Nationalism in 19th-Century European Music
In the second half of the nineteenth century, there was a new phenomenon in the European music scene. It consisted of the incorporation of generations of music from countries that had hitherto been generally on the margins of musical evolution. This was not so much because music was not cultivated in them, but because the importation of music was to the detriment of domestic production.
Russia
Until the nineteenth century, Russian art music had been dominated by foreign musicians. Peter the Great (1689-1725) had begun this trend by importing foreign musicians to modernize his kingdom. Consequently, very few Russian compositions in the tradition of Western European art music existed before Glinka.
Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)
Mikhail Glinka was the first Russian composer to give a native voice to the common musical styles of the day. After studying music and visiting Italy and Berlin, Glinka composed an opera about the Russian peasant hero Ivan Susanin. The work was entitled “A Life for the Tsar” and used several new aspects of Russian music. He used recitatives instead of spoken dialogue and had themes that were repeated. There were two Russian folk tunes in the opera and several tunes that had the characteristics of traditional music.
The Five
Members of “The Five” were Mily Balakirev (1836-1910), the group leader, Cesar Cui (1835-1918), Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881), Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), and Alexander Borodin (1833-1887). The Five felt that popular music and the religious identity of the Russian people should be used as a basis for composition. They tried to avoid strict counterpoint in the Germanic style, as well as other techniques employed in Western Europe. They preferred romanticism and realism over the classical form. Some of the stylistic characteristics that distinguished this group included the use of non-functional tonal progressions, asymmetric meters, and a coloristic approach to orchestration.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia is a country formed in 1918 by combining the territories of Bohemia and Moravia (now the Czech Republic) and Slovakia. These territories had been under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg Empire. Consequently, the imperial language, German, and the imperial religion, Catholicism, had become a way of life for the Czech people. To preserve the native language, a provisional theater was organized in Prague. The theater would promote the Czech language, composers, folk music, and programs using national themes.
Smetana
Smetana was the first great Czech nationalist composer, a Bohemian. His first job was writing a nationalist opera in 1863, in Czech, as a competitive entry to the interim stage. He learned to read and write in Czech to enter the competition. This opera, Branibori v Cechach (The Brandenburgs in Bohemia), has a historical chart, but the music is not based on folk songs. His second opera, Prodana Nevesta (The Bartered Bride, 1863-1866), incorporated folk melodies and was a success beyond Czechoslovakia. Also included in his nationalist work are six tone poems, Ma Vlast (My Country, 1872-1880).
Dvorák
Dvorák was the most successful of the Czech nationalist composers. He performed the viola in the provisional stage under Smetana and was mentored by Brahms. Dvorák included Bohemian themes and elements in his music. In 1871, he left the interim stage and began to set a libretto by a Czech writer, Lobesky, entitled Král a Uhlí (King and Charcoal Burner). Unfortunately, this opera was not successful. Most notable for their domestic content are Slavonic Dances (1879) and the Slavic Rhapsodies (1880). Dvorák was invited to New York to lead the first national conservatory in America. While abroad, he studied African American and Native American music. Some say that these styles are incorporated into his American works: Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 (New World), the “American” String Quartet, Op. 96, and the “American” String Quintet, Op. 97.
Janáček
Janáček did research and cataloged Moravian folk music. His work inspired further research. Because of his interest in folk music, he was predisposed to the modes and pentatonic scales that appear frequently in Moravian folk music. He often wrote without key signatures to move freely between modes. His most famous opera, Jenufa (1904), was written originally in Czech and translated into German. Janáček was very careful in monitoring the translation to preserve the integrity of the libretto.