Franz Schubert is one of the best known and most prolific composers of the nineteenth-century German Lied. His reputation is based not only on his extensive output of songs, but also on the uniquely beautiful style characteristics he infused into each one. His lyrical melodies, descriptive accompaniments, and ability to capture the mood of a poem make his songs rich material for analysis, but also very accessible to the performer. Du bist die Ruh, which Schubert composed in 1826, exemplifies these characteristics and serves well as a representative study in performance preparation for Schubert’s Lieder. The text of Du bist die Ruh (“You are rest”) is taken from a poem by Friedrich Rückert, originally titled Kehr ein bei mir (“Come commune …show more content…
Generally speaking, the phrase lengths in the piece are somewhat irregular. They gradually increase in length until reaching a climax on the words Dies Augenzelt von dienem Glanz allein erhellt, which is the longest phrase in the piece, comprised of seven measures. It would be difficult to sing this entire musical phrase all in one breath, although grammatically the poem calls for it. Nevertheless, the delay caused by breaking up the phrase after the word Glanz serves to heighten the suspense, as the listener waits for the resolution of the thought and of the harmony. Schubert also uses elements such as varying dynamics and unexpected harmonic transitions to increase the emotional intensity in building up to the climax. He marks the beginning of the phrase at mezzo-forte, the loudest dynamic he has used so far to begin a line in the piece. A subtle harmonic change in the piano accompaniment shifts the tonality to bVI, which is then tonicized by a bIII – bVI (V – I) progression. The Cb major chord then moves to Bb major (V) to take the harmony back to the tonic, but the resolution to I is in fact a V7/IV, which then leads to IV on erhellt. This is the most dramatic point in the piece, as the vocal line climbs stepwise until it reaches high Ab, and then breaks off for a full measure of silence before resuming the quiet mood of the earlier strophes. The fact that Schubert places a fermata …show more content…
For the vocalist, the long phrases require excellent breath support and flawless technique, particularly on the high G – Ab movement at the climax. There are limited opportunities to take expressive liberties, particularly because of the strophic nature of the song and Schubert’s own markings. However, the singer should take advantage of what room there is for expression. For example, although in many ways the piece’s simplicity sounds as if it could be from the Classical period, its phrasing is conducive to rubato and more flexibility of movement, which is characteristic of Romantic performance practice. A performer can use this freedom to shape the phrases artistically. The pianist also faces challenges in this piece, both as a collaborator with the singer and as a separate entity. One example is the rocking accompaniment figure that remains consistent throughout the song, which must always be played lightly and gently so that it does not become tedious. It is also important for the pianist to have an artistic sense of the ebb and flow of the phrases and work in close partnership with the singer, yet not distract from or overpower the vocal line. Although performers often insert their own interpretative markings, the way Schubert composed the piano part for this piece already integrates many of the expressive effects he intended. For example, in approaching the
“You gotta play this piece like an English military band would,” said Jules during band one day while rehearsing the first movement of Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F. “1. March” begins with four notes played by the low brass which is then echoed by the upper woodwinds. The trumpets have a noble melody which broadens when the entire ensemble joins in. Next, the piece lightens up with an upper woodwind melody. Later on there is a euphonium solo, and following that is a grand theme with an extremely distinguished style. After, there is a change in style and time signature. One simple theme repeats with different dynamics and instrumentations every repetition. The Wind Ensemble played this piece at the Winter Band Concert on December 11, 2013. This work, though easy looking at first glance, was genuinely difficult to put together. It had few layers, so mistakes or intonation problems were extremely noticeable. Furthermore, the style of the piece was extremely intricate and hard to master. Therefore, “1. March” had positives and negatives regarding intonation, balance and blend, articulation, style, and dynamics throughout the entire ensemble and the low instrument section.
Volondat, Pierre-Alain, perf. Variations OP 20. By Clara Schumann. Rec. 15 May 2010. Saphir Productions, 2008. Florida College's Classical Music Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Conclusively, while being one of his earliest works, Mozart’s Minuet in F Major (K.2) is far from primitive. His use of repetition and subtle melodic and rhythmic variations keep the melody interesting enough to retain the listener’s attention. Not only this, but the harmonic surprises of the modulation and deceptive cadence keep the listener guessing in the best way possible. While at the surface this work may seem like nothing more than an AABA 32-bar dance, there is much more than that hidden throughout the work. If this is what Mozart was capable of at the mere age of six, it is unsurprising that his legacy remains to this day.
Themes and Variations of the Trout Quintet A quintet is a work for five instruments, in this case piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass (piano quintet). The fourth movement of this quintet is a theme and variations on Schubert's song 'Die Forelle' (The Trout). Schubert (1797-1828) was a prolific song / lied composer. Many of his songs took their inspiration from the beauty of nature; 'The Trout' being a good example. Much of his 'lieder' display pictorial word painting effects in either the vocal or piano writing - note the piano 'ripples' of the brook in the accompaniment of 'Die Forelle'.
The last section, from "Seid umschlungen, Millionen!" is repeated triumphantly in counterpoint. A dramatic hush, the music rises steadily. The quartet then re-enters with the following lines from the beginning of the poem: Daughter of Elysium Deine Zauber binden wieder, Thy magic binds together Was die Mode streng geteilt; What tradition has strongly parted, The chorus underlines "Alle Menschen werden Brüder," "All mankind will be brothers."
