Notes for Part 2: Twentieth-century Music

Project 1: 1900-1945

Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Project One: 1900-1945 Major developments during 20th century Contemporary styles direct result of these innovations

Before the First World War Decline in romantic New composers – own styles Re-examine aspects – esp. Rhythm, harmony and orchestration Three important innovations

Impression – Debussy 1862-1918 Paris – cultural centre at turn of century – art, literature & music Debussy – huge influence on 20th century composers – Messiaen, Boulez and Takemitsu Described as impressionism in line with painters, e.g. Monet Timbre/harmony – evoke mood Contrast to romantic economic – sentiment not deep emotion Javanese Gamelan – Paris Exposition 1889 = Exotic harmonies/unusual scales Whole tone/pentatonic Exotic harmonies/unusual scales Shifts in tone colour between instruments Flexibility in his music. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/07353?

q=debussy&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit - 7/1/12

Folk & Rhythm – Stravinsky 1882-1971 Russian Work – Paris – Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes The Firebird (1910) Petrushka (1911) The Rite of Spring (1913) – shocked audiences with unconventional composition and

choreography – Paris riot on première Innovative rhythm – rhythmic cells/changing meters – irregular pulse Accents on alternative beats = dramatic tension Juxtaposed ideas Influence of Russian folk music (e.g. carnival atmosphere of Petrushka) Use of unusual scales, e.g. octatonic Rite of Spring – unusual harmonies

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Strong contrast to work of both romantic and impressionist composers Later neo-classicism & serial composition Early Life:

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg1#S52818.1 - 8/1/2

Early career: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg2#S52818.2 - 8/1/12

Octatonic Scales: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/50590 - 8/12/12

Early Diaghilev’s Ballets: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg3#S52818.3 - 8/1/12

Exile in Switzerland 1914-20: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg4#S52818.4 - 8/1/12

Beginnings of neo-classicism: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg5#S52818.5 - 8/1/12

1925-34: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/52818pg6#S52818.6 - 8/1/12

Pitch Organization – Schoenberg 1874-1951 Dominant influence on 20th C music Rich harmonies Chromatic pitches New pitch relationships Atonal music – no home key All twelve notes of equal importance 12-tone system - dodecaphony – serialism Each note has a number 1-12 – played in a pre-determined order In order, no repetition Variants - upside down (inverted) – backwards (retrograde) – backwards & upside down

(retrograde inversion) Transpose to begin on any of the other 11 pitches = 48 permutations in all 1st used final movement 2nd string quartet 1907 Evolved from 1907- early 1920’s when fully formed Berg & Webern, pupils of Schoenberg followed (“2nd Viennese School”) Boulez & Stockhausen developed integral serialism – applied serialism methods to all

aspects of music

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Debussy – Jeux (1912) Commissioned by Serge Diaghilev for Ballet Russes Debussy’s last orchestral work 60 tempo marking Rapid changes – speed and nuance Motifs very short – 2 bars long Suited to dance Choice of instruments Tone colours – impressionist style See p. 35 of note book http://neilthomasocall.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/sunday-january-8th-2012/

Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (1913) See pp. 35-36 of note book My reflections and responses to the music are at

http://neilthomasocall.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/sunday-january-8th-2012/

Schoenberg – Pierrot Lunaire (1913) See p. 37 of note book http://neilthomasocall.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/sunday-january-8th-2012/

My responses to all three and a description of the differences:

http://neilthomasocall.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/sunday-january-8th-2012/

The Twentieth Century Symphony: Sibelius and Nielson Symphony – form established late 18th century (classical era) Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven-Brahms-Mahler Multi-movement (usually 4) orchestral work 1st mvt – sonata form; slow; dance and finale Tonality & home key important At odds with the above developments Interesting new approaches – early part of twentieth century Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Finnish composer 1st symphony 1899 – as Finland became free of Russia rule Finlandia, composed 1899 recognizable themes about Finnish struggle for independence Important element in establishing Finnish identity 7 symphonies in all – conservative harmonic language but evolving form Dispenses with traditional form Thematic material develops = new forms

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Movements run into each other Gradual development Limited pitch ranges within melody Traditional major/minor scales – sometimes modal Folk-like character Carl Nielson (1865-1931) Important in development of 20th century music Denmark Has only been internationally known in modern times Six symphonies Based on tonal structure Avoids chromatism Transparent textures Anti-romantic sentiment First to begin in a key and then come to rest in a new key at end of work = progressive

tonality

Writing Programme Notes Sibelius’s 5th Symphony (1915) See p. 39-40 of note book. http://www.rpo.org/s_7/s_100/p_634/Program_Notes_-_Sibelius'_Fifth/ - 10/1/12 Nielsen’s 5th Symphony (1922) See p. 40-41 of note book My summary of the two pieces: http://neilthomasocall.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/tuesday-january-

10th-2012/

The Life of Sibelius

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/43725?q=jean+sibelius&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit - 11/1/12

Born Hämeenlinna, December 8th 1865 Central to creating Finnish voice in music Most significant works orchestral 7 symphonies Numerous tone poems Violin concerto Often based music on Finnish folk epic, the Kalevala Original adaptations of familiar elements Unorthodox use of triadic harmony Master of symphonic continuity Compressed structure Regarded by Finns as national hero Hämeenlinna is about 100km from Helsinki (small garrison town) Christened Johan Christian Julius

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Adopted the name Jean as his ‘music’ name in his first year of studying music in Helsinki (1886)

Son of Christian Gustaf Sibelius, a town doctor & Maria Borg Had and elder sister and younger brother Father died of typhus in 1868 (before birth of youngest brother) Family plunged into debt on death of Christian Gustaf, but helped by relatives As children often spent summers with aunt Evelina at coastal town of Loviisa Jean had piano lessons when about 7 from Evelina’s sister, Julia An uncle Pehr Sibelius was an amateur violinist and encouraged Jean’s growing interest in

music. Correspondence between the two survives Finland changed in latter part of 19th C Previously controlled by Sweden (12th to 19th C) since 1809 been a grand duchy of Russia. Divided by rival languages Educated classes – spoke Swedish; majority in the interior spoke Finnish. A movement called

Fennisization was trying to legitimize language Sibelius family spoke Swedish Sibelius experienced Finnish language from 10 – at the only Finnish speaking school, the

Normaalilyseo. Most Sibelius’s correspondence remained in Swedish 1875(quoted date – suspicious)– 1st composition – Vattendroppar (water drops). 24 bar

piece for violin and cello, both pizzicato Started formal lessons at 15, September 1881 Competent violinist by late 1880’s Second violin in a string quartet in Hämeelinna Also played at home in trio with siblings 1880’s thoughts of composition. Aunt Evelina gave him expensive book on the subject

