romantic tone poems of the 19th century: paul...

Romantic Tone Poems of the 19th Century: Paul Dukas

By Chase Attermann

Paul DukasOctober 1 1865 - May 17 1935

Presenter’s Notes: Paul Abraham Dukas was born in Paris, France in 1865. His father was a banker and his mother was a pianist before she died while bearing Paul. Like any ordinary child in France at the time, he took up piano lessons at a young age. He showed no special musical talent, but had the drive to begin composing at the age of 14. Two years later, he enrolled in the Conservatoire de Paris and continued his piano as well as harmony lessons and became a pupil of his composition teacher Ernest Guiraud. Here, he became close friends with Claude Debussy who was also a pupil of Guiraud.

Early Lıfe

● Born in Paris, France

● Mother died in childbirth

● Took up piano

● No extraordinary talent

● Began composing at 14

● Pupil at the Conservatoire de Paris

(1)

Early Career

Presenter’s Notes: Dukas had success in his early schooling and won second place in the prestigious Prix de Rome, for his cantana Velleda. Unfortunately, he was very self-critical in nature, and his time at the Conservatoire was cut short when he became discouraged and left. He enrolled in the army for a short service, and returned to start his career as a critic and composer. In 1892, he reviewed Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Gustav Mahler. Inspired by Wagner’s romantic and programmatic work, he began to write his own compositions.

● Won 2nd place in Prix de Rome

● Very self-critical

● Left school and joined military

● Returned to begin career as critic & composer

● Early works inspired by Wagner

● Began most famous compositions

(1)

Compositions

Presenter’s Notes: Throughout the century, he wrote his most famous pieces. Symphony C was his first great work written in 1896 when he was 30 years old. This symphony premiered on January 3, 1897 with Paul Vidal conducting, whom Dukas had dedicated the song to. This symphony was famous for its three movements instead of the traditional four. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, written in 1896-1897, was a tone poem after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” written in 1797. This work was the most famous and recorded work of Dukas’ career. Unlike other tone poems, this alternative symphony is very programmatic in that it accurately depicted Goethe’s original story of the poem. At the turn of the century, Dukas created two pieces of complex scales for the solo piano. Piano Sonata and Variations, first performed in 1901, and Interlude and Finale on a Theme by Rameau were these two pieces. Dukas created several additional works but destroyed all of them due to his perfectionism.

● Symphony C (1896)○ Composed by Vidal○ Dedicated to Vidal

● The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1896-97)

○ Programmatic○ Most famous work

● Many works destroyed● Piano Sonata (1901) & Variations,

Interlude and Finale on a Theme by Rameau (1903)

○ Inspired by Beethoven○ Complex scales for piano○ Dedicated to Saint-Seans

Later Life

Presenter’s Notes: In 1912, Dukas published his final composition entitled “La Péri.” This was a dance poem that had styles of romanticism in its harmony and impressionism in its orchestration to create a distinctly french music. By 1920, Dukas had created his last collection of works named “Tombeau de Claude Debussy.” These works were written for the piano. Dukas had destroyed many works before this, but kept this one in loving memory of his friend Claude Debussy. He became of professor of the orchestral class at the Paris Conservatoire once in 1910, then again in 1927 until his death. He also collaborated with a publishing team to help produce modern versions of classical baroque compositions from Rameau, Couperin and Beethoven. By the end of his life, he was a very well respected teacher and composer of music. Many famous musicians were his students like Chavez and Durufle. In his last years, he was elected as a member of the Academie des Beaux, or the Academy of Arts. As an alternative composer to cantanas and tone poems, he appreciated the different factions of French music, including conservative compositions as well as more progressive ones. He died at the age of 69 in 1935, and his ashes were buried in the columbarium at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

● Tombeau de Claude Debussy (1920)○ Last discovered

work○ Dedicated to

Debussy

● Published classical baroque

● Appreciated new music

● Buried in Paris columbarium

● La Péri (1912)○ Dance poem○ Last published

work○ Impressionism

● Professor at Paris Conservatoire

(5)

La Péri

Presenter’s Notes: La Peri, or “The Flower of Immortality” was the last published work of Paul Dukas. Originally written in 1912 by Ivan Clustine, it is a dance poem that also had characteristics of a tone poem as it is based on Clustine’s original ballet by the same name. The story is about a prince’s search for immortality. The man travels to the end of the world to the peaceful area that the gods are from. He finds a temple with a Peri with the flower of immortality in one hand and emeralds in the other. While sleeping, the man steals the flower and uses it for his earthly wants while the peri can no longer enter the presence of the light of Ormuz. The man was not intended to harness the flower, and the peri performs a dance as she slowly approaches the man and takes the flower back, leaving the man alone to die.

● Dance poem

● Characteristics of tone poem

● Romantic styles as well as impressionism

● Truly “french” dance

● Man searches for “immortality”

● Steals flower from peri● Stranded; left to die

Moral of story: Don’t take what’s not yours.

