Academic literature on the topic 'Freischütz'

Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz reflects competing definitions of national identity at a crossroads in German history. The historiography of the opera reveals a contrast between the opera's reception as quintessentially German and its interpretation as an example of cosmopolitanism, particularly in its dependence on French operatic models. Weber's own ideas about German opera represent a cosmopolitanism typical of the German Enlightenment, defining Germany's cultural mission as a universalist endeavor. For Weber, the “German” and the “cosmopolitan” were practically identical. The realization of these ideals in Der Freischütz supports multiple, even contradictory, intepretations of its status as “national opera.”

22 July 1824. Many Londoners had waited years for this night. They thronged to the English Opera House, filling the boxes and cramming the benches in the pit and gallery. It was worth the heat, the expense, the danger from pickpockets. After hearing of its success for three years, after glimpsing snatches of it in concert and sheet music excerpts, and after enduring weeks of advertising for the English Opera House production, they would finally be the first in London to witness the most celebrated German opera of the time: Weber's Der Freischütz.

Drei Manuskripte aus der Sammlung des Thomasschul-Alumnus und späteren -Rektors Karl August Thieme (1721-1795) werden in Bezug zu Bach gesetzt. Sie enthalten das Pedal-Exercitium BWV 598, ein Handbuch mit Generalbassübungen von 1738 und ein Choralbuch, das sich heute in Rochester, N. Y. befindet. Alle drei Quellen sind von zweifelhafter Authentizität. Die Darstellung ihrer Herkunft führt zu einer Gruppe von Dresdner Vertretern der romantischen Bewegung im Zusammenhang mit dem Freischütz-Librettisten Johann Friedrich Kind. (Übertragung des englischen Resümees am Ende des Bandes)

This paper is concerned with the Covent Garden production of Weber's ‘Romantic’ opera Der Freischütz which premiered on 14 October 1824. The production depended on the work of translation and adaptation of Irving, John Barham Livius and James R. Planché. Focusing on Irving's contribution, the relation of his draft libretto to British and continental European theories of translation, and the reception of the production in the London press, the paper demonstrates how the visual, verbal, and musical languages of opera could be changed, diminished, and enriched through the collaborative struggle with the foreign in the process of translation.

The protagonist of Thomas Mann's novel Doktor Faustus (1947) is the composer Adrian Leverkühn, whose Faustian pact with the demonic consists of a long, voluntarily untreated syphilitic infection, which his brain craves as an exhilarating if destructive liberation from its icy germanic discipline. The craving is implanted on the very day on which, having renounced the call to theology, he commits his life to music. Arriving in Leipzig late in 1905 to take up his studies, he has a guided tour of the city, among other things visiting Bach's Thomaskirche. But his guide concludes the tour by dumping him in a brothel. Confused, he heads for the piano and tries to work out a harmonic problem: ‘Modulation from B major to C major, … as in the hermit's prayer in the finale of the Freischütz … on the six-four chord on G’. Then he rushes out, but not before a prostitute has brushed him on the cheek and indelibly fascinated him.

Summary This article examines the influence of early 19th-century operatic culture on Romantic literature by focusing on the cultural, literary and transmedial (cross-genre) reception of one of the most popular works of the early Romantic opera, Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. More specifically, the analysis deals with that aspect of its influence which can be described as fragmentary reception. The article argues that examples of such fragmentary reception can be found in the works of Adam Mickiewicz, Heinrich Heine and Théophile Gautier. However, the central argument of this study is that the emergence of this type of trans-media links was, in a large measure, determined by a peculiar, fragmentary reception of operas. That model of reception had been popularized by a variety of trend-setting, opinion-making agents and institutions (the critics, the press), and enforced by mechanisms of socio-cultural and technological change (resulting in the broadening of the media landscape and the aesthetic sensibility of the general public). The article also claims that this reception model of the opera not only reinforced some structural elements of the operatic work itself but also prompted the writers to explore new ways of structuring their texts (a development encouraged by the upgrade of the fragment by the Romantic aesthetics). Thus early 19th-century socio-cultural and transmedial reception patterns of the opera can be seen as a spur to creativity and literary experimentation – a conclusion which casts doubt on the traditional view that it was a period when aesthetic idealism ruled supreme.