(August 1882) Wrote trio and minuet in 1883 Summer 1885 wrote piano works and first string quartet Left Hämeelinna in 1885 and moved to Helsinki – law at Helsinki university & studied violin

at new music establishment, Helsinki Music Institute Gave up law after year, but spent 4 years studying music Studied under Mitrofan Vasil’yev and Hermann Csillag , but got drawn more to composition Started to study composition under institutes founder, Martin Wegelius Soon became Wegelius’s protégé 1887-89 composed a dozen pieces, but not much hint of the composer he was to become Violin sonata in F, used folk-like material in movement about a Finnish girl – Sibelius’s first

nationalistic style composition May 1889 - String quartet in A minor drew praise from Swedish-language critic, Karl Flodin. 1888 – first published work – Serenad Path clear by end of 1889 Ferruccio Busoni hired to teach piano during final year at Helsinki Music Institute Sibelius, Busoni and other artists met and shared ideas in Helsinki’s cafés, including the

composer and painter brothers, Armas and Eero Järnfelts. At this time Sibelius met the Järnfelts’s younger sister, Aino, who he would eventually marry.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

The Järnfelts were Finnish speakers and believers in Finnish nationalism, which would influence Sibelius’s thinking in the future

Wegelius recommended Sibelius for a state stipend of 2000 Finnish marks to study composition in Germany

1889-1890 studied with Albert Becker in Berlin Becker highlighted weaknesses and put Sibelius on diet of Bach counterpoint Sibelius enjoyed social life in Berlin in this period. Composing came to halt until early 1890 Following trip to Leipzig with Busoni and writer/pianist Adolph Paul, who was playing in a

performance of Sinding’s piano quintet, Sibelius wrote his own piano quintet in G minor (March and April 1890)

Piano quintet was sent to Wegelius in Helsinki and it was performed (1st & 3rd movements) with Busoni at piano

Wegelius criticized piano part Summer 1890 returned to Helsinki October 1890-June 1891 studied composition & orchestration in Vienna, with Karl Goldmark

(Finish state funds again supported this venture) Also studied with Robert Fuchs in Vienna Vienna – turning point: More self-critical Moved away from chamber music towards orchestration Became progressive (Bruckner’s advances interested him) Serious about Finnish language and nationalism Became engaged to Aino Järnfelt In letters to Aino (hers in Finnish, his in Swedish) spoke of interest in the Kalevala Kalevala – cultural implications of folk music – Finnish musical patterns Spring 1891 – began work on tone poem based on parts of the Kalevala - Kullervo Became engrossed in Karelianism By December 1891 had completed 1st mvt of Kullervo 1892 – married Aino On honeymoon June/July 1892 visited Karelia and noted melodies April 28 1892 – Helsinki première of Kullervo conducted by Sibelius The success of Kullervo established Sibelius as part of pro-Finnish cultural movement 3 of 6 daughters born in 1890’s Sibelius was not happy with the work, despite local success & did not consent to it being

published in his lifetime. Autumn 1892 – teaching violin and theory at Helsinki Music Institute and Kajanus’s

Philharmonic Orchestra School Periodic trips abroad, including Beyreuth November 1897 – Finnish Assembly voted to support Sibelius as national artist (3000 marks

per year for 10 years) Moved away from Wegelius (who opposed the Finnish nationalist aspects of Kullervo)

towards pro-Finnish intellectuals – alcohol infused debates Continued: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/43725?

q=jean+sibelius&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit - 14/1/12

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

19/8/1894 – declared himself “I am no longer a Wagnerian” Studied Liszt tone poem, Faust Alcohol infused meetings with the Helsinki, pro Finnish-language intelligentsia, a favourite

meeting place being, the Kämp resturant Sibelius’s irresponsibility and Aino’s patience Autumn 1896 – Helsinki University lecture Promising orchestral compositions – not immediately published Post-Wagnerian opera Convergence of historical styles by late 1890’s Runsberg songs - Brahms High points before 1st symphony: Tuonelan joutsen (‘The Swan of Tuonela’) and Lemminkäinen

palaa kotitienoille (literally, ‘Lemminkäinen Returns to his Home Districts’), Lemminkäinen palaa kotitienoille  - important experimentation Post-Wagnerian opera By 1898 – had a place in the Finnish conscience but wanted to be recognized further afield,

especially Germany. Feb 1898 – incidental music for Adolph Paul’s Kung Kristian II Kung Kristian II – Leipzig Feb 1899 First symphony 1898-99 Finlandia 1899 Wider European audience July 1900 – Northern European tour World exhibition Political 1901 song Flickan kom ifrân sin älsklings mote Other songs Patriotic songs – first recording 1901 Second symphony 1901-02 Violin concerto 1903-04 Family concerns about heavy drinking – move away from Helsinki (Sept. 1904) German position Conducting England Heard Strauss conduct – return to tone poem format – Pohjola’s Duaghter 1907 – symphony no. 3 – modern classicism Meeting Mahler – Helsinki – October 1907 Diary from Feb 1909 Expanding family – debt Abstinence from alcohol – 1908-15 Relationship with publishers String Quartet in D – 1909 Change of publishers to Breitkopf Trips abroad 1909-12 Early modernism overtaken by fast pace of modernism in western music 4th symphony 1910-11 – probable peak of Sibelius development into symphonic composer

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

1914 – USA Ainola – nature Constant revisions before publishing Move away from symphonic tradition Golden-section theory Late symphonies – needs development of notes - interpretation & conclusions

Following brief period of hand writing notes: continued from 22/1/11

Carl Nielson Research David Fanning. "Nielsen, Carl." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 22 Jan. 2012<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/19930>.

Carl Nielsen was born in Sartelung, nr Nørre Lyndelse, Funen, an island off Denmark , on June 9th 1865. He died in Copenhagen October 3rd 1931

Adventurous composer who wrote in multi-genres but best known for his six symphonies Also wrote songs to revive the Danish song tradition, as Denmark recovered it’s National

identity Gained greater recognition worldwide only from 1950 onwards, especially in Britain and

America Nielsen was seventh of twelve children born to Niels Jorgensen (1835-1915) and Maren

Kristine. Niels was a house painter and amateur musician. Carl was named Nielsen by the Danish custom of calling sons son of Niel. (Steve Schwartz.

Classical Net: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/nielsen.php (accessed 22/1/12). Funen is a flat island with mild climate and is often referred to ‘The Garden of Denmark’ Nielsen wrote an autobiography about his childhood on Funen and appears to have fond

memories. His earliest musical mrmories are of his mother singing whilst working around the house and

his father playing cornet and violin at wedding parties and social occasions. Carl would join his father as a violinist when h e became accomplished enough.

Nielsen composed a song and a polka aged about 9. The song is now lost,but he notated the polka in his autobiography MinFjymke Barndom (‘My Childhood on Funen’)

First experience of classical music from a local orchestra formed around 1874. This gave him an insight into the Viennese classical tradition that would influence him throughout his life.

Became an apprentice grocer in 1879 but only lasted three months and joined a military band in Odence where he played signal horn and alto trombone. At this time he also received violin lessons and learnt theory and piano. He was never an accomplished pianist, but composed from the piano throughout his life.

Denmark suffered defeat in a war with Prussia in 1863-64 and lost some land in Jutland. As a result of this there was a political and intellectual need to rediscover Danish nationhood, which included the establishment of institutions. Nielson was identified as talented enough to go to the conservatory in Copenhagen, sponsored by Klaus Berntsen, who would go on to become Prime Minister of Denmark.

