lieder did franz Schubert compose

  600
• what does schubert do well in his song compositions

  • evoking strong emotions
  • known for piano accompaniment durinf a time when that wasnt popular
• what does strophic mean


  the repetition of a stanza or verse.i.e. when the boy calls out my father my father
• what does through-composed mean


  contrast to strophic, based on new musical ideas per phrase
• Who is known for being melodramatic 


  Verdi
• characteristics of verdis operas

  • all about he singer
  • melodramatic
  • drawn out death scenes
  • human dramas (heroism, lovers, murder, etc.)
  • action of plot interrupted by arias
  • solos, drinking songs, and choruses made them enjoyable for all classes
• what did a singers opera look like

  • 1 -2 soloists
  • orchestra accompaniment
  • virtuoso
  • long cadenzas and dramatic high notes
  • chorus off-stage
• 
  

  characteristics of wagners opera

  • thought all parts should be equal
  • wrote his own script based on norse and medieval tales rewritten - orchestra was most important.
• what are four ring operas

  • considered wagners masterpiece
  • 4 hour opera cycle
  • each opera was 5-6 hours
  • difficult for people to understand and follow
• what are leitmotifs 


  a reoccurring theme associated with a particular person, idea, or or situation (like the theme that plays every time the fire nation appears). utilized by wagner
• What are wagnerian singers?

  • invented by wagner
  • incredibly long songs
  • no memorable repeating melodies
  • loud orchestra accompaniement required projection
  • heroic tenor
  • (heldentenor)
• what were wagnerian orchestras like?

  • worked underneath the stage
  • communicates the emotional meaning
  • chromatic music texture
  • created his own grand opera house to get balance between orchestra and singer
  • huge orchestra with large brass sections