Estudio sobre la utilización del lenguaje armónico con fines expresivos. Un modelo de aplicación: la ópera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber Doctorando: Pedro Hontanilla Alfonso ABSTRACT Throughout history, societies have used organised sound as music in different fields in their activities. From soft songs to sleep babies to energetic war marches, with cheerful festive songs or religious invocations, music scorts human beings as an inherent expression of its existence, and on each of these areas, music adapts to the features of each situation. Something similar happens with abstract pieces of music, those whose object is the aesthetic pleasure without any links with another kind of communication. Music adquires a structure within the musical composition according to the composer¿s expressed, implicit or explicit, instinctive or conscious intentions. A kind of organisation of a musical piece is the one in which the composition moves forward towards a point of maximum expressiviness, the climax point, which is its objective. For its part, the musical pieces that do not present this climax moment, are not unaware of the expressive intensifications though, as much as phrases arrangements as observed from a wider prespective of sections or the piece of music as a whole. The tonal system has been for a wide historic period the arranging frame on which composers have developed their talent in their work. Frame that covers approximately from mid Baroque, covers Classicism and widely developed, continues along Romanticism, still remaining alive in subsequent insertions.This system bases its working in a group of techniques and internal procedures that involve its own logic, idiosyncrasy.Whithin its paradigms it is considered that certain harmonious arrangements require an intensification in the expression of the musical performance. A musical piece will need the use of the different sonorous components which constitute it to obtain these maxima of expression. If the musical work belongs to the tonal period, the elements of the tonal system will necessarily participate in this structure, and among them, the accords will come or join inevitably. In the present thesis we show, based on the study of the tonal system, the features for which we consider that certain harmonic arrangements are inherently more expressively intense, stating in the hypothesis those chords that, therefore, are supposed will have been used with the purpose of emphasizing the expression. Likewise we express a relationship between the chords and their interaction with respect to the different elements of the musical language, exemplifying the previous aspects from the study of the different numbers of a concrete composition, in this case, the opera Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. The supporting and driving objective of the investigation is the exploration of the link between the logic of a system -the tonal system- which responds to its own internal laws and its possibilities of use in the expressivity creation in an artistic work. The investigation has been carried out through a process in which, relying on a graphics presentation, the appropriate information is gradually extracted and classified at the same time. The analysis results provide information which, on the one hand, supports or empowers the intuitive knowledge belonging to the common heritage and, at the same time, broadens the perspectives about the resources that the composers have provided and the ones they have needed to create and highlight passages of expressivity in their works.
Estudio sobre la utilización del lenguaje armónico con fines expresivos. Un modelo de aplicación: la ópera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber Doctorando: Pedro Hontanilla Alfonso RESUMEN Las sociedades, en el transcurso de la historia, han utilizado el sonido organizado como música en los diferentes ámbitos de sus actividades. Desde suaves canciones para arrullar a los niños hasta las viriles marchas guerreras, con alegres canciones festivas o invocaciones religiosas, la música acompaña a los seres humanos como manifestación inherente a su existencia; y en cada uno de estos ámbitos, la música se adecúa a las características de cada situación. De igual manera sucede con las obras musicales abstractas, aquellas cuyo objeto es el goce estético sin vinculación con otro tipo de comunicación. La música adquiere una conformación dentro de la composición según las intenciones, manifestadas, veladas o implícitas, instintivas o conscientes, del compositor. Un tipo de conformación de una obra musical es aquel en el que la composición avanza dirigiéndose hacia un momento de máxima expresividad, el punto culminante, que es su objetivo. A su vez, las obras que no presentan este momento cumbre no son sin embargo ajenas a las intensificaciones expresivas, tanto en la configuración de las frases, como observadas desde una perspectiva más amplia de secciones o del conjunto de la obra. El sistema tonal ha sido durante un amplio período histórico el marco configurador sobre el que los compositores han desarrollado en su quehacer su talento; marco que abarca desde aproximadamente el Barroco medio, cubre el Clasicismo y, ampliamente desarrollado, continúa a lo largo del Romanticismo, perviviendo aún en inserciones posteriores. Este sistema basa su funcionamiento en un conjunto de técnicas y procedimientos internos que comportan una lógica propia, idiosincrática. Dentro de sus paradigmas se contempla el que ciertas configuraciones acórdicas comporten una intensificación en la expresión del discurso musical. Una obra musical requerirá de la utilización de los diferentes