Nielsen studied at the conservatory from early 1884 until the end of 1886 and was taught by Valdemar Tofte (violin), J.P.E. Hartmann (theory) and Orla Rosenhoff (harmony and

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

counterpoint). Rosenhoff would remain as an adviser to Nielsen throughout his composing career. He also got an appetite for arts and philosophy and met students and culturally advanced families, many of whom would remain friends for life.

Nielsen also studied composition with Niels Gade (Steve Schwartz. Classical Net: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/nielsen.php (accessed 22/1/12).

Following graduation, Nielsen worked as freelance musician and teacher before taking up a post as second violin in the Royal Chapel Orchestra (the orchestra of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen) in September 1889. During this period he had his first compositions performed in public. The first was at Tivoli Hall where he had his Andante tranquillo and sherzo for strings performed, but he considers his début as a string quartet in F performed on January 25th 1888. His breakthrough came with a suite for strings, his opus 1, which he dedicated to Rosenhoff. This was first performed at Tivoli Hall on September 8th 1888.

Nielsen completed a movement of a symphony as long ago as 1888, now known as Symfonski Rhapsodi. It was a sonata form movement, but owed much to Svendsen’s econd symphony, so Nielsen abandoned it.

Nielsen composed string quartets either side of his years at the conservatory. These were mainly in the classical style.

He also composed other early chamber works such as his suite for strings, which also had leanings towards the classical period.

Nielsen went on a tour to Europe through scholarship of 1800 kroner, leaving on September 3rd 1890. He started to keep a diary at this time, an invaluable source to researchers. During this time Nielsen started to reflect and the argument between the classical and romantic period in music. Like Sibelius, he liked and then didn’t like Wagner. Following this he tended to side with the classical rather than the romantic school.

It was whilst on this trip that he met his wife, the sculptress, Anne Marie Brodersen. They met in Paris and were married in Florence on May 10th 1891.

During this trip, in Berlin, Nielsen started sketches for his first symphony, which he completed about a year after the couple returned to Copenhagen. The première was by the Royal Chapel Orchestra conducted by Svendsen on March 14th 1894. Nielsen was amongst the second violins in the orchestra. His first symphony made some tonal advances, from Beethoven’s fifth through works by Chopin, Mahler and others to unfold in this symphony by Nielsen. It is nominally in the key of G minor but manifests itself in C major in the coda of the finale. Nielsen was the first to take this use of harmony, found in opera and some instrumental works by Beethoven to this level across a whole symphony. This process reached it’s peak in the fifth symphony.

Nielsen’s subsequent symphonies are mainly programmatic. He sticks to the traditional four movement format until the fifth, but is gradually changing the symphonic language of the 20th century. He gave these subtitles.

His Third String Quartet in 1897-98 showed his maturity in the area of chamber music. Brodersen’s success at a sculptress led to a strain on their married life as she was often

working on location, leaving Nielsen at home to juggle composing, performing with the Royal Chapel and looking after their children. He contemplated divorce in 1905. The period 1897-1904 is often termed his ‘psychological period’ and this is reflected in several works including the opera Saul og David, his second symphony and two cantatas.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

During the 1890’s Nielsen earned extra money from writing incidental music for plays and occasionally cantatas. This programmatic music is often reflected in his symphonies. He also earned a state pension from 1901 and an annual retainer from his publisher Wilhelm Hansen Edition.

In 1904 Anne Marie earned an Ancker scholarship and they travelled to Greece on the proceeds. Nielsen had an interest in ancient Greek culture and amongst the music he wrote was the overture Helios.

Nielsen had made his debut as a conductor on October 16th 1888 at the Odense Music Society with his own work, suite for strings. He made the odd appearance for the Royal Chapel orchestra and in 1908 succeeded Johan Svendsen as second Kapellmeister to Frederick Rung. This gave Nielsen financial stability but an increased workload.

Nielsen’s composing had a mixed reception in Denmark. Fellow musicians and intellectuals were generally supportive, but critics were not so enthusiastic. Nielsen wanted to use progressive harmonic theories and changing rhythms. Outside of Denmark, Nielsen received little recognition in his lifetime but did get so isolated support from musician friends in Northern Europe and Germany.

His conducting was also not always well received and he was not technically strong in this area.

This was a creatively productive time for Nielsen and in 1911 he produced his third symphony and his violin concerto. He also completed work for the revival of the Danish song with Strofiske Sange (‘Strophic Songs’)

Rugg died in January 1914, but Nielsen was not offered the post of Kapellmeister and, upset by this, resigned his post and became a freelance musician again.

The Nielsen family moved into a permanent home in Copenhagen in 1914 (state owned), where Anne Marie had a studio and Carl a study.

Despite this improved accommodation, a rift in the marriage appeared, which would not heal for nine years. Anne Marie knew that Nielsen had an illegitimate child from his student days and that he carried on extra-marital affairs, but the discovery that he had fathered a second illegitimate child with one of their children’s governess’s was too much and they effectively lived apart for the next nine years.

The troubled home life and war in Europe (Denmark remained neutral) is reflected in his fourth and fifth symphonies .

With the fourth symphony Nielsen further moved away from the major/minor key system as he strove for his own symphonic language. He had written to Knudsen ‘ We should once and for all see about getting away from keys, but still remain diatonically convincing.’ The fourth is more modern sounding and he used two sets of timpani diagonally opposite to each other. The subtitle for this symphony was Det uudslukkelige (‘The Inextinguishable’).

The fifth symphony moved away from the traditional 4 movement to 2 movements, but included the elements of the traditional symphony within those movements. This symphony is regarded as Nielsen’s finest achievement.

The fifth symphony pits two keys against each other in the first movement which resolves itself by going a third way in the second movement (Steve Schwartz. Classical Net: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/nielsen.php (accessed 22/1/12).

Nielsen spoke of making the sixth a simpler affair, but due to personal circumstances he was in a darker mood and it became his most complex work.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

The separation from Anne Marie stifled his creativeness, as her influence and presence played a significant part in his creative output.

To fill the void, Nielsen took on other roles, including conducting for Musikforening (‘Music Society’) and for Göteborg Orchestra Society in Sweden. He also taught at the Copenhagen Conservatory from 1916-1919.

In 1922 whilst working on the fifth symphony, Nielsen composed a wind quintet which is regularly played today and it set the way forward for a form of composition based on the individual character of instruments.

Nielsen composed two important late concertos. Flute (1926) and Clarinet (1928) Nielsen planned to write concerti for all the members who played the début of his wind

quintet, but he died before fulfilling this. (Steve Schwartz. Classical Net: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/nielsen.php (accessed 22/1/12).

His sixtieth birthday in 1925 was an occasion for national celebration in Denmark. However following a newspaper interview in which Nielsen suggested he had never been able to make a living as a composer, he broke with his publisher. This action though, would help later generations of Danish composers get a fair deal.

Nielsen had suffered with problems with angina since 1922 and had a bad attack in 1926, which made him look at his spirituality (he was not a firm religious believer). This led to late religious works and three motets and 29 preludes for organ resulted in his Commotio for organ. This work was based on Bach’s toccata style and built on Nielsen’s earlier study of renaissance polyphony.

The angina finally killed him on October 3rd 1931. Denmark made the day of his funeral a time for national mourning.

