Lecture 6. Melody: Mozart and Wagner

YaleCourses

7 Dec 201247:51

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThis lecture explores the concept of melody through scales, major and minor qualities, and phrase structure, using Beethoven's Ode to Joy and Mozart's compositions as examples. The professor discusses antecedent and consequent phrases, demonstrating with the Macarena transformed with an Alberti bass to resemble 18th-century music. The conversation shifts to the mysterious beauty of melody, comparing it to art's subjective nature. Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' and Wagner's use of melodic sequences in Tristan and Isolde are analyzed, highlighting musical techniques like the deceptive cadence. The session concludes with a live performance of Mozart's aria 'Voi che sapete' by a guest artist, illustrating the lecture's concepts through music.

Takeaways

😀 The professor discusses melody and musical structure using examples of operatic arias
🎵 Puccini's aria "O mio babbino caro" uses antecedent/consequent phrase structure with a deceptive cadence
🎶 Wagner's "Liebestod" builds tension through rising melodic sequences leading to a climax
😯 The professor has students analyze melody composition and identify musical processes
🎻 Mozart's Figaro aria "Voi che sapete" combines set structure with rising melodic sequences
🎹 Musical dissonance builds tension that resolves into consonance
👩‍🎤 A student guest artist performs the Mozart aria with analysis by professor
🔈 Loudness, range, tempo and harmony all contribute to musical expression
💖 The operas draw on myths of love, desire and the agony and ecstasy of relationships
🎼 Great melodies have an inexplicable emotional power despite odd origins

Q & A

What is the overall theme and focus of the lecture?
-The lecture focuses on melody and melodic structure in music, analyzing examples from various composers like Puccini, Wagner, and Mozart.
What is an aria and how does Puccini's aria demonstrate antecedent/consequent phrase structure?
-An aria is a solo vocal piece in an opera. Puccini's aria "O mio babbino caro" has an opening phrase that leads to a complementary second phrase, demonstrating antecedent/consequent structure.
How does Wagner build tension and a sense of desire in the Tristan prelude?
-He uses rising melodic sequences that reach a climax of dissonance before resolving, along with increasing dynamics, chromaticism and texture.
What is unusual about the ending of Wagner's Liebestod?
-The music completely transforms to become soft, slow, consonant and settled on the tonic, giving a sense of divine arrival, including an Amen cadence.
How does melodic sequence appear in Mozart's aria?
-On the text "Sospiro e gemo", a four-note motive rises sequentially higher in pitch, reflecting the emotion of the words.
What cadence does Mozart employ in the aria and why?
-He uses a deceptive cadence on the word "cor", where the expected harmonic resolution is denied, increasing tension before the final authentic cadence.
What is the overall form of Mozart's aria?
-It has an expanded antecedent/consequent form with additional music in the middle section before returning to consequent material.
How does the lecture explain the musical depiction of love or lust?
-Through rising sequences to a dissonant climax, along with increasing volume and chromaticism, releasing the tension by resolving to consonance.
What is the dramatic role of Cherubino singing this aria?
-He is a 14 year old boy experiencing confused feelings of first love, singing to the Countess.
What pedagogical aspects does the lecture bring out in the aria analysis?
-It examines the overall form, sequences, harmonies like deceptive cadences, text painting, and comparisons to other pieces studied.

Outlines

00:00

😄 Introducing the lecture topic and plan for the class.

The professor greets the class and says they will continue discussing melody. He talks about major, minor, and chromatic scales, conjunct and disjunct melodies, and Beethoven's Ode to Joy. He plans to have a student come up and craft a melody in class.

05:01

😊 Analyzing melody structure using an example.

The professor plays a melody he created and has the class critique it. He talks about musical syntax and phrase structure using antecedent and consequent phrases. He says they will analyze a melody by Puccini instead of his own.

10:02

😯 Discussing Puccini's use of deceptive cadences.

The professor plays part of Puccini's aria "O Mio Babbino Caro." He points out the leap of an octave at the beginning. He explains Puccini used a deceptive cadence, where the expected tonic chord was substituted with a different harmony.

15:05

🎵 Explaining melodic sequences using Wagner's opera.

The professor explains melodic sequences, which repeat a motive at higher or lower degrees of the scale. He introduces Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde and plays part of the prelude, which uses rising melodic sequences.

20:05

😍 Analyzing the musical climax of Wagner's opera.

