Moderne Music

The musical romanticism will keep all its influence during second half of XIXme century. Many schools are born in all the countries of Europe and each people try to create a national art.

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Richard Wagner . Born in 1813 Richard Wagner is attracted by poetry and the drama. Very influenced by the historical opera, it finishes Rienzi in Paris in 1840. Then the operas will come which compose the essence of its work, and which will influence the music, for a long time.
They are “the ghost ship”,” the Flying Dutchman ", “Tannhäuser” in 1845, “Lohengrin” (1847) Of 1850 to approximately 1858 it composes its masterpiece, the tetralogy of” the ring of Nibelung " with, the Gold of the Rhine, the Valkyrie, Siegfried, the twilight of the Gods.
At the same time musician and poet, theorist and philosopher, it obtains the sound and voice synthesis that many musicians sought without success before him.

Verdi .          In Italy, it is always the opera which holds the front of the scene. Resulting from a modest milieu, Verdi knows a difficult beginning. He is refused in class of piano to the academy of Milan, but these gifts of composer are noticed and encouraged.

        Since 1839, it obtains the first ordering of Scala of Milan. In 1842, its opera “Nabuccodonosor” is a triumph.
With “Ernani” it reveals its dramatic personality and affirms its Latin romanticism.

        The always impossible loves of its operas, finish by the obliged death of the hero or heroin.
In 1874 it composes an imposing Requiem.

        Made green imposes itself like the musician of the beginning of this century. Then Puccini arrives (1852-1924), which writes operas of a new kind, it is birth of the modern opera, with a more important orchestra, and a blazing and rich sonority.

Its 4 chief-of works are “Manon Lescaut (1893) “the Bohemian one” (1896), “Tosca” (1900) and “Mrs Butterfly” (1904)


Spain are not remains about it with Albeniz (1860-1909) for its pianistic works, Granados (1868-1916) with its “Goyescas” and Handbook of Falla (1876-1946) to which we owe “the Love wizard” (1915).
In the Scandinavian countries and especially in Norway, a nationalist dash in the search of an cultural identity is born.
In music, Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) will be the right man for the job.

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Edvard Grieg .         It will spend four years rather unpleasant to the Academy of Leipzig (1858-1862) because of a deep disagreement with its professor of harmony.

        It receives however a teaching of quality and the Germanic cultural bath constitutes its musical framework. Very influenced by Schumann, it will end up finding its own language nationalist.

        In 1885 it settles definitively close to Bregen. About 1890 a new nationalist dash animates it and it composes its works the most inspired of the folklore. Its harmony evolves little by little to the dissonance.
Its of the most known works are Humoresque COp 6 (1865), Peer Gynt (1874) its concerto for piano COp 16 qu ' it composes with 25 years, and its first symphony where it had written on the first page:

“ Must never be carried out ! ”

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       The Russian school is very rich in composers of talent. It is related to the literary movement with Tolstoï and Dostoïewsky. About 1850 it is the constitution of the group of the five, whose 3 most famous composers are Borodine, Rimsky-Korsakov and Moussorgsky. (César Cui and Balakirev are the two other composers of the group)
They write all three of the symphonic poems of a great beauty.
Let us quote respectively:
“In the steppes of the Central Asia” of Borodine, “Shéhérazade " of Rimsky-Korsakov, and “a night on the mount Bald person” of Moussorgsky.

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Tchaikowsky

            Tchaikowsky is the Russian musician more known and undoubtedly more played today. He wrote 6 symphonies, practically all inspired by the obsession of the destiny, of death.

            The first measurements of its concerto for piano resound with the ears of everyone with this triumphal entry of coppers, and its concerto for violin makes the joy of all the virtuosos and all the public ones. It also composes of many ballets, “the lake of the swans” and “Breakage hazel nuts” are most famous. For the group of the five and Tchaïkovsky, it is necessary to quote Rachmaninov.

            Born in 1873, Rachmaninov enters to the academy at nine years, and is made known as composer in his country. The failure of its first symphony stops it Net in its creation. It will be very affected by this “Fiasco”, like it says and will follow a salutary psychotherapy.
            Just after it composes its second concerto for piano, which is success immediately. Then it composes the third concerto but the revolution of October 1917 forces it with expatrier in the United States where it is made known as a pianist virtuoso interpreting his own creations.

