Drop the Needle - Evolution of the Symphony: Nationalism and Folk Influences
Dvořák, Smetana, and Brahms
"Music is the language in which we cannot lie. Every note reveals the truth about its composer, the culture, and the period in which it was written."
— who knows
Here is all of the wonderful music in this issue in one Spotify playlist. Enjoy.
In the late 19th century, the symphonic music scene was transformed by a movement that blended nationalism with folk traditions. Antonín Dvořák's 1893 Symphony No. 9, From the New World is a prime example, merging Czech nationalism with America's diverse cultural influences.
Dvořák's exposure to African American spirituals and Native American melodies during his tenure at the National Conservatory of Music in New York City is evident in this symphony. The Largo (second movement), with its poignant English Horn solo known as the Going Home theme, employs the pentatonic scale typical of African American spirituals, signifying a shift from European musical norms. This melody, which inspired the later song Goin' Home, illustrates Dvořák's significant impact on American music.
The third movement, Scherzo: Molto vivace, incorporates Native American dance rhythms, contrasting with the European style of earlier movements and showcasing Dvořák's integration of diverse cultural elements.
This approach differs from European contemporaries like Johannes Brahms, whose works like the Hungarian Dances primarily reflected European folk traditions, highlighting Dvořák's unique role in cultural integration in classical music.
The historical backdrop of late 19th-century Europe and America, marked by rising national identities and a cultural melting pot, respectively, played a key role in shaping Symphony No. 9. At its premiere, the symphony was seen as a reflection of America's complex cultural identity and contributed a new American dimension to the European symphonic tradition.
Its influence on both American and European music has been significant, inspiring composers to incorporate varied cultural elements into their work and paving the way for a global approach to classical composition. Over time, the symphony has been celebrated for its ability to bridge cultural divides and resonate with a worldwide audience.
Featured in the inaugural issue of Drop on May 26, 2021, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 stands as a testament to music's enduring power and its ability to mirror and embrace diverse global narratives.
Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904), Czech - Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
YouTube Performance: Frankfurt Radio Orchestra conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Alte Oper Frankfurt, May 25, 2018
Spotify Performance: London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis
Featured in a previous issue of Drop the Needle, Bedřich Smetana's Vltava, internationally known as The Moldau, is a pivotal piece in the realm of Czech musical nationalism. Composed in 1874, during the intense Czech National Revival, the piece emerges from a backdrop where Czechs sought to assert their identity amidst the Austro-Hungarian Empire's dominance. This period was marked by a collective yearning for self-governance and cultural distinction, as Czech society, long under the culturally rich but politically restrictive Habsburg rule, was pushing against Germanization, aiming to revive and celebrate their own language, traditions, and cultural heritage. Vltava, an integral part of Smetana's Má vlast (My Country), captures this quest, weaving a tapestry of Czech landscapes, folklore, and the surging spirit of national consciousness. Its dual titles – Vltava in Czech and The Moldau in German – mirror Bohemia's linguistic duality, signifying the river's importance to both ethnic groups.
Smetana's Vltava stands out for its masterful musical narrative. The piece begins with an undulating motif from two solo flutes, depicting the river's origin from a spring in the Bohemian mountains, and evolves into a rich, orchestral depiction of the river's journey. This delicate interplay of flutes creates images of converging waters, heralding the Vltava's voyage. As the melody progresses, strings and additional woodwinds join, painting the river's tranquil passage through Bohemian landscapes, echoing Czech folklore's reverence for nature.
The composition then transitions to a lively rustic wedding scene, marked by a jubilant, folk-inspired tune, embodying Czech communal celebrations and rich cultural traditions. This is followed by a dreamlike nocturne, capturing moonlit dances of mythical water nymphs, rooted in Slavic mythology, adding an ethereal, mystical layer to the narrative.
In the crescendo depicting St. John's Rapids, the music mirrors the historical struggles of the Czech people, capturing the river's raw, untamed energy. The finale, integrating themes from Vyšehrad, from another movement of Má vlast, magnificently heralds the river's approach to Prague as it passed under the historic Charles Bridge, symbolizing the journey's culmination and its historic resonance in Czech culture.