The professor describes the plot of Wagner's opera about forbidden love. He plays the Liebestod aria where musical devices like sequence, dissonance, and dynamics build to an ecstatic climax. He asks students to identify how Wagner pivots to a celestial, blessed mood.

25:07

😇 Summarizing the musical devices in the Liebestod climax.

Students identify ways Wagner shifted the mood: getting softer, slower, more consonant, lowering the range, repeating pitches, ending on the tonic, and using an Amen cadence. The professor emphasizes arriving at stability and divine resonance.

30:14

😀 Introducing the guest artist singing a Mozart aria.

The professor introduces student Lauren Libaw, a graduating music major. They discuss her experience and future plans to study with the conductor David Stern. The professor provides background on the opera The Marriage of Figaro and the adolescent character Cherubino.

35:15

🎶 Analyzing the structure of Mozart's aria.

The professor and Lauren discuss the aria's antecedent/consequent structure. Mozart expanded the phrases. Lauren sings it while the professor points out rising sequences depicting the character's agitation and a deceptive cadence.

40:44

👏 Concluding with a full performance of the aria.

Lauren performs the full aria "Voi Che Sapete." The professor compliments her singing and expresses appreciation for the music students at Yale before concluding the lecture.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Melody

Melody refers to a sequence of musical notes that are perceived as a single entity, creating a memorable tune. In the script, melody is the central topic, discussed in the context of scales (major, minor, chromatic) and emotional impact on listeners. The professor illustrates how melodies can evoke feelings, using Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' and Mozart's compositions as examples, emphasizing the role of melody in music's expressive power.

💡Antecedent and Consequent Phrases

Antecedent and consequent phrases are musical structures forming a call-and-response pattern within a melody. The antecedent opens a musical idea, and the consequent responds to it, often providing closure. This concept is used to describe the phrase structure in Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' and Mozart's work, highlighting its widespread application in melody construction and its contribution to creating a cohesive musical narrative.

💡Scale

A scale is a series of musical notes ordered by pitch. The script discusses major, minor, and chromatic scales, explaining their role in constructing melodies. Scales determine the tonality of a piece, affecting the mood and emotional response elicited from listeners. The professor uses scales to explain the foundational aspects of melody and how they contribute to the musical quality of compositions.

💡Conjunct and Disjunct Melodies

Conjunct melodies consist of steps that move in small intervals, creating a smooth flow, while disjunct melodies leap between larger intervals, creating a more dramatic effect. The script contrasts these types of melodies to illustrate different compositional techniques in melody construction, showing how they affect the overall feeling and accessibility of a piece.

💡Phrase Structure

Phrase structure in music refers to the way musical phrases are organized within a composition, shaping its form and progression. The script examines how composers like Beethoven and Mozart use antecedent and consequent phrase structures to create a sense of opening and closure, demonstrating the importance of phrase structure in developing musical ideas and ensuring coherence in compositions.

💡Deceptive Cadence

A deceptive cadence occurs when a chord progression leads to an unexpected chord instead of resolving to the tonic, creating a moment of surprise or suspense. The professor discusses this concept using Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro', showing how deceptive cadences can enrich a melody by defying listener expectations, contributing to the emotional depth of the music.

💡Aria

An aria is a solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment, often found in operas. The script delves into Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' from 'Gianni Schicchi' and Mozart's 'Voi che sapete' from 'The Marriage of Figaro' as examples, highlighting the aria's role in expressing character emotions and advancing the opera's narrative through melodic beauty and lyrical intensity.

💡Melodic Sequence

Melodic sequence refers to the repetition of a musical motif at successively higher or lower pitches. The script discusses this concept in the context of Richard Wagner's use in 'Tristan und Isolde', illustrating how sequences can build tension or release, thereby contributing to the dynamic flow and emotional impact of a piece.

💡Tonic

The tonic is the first note of a scale, serving as the home base or point of resolution in a piece of music. The script explores how melodies and harmonies resolve to the tonic, creating a sense of completion and rest. The discussion on deceptive cadences and Wagner's 'Liebestod' highlights the tonic's central role in achieving musical closure.

💡Opera

Opera is a dramatic art form that combines singing, orchestral music, and sometimes dance, set to a staged narrative. The script references operas by Puccini and Wagner, discussing specific arias and their thematic significance. Opera serves as a rich example of how melody, harmony, and textual narrative intertwine to create powerful emotional experiences.

Highlights

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Transcripts

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