. Rachmaninov

            Its works are not more modern for the time, it is not a composer of before guard. One cannot say that there remained insensitive with the composers of new music as Stravinsky but there remains attached to the tonal system and can be regarded as the romantic large last with the musical direction of the term.
If Rachmaninov is a sentimental being, it is not romantic strictly speaking.
He dies in Los Angeles in 1943.

        Although not very known the general public the Russian composer most important of this period is Alexandre Scriabine (1872-1915)
It will take part in the emancipation of the harmonic language, by affirming its theories, by inventing an agreement which it will call “synthetic agreement”.
In France several musicians are distinguished.

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Gounod .
             First of all Charles Gounod born in 1818, died in 1893. He writes many operas of which Faust (1859) which constitutes its masterpiece. It is also necessary to quote Mireille (1864) and Romeo and Juliette (1867).
Its meditation on the first prelude of the quite moderate keyboard of Bach, more known under the name of Ave Maria, will bring the celebrity to him.
            Gounod is a genious melodist and even if it did not open new prospects, it probably inspired Bizet which however exceeded it in the field of the invention and modernity.
The too great conformism of Gounod, the need to like so “not remaining in the shade” will bring the glory of alive sound to him.
            For these same reasons he is not regarded nowadays as a musician of very first plan. As Debussy said: “It represents one moment of the French sensitivity”.

Georges Bizet .           Bizet was born in 1838. It represents the principal lyric composer of this first XIX century half.
He writes his first symphony at 16 years, at the same time as that of Gounod. Its writing is however more inventive and of a greater technical control.
            In 1863 it composes “the sinners of pearls” work is unequal and Bizet itself decides to withdraw it after 18 representations. Little by little its style continues.
It becomes sober, more Net and especially more original.
            It moves away from the “mielleuses” melodies of Gounod and a certain Germanic influence is felt.
Arlésienne " made up in 1872 constitutes its first large masterpiece and its first great success.
“Carmen” Bizet comes then completes her composition in 1874. It is the only work of this time which shows a psychological realism. Its construction is without fault and unrelentingly takes along us towards death. But its modernity will divert the public and the creation of work shows a failure. Only truths musicians, Massenet, Saint-Saëns, Brahms, detected the masterpiece.
            The critic condemned work unanimously; Bizet had according to them neither the melody direction nor the dramatic direction. Work was success eight years after its death.
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Saint-Saëns .
            The Symphonique revival will come from Lalo and Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). This last, imposes with Berlioz, the symphonic poem in France.
            It is the apogee of the impressionist current, with painters like Paul Cézanne or Renoir.
In Germany or Austria, three composers characterize this time well.
            They are Anton Bruckner, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler.
Even if Bruckner (1824-1896) is esseulé a little in this trio, from its age, it deserves to be quoted because its instrumental music is incomparably more modern than that of its contemporaries, put with Wagner share.
            Its symphonies are imposing as well by the duration as by the orchestral pallet, coppers have a very important role, the sentences and the topics are developed with an extreme richness. Richard Strauss (1864-1949) continues the tradition of the symphonic poem created by Liszt and the romantic ones. The orchestra is important, coppers and the percussions are omnipresent. However the weakness of the subjects, often contrasts with the power of the orchestra. According to what I know of the man and not of the musician, I think I may say art passes sometimes in the second plan in the life of Strauss to the profit of stardom, but this engages only me.

        Before continuing my matter, I will like to refer to Gustav klimt, the Austrian painter most important of this end of 19me and beginning of the 20me century.
I find it, with Mahler, characteristic of this time Viennese.
It is for painting, which Mahler is for the music; modernism and refinement.

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Mahler
Final de la Symphonie N°5 de Mahler Only on the Cd-Rom
            It is Gustav Mahler which I chose in order to illustrate the traditional modern ones.
Schoenberg said of him that:
“If it were known how Mahler tied its tie, one would learn more than in three years of academy”.
            He wrote 10 gigantic, brilliant, refined symphonies, colossal, etc, of the cycles of Lieder, and “the song of the ground”.
It is one of the largest leader of all times.
            Its sources of inspiration are often airs folk, which one reproached him a long time. But of the topic the most banal “Brother Jacques”, it makes a masterpiece.
It is the Artist with the direction noblest of the term, tyrannical, with its orchestra, but always ready to reward its musicians if they answer his artistic request. It is never enough pianissimo, it is never enough fortissimo. “Its time came!”

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