Sibelius was the only recognised Scandinavian composer to the outside world until after the Second World War. The Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra’s appearance at the Edinburgh Festival in 1950 changed this perspective, and following the centenary of his birth in 1965 a re-assessment of his importance emerged. Leonard Bernstein recorded many of his works and famous book by Robert Simpson called Carl Nielsen: Symphonist have helped to foster interest in his work.

Simpson’s book argued the case of progressive tonality in his symphonies. Nielsen’s early songs were in the traditional classical style of Schumann. From 1905 his songs

became simpler and from 1914 he embarked on the project of writing songs that the ordinary Dane could sing in a project to bring the traditional Danish song back. Some of these songs are known by every Dane up to the current day.

Nielsen’s 1904-06 comic opera Maskarade, was a huge success and remains the national opera of Denmark. His earlier opera Saul og David is musically sound but is more oratorio than opera and so is hard to stage.

(Morgan, Robert P (1990): Twentieth Century Music. New York. W.W.Norton & Company): p123. Although connected to a traditional tonal structure, Nielsen uses a triadic harmony, that forms part of the ethos that the key isn’t always what it appears to be. As discussed above and explained the coda at the end of the final movement of his first symphony.

(Morgan, Robert P (1990): Twentieth Century Music. New York. W.W.Norton & Company): p123. Nielsen avoids excessive chromaticism, thereby firmly moving away from romanticism.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Layton, Robert. "Nielsen, Carl (August)." In The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e4723 (accessed January 29, 2012).

Nielsen’s Fifth symphony was a completely different from his previous symphonies and is a complete break from classical and romantic tradition. The two movement structure and approach to tonality set this apart from any symphony composed to this point. This was the first time that Nielsen received recognition outside of Denmark and was conducted by Furtwangler in Germany in 1927. It was a performance of this symphony at the Edinburgh festival in 1950 that lead to wider recognition of his work in Britain and USA.

Image used: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Carl_Nielsen.jpg - accessed 29/1/12

Carl Nielsen – Symphony no. 5 – Programme NotesKey Points to include:

Outline of works history Brief notes on the composer Layman’s analysis of the work Quote?

http://www.lasr.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/prognotes/nielsen/symphony5.html - accessed 29/1/12

Completed and debut January 24th 1922 The side drummer interrupts the rest of the orchestra. This symphony is reflections on both the private turmoil of his marriage and his reflection of

the horrors of the first world war.

http://carlnielsen.dk/pages/biography/a-pile-of-works.php - accessed 29/1/12

First performance at the Music Society in Copenhagen (image of programme available at the above website)

Nielsen was conducting in Gothenburg at time of completing symphony, and took time off to complete the work, which he did only nine days before it’s première.

http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=4861 – accessed 29/1/12

Example of programme notes for Nielsen’s fifth symphony.

Further notes on listening the symphony again:

Light playing of viola at start joined by bassoon and other instruments. Slow movement (1st).Mainly strings and woodwind. Not a march as previously reported. Missed on initial listening the conflict between orchestra and side drum. Tuba response. Flute and strings intercede towards 2nd half of 1st movement. Trombones, horns, trumpets further join as dynamic builds. Orchestra wrest control from drummer. But side drummer returns for more conflict with mainly string section. Woodwind and brass sections quieten drummer but again

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

he returns. Ends with drummer and flautist battling to the end where the flautist eventually wins.

2nd movement. Quicker tempo and dynamic as brass section joins. Short strokes on strings. Still a bit of conflict but in a different form. Nielsen bring orchestra to exciting climax.

Music between the wars: 1919-1945 Austerity in Europe, meant may composers tried their luck in the USA, where jazz and other

cultures influence their work. Amongst these were Rachmaninov, Schenberg, Stravinsky and Hindemith.

American George Gershwin (1898-1937) developed his own style, also influenced by jazz. Aaron Copeland (1900-90) also was influenced by jazz and other American and Mexican

cultures Frenchman Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) emigrated to New York in 1915. He became

influenced by American music, especially the sounds of New York. Varese would go onto use electronic influences to expand his ideas of music as organized sound.

Varèse’s Amériques (1918-23) Opening flute, changing to dissonant atonal sounds. Flute, harp glissandos. Percussion to

create sound you might here in the city (not musical). Changing dynamics. Lots of different percussion, strings. Lots of contrasting sounds. Changing dynamics. Trumpets, trombones, drum roles. Use of tempo and dynamics to effect regular changes. Collection of short motifs that don’t really move the piece along. Sort of programmatic in that it gives image of sights and sounds of New York. Glissandos on strings, sirens imitated. Brass also used to good effect. Cymbals. Comes to crashing climax as strings and percussion combine to create a final dramatic chord.

Music between the wars: 1919-1945 (continued) English music went through a late romantic period, with the likes of Elgar, Vaughan Williams,

Holst and William Walton. France, meanwhile was the place of new music, even after Debussy. Ravel was the main

attraction.

Ravel’s Bolero Ostinato rhythms (look out for). Woodwind and strings. Clarinet. More instruments join one

at a time as piece builds up. Especially strong in woodwind section. Dynamics start very quietly and gradually build. Horns added. Trumpets added. Ravel adds instruments according to dynamics going from low to high (volume). Each instrument adds to the quality of timbre. Finally bringing percussion to the party with timpani over the brass, woodwinds, strings, still the dynamic increases. The piece builds slowly but surely. Finally cymbals, tuba added as piece draws to a close.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Music between the wars: 1919-1945 (continued) Stravinsky developed music in reaction to the romantic era called neo-classicism. Stravinsky

took musical ideas from pre-romantic era and wrote new music in this style. Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), another Russian living in Paris (like Stravinsky) also composed

neo-classical style music. Eric Satie (1866-1925) also in Paris lead the surrealist music. He was followed by Les Six:

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974); Arthur Honegger (1892-1955); Francis Poulenc (1899-1963); Georges Auric (1899-1979); Louis Durey (1888-1979) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)

Exercise: Music between the Wars

Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)Dorothea Redepenning. "Prokofiev, Sergey." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/22402 (accessed January 30, 2012 & February 5th 2012) & February 8th 2012

Born Sergeyevitch Prokofiev, Sontsovka, Bakhmutsk region, Yekaterinoslav district, Ukraine on April 11th 1891 (25th on Russian calendar). Died Moscow, March 5th 1953.

Prokofiev was the only Russian composer to flee the country post revolution and then to return (20 years later). Prokofiev started in the traditional Russian romantic (began composing whilst still a student) but went on to become an important composer in the post-romantic, neo-classical tradition. Prokofiev was later persecuted by Soviet authorities, which dampened his creative spark.

Grew up in comfortable surroundings, taught by his father and French and German governesses. Father: Sergey Alekseyevitch Prokofiev was an estate manager (agronomist). Mother: Mariya Zitkova was well educated and interested in the arts. Had two old sisters who died in infancy.

His mother taught him piano from aged four and he made early compositions at this time as well. When aged 10 he wrote two opera for him and his friends to perform. This followed early trips to St Petersburg and Moscow to see performances of opera and ballet which were popular in Russia at the time. Some of these childhood works survive and can be seen at the Moscow RGLAI. Prokofiev talked of his early performances in his autobiography. He also began cataloguing his work from this early age.

