Blog #3 on Outside Influences

Napoleon and his Influence on Beethoven

Thomas H. Zinke

                How can Beethoven go from praising this audacious yet dauntless man to being in total disgust of this leader? Napoleon Bonaparte was considered to be a superior immortal man by Beethoven, until something changed. Beethoven composed and dedicated a whole symphony “Bonaparte”, but then changed his mind after he had completed the entire thing. Napoleon Bonaparte, a fearless military leader, transforms from hero to tyrant in one man’s mind, Beethoven.

Born on the island of Corsica in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte set out to join the French Army in hopes of becoming a brave French leader. His dream was in effect as he climbed the ladder by starting out as a Second Lieutenant of artillery and eventually blossoming into a leader of an entire nation. He was a part of and led the French army to many victories that raised him to widespread popularity among the French people. He became First Consul of the new French government, called the Directory. After a few years of helping France with his decision making and military expertise, he declared himself emperor of France in 1804. A grand ceremony was held for his new role as leader of a nation.

Napoleon Bonaparte

http://dienekes.blogspot.com/2010/11/mtdna-of-napoleon-bonaparte.html

Ludwig van Beethoven, an independent composer of this time, liked the ideas that Napoleon had for his people. “Napoleon had managed to build a strong new power with the will of the people, rather than that of the aristocracy whose lack of government… was somewhat archaic, and certainly did not involve one’s average citizen.” (“The Interesting Connection between Beethoven and Napoleon,” 2009) Beethoven decided to dedicate his third symphony to Napoleon before 1804 when France had a “truce” with Austria(which was Beethoven’s home land) and all fighting was ceased. He entitled this symphony “Bonaparte”. Historians connect the Third Symphony’s style and musical content to the successes of Napoleon.

However,  Napoleon’s decision to make himself emperor of France angered Beethoven so much that he tore up the title page of this dedicated symphony.  Ferdinand Ries, a secretary and copyist to Beethoven, tells the story in his biography of Beethoven. “In writing this symphony Beethoven had been thinking of Buonaparte, but Buonaparte while he was First Consul. At that time Beethoven had the highest esteem for him and compared him to the greatest consuls of ancient Rome. Not only I, but many of Beethoven’s closer friends, saw this symphony on his table, beautifully copied in manuscript, with the word "Buonaparte" inscribed at the very top of the title-page and "Luigi van Beethoven" at the very bottom. ...I was the first to tell him the news that Buonaparte had declared himself Emperor, whereupon he broke into a rage and exclaimed, "So he is no more than a common mortal! Now, too, he will tread under foot all the rights of man, indulge only his ambition; now he will think himself superior to all men, become a tyrant!" Beethoven went to the table, seized the top of the title-page, tore it in half and threw it on the floor. The page had to be re-copied and it was only now that the symphony received the title "Sinfonia eroica." (Hamburger, 1960, p. 29-30)

Beethoven had so much inspiration from Bonaparte that he decided to write a beautiful symphony in honor of this man, hoping he was the man who had promised to lead humanity into the new age of liberty and equality. As he finds out that this is not true when Napoleon becomes a tyrant and makes himself emperor of France, Beethoven loses it. It angered Beethoven so much that he changed the name of this symphony to “Sinfonia eroica . . . composta per festeggiare is sovvenire di und grand Uomo”, which translates into “Heroic Symphony . . . composed to celebrate the memory of a great man”. Beethoven’s Third Symphony was such a great piece written originally for Napoleon, but Napoleon’s tyrannical actions made Beethoven change his mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHvztnHOWEQ (This is part of the 1^st Movement of Sinfonia Eroica)

Works Cited

Hanning, B.R. (2010). Concise history of western music. New York, N.Y.: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

The Interesting connection between beethoven and napoleon. (2009). Articles of Note, Retrieved from http://www.articlesofnote.com/beethoven-and-napoleon.php

George, C.T. (1999). The eroica riddle: did napoleon remain beethoven's "hero?". The Journal of the international Napoleonic Society, 1(2), Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/ins/scholarship98/c_eroica.html#4

Napoleon Bonaparte. Bbc. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/bonaparte_napoleon.shtml

La Serva Padrona

La Serva Padrona

                La Serva Padrona(The Maid as Mistress), composed by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, was a one-act Italian opera buffa that is considered to be the archetypal opera buffa. The librettist of this opera buffa was done by Gennaro Antonio Frederico. The premiere of La Serva Padrona took place in Naples at the Teatro San Bartolomeo  on September 5, 1733. La Serva Padrona is very often seen as an exemplary piece that bridged the gap from the Baroque to the Classical period.

                Originally, La Serva Padrona was meant to be an intermezzo between the acts of Pergolesi’s Il Prigionier Superbo(The Proud Prisoner) which is an opera seria. La Serva Padrona turned out so well that eventually Pergolesi’s  two pieces were able to distinguish themselves and were separated to make  an opera on its own. Il Prigionier Superbo was pretty unproductive in its day and is not a recognized title by any means in operatic repertoire of today. La Serva Padrona did go on to achieve fame throughout Europe for years and years after its first performance. A performance of this forty five minute opera in Paris in 1752 sparked the “Querelle des Boufons”, which was a battle between the musical philosophies of the French opera and Italian opera. It provoked a war of words between critics of the time.