componentes sonoros que la conforman para obtener estos máximos de expresión. Si la obra pertenece al período tonal, los elementos del sistema tonal participarán necesariamente de esta conformación, y de entre ellos concurrirán, ineludiblemente, los acordes. En la presente tesis presentamos, basándonos en el estudio del sistema tonal, las características por las que consideramos que ciertas constituciones armónicas son inherentemente más intensas expresivamente, exponiendo en las hipótesis aquellos acordes que, por tanto, cabe suponer habrán sido utilizados con el propósito de acentuar la expresión. Planteamos asimismo una relación entre los acordes y su interacción con respecto a los diferentes elementos del lenguaje musical, ejemplificando los aspectos anteriores a partir del estudio de diferentes números de una composición concreta, en este caso, la ópera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber. El objetivo marco e impulsor de la investigación es la exploración del vínculo entre la lógica de un sistema -el sistema tonal- que responde a sus propias leyes internas y sus posibilidades de utilización en la creación de expresividad en una obra artística. La investigación ha sido llevada a cabo mediante un proceso en el cual, apoyándose en una presentación en tablas, paulatinamente se extrae, al tiempo que se clasifica, la información pertinente. Los resultados del análisis aportan información la cual, por una parte, refrenda el conocimiento intuitivo perteneciente al acervo común y, a la vez, amplía las perspectivas acerca de los recursos de los que han dispuesto y a los que han recurrido los compositores para crear y realzar pasajes de expresividad en sus obras.
Estudio sobre la utilización del lenguaje armónico con fines expresivos. Un modelo de aplicación: la ópera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber Doctorando: Pedro Hontanilla Alfonso RESUM Les societats, en el transcurs de la història, han utilitzat el so organitzat com a música en els diferents àmbits de les seues activitats. Des de suaus cançons per a amanyagar als xiquets fins a les virils marxes guerreres, amb alegres cançons festives o invocacions religioses, la música acompanya als éssers humans com a manifestació inherent a la seua existència; i en cadascun d'aquests àmbits, la música s'adequa a les característiques de cada situació. D'igual manera succeeix amb les obres musicals abstractes, aquelles l'objecte de les quals és el gaudi estètic sense vinculació amb un altre tipus de comunicació. La música adquireix una conformació dins de la composició segons les intencions, manifestades, vetlades o implícites, instintives o conscients, del compositor. Un tipus de conformació d'una obra musical és aquell en el qual la composició avança dirigint-se cap a un moment de màxima expressivitat, el punt culminant, que és el seu objectiu. Al seu torn, les obres que no presenten aquest moment cim no són no obstant açò alienes a les intensificacions expressives, tant en la configuració de les frases, com observades des d'una perspectiva més àmplia de seccions o del conjunt de l'obra. El sistema tonal ha sigut durant un ampli període històric el marc configurador sobre el qual els compositors han desenvolupat en el seu quefer el seu talent; marc que abasta des d'aproximadament el Barroc mitjà, cobreix el Classicisme i, àmpliament desenvolupat, continua al llarg del Romanticisme, pervivint encara en insercións posteriors. Aquest sistema basa el seu funcionament en un conjunt de tècniques i procediments interns que comporten una lògica pròpia, idiosincràtiques. Dins dels seus paradigmes es contempla el que certes configuracions acòrdiques comporten una intensificació en l'expressió del discurs musical. Una obra musical requerirà de la utilització dels diferents components sonors que la conformen per a obtenir aquests màxims d'expressió. Si l'obra pertany al període tonal, els elements del sistema tonal participaran necessàriament d'aquesta conformació, i d'entre ells concorreran, ineludiblement, els concordes. En la present tesi presentem, basant-nos en l'estudi del sistema tonal, les característiques per les quals considerem que certes constitucions harmòniques són inherentment més intenses expressivament, exposant en les hipòtesis aquells concordes que, per tant, cal suposar hauran sigut utilitzats amb el propòsit d'accentuar l'expressió. Plantegem així mateix una relació d'entre els concordes i la seua interacció pel que fa als diferents elements del llenguatge musical, exemplificant els aspectes anteriors a partir de l'estudi de diferents nombres d'una composició concreta, en aquest cas, l'òpera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber. L'objectiu marc i impulsor de la recerca és l'exploració del vincle entre la lògica d'un sistema -el sistema tonal- que respon a les seues pròpies lleis internes i les seues possibilitats d'utilització en la creació d'expressivitat en una obra artística. La recerca ha sigut duta a terme mitjançant un procés en el qual, recolzant-se en una presentació en taules, gradualment s'extrau, al mateix temps que es classifica, la informació pertinent. Els resultats de l'anàlisi aporten informació la qual, d'una banda, confirma el coneixement intuïtiu pertanyent al patrimoni comú i, alhora, amplia les perspectives sobre els recursos dels quals han disposat i als quals han recorregut els compositors per a crear i realçar passatges d'expressivitat en les seues obres.
Hontanilla Alfonso, P. (2017). Estudio sobre la utilización del lenguaje armónico con fines expresivos. Un modelo de aplicación: la ópera Der Freischütz de Carl Maria von Weber [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/90433
TESIS

