Music #389 - Other Nationalistic Composers

Jules Massenet

[ʒyl masnɛ]  (1842 – 1912, French)

Massenet was best known for his operas, which were very popular in his era. Soon after his death, his style went out of fashion, and many of his operas fell into almost total oblivion. Manon and Werther are still in the repertoire.

Manon

- based on the 1731 novel (L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut) by Abbé Prévost.

 

* Click here for a full version (2.5 hr) of the opera

Werther  

- based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, based partly on fact and Goethe's own early life.

* Click here for a full version of opera

Thaïs Opera

- Méditation

Cendrillon

- his version of Cinderella 

 

* full opera (2½ hr)

Emmanuel Chabrier

[ɛmanɥɛl ʃabʁie]  (1841 – 1894, French Romantic)

Although known primarily for two of his orchestral works, España and Joyeuse marche, he left an important corpus of operas (including the increasingly popular L'étoile), songs, and piano music as well. 

These works, though small in number, are of very high quality, and he was admired by composers as diverse as Debussy, Ravel, Richard Strauss, Satie, Schmitt, Stravinsky, and the group of composers known as Les six. 

Joyeuse marche / joyful march

España

Édouard Lalo  

(1823 – 1892)

Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was a French composer.

Symphonie espagnole for violin and orchestra

  

Click here for a full version

Le roi d'Ys (The King of Ys) opera

- based on the old Breton legend of the drowned city of Ys (the capital of the Cornouaille kingdom)

  

Click here for a full version

Cello Concerto

In 1962, composer Maurice Jarre used a theme from Lalo's Piano Concerto for the exotic score to Lawrence of Arabia. Jarre was a three-time Academy Award winner, for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984), all of which were directed by David Lean.

Christian Sinding

(1856 – 1941)

A Norwegian composer, he is known for his lyrical works for piano, such as Frühlingsrauschen (Rustle of Spring). 

He was often compared to Edvard Grieg and regarded as his successor.

Rustle of Spring  

- a solo piano piece

Josef Suk

(1874 – 1935)

A Czech composer and violinist, he was pupil and son-in-law of Dvořák. 

Asrael Symphony

Josef Suk

(1929 – 2011)

He has the same name as his grandfather (composer and violinist).

Great-grandson of Antonín Dvořák, he was a Czech violinist, chamber musician and conductor.

Playing his great grandfather's Violin Concerto

Music #388 - Léo Delibes

Léo Delibes 

(1836–1891, French Romantic)

(pronounce: LAY-oh De-LEEB)  

Léo Delibes is particularly famous for his 
* ballets, especially Coppélia and Sylvia 
* operettas/operas, especially Lakmé.

Coppélia   

The 3-act ballet story is about Dr Coppélius who makes dolls. He has just invented a mechanical doll that he calls Coppélia, which looks just like a real belle… Naughty Swanilda disguised as Coppélia to fool the lonely old man. 

Some other selections:

* Swanilda & Franz 

* Swanilda solo in Act 3 
     - by Shin Seung-won 
     - by Bryony Walker 

Royal Ballet (2000)

* Swanilda pretending to be Coppélia to play on Dr Coppélius

Kirov Ballet (1993)
* the Dawn (L'aurore) variation from Act III

Sylvia 

Divertissement - Pizzicati

Lakmé 

An opera in 3 acts with 20 (French!) musical numbers, the story is set in the late 19^th century British Raj in India, when many Hindus could only practice their religion in secret. 

The whole opera from the Sydney Opera House, 

with English subtitles, starting with part 1 of 13.

Some other selections:

Act 1 – musical no. 2 – Duetto (The Flower Duet)

The Hindus go to perform their rites in a sacred Brahmin (婆羅門) temple under a high priest. The latter’s daughter Lakmé and her servant Mallika are left behind and go down to the river to gather flowers where they sing the famous "Flower Duet", in soprano and mezzo soprano, respectively, in appreciation of the flowers.

* Joan Sutherland (taller) & Huguette Tourangeau
* Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca

  

Then, Mallika leaves Lakmé for a while. A British officer Gérald (from a picnic party) has been secretly watching and now appears. Lakmé and Gérald begin to fall in love with each other. The father returns and learns of the British officer's trespassing and vows revenge on him for his affront to Lakmé's honor.