                The setting of La Serva Padrona took place in a small valley in Thessalia in a dressing room in current time as when it was performed. There were three character roles in this short opera buffa; Uberto(Bass), Serpina(Soprano), and Vestpone. Uberto was an elderly bachelor who was played by Gioacchino Corrado in the premiere, Serpina was a tyrannical maid to Uberto who was played by Laura Monti in the premiere, and Vespone was a mute servant to Uberto. The libretto is based on Jacopo Angello Nelli’s play “La Serva Padrona”.

                The plot starts off with Uberto as he  gets very angry and impatient with Serpina is maid because she has not brought him his chocolate. Serpina has become so haughty that she thinks she has become the mistress of Uberto’s house. Uberto is fed up with Serpina’s attitude so he orders Vespone to find him a woman to marry him so he can just get rid of his tyrannical maid. Serpina hears of Uberto’s plan and convinces Vespone to not do this and to trick Uberto into marrying her. Vepone gives in to her plan and dresses up as a military man named Tempesta that will be marrying Serpina to make Uberto jealous. The so called Tempesta who is actually Vespone arrives to Uberto’s house and gives Uberto two options, either he pays him a dowry of four thousand crowns or just marries Serpina. Uberto refuses to pay and chooses to marry Serpina. Serpina and Vespone then reveal their trick; but Uberto realizes he has loved Serpina from day one. They end up getting married and Serpina ends up being the true mistress after all.

                This opera buffa was able to become so popular and outstanding in its time and it started out as being just a little intermezzo for a bigger opera seria. Pergolesi was able to make the music of this opera sound so effective in telling, helping, and advancing the plot in many ways. I really do believe that this was a pivotal piece between the Baroque and Classical periods.

Sources:

UNT, Initials. (2008, July 26). La serva padrona. Retrieved from http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/vrbr/browse/la-serva-padrona-1804-giovanni-battista-pergolesi

Icking, W. (2010, November 2). Pergolesi's opera la serva padrona. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/pergolesi-opera-la-serva-padrona-a63677

Payne, M. (2010). Concise history of western music. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfbhdeSSbPo

Henry Purcell (Blog #1)

Henry Purcell

                Henry Purcell is one of England’s most renowned composers of the Baroque era. One could also say that his work and influence still strikes people of today in many ways and puts awe into their minds when they hear is story. In his short life of thirty seven years, Purcell was able to write over 300 works of music that was secular and sacred; instrumental and vocal. Henry Purcell’s success will live on to inspire many musicians and/or composers in the present and future, including my own.

                Although there is still speculation on when Purcell was born, historians believe that he was born in late 1658 or 1659 in Westminster, England. In 1664, Purcell’s father died and was left to his uncle Thomas Purcell. Thomas Purcell was a gentleman of the King’s Chapel Royal, which was a group of priests and singers chosen by the King. Henry was accepted as a chorister of the Chapel Royal probably because of his uncle’s ties to it. As a chorister at the Chapel Royal, Purcell studied under Captain Henry Cooke and Pelham Humfrey. When Purcell’s voice broke in 1673, he was given the task of assistant to John Hingeston, who was an organ builder and keeper of the King’s instruments. When Humfrey died, Purcell continued his studies under Dr. John Blow, organist of Westminster Abbey.

                In 1677, Purcell was given his first job as court composer of the “Twenty-Four Violins”, the King’s band of stringed instruments. Although he had this task of composing for this band, he wasn’t restricted to just writing instrumental works. In 1679, Dr. Blow gave up his position as organist of Westminster Abbey to Purcell.  At his time in Westminster Abbey he wrote mostly chamber music and trio sonatas of sacred stature, but he did find time to compose what seemed to be his favorite opera, musical dramas, and incidental stage music because of the rule of King William and Queen Mary in 1689 which caused fewer opportunities for court composers.  One of his best works of his time was an opera named Dido and Aeneas. To this day that opera still stands as one of the greatest ever written.  Purcell was married to Frances Peters in 1682, with whom he had six children. Out of those six, only two lived to survive adulthood.

                Henry Purcell died at the age of thirty seven in Westminster on November 21, 1695. There is still speculation on how he died. Some historians believe he died from tuberculosis and some believe he died from chocolate poisoning. Purcell had such an influence on people of his time and his music was loved by the people of England. Dr. Blow, who Purcell studied under, admitted to Purcell being a greater genius. He wrote an ode for his Purcell’s death and would have this title marked on his tombstone when he passed away “Master to the famous Henry Purcell”. Henry Purcell was and is buried under the organ of Westminster Abbey. His epitaph reads “Here lyes Henry Purcell Esq., who left this life and is gone to that blessed place where only his harmony can be exceeded.” It is amazing how one man’s life of only thirty seven years can have an impact of many lives for more than three hundred years.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Henry_Purcell_%28composer%29.

http://www.nndb.com/people/352/000093073/

Resource List

Sartorius, M. (n.d.). Baroque Composers and Musicians: Henry Purcell. Retrieved September 26, 2010, from http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxpurcell.html

Tuppen, S. (2006). Henry Purcell. Retrieved September 28, 2010, from http://www.henrypurcell.org.uk/purcell_biography.html

Communications, S. (2010). Henry Purcell. Retrieved September 28, 2010, from

First Blog!!

Hi Everybody!! My name is Thomas Zinke, I do like to be called Tom or Tommy for short. I am a Music Education major from Rolla, ND. I am also a Quarterback for the VCSU Vikings!! I am very excited to start Music History for the first time! I look forward to woking with everybody. =)