In Schubert's songs the literary and musical elements are perfectly balanced, composed on the same intellectual and emotional level. Although Schubert composed strophic songs throughout his career, he did not follow set patterns but exploited bold and free forms when the text demanded it. Except for his early training as a child, Schubert, the composer, was largely untrained and self-taught. His gift of being able to create melodies that contained both easy naturalness and sophisticated twists at the same time was unprecedented for his time.
This section represents a tranquil interval. It is a summer evening in the country and he hears two shepherds piping. The tranquil moment of the quiet summer evening alone with the pastoral duet fills his heart with an unfamiliar calm. Suddenly she appears and her appearance causes an emotional response of sorrowful loneliness. The 4th movement: March to the Scaffold.
Here, Beethoven takes melodic expression to a new level: The appoggiatura in bars, 14 and 16 create a harmonic tension over a diminished 7th chord that creates “the highly expressive progression used by nineteenth-...
...ers and the audience. The dramatic nature of this piece alone is something to be reckoned with as it is extremely passionate. The symphony is presented in 4 movements as is common and begins with a Poco Sostenuto- Vivace, followed by a Allegretto movement, Presto movement, and finally ends on an Allegro con brio movement. the central theme of this piece is introduced in the first movement by a flute playing in tripple meter continuously ascending up the scales rising in dynamic contrast, continuing to grow into a louder and more stark contrast between it’s highs and lows. Consistently dance like, the piece is celebratory of its roots buried in historical Austrian music that has been present in the culture for years. The accomplishments of the soldiers for which the piece was composed for are easily told of simply by the energy and power present throughout the piece.
Chopin opens his Waltz on a troubled, searching theme. Full of hesitancies, sudden rushes, and wavering chromaticism, the pensive tune features rhythmic and melodic fragility. With regards to rhythm, unpredictable phrasing creates rhythmic dissonance with the steady left hand waltz pattern and forces the dancers into a posture of searching in order to stay in step with the meter. With regards to melody, the introspective tune centers around a restless cycle of stressed and unstressed pairs of measures, similar to a poem in iambic octameter. During the first and more stressed measure in each pair, the melody scrambles impulsively through several chromatic notes in search of a note on which to land, almost like a game of musical chairs. Then, during the second and less stressed measure in each pair, the melody stretches out onto one or two sustained notes, almost like a sigh. As the sixteen measure melody progresses, the stressed measures become increasingly more desperate and fling the melody further and harder until finally in a climax the melody jumps 17 half steps only to...
The five section structure, numerous types of repetition and rhyme create a clear event in the ballad which flows easily till the very end. Most of the medieval ballads use basic language that will be comprehensible for beginners readers and less educated, but also to focus one’s attention to a scene its emotion or anything significant in that language. Through the use all these techniques and previously mentioned they make this medieval ballad typical of its orally-transmitted
To begin, the episodic shifts in scenes in this ballad enhance the speaker’s emotional confusion. Almost every stanza has its own time and place in the speaker’s memory, which sparks different emotions with each. For example, the first stanza is her memory of herself at her house and it has a mocking, carefree mood. She says, “I cut my lungs with laughter,” meaning that...
There is a very straight forward structure to this poem that contributes to the complexity and unity of the poem as a whole. The rhyme scheme follows a very straight forward ABAAB variation. This rhyme scheme flows throughout the poem with no variations and adds to the organic unity of the work. The meter of this work follows iambic tetrameter which, when read aloud, adds to the thoughtfulness of the speaker. However, the meter is interrupted during one line of the poem which reads, “I shall be telling this with a sigh” (line 16). This line brings attention to itself in order to alert the reader to the ambiguity of the statement, which will be discussed later. The poem itself is constructed with four stanzas with five lines in each stanza which adds to the unity by giving the poem a sense of a full circle and rounded out. Throughout the poem, the rhythm is slow and thoughtful, as if the speaker is reflecting on the choices that he has made in his lifetime. This slow rhythm adds a layer of complexity by demonstra...
In addition, the dance portrays a combination of operetta, musical hall and happenings. While watching the performance the viewer wonders where the rain comes from. This is a perfect portrayal of a natural happening outside the performance hall. The dancers are actually not confined within the studio as the outside world is transformed into a natural studio. The overall effect on the performance is a lively dance that keeps the audience glued to the last minute. In this regard, Bausch’s choreography is ‘life’ as she works on what moves the audience without largely concentrating on the movement of her dancer
Suddenly, the German words "Starnbergersee" and "Hofgarten" are introduced, readjusting the reader's own view of the poem, before throwing it completely off-course in line 12: "Bin gar nicht.." Just as quickly, though, the lines revert to a previous pattern with the use of "And I.", "And down.", "And when.." "Discontinuity, in other words, is no more firmly established than continuity," writes Michael Levenson (A Genealogy of Modernism). In his analysis of the initial eighteen lines, it becomes apparent that no clear conclusion may be drawn as to who is speaking, or how many speakers are present. There are several methods of unifying the disjointed speaker(s), all of which conflict with each other, although they may be equally true.... ...