Act 2 – musical no. 10 
- "Où va la jeune Hindoue? / Where is the young Hindu?" 
   (Air des clochettes / The Bell Song)
       

At a bazaar, her father forces Lakmé to sing in order to lure 
the trespasser (Gérald) into identifying himself. This aria has 
long been a favorite recital piece for coloratura sopranos 
(花腔女高音).

* Joan Sutherland - live opera

* Natalie Dessay  (Wow!)

* Maria Callas  (Wow!)

When Gérald steps forward, Lakmé faints, thus giving him away. The father stabs Gérald, wounding him. Lakmé takes Gérald to a secret hideout in the forest where she nurses him back to health…..  Good grief!

= = = = =  
In recent years, the Flower Duet has become familiar more widely because of its use in advertisements - in particular….

* British Airways  

Two humorous stewardesses on the job

Music #387 - Johann Strauss

The Waltz Kings

In the 19th-century, Johann Strauss and his sons took Vienna by storm with polkas, galops, quadrilles, marches, and particularly waltzes. 

In their hands, the waltz rose from its humble peasant origins (village tavern), to working-class dance halls and aristocratic ballrooms (e.g. Sperl Ballroom).

Johann Strauss Sr 

/ Johann Strauss I / Johann Strauß Vater (1804 - 1849)

*** The Radetzky March 

- named after Joseph Radetzky von Radetz (the 82-year-old Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Austrian army, for its open-air victory festival in Vienna in 1848)

- incorporated two popular Viennese melodies: a common street song and a dance melody.

* Sperl Galopp (He performed at the prestigious Sperl-Ballroom in Vienna; a six-year contract there consolidated his fame.)

* Cachucha Galopp (from the Spanish dance "cachucha") 

* Lorelei Rhein Klänge (Echoes of the Rhine Lorelei)

He had 6 children (3 sons carried on the musical family tradition) with his wife, and 7 with his mistress.

"He was famous for the rhythmic verse of his music and the finesse of his conducting, but his music has been eclipsed by the more memorable melodic gifts of his sons."

Johann Strauss Jr 

/ Johann Strauss II / Johann Strauß Sohn (1825 – 1899)  

List_of_compositions

* Tales from the Vienna Woods  - as in The Great Waltz (1938 movie)

* Artists' Life 
* The Blue Danube (actually greenish) - digital
* Roses from the South
* Wine, Women and Song 
* Voice of Spring  - vocal
* The Emperor's Waltz 
* Vienna Waltz

* The Skaters Waltz
* Chit-chat Polka  
* Thunder & Lightning Polka 
* Cross-Fiddling Polka 
* Russian March
* Napoleon March   - ballet

The Bat operette / Die Fledermaus   
... an irresistible blend of Offenbachian wit and Viennese suavity
* Overture

Click here for a 2.3-hour full version.

 The Gypsy Baron operette / Der Zigeunerbaron
... where Viennese Romanticism is spiced with Hungarian gypsy idioms

One day when we were young - Fernand Gravet
One day when we were young - Jane Zhang

Josef Strauss 

(1827 - 1870)  

- a younger brother of Johann Strauss II  

* Ohne Sorgen / without worry

* Feuerfest / fireproof - polka francaise

Johann and Josef Strauss 

* Pizzicato-Polka

= = = = = 

Is Danube blue?

“据统计，多瑙河的河水在一年中要变换8种颜色：6天是棕色的，55天是浊黄色的，38天是浊绿色的，49天是鲜绿色的，47天是草绿色的，24天是铁青色的，109天是宝石绿色的，37天是深绿色的。所以，多瑙河并不是纯粹的蓝色。”

Music #386 - Jacques Offenbach

Jacques Offenbach

(1819 - 1880)
   
A German-born French composer, he is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas (opéra comique) of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann, which remains part of the standard opera repertory.

He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr. and Arthur Sullivan. 


The Tales of Hoffmann opera / Les contes d'Hoffmann

Barcarolle

The most famous number is the "Barcarolle" in Act 3:
- Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour / Beautiful night, oh night of love 
* with Spanish & French subtitles
* with French lyrics and English translation - in the footnote

Barcarolle ('boat') is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers. 
- Heard that the gondoliers at Macao's Venetian Hotel sing well.
- The Barcarolle has been incorporated into many films, including La Vita è Bella (Life Is Beautiful):

 

Orpheus in The Underworld operetta

Can Can

* Korean Symphony Orchestra
Things liven up as the most famous number in this operetta, the Galop Infernal (best known as Can-can), starts (at 7:33 in this video).

