Recap and Scandinavian Romantics Notes

Hi! So today, a couple of us met up at Teddy's house to take notes on music. Basically, we continued where we left off a couple weeks ago. We split the notes up into three sections: German and Czechoslovakian Romantics, Italian and Russian Romantics, and Romantics in Scandinavia and other places. For those of you that missed today's meeting, here are the notes that I took for Scandinavian Romantics and I will finish taking notes for Romantics in Other Places and post it up later. The notes for the other sections should be up soon.

Scandinavian Romantics
- History is long, complex, and filled with fighting (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland)
- Finland was not its own country until 1917 when it finally declared its independence and broke away from Russia and Sweden
- Norway was not its own country until 1905


Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907)
- born in Bergen (located southwestern coast of Norway)
- mother was a musician and made Edvard one too
- when he was fifteen, Ole Bull (famous Norway composer) visited and heard the best musicians play for him
- when he heard Grieg, he insisted he go to Leipzig Conservatory in Germany
- his professors taught him Classical and Romantic music forms, but he hated both
- he returned home determined to become a musician/composer
- he moved to Copenhagen and studied with Niels Hage and J.P.E. Hartmann and met his wife, Nina Hagerup (his cousin) and married after he wrote I love thee
- when Rikard Nordraak died, Grieg wanted to carry on his idea of an independent Norway
- he became a success and a national hero, devoted to Norway's culture
- composed Holberg Suite in honor of writer/philosopher Ludvig Holberg (Five moments based on Baroque music forms of his time)
- key of G major, but 4th movement, Air, begins in G minor
- in Baroque era, prelude = brief intro, but in Romantic era, prelude = whole movement
- he had a good and happy life compared to most Romantics
- 1907: He had a heart attack on his way to a music festival that he tried to attend despite poor health


Solveig's Song
- 1874: Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen asked Grieg to write a song accompanying his play Peer Gynt
- play drawen from Norwegian fairytale Per Gynt
- called for short pieces to enhance play with Grieg enjoyed composing
- Summary of play: Peer Gynt was a rogue. He seduces almost every woman in the play, has a child with the daughter of the king of trolls, chats with the Sphinx in Egypt, and confesses sins to the Devil in disguise. Throughout, Solveig (girl he fell in love with) remains true and waits her whole life for him. At play's end, her love is his last hope for salvation.
- reorganized into two suites and without the play to complete Henrik's request
- "Solveig's Song" is the 4th and last movement of 2nd suite
- introduction to song is w/ strings w/ legato articulation
- texture menophonic (only melody is played)
- strings, harp, and flutes continue in A minor
- when vocals begin, texture accompanimental (provides harmony while singer carries melody)
- minor key and andante indicate melancholy tone
- vocals split into two portions and at end of each verse, singer vocalises (sings meaningless sounds to emphasize work's instrumental quality and equivalent to singing "la, la, la"
- during this section, meter changes 4/4 to 3/4
- this section more cheerful because switch to A major, change from andante to allegretto, & lighter-sounding rhythm
- tranquillamente is marked as style here
- he wanted a peaceful, hopeful mood and song ends w/ A minor, giving melancholy ending


Jean Sibelius (1863 - 1957)
- Finland's most famous and beloved national composer
- interest in music developed at early age
- briefly attended Helsinki University as law student but dropped out to attend Helsinki Music Institute
- sent to school to learn native languages and developed interest in folklore
- Finnish nationalism didn't develop till he met wife, Aino Jarnefelt in 1889
- after meeting her, he received several grants to study in Berlin and Vienna and became interested in Romantic music
- returned in 1892 and married
- gave up his dream of being violin virtuoso and turned to composing full-time
- 1899: composed Finlandia to protest against Russian rule in Finland
- symphonic poem w/ brass fanfare opening, followed by horn melody
- Finlandia Hymn follows, plated by flute and violin and then brass fanfare closes
- still considered best of his time though he stopped composing in 1929 and lived peacefully in his home till 91 even though people tried to get him to leave because of WWII
- his death became a national day of mourning


The Swan of Tuonela
- best known of Sebelius's programmatic compositions
- took 4 years to adapt ancient Finnish epic Kalevala into 4-movement tone poem
- Lemminkainen is hero of legend
- suite represents his adventures
- in 3rd movement, he goes forth to battle with a magical swan that guards the underworld
- he dies along the way and his mother sews his body parts back together
- the song depicts the swan as it swims in Tuoni RIver and border of underworld
- strings represent scenery and English horn represents swan
- Horn solo is famous in music
- Other main player is solo cello which alternates w/ horn to create antiphonal texture
- it is odd because written in major-minor seventh cord (played in order by cello, arpeggiating a chord)
- notes: A, C, E, G-sharp
- accompanimental texture and homophonic texture comes later when orchestra plays a melodic line and harmonic line
- use of different textures is typical of Romantic composition
[ Side Note: Texture
  antiphonal: two solo lines alternate with one another
  monophonic: only one line is played
  homophonic: a melody and a harmony are played
  accompanimental: one clear main line and other instruments in the background]


I believe there is a meeting tomorrow at Betty's house, but you should check our Facebook page.
I hope everyone is enjoying their winter break.


- Kristy