From 1902 Prokofiev receive tuition in composition, theory, instrumentation and piano from young pianist and composer, Reinhold Glière, on the recommendation of Glière’s tutor at the Moscow Conservatory, Sergey Taneyev. Initially this was during the summer on his father’s estate, Sontsovka but continued via correspondence. Whilst in Moscow in January 1902, Prokofiev had also had a few lessons from Yury Nikolayevich Pomerantsev, who had put the family in touch with Taneyev. From this time the young composer was writing music on a regular basis including piano pieces, a violin sonata, Ballade for cello and also set music to Pushkin’s Pir vo vremya chumĩ. When he later read the score to Cui’s opera based on the same text he was jealous and realized he had a lot to learn. He also wrote a symphony at this time, of which the first movement is in full score, the other movements in piano score. He had also got into the habit of working on more than one piece at a time from this period.

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In 1903 in St Petersburg, Prokofiev was introduced to Glazunov who encouraged his parents to allow him to study at St Petersburg Conservatory. Following some tuition by Mikhail Mikhailovich Chernov he passed the exam in autumn 1904. He was taught by Lyadov (theory) and Rimsky-Korsakov (orchestration). He was critical of Rimsky-Korsakov’s teaching but admired his work. From 1908 Vitols taught him musical form. During his time as a student he began a lifelong friendship with Myaskovskiy which continued when he was abroad.

The St Petersburg Conservatory was dragged into the political unrest which first occurred in 1905 and lead to the resignation of Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov and Lyadov in support of the students. The disruptions didn’t affect Prokofiev directly and he was unaware of their significance for the future of Russia. Prokofiev graduated in composition in the spring of 1909 and his final pieces were his sixth sonata (only sketches remain of this work) and an opera Feast in time of Plague. Feast in Time of Plague was his second version of an opera under this title and not the same as his first version. The compositions weren’t overwhelmingly liked by the examiners and only received a mark of good. Following his graduation in composition Prokofiev studied concert piano and conducting. His piano teacher was the renowned Anna Yesipova and he won first prize in his final for which he played his own first piano concerto. He also graduated in conducting at the same time, in 1914

During his time at the Conservatory, Prokofiev had progressed steadily as a composer, but not spectacularly and wrote many works for piano and several larger orchestral works including a symphony in E minor and an earlier draft of his 1929 work Sinfonietta for Small Orchestra, Op 48. Prokofiev was at an early age in the habit of revisiting and revising his works for a variety of reasons, sometimes ecconomic. During his student days he also wrote choral works and started a lifelong use of the alto clef for transposing instruments in C, the English horn and trumpets, thus not using the tenor clef.

In 1911 Prokofiev wrote an operatic fragment called Maddelena, op. 13 based on a play by Baroness von Lieven. He revived this in 1913 but never completed the orchestration of the whole piece as the Conservatory could not stage the opera. This was found and fully orchestrated by Edward Downes in 1953 and the work contains many elements that Prokofiev would use in his mature operatic works, for example motifs based on characters and events in the work.

The first public performance of Prokofiev’s works were on December 18/31 1908 at a series of recitals of contemporary music organized by prominent members of the St Petersburg society including the critics Vyacheslav Karatïgin and Walter Nuvel between 1900 and 1912. The evening included seven of his piano pieces written between 1907-08. After this Prokofiev appeared at these events on a regular basis. His Moscow debut was on February 21/March 6 1910 where he performed his etudes, op. 2 and sonata, op. 1 at a concert by soprano Mariya Deisha-Zionichkaya. Other performances followed in the summer recital series Evenings of Contemporary Music in St Petersburg, whilst in a series in Moscow under the same name featured a performance of his orchestral works, Dreams and Autumnal Sketches, conducted by Konstantin Saradzhev (1911). Prokofiev made his début as a soloist (with orchestra) at a performance of his first piano concerto in both Moscow and Pavlovsk, near St Petersburg. The conductor was Aleksandr Aslanov, who also conducted the première of his second piano concerto at the same venue on August 23/September 5 1913. This work

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was reviewed favourably by Karatïgin but roundly criticised by the more conservative critics. These recitals at Evenings of Contemporary music establish Prokofiev in St Petersburg and Moscow and he was now looking for a publisher. Koussevitsky who would become the young composers publisher from 1916 when he took over the firm Gutheil, initially rejected his work on advice from Skryabin, Rachmaninoff and Medtner. From 1913-1916 the St Petersburg publisher, Boris Jürgenson, published Prokofiev’s works, following an intervention by Aleksandr Ossovsky, beginning with his First Sonata and Four Pieces op. 3.

In 1914 Prokofiev travelled to London as graduation present from his mother. He had visited Switzerland, France and England the previous year. Whilst in London Prokofiev met Diaghilev and played him his second piano concerto. Diaghilev then commission Prokofiev to write a ballet, Ala i Lolli, with a scenario by Sergey Gorodetsky, but on hearing the sketches for the ballet in Rome in 1915 Diaghilev was not impressed and dropped the project. Prokofiev had offered Diaghilev the opera The Gambler, but Diaghilev believed opera had no future. Whilst in London Prokofiev listened to music by Ravel and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (and other works) but was not impressed with Stravinsky’s composition. On the 1919 trip to Rome he also met Stravinsky and the two continued to disagree about the merits of each other’s work. In Rome he also came across the music of Italian futurist, Marinetti and was eaqually unimpressed. He also his foreign début in Rome on March 7th 1915, with a performance of his second piano concerto.

From the aborted ballet music, Prokofiev wrote between 1914-15 Skifskaya Syuita (‘Skythian Suite’). Inspired by the reaction to Rite of Spring, Prokofiev hoped this to would shock audiences. Prokofiev conducted it’s première early in 1916. This work used many progressive harmonic forms, whilst retaining a principally traditional formal structure. Although inspired by Rite of Spring, Prokofiev stuck to traditional rhythmic measures, as he would throughout his life, but invented a new heterophony and used dissonance along with more traditional harmonic features. Each movement (4) has a subtitle about the rejection of civilisation and a return to the earth, as theme he would revisit in the cantata Semero Ikh written 1917-18 (revised 1933) and described as reaction to the chaos caused by the Russian Revolution and possibly to the horrors of the First World War. The title cantata was added by the Russian publisher (it was his first Soviet publication) and Prokofiev did not like it to be called a cantata, although he used the term himself. This was premièred in Paris in 1924

In Rome in 1915 Diaghilev commissioned Prokofiev to write a ballet based on a Russian folk tale and Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Bufoon)was the result. Prokofiev used some elements of Russian folk material as Diaghilev had prompted for something ‘Russian’, as this was perceived as exotic in Western culture at the time. Prokofiev completed this work in 1916, but it was not premièred until May 17th 1921 in Paris.

Other works by Prokofiev during this period included Sarcasms Op. 17 (1912-14); other piano works for the Musical Contemporaries (which had replaced the Evenings of Contemporary Music); First Violin Concerto op. 19 (1916-17) premièred 1923; the opera igrok (‘The Gambler)op.24 (1915-17) based on Dostoevsky’s story, which was rehearsed but never performed due to the revolutionary disruption of February 1917; and his Classical Symphony op. 25 (1916-17) which was a foretaste of the neo-classical style to follow. This work used classical elements, baroque elements and twentieth century elements.