Tips: can-can is pronounced [kɑ̃kɑ̃] or roughly 'gong-gong'.

Offenbach did not write it for the can-can (French for chit-chat or gossip) dance. It was adapted so, and made so popular so, at Moulin Rouge in the 1920's.



= = = = =
Bonus:
* Can Can in the Moulin Rouge (1952) movie
* Moulin Rouge @ Paris - Can Can starts at [3:00], but the dances before it are glamorous.

Extra:
* Can Can in the Moulin Rouge (2001) movie
* Because we can ... can-can

.

Music #385 - Arthur Sullivan

Arthur Sullivan  -
- aka Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
(1842 – 1900)

An English composer, he is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. 

His best known hymns and songs include "Onward Christian Soldiers" and "The Lost Chord".

H.M.S. Pinafore / The Lass That Loved a Sailor  - top tracks

* full opera  

The Pirates of Penzance  - top tracks

* full opera 

The Mikado  - top tracks
* Here's a how-de-do  - in Mikado Film (1967)  
* If You Want To Know Who We Are

* full opera

Music #384 - I. Albéniz & E. Granados

Isaac Albéniz 

(1860 – 1909)

He was a Spanish pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms, many of which have been transcribed by Miguel Llobet and others for guitar.  

Many of his pieces such as 

Asturias (Leyenda), 

Granada, 

Sevilla, 

Cadiz, 

Cordoba, 

Cataluña, and the 

Tango in D 

are amongst the most important pieces for classical guitar.

Iberia  

A suite for piano composed of 4 books of 3 pieces each;  a complete performance lasts about 1.5 hours.
* piano - top tracks
* guitar - top tracks

Rapsodia española 

/ Spanish Rhapsody - for piano and orchestra

 

Enrique Granados  

(1867 – 1916)

A Spanish pianist and composer of classical music, 

Granados wrote piano music, chamber music, songs, zarzuelas, and an orchestral tone poem based on Dante's Divine Comedy. 

     His music is in a uniquely Spanish style and, as such, is representative of musical nationalism.

     Many of his piano compositions have been transcribed for the classical guitar: examples include Dedicatoria, Danza No. 5, Goyescas.

Danza No. 5 - "Andaluza"

Reference: Wikipedia

Music #383 - Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg

["ED-vahrd GREEG"] (1843 – 1907) 

A Norwegian composer and pianist, he is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His Norwegian folk music compositions put the Music of Norway in the international spectrum.

Piano Concerto in A minor  

The only concerto that Grieg completed, it is one of his most popular works.

 

* Mvt 1 – Allegro molto moderato 

* Mvt 2 – Adagio

* Mvt 3 – Allegro moderato molto e marcato - Quasi presto - Andante maestoso

Totaling about 30 minutes

Peer Gynt Suites  

Innocent Solveig falls for Peer Gynt, and misses him. Her mood flip-flops when she sings.

        Peer Gynt, an irresponsible man, lives in ambitious fantasy and roams around without purposes. 

        When he eventually returns home broke, he finds Solveig still waiting for him, but grey-haired and blind.

2 suites, each with 4 movements:

Suite No. 1 -

* Mvt 1 – Morning Mood   

* Mvt 2 – The Death of Åse

* Mvt 3 – Anitra's Dance  - ballet  - spider

* Mvt 4 – In the Hall of the Mountain King 

Suite No. 2 -

* Mvt 1 – The Abduction of the Bride

* Mvt 2 – Arabian Dance  

* Mvt 3 – Peer Gynt's Homecoming

* Mvt 4 – Solveig's Song  - ballet

Rocky variations -

Suite No. 1 -
* Mvt 4 – In the Hall of the Mountain King

       * Apocalyptica – 4 cellists

       * Rainbow 

Suite No. 2 - 
* Mvt 4 – Solveig’s Song

       * Operatica 

       * Sweetbox – Trying To Be Me  (lyrics) 

Music #382 - Antonin Dvorak

Antonín Dvořák  

/ ˈdvɔrʒɑːk / di-vor-zhak /

(Czech, 1841-1904)

Following the nationalist example of Bedřich Smetana, Dvořák frequently employed features of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia (then parts of the Austrian Empire and now constituting the Czech Republic).