Distinguishing itself from other nationalist compositions like Wagner's leitmotif-driven operas or Tchaikovsky's Russian-themed works, Vltava uses natural symbolism and elements of Czech folklore to weave its narrative. While Wagner and Tchaikovsky employed leitmotifs and thematic elements to convey nationalistic sentiments, Smetana's focus was on encapsulating the Czech landscape's spirit and beauty through musical storytelling.
Over time, Vltava has become a symbol of Czech resilience and identity. Regularly featured in national events, it transcends its original context, resonating worldwide as an embodiment of artistic excellence and Czech spirit. Its influence extends to modern composers, including those in film and TV, who draw on Smetana's techniques of drama-building and narrative progression. This enduring legacy showcases Smetana's profound impact on classical music and nationalistic storytelling, highlighting Vltava as a timeless piece that continues to inspire and resonate across generations and cultures.
Bedřich Smetana (1824 — 1884), Czech - Má Vlast No. 2 - Vltava
YouTube Performance: The Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Daniel Barenboim
Spotify Performance: Czech Philharmonic conducted by Libor Pešek, live
Marked by a deep focus on emotion, individual expression, and subjective experience, German Romanticism, stretching from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, found profound expression in both visual arts and music. It was a period fascinated with nature, the supernatural, and folklore, as vividly portrayed in Edward Jakob von Steinle’s painting The Lorelei. Steinle’s depiction of the mythic figure along the Rhine River embodies the era's allure for myths and legends, serving as artistic explorations of deeper truths and emotions.
Similarly, Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in F major, composed in 1883, resonates deeply with the German landscape and cultural heritage. Unlike the overt nationalistic expressions of his contemporaries like Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, Brahms' symphony subtly infuses German nationalism. His use of folk elements, woven into the symphonic language, creates a work that is universally appealing while maintaining a distinctly German character.
The period's growing sense of nationalism paralleled Germany's transition from a collection of independent states to a unified nation in 1871. This search for a collective German identity profoundly influenced artists and composers, manifesting in themes of folklore, history, and landscape. The rapid industrialization and urbanization of the era also invoked a nostalgia for the past, evident in the romanticization of rural and natural settings in both Steinle's art and Brahms' music.
Philosophically, the era was shaped by figures like Kant, Schopenhauer, Goethe, and the Brothers Grimm. Their emphasis on individual experience, introspection, and the fantastical elements of folklore and legend permeated the arts, influencing the thematic direction of both visual and musical compositions.
Brahms' Symphony No. 3 stands as a testament to the synthesis of personal expression and national identity. In the first movement (Allegro con brio), the introduction of a strong rhythmic motif with a three-note ascending pattern sets a powerful, introspective tone. The second movement (Andante) offers a reflective melody, suggestive of German pastoral landscapes, while the third movement (Poco Allegretto) employs a song-like quality, reminiscent of German Lieder, a popular form of art song. These elements highlight Brahms' nuanced approach to nationalism, contrasting the more narrative styles of Dvořák and Smetana.
Brahms' harmonic language, reflecting the rich chromaticism and complex chord progressions of the German Romantic tradition, was revolutionary. His fluid modulation between keys, such as the shift from F major to A minor and then to D minor in the first movement, and the transition from F minor to D♭ major in the final movement, showcased a complexity that was a departure from the straightforward harmonic progressions of earlier periods.
The impact of Brahms' Symphony No. 3 extends beyond its era, serving as a cornerstone influence on subsequent generations of composers. Brahms was a master of thematic transformation, a technique that inspired composers like Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss to develop and alter musical themes throughout their compositions. His complex harmonies and innovative chord progressions influenced the likes of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, with Schoenberg viewing Brahms as a precursor to his own iconic harmonic developments.
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897), German - Symphony No. 3 in F-Minor
YouTube Performance: Frankfurt Radio Symphony conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Alte Oper Frankfurt, March 2, 2018, live
Spotify Performance: Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Claudio Abbado
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In this edition, we've traversed the musical landscapes shaped by Dvořák, Smetana, and Brahms, exploring how they wove national and folk threads into their symphonic tapestries. Our next issue promises an thorough exploration into orchestration and color. We'll delve into the works of Rimsky-Korsakov, Mahler, and Franck, unraveling how these innovators used the orchestra to craft vivid sonic canvases. This journey will not just be about listening to music, but experiencing it in all its chromatic richness.
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Note: This content, including the disclaimer, is crafted with the assistance of ChatGPT 4.0 by OpenAI, complemented by thorough human review for accuracy, context, and plagiarism.