Although Prokofiev welcomed the revolution and his enthusiasm for revolutionary thought is reflected in some of the texts he used, rather that the music he composed, the restrictions it

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created on artistic development lead him to the decision to emigrate. He went to Petrograd in spring 1918 and gave several concerts whilst there before asking permission to emigrate to the USA, which was granted. He left Petrograd on May 7th 1918 and made his way eastwards to Tokyo (via Siberia and Vladivostok) where he also performed a few times, and arrived in New York in September 1918.

Prokofiev made his American concert début on November 29th 1918 in New York, but struggled to get accepted in the way Rachmaninoff had done. The reasons for this was that Prokofiev wanted to promote his own work, but the American public wanted a varied programme. Rachmaninoff had first toured America in 1909-10 and played works by other composers as well as his own , so although he didn’t emigrate until 1918 also, he was established as virtuoso instrumentalist and his concerts were popular in American culture. Prokofiev struggled to compete with this and if he was to make inroads he would need to establish himself as great pianist first.

He did however have some successes in the USA. Modest Altschuler’s ‘Russian Orchestra’, an ensemble of Russian immigrants performed his First piano concerto and The Classical Symphony in New York, whilst Friedrich Stock in Chicago also performed some of his works. These performance created interest in Prokofiev and he appeared at concert hall on a regular basis in USA and Canada, often with arrangements of older works. US publishers also took an interest in his compositions but, nothing was published as Prokofiev would not agree to their conditions. He was commissioned by the Russian Jewish ensemble Simro to write an overture on Hebrew themes for clarinet, string quartet and piano op. 34 (1919, orchestrated 1934) on which he played piano at the première in New York in 1920. A few recordings of Prokofiev playing survive

Prokofiev met Cleofonte Campanini , conductor of the Chicago Opera, when making his Chicago première in 1919. Campanini was interested in ‘The Gambler’ but the score had been left in Petrograd, so he commissioned Prokofiev to write Lyubov’ k tryom apel’sinam (‘The Love for Three Oranges’), which was to prove to be Prokofiev’s best known opera. The opera is based on a comedy play by Gozzi, L’amore delle tre melerance and the première too place under the baton of Prokofiev on December 30th 1921. There was a delay caused by the death of Campanini in December 1919 and then a dispute between Prokofiev and the production company. The musical make up of the work was simpler than ‘The Gambler’ to accommodate for American tastes. Although he eased on the use of dissonances and chromatism the music isn’t generally ‘simple’. Some operatic conventions are also dropped to enhance the smooth timbre of the music.

Prokofiev endured a second unfulfilling season in America and turned his attention to Europe and for the following three years spent summers in Europe and the winter season in America. Whilst in Paris in 1920 he met up with Diaghilev and resurrected The Tale of the Buffon. At the same time Koussevitz was also in Paris, having left the Soviet Union and he premièred Skythian Suite in Paris on April 29th 1921. A few weeks later Prokofiev conducted the première of The Tale of the Buffon, also in Paris on May 17th 1921. These two performances put Prokofiev on the map with a similar standing to Stravinsky.

In the summer of 1921, Prokofiev completed his third piano concerto, op. 26 whilst staying in Brittany. He had started sketches for this work as early as 1917. Part of the final movement of this work is based on a ‘white quartet’ (no accidentals) he had been working

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on but abandoned. He also got reacquainted with the symbolist poet, Bal’mont who included Prokofiev in the final lines of a poem he wrote at this time:

‘But the tide foams wildly on, over all:Prokofiev! Music and youth blossom,In you the orchestra yearned for musical flight,And the invincible Skythian beats the tambourine of the sun.’

The reunion with Bal’mont encouraged Prokofiev to set his final songs to the poets texts, Five Poems, Op. 21 (1921). He had previously set Bal’mont texts to two songs, op. 7 in 1909-10. The third piano concerto is diatonic (to appease American audiences) and contains elements of Russian folklore. The première of this work was in Chicago on December 16 th 1921 under Friedrich Stock and the New York première the following month. This became his best known concerto and he recorded it himself in 1932 with the London SO. Despite this success and the success of The Love of Three Oranges, Prokofiev still didn’t feel he had won over American audiences and decided to move to Europe.

Prokofiev took up residency near the monastery of Ettal in southern Germany where he worked on his next opera, Ognennïy angel (‘The Fiery Angel, op. 37). Prokofiev did not finish this in 1927 as he had not found an opera company willing to perform it. He completed it when Bruno Walter of the Berlin Opera showed interest but it was never performed during his lifetime. The concert première took place in Paris on November 25th 1954. A theatrical version did not take place until 1955 at La Fenice . This is another work based on symbolist literature, a novel by Valery Bryusov. The opera contains long symphonic passages and the musical landscape is built around the complicated female character, Renata.

Some material from The Fiery Angel was incorporated into his Third Symphony, Op. 44 in 1928 and this symphony has become known a ‘The Fiery Angel Symphony’, a title that Prokofiev always disliked. Because of the failure of The Fiery Angel as an opera, Prokofiev left the genre alone until 1939, despite it being his favoured discipline.

During his year at Ettal Prokofiev gave performances all over Europe, reworked his second piano concerto, wrote Sonata No 5, op. 38 and married the Spanish singer Lina Llubera (October 1st 1923). Also during this year Diaghilev expressed interest in his Love for Three Oranges, despite his reservations about opera. He may have been attracted by the parody aspect of the work. Stravinsky was present during Prokofiev’s presentation of the opera to Diaghilev and there ensued a row between the two composers, a divide that never completely healed.

In October 1923, the Prokofievs moved to Paris, where Koussevitsky conducted his first violin concerto on October 23rd, with the solo being played Marcel Darieux. This work received a mixed reception by critics, with some thinking it old fashioned. Prokofiev then worked on his second symphony, which saw it première under the baton of Koussevitsky on June 6th 1925, which also was not received well by everyone. This work is in two movements, comprising a complicated sonata movement followed by a movement of variations. Prokofiev summed up his disappointment in this, thus: “this was perhaps the only time I felt afraid I might be becoming a composer of the second rank”. He felt the dissonances in this work would fit in with the progressive Paris audience, but the work is essentially diatonic and a clearly structured work. Prokofiev felt the dissonances in the work gave it a complexity, but this did not entirely follow.

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Whilst writing the second symphony, Prokofiev also wrote what has become known as the G minor quintet for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and double bass. In 1925 the opera Love for three Oranges had it’s European première in Cologne, whilst it had it’s first Berlin production in 1926. St the suggestion of Diaghilev in 1925, Prokofiev composed a ballet with a Soviet theme, called The Steel Step. Some viewed this as Bolshevik propaganda, although Prokofiev had no political intent in writing the work. The work is written with the futurism style in mind, and the ballet used flashing lights on stage and moving steel parts to replicate Soviet industry. The score also took a simpler form as Prokofiev moved away from chromatism and dissonance to diatonic structure.