Among Dvořák's best known works are his 
* New World Symphony 
* "American" String Quartet 
* the opera Rusalka  -- overview
* Cello Concerto in b


Among his smaller works, 

(L) the seventh Humoresque  

(R) the song 'Songs my mother taught me' 

 

are also widely performed and recorded. 

Source : Wikipedia

And the Slavonic Dances - a series of 16 orchestral pieces:
* Nos.1 - 8
* Nos. 9 - 16
                 

A "Nature, Life and Love" trilogy of concert overtures
1. In Nature's Realm  ("Nature")
2. Carnival  ("Life")
3. Othello  ("Love")

The Symphony No. 9  "From the New World"
- aka the "New World Symphony"

It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular in the modern repertoire.

(  0:37) Mvt.1 - Adagio – Allegro molto
(10:42) Mvt.2 - Largo  ..... ..... "Going Home" - Brigham Young University Choir - with lyrics
(23:30) Mvt.3 - Scherzo: Molto vivace – Poco sostenuto
(32:07) Mvt.4 - Allegro con fuoco

Music #381 - Bedřich Smetana

Bedřich Smetana  
[ˈbɛdr̝ɪx ˈsmɛtana]  (1824 – 1884)

A Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music.

Internationally he is best known
* for his opera The Bartered Bride,
* for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Fatherland")
* for his First String Quartet From My Life.



The Bartered Bride   

- the full opera in English   - with English subtitles

* Dance of the Comedians  

 

(L) * Polka (Come here, girl)

 

(R) * "It's beer, it certainly is a gift from heaven"

Má vlast [maː vlast] / My Fatherland
It is a set of six symphonic poems which portrays the history, legends and landscape of Czechoslovakia. While it is often presented as a single work in six movements, the six pieces were conceived as individual works.

* Mvt.2 - Vltava - describes the course of the Vltava, the longest river in the Czech Republic. 

String Quartet No. 1 [Z mého života] / From My Life
This four-movement Romantic chamber composition is semi-autobiographical and consists of sketches of periods from Smetana's life.
* by the Seoul String Quartet

Source: Wikipedia

Music #379 - Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

 (1840 – 1893) 

The Nutcracker

For this 2-act ballet, Tchaikovsky chose Alexandre Dumas père's "Tale of the Nutcracker", which adapted Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King".

 - full version

The Mariinsky Theater @ St. Petersburg
(formerly The Kirov Ballet of Leningad) 

= = = = = Bonus:

"Tchaikovsky acknowledged that Nutcracker was twee compared to The Sleeping Beauty, but his setting of this fairy tale has proved better box office, thanks to effects such as the Sugar Fairy's celesta."

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Waltz of the Flowers

Extra:

celesta

Music #380 - Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

/ˈpiːtər ˈɪlɨtʃ tʃaɪˈkɒfski/ (1840–1893)

Swan Lake 

/ Le Lac des cygnes  

The scenario was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.

        “Act 1 At the royal palace, Prince Siegfried celebrates his coming-of-age. Various dancers entertain the party to new-familiar themes, and a flight of swans appears, marked by the main oboe melody of the ballet.

        “Act 2 Siegfried and friends are hunting swans, denoted by the oboe melody. However, one swan -- Odette -- tells him she is a woman, turned into a swan by the evil magician Rotbart.

        “Act 3 At the royal castle, Siegfried has to choose a wife at a ball, entertained by various dances. He thinks he sees Odette there, but she is actually Odile, Rotbart's daughter.

Siegfried dances with her and nominates her as his bride, spelling doom for Odette.

        “Act 4 Back at the lake, Odette is about to die -- but Siegfried battles with Rotbart, breaks the bell, and is reunited with her, as the swan theme triumphantly reappears.”

 

The Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet

Selections:
* Main Theme
* Entrance of Swans
* Simply beautiful
* Pas de quatre - four little swans
* Black Swan - pas de deux

= = = = =   

Bonus:
* Pas de 'Deux' - two little swans from the Dance Subaru movie
* Swan Lake - Chinese acrobatic ballet 
* Swan Lake also - Chinese acrobatic ballet also
  

Extra:
* Pas de quatre

 

* Moon - solo dance