The aim of this master's thesis is to explore and elaborate on the Wagnerian conception of "tempo modification" and its overall relevance in the temporal shaping of music in orchestral conducting. The argument is based on a study that aims to revitalise and establish the tempo identification as a conductor's primary area of interest. This phenomenon is studied through performances and recordings of Weber's Der Freischütz Overture. Terminology for different perspectives on temporal shaping is proposed. The historical impact of tempo modification is explored through a comparative audio analysis of three central recordings. The same analytical procedures are then subsequently applied to the author's two recordings, and a cross-comparison is carried out of all five recordings. The thesis further discusses the use of reduction as a method for a conductor's score analysis. Through this multi-layered analysis, the thesis suggests that tempo modification is a stylistically and historically contingent phenomenon, the application of which is indeed dependent on structural elements in the score, but most of all dependent on compositional style and performance practice.

Carl Maria von Weber är en av de första romantiska kompositörerna. Han skrev främst opera men även en fagottkonsert som är en grundpelare i fagottrepertoaren. I den här examensuppsatsen studeras och jämförs Webers opera Der Freischütz och hans fagottkonsert i F-dur i syfte att få en mer välgrundad tolkning av fagottkonserten. Undersökningen genomfördes med studier av Webers historia, studier av notmaterial från fagottkonserten och operan Der Freischütz, lyssnande av operan och sedan analys och jämförelser av de två verken. Referensmaterielat är John Warracks bok Carl Maria von Weber från 1968, notmaterial från fagottkonserten –såväl originalmanuskript som utgåvor –och från operan, samt inspelningar av både fagottkonserten och operan. Der Freischütz och fagottkonserten har en del liknande fraser och karaktärer. Detta i kombination med Webers historik antyder att operan som konstform är en stark inspirationskraft till all hans musik, inklusive fagottkonserten. Genom att låta sig inspireras av operamusiken kan man få en mer välgrundad tolkning av fagottkonserten. Motsvarande studier borde kunna genomföras med exempelvis Mozarts fagottkonsert och hans operor.

This study examines and identifies the differences in compositional approach in the operatic fantasies based on Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Weber’s Der Freischütz by Franz Liszt and Julian Fontana. These four fantasies are placed in the context of musical conventions and audiences in the first half of the nineteenth century. The two operatic fantasies by Liszt that are included in this study are representative of reinterpretations that employ formal and textural features suitable for the concert repertoire of piano virtuosos. In contrast, the fantasies by Fontana are indicative of the potpourri style, and suitable both for amateur performance as well as for pedagogical use. The different functions and purposes of the operatic fantasies of Liszt and Fontana are compared and contrasted, with attention to each composer’s respective intended audiences as well as their distinct compositional intentions.

碩士
輔仁大學
音樂研究所
99
Abstract The German composer Carl Maria von Weber is one of the most important composers in the initial stage of Romantic school. His opera Der Freischütz is regarded as the most significant achievement in his life, and his instrumental music, chamber music, piano music, and vocal music are also extraordinary masterpieces. The appearance of Der Freischütz not only affected the development of German Romantic opera in the Western musical history, but also reached the aethetic goal of national identification in the form of national opera. Der Freischütz made its debut on June 18th, 1821, and because of its obvious nationality, deep romantic colors, novel musical language and the combination of the music and stage effect, the debut made an excellent triumph, and Weber is also considered as one of the founders of Romantic music. The overture of this opera has extremely dramatic tension and contrast on its musical expression, and the main theme and melody of the opera wonderfully pass through the whole overture. Because of the descriptive musical content, the style of the Romantic opera, the speed change and the musical emotion are difficult challenges to a director. This study focuses on the conducting interpretation of the overture of Der Freischütz by researching on Weber’s life, background of the composition, analyzing musical for the further understanding of the music, and eventually presenting the process and experience of the research, as the basis of personal conducting interpretation in the future.