Following several smaller works Prokofiev completed his third symphony in 1928 which was premièred in New York in 1930. Diaghilev commissioned another ballet, The Prodigal Son, op. 46 in 1928. The première of this work was in Paris on May 21 1929 and was a work in the new-classical style. The music from the ballet was reworked to become the essence of his fourth symphony, commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This was premièred on November 14th 1930.

Prokofiev had revised The Gambler in 1927 and the opera had it’s première on April 29th 1929 in Brussels. The opera was of the dialogue type in vogue with Russian composers since the 1860’s, and Prokofiev directly quoted some of Dostoyevsky’s text.

Prokofiev was commissioned in 1930 by the Library of Congress in Washington to write a string Quartet op. 50. According to Prokofiev he studied Beethoven quartets to enable him to write a neo classical work. Further commissions followed during this period including Na Dnepre by Paris Opéra, in memory of Diaghilev, who had died in 1929. They did not like the work and withheld the agreed some of 100,000 francs, but Prokofiev took them to court and won the case. In 1931 Prokofiev wrote his fourth piano concerto, op. 53 for Paul Wittenstein, who has lost his right hand during the First World War, but Wittenstein rejected the concerto and Prokofiev’s plans to revise the work for two hands never materialised and it was not performed until 1956. There followed the last two great works to be premièred in Western Europe when his fifth piano concerto was first performed in Berlin under Furtwangler (October 31st 1932) and the second violin concerto op. 63, 1935, which had been commissioned by admirers of Robert Soetens who gave the first performance in Madrid on December 1st 1935. This work was a demonstration of the new simplicity Prokofiev was developing in the early 1930’s.

Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor op. 63: Itzhak Perlman, BBC Symphony Orchestra/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Change in dynamics, Russian folklore influence from start. Some dissonant chords at start, but reverting to classical/romantic genre, tonal. Falling and rising dynamics. Pizzicato playing at end of first movement. Pizzicato style continues from first violin but not soloist at start of second movement. Slow movement (2nd). Counterpoint between solo violin and orchestra, string sections & woodwind. 3rd movement returns to quicker tempo.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-robert-soetens-1286893.html - Accessed 12/2/12:

Prokofiev and Soetens began a friendship when they performed together in a recital in Brussels in about 1925. Prokofiev wrote the concerto following a performance by Soetens of his sonata for two violins with Samuel Dushkin in 1932, which impressed Prokofiev.

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Soetens continued to champion Prokofiev’s work throughout his life and in 1972 made the first performance of the second concerto in South Africa. In 1985 Soutens performed the sonata for two violins to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Prokofiev’s death.

http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-prokofiev-violin-concerto-sacd.aspx - Accessed 12/2/12:

Prokofiev used limited forces in this concerto, whilst his first violin concerto had used a bigger orchestral content. This is a nod to the classical era style of ‘new simplicity’ that Prokofiev was trying to promote

http://www.epinions.com/review/musc_mu-263244/content_225977732740?sb=1 - Accessed 12/2/12

This article by Stephen O Murray of critical opinion. Murray considers it one of the four greatest violin concerti of the twentieth century (with Bartok, Berg & Sibelius).

http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2008/05/prokofievs_viol_1.php - Accessed 12/2/12

Review by Paul Serotsky Serorsky doesn’t think much of the piece. He criticizes the musical form of Prokofiev, quoting

the sonata form first movement as having ‘cubist’ perspectives.

http://bhco.co.uk/pages/node/230 - Accessed 12/2/12

Prokofiev wrote parts of this in many different places as he was appearing in concerts around Europe.

Harmonic dislocation arises from the soloist playing in the tonic key of G minor, but the orchestra then joining in G major. (hence the early dissonances).

http://www.seenandheard-international.com/2012/02/02/a-distinguished-end-to-the-london-philharmonics-prokofiev-festival/ - Accessed 12/2/12

This article is a critical review of an all Prokofiev concert by the London Philharmonic, including the second violin concerto. The other works are the first symphony (‘classical’) and the fifth. The reviewer was very complimentary about all three works, but this article is more about this performance that the work itself.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/22402 - Accessed 8/2/12

From when Prokofiev settled in Europe he kept in constant contact with the newly formed Soviet Union and his career was followed and music played and listened to in the Soviet Union. In 1923 a publication called K novĩm beregam (‘Towards New Shores’) featured Prokofiev in one of it’s few publications, documenting his success in Europe and America and writing enthusiastically about his music. Several premières of his music were in the Soviet Union during the twenties and thirties.

Much of his music was published by the Soviet state publisher. Prokofiev always kept a path open to return to the Soviet Union and privately agreed with much of the new political

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system in his native land. When France diplomatically recognized the Soviet Union in 1924, Prokofiev registered as a Soviet citizen.

During these years Prokofiev visited the Soviet Union on several occasions. In 1927 he did a series of concerts in Moscow and Leningrad and watched a performance of a Love for Three Oranges in Leningrad, where it had become part of the repertoire. He also visited in 1929 and 1932 and took a flat in Moscow.

Prokofiev kept a diary of his first visit of his private thoughts. This was known to Soviet musicologists, but not made public until perestroika, as he was critical of some aspects of the new political system, although agreeing with it in principal. Artistically he felt that his development of the ‘new simplicity’ in music would fit in with the Soviet ideal of art. In 1934 the Kirov in Leningrad wanted to commission the ballet Romeo and Juliet, but negotiations fell through until the Bolshoi in Moscow stepped in to commission the work.

The Prokofievs moved to the USSR in the summer of 1936. The political situation at this time was volatile as Stalin was at the height of his purges. It is not known how much Prokofiev knew of the political situation and his reasons for returning, which could have put his foreign wife in danger. Officially he said he was homesick for Russia, but part of the reason could be the fact that the Soviet Union’s most popular composer of this time, Shostakovich was out of favour following comments in Pravda about Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, describing the opera in January 1936 as ‘chaos instead of music’. Prokofiev, seeing his ‘new simplicity’ as fitting the Soviet bill for art, could see himself as the dominant force in the Soviet Union. Previously he had been overshadowed by Rachmaninoff in America and by Stravinsky in Europe.

Initially he had the privilege of keeping his passport, and he toured America in 1938. But his passport was then taken off him on the grounds of a formality that needed attending to. He never got it back, ending his chance of touring outside of the Soviet Union.

Prokofiev was cautious in his first years in the Soviet Union, and after concentrating on works to celebrate the centenary of Pushkin’s death in 1936 he wrote children’s music, including Peter and the Wolf. He also wrote a few pieces of patriotic music, some of which were not received favourably, including a work to celebrate the anniversary of the October revolution based on texts by Marx, Lenin and Stalin, op. 74, which was deemed by the Committee for Artistic Affairs as not meeting the standards of ‘Social Realism’.

The only two works that did not have political consequences were the Cello concerto completed in 1938 (he had started writing this in 1933), which did not get critical acclaim on it’s first performance but was later revived thanks in Rostropovich, and the ballet Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet was initially rejected by the Bolshoi Ballet as being too complicated but was eventually performed in Brno in December 1938. After a few alterations it was eventually performed in Leningrad in January 1940 and entered the repertoire in the Soviet Union and then abroad.

