German Opera, Nationalism, Impressionism & 20th Century Music
German Opera
The origin of German opera lies in the development of Mozart’s Singspiel, which gave it a distinctly German character. Beethoven’s traits, though not inherently romantic, influenced Weber, who established the national characteristics. Wagner’s characteristics include striving for total art, operas in German, themes of myths and Germanic legends, and masterful orchestration with leitmotifs. His use of dramatic works is evident in his operas. His first opera, Rienzi, was based on the life of an Italian revolutionary. He then wrote The Flying Dutchman, about redemption through love. German legends are represented in Tannhäuser, followed by Lohengrin. His tetralogy, Der Ring des Nibelungen, is composed of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. He also addresses the theme of love in Tristan und Isolde. His comic opera is Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and shortly before his death, he released Parsifal.
Spanish Nationalism
The disaster of 1898 led to reflection on musical culture in Spain, seeking a national awareness. Simultaneously, many European composers were inspired by Spanish folklore. There are two stages:
- Assimilation: Albeniz created works like the Suite Española and Iberia. Granados found inspiration in genre scenes; a standout work is Goyescas.
- Maturity: Falla, the most important Spanish composer, composed ballets like El amor brujo and El sombrero de tres picos, and the unfinished work Atlántida.
Turina is more Andalusian, finding inspiration in Andalusia. A notable composition is La oración del torero.
Impressionism
Impressionism arose in France in the last third of the 19th century. It is about enjoying the sound for its own sake. Musicians sought inspiration in Symbolist poets and Impressionist painters. Characteristics include:
- Re-nature
- The melody is linear; chords are sought.
- Breaking with traditional harmony
- Colorful orchestration
- Unexpected pleasure in sound
- Creation of sound atmospheres
- Predilection for poetic themes
Debussy: A highly representative figure of Impressionism, his compositional layout influenced 20th-century music. Influenced by Wagner and Eastern trends, he created many piano works and renewed this instrument’s literature. Works include Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, the opera Pelléas et Mélisande, and for orchestra, La Mer. For piano: Images and Estampes.
Ravel: Was influenced by Debussy and Satie. His style mixes elements of harpsichord, Baroque, oriental music, and Jazz. He was a great orchestrator, although he initially dedicated himself to the piano. Works include My Mother the Goose, Miroirs, Le Tombeau de Couperin, Daphnis et Chloé, and Pavane for a Dead Princess. Other musicians include Dukas, Satie, and Poulenc.
Twentieth Century Music
Transformations in the 20th-century world developed with great acceleration. Culture and art reflect the compulsive character of our time, one of crisis, and profound cultural and artistic renovation. Features include:
- Objective timbral creations
- New elements
- Use of consonance and dissonance
- Loss of the concept of melody
- Irregular rhythm
- Incorporation of noise and artificial sounds
- “Return to classical forms”
Vienna School
The Vienna School was characterized by a group seeking sonorities beyond the established norms. Schoenberg established the following:
His initial work was influenced by late Wagner and Mahler. From that, he shaped dodecaphony, also called serial music, which gives importance to the twelve tones of the chromatic scale. Works include A Survivor from Warsaw and Pierrot Lunaire.
Alban Berg: A student of Schoenberg, he is a clear follower of twelve-tone music. Important works include Wozzeck and the unfinished opera Lulu.