In 1939, Prokofiev returned to opera with Semyon Kotko, Op. 81, based on a contemporary story written in 1937 and based on events during the civil war. Despite Prokofiev sticking to the structures of ‘social realism’ and using the Russian folklore ‘songlike’ structure the work was not a success and was removed from the repertoire shortly after it’s eventual première on June 23rd 1940. The première had been delayed by several setbacks.

Prokofiev was not put off by the failure of Semyon Kotko and set about writing another opera, Obrucheniye v Monastĩre (Betrothal in a Monastory’), op. 86. This was written in a

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neo-classical style and draws on the operas of Mozart and Rossini. It did not get it’s première until after the war, and was also a failure and did not survive in the repertoire.

Following the start of war between Germany and the USSR in June 1941, all ‘great’ artists were evacuated to the provinces. Prokofiev was moved firstly to the northern Caucasus and the town of Nalchik, before moving on to Tbilisi (November) and then Alma-Ata (June 1942), Perm’ in the Urals a year later and then back to Moscow in October 1943. During this period, Prokofiev concentrated mainly on chamber music and wrote three piano sonatas, which were premièred by Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels. He added a ninth sonata in 1947. He also wrote his second string quartet, which used elements of folklore from the Nalchik region which gave the work a modal character. In 1943 he added a flute sonata, which was revised into a second violin sonata. He completed his first violin sonata in 1946, which he had started in 1938. He wrote his fifth symphony in 1944 (op. 100), which with it’s tonal harmonies and melodic values is representative of his mature works. Much of his wartime music was propaganda music.

Few of Prokofiev’s wartime works were popular in the Soviet Union, except the patriotic works such the March for military band, op. 99 and an arrangement of folksongs and piano, op. 104. But interest was ignited in England and USA, following the success of Shostakovich’s seventh symphony in 1941. The cantata, Alexandr Nevskiy, the fifth symphony and some of his early works such as the classical symphony, Scythian Suite and Peter and the Wolf.

Two main works for theatre did emerge from the pen of Prokofiev during the war. Firstly the opera Voyna i mir (War and Peace) and the ballet Zolushka (Cinderella). A large work that didn’t fare so well was op 105, Ode to the end of the War, 1945. This was misunderstood by audiences and critics alike.

Following the war, the state reasserted it’s authority over the cultural world following a slacking off this policy during the war. The architect of this was Andrey Zhdanov, who firstly restricted literature, then theatre and film before turning his attention to music. The result of this was a return to ‘socialist realism’ and an emphasis on folk music and a positive outlook. During this time Prokofiev wrote suites based on Cinderella, his sixth symphony with an intended dedication to Beethoven and music to commemorate the 30 th anniversary of the revolution. The restriction on the arts in the Soviet Union did not relent until the death of Stalin in 1953, the same year that Prokofiev died.

The main hammer blow which was to have a huge detrimental effect on the final years of Prokofiev’s career was the resolution ‘On the Opera “The Great Friendship” by Vanno Muradeli’. Following this resolution several of Prokofiev’s works were banned from public performance and on February 17th the composer had to publicly admit his artistic errors. Three days later his wife was arrested and in December he had to repeat his admission of ‘artistic errors’ to the union of composers. This left Prokofiev an ill and disillusioned man for the remainder of his life, and he produced few works in the time left.

Prokofiev and other composers, including Shostakovich, Khachaturian and Myaskovsky were denounced by Zhadanov for producing work of ‘formalistic distortions and anti-democratic tendancies’. This left the Soviet composers in no doubt about where they stood and what was expected of them. Prokofiev, however, was slower to realize what Zhandanov’s actions, and his speech in 1948 to the central committee meant.

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In his letter of February 16 1948, read to the Union of Composers on the 17 th, Prokofiev described where he had gone wrong and been guilty of atonality and formalism, but hoped that he had corrected himself with later works such as the fifth symphony.

At the time of his letter, some of Prokofiev’s works had already been removed from the repertoire by the Committee for Artistic Affairs. This ban imposed in February 1949 was constructed with works in mind that did not breach the code of ‘social realism’, which mean that orchestras and organizations planning work, would in effect decline to use any of the composer’s works. This ban was lifted by Stalin a year later, due to Shostakovich being asked to go to the World Peace Congress in the USA, but declining as he would not be able to say why his and colleagues works were not played at home. By lifting the ban Shostakovich could attend, as was Stalin’s wish.

Prokofiev had lived with the librettist of three of his operas, Mira Mendel’son, since 1941 and his decision to legalise his marriage to her had dire consequences on his first life, who would spend eight years in labour camps before being released and deported in 1956. This must have been a torturous situation for Prokofiev, but no blame can be attached to the composer himself .

His seventh opera, The Story of Real Man, op. 117 (1947-48) was Prokofiev’s attempt to produce a work that would meet the Zhdanov criteria, but this work met rejection too, although it meets the criteria of ‘social realism’ and is a opera based on soviet objectives and heroism and is musically simple. Prokofiev tried to defend himself in his second letter to the union of Composers.

The work itself and the letter shows that Prokofiev was broken as an artist and he produced very little following this opera. He also became ill after this and doctors forbade his to work, which meant he earned little. The Committee for Artistic Affairs petitioned the Kremlin to give him a pension of 3000 roubles per month and a one-off payment of 25,000 roubles. A pension of 2,000 roubles a month was sanctioned and signed by Stalin.

Prokofiev spent the final years of his life trying to update his opera, War and Peace, to make it meet the 1948 resolution. It was never performed during his lifetime and it’s full première did not take place until the Bolshoi performed on December 15th 1959.

Prokofiev did work on other pieces during the final years of his life that fitted the bill of ‘social realism’.

Prokofiev died on March 5th 1953, the same day Stalin died.

The Story of A Real Man , op 117, 1947-48:

Opening ‘epigraph’ chorus of patriotic soviet style Act 1 resounding brass/percussion start to depict the crash of plane Simple melodies and orchestration. ‘Patriotic’ music. ‘Socialist realism’.

Symphony No 3 in C minor op 44 (1928)

Violently dissonant opening. Plenty of dissonance but in tradition structure of first movement (sonata form). First plenty of dynamic and fairly quick temped (moderato) first movement. Brass used a lost, final note being a tuba.

Slow movement (andante). Strings, but low notes (C minor key). largely diatonic.

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Notes for Part Two: Twentieth Century Music. Project One: 1900-1945 by Neil Thomas (student number 509009)

Third movement – allegro agitato – dissonance –reflective of Prokofiev’s ‘third period’ – European. Percussion used, with brass.

Finale – andante mosso – fast tempo, dynamically loud. Each movement has had a fairly steady tempo, though this one opens, but then has a slow melodic period in middle before gradually building in tempo and dynamic towards the climax of the work. Full orchestra used to add the timbre of work

http://www.lawrencebudmen.com/articles_sergei_prokofiev.html - 22/2/12

Koussevitzky convinced Prokofiev to work the material from The Fiery Angel into a symphony and the work proved to be a resounding success and was well received by critics

The work had slipped from the modern repertoire of Prokofiev’s works, but has recently been seen as a neglected masterpiece and Michael Tilson Thomas has helped this with some remarkable performances as a conductor.

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