PLOT

La Péri

Presenter’s Notes: Dukas’ work took on characteristics of a tone poem with its relation to the original story, and it was choreographed to be dancing music by Dukas. He uses romantic tonal harmony as well as impressionistic orchestration techniques to deliver a true french style dance. The first performance was originally delayed when Dukas did not feel the actress for the peri was competent enough, so it was postponed until its premier in Paris in 1912. It was soon performed all over Europe such as at the Mercury Theatre in London in 1931, and was performed up until 2012 in Ivan Putrov’s show “Ithaca” at Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

● Original premiere delayed○ Included “Fanfare” to

introduce & settle audience

● Performed in England

● Last performed in 2012

● Romantic styles as well as impressionism

● Solely french dance

● Second most famous work

(6)

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Presenter’s Notes: A tone poem is a piece of music in an orchestra that paints a picture of a poem or story with music. Like a madrigal, it refers to poetry, but with operatic drama, symphonic patterns and accompaniment that are contained in a single section, or movement. This became popular in the romantic period to highlight the era of emotion, drama, and literacy. First used to term Hungarian composer Franz Liszt’s 13 works, the tone poem became a popular style of musicals and orchestras. The poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was originally written in 1797 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Dukas’ musical work with the same name was a big contribution to the romantic era of music, and is unique because of its heavily programmatic style, that had not yet been experimented with much. This means that the music not only resembles, but closely follows the original story of the poem and matches the music with the events from the poem. The work involves 14 parts for each stanza of the poem.

● Tone poem

● First characterized by Franz Lizst

● “Programmatic” style unique to era

● Original poem from 1797

● Most famous work

The Sorcerer’s ApprenticePLOT

Presenter’s Notes: The poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was originally written in 1797 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The story is about an Egyptian priest of the goddess Isis named Pancreates. While living and studying in the “underground world” he learned many magic spells and rituals. When he returned to the normal world, he performed magic tricks such as riding on the back of crocodiles over the Nile River, and people from near and far would come to him for help. As he helped them, he became wealthy and famous as he earned the nickname “The Sorcerer.” Pancreates then attained a companion, or apprentice, that he taught for over 20 years. Although, the sorcerer kept in secret his broom that performed all of the magical tricks for him when commanded. When his apprentice found out about this, he tried to harness the power when his sorcerer was away one day, and attempted to command the broom to accomplish his chores. Things soon got out of hand as the novice apprentice could not contain the broom that kept working and flooding the building, and almost flooded the city before the sorcerer returned home and took over to save him from disaster. The sorcerer did not punish his apprentice nor fire him, and used the experience as a lesson to teach his pupil about practice and respecting the magical power.

● Pupil learns secret & prematurely attempts magic

● Sorcerer returns and forgives apprentice

● Man studies magic in “underworld”

● Teaches apprentice for many years

● Moral of story: Trust your teacher and avoid learning lessons the hard way(2)

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Presenter’s Notes: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” became a popular concert piece throughout the 20th century. In 1930, the director William Cameron Menzies and Joseph M. Schenck produced short films of classical music. One of these, entitled “The Wizard’s Apprentice” contained Dukas’ musical piece and was later released on DVD to the Classical Arts Showcase. 10 years later in 1940, Walt Disney glorified the piece to the world with his animated concert film Fantasia. In this film, the newly introduced Mickey Mouse character plays the apprentice with audio from Disney’s orchestra playing Dukas’ piece. Stokowski helped Disney produce the most famous soundtrack of the film with the greatest music recording technology of the time, leading to the enhanced cartoon Fantasia 2000 and another film “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” that came out in 2010.

● Became highly popular● Made famous in classical music films

○ “The Wizard’s Apprentice”○ “Fantasia”

■ New versions throughout century● Released to Classic Arts Showcase

PRODUCTION Evolution of Fantasia...

(4)(3)

Listening Guide: “Fanfare” from La Péri

Presenter’s Notes: The beginning piece of “Fanfare” plays the theme of the Peri barely escaping destruction. It provides a contrast to the slow mysterious theme in the rest of the movements with the loud and exciting harmony of the brass that alternate in playing the melody and fugue subjects. The piece follows the form ABA, with every part beginning with counterpoint and ending homophonically.

(0:00)

(0:12)

Right on the first note, the brass instruments begin in forte in a fast allegro tempo. The trumpets play the main melody in quintet form that moves down the scale then back up to the first note E. They switch between the deeper instrument that plays the fugue subject by replying with four quick E notes. This represents a grand victory. The instruments then unite with the last measure and hold their last E note as it fades into silence.

Here, low horns begin in a fast, but softer pitch in a mezzo-forte. This introduces the same melody with contrasting parts from the first part when the trumpets now join in to play the fugue subject with higher-pitch but longer notes, while the lower horns play quicker notes of the melody.


Presenter’s Notes: The instruments gracefully switch between leads in a counterpoint, and come together in unison to conclude every verse. The lower notes of the trumpet puts a twist on the verse to grab the audience’s attention, or perhaps to quiet rowdy audiences.

(0:21)

(0:35)

(0:46)

The parts have switched once again, allowing the trumpets to return to playing the shorter notes of the melody, and the lower instruments are playing long notes each measure.

All instruments move into a cadence and play the short notes of the main melody at the same time and remain in a cadence while they all transition into a low minor scale for two long notes.

Now, the instruments return to accompanying the trumpet, but now it is in lower notes of the scale, to signify trouble arising. They slowly rise back to where they left off and fade on the last E note with another cadence.


Presenter’s Notes: When the attention of the audience is received, the final verse comes together for the final cadence after wrapping up the altered first verse, and delivers a powerful coda that excites and prepares the audience for the show.

(1:05)

(1:43)

(1:54)

Now the cadence plays two long notes in mezzo-forte; the first being in minor mode and the second being in major mode to contrast between evil and good, symbolizing uncertainty or possible threats. The trumpet then takes the main melody and repeats the notes EBEC, rising up the scale every time as the horns accompany, slowly decreasing tempo and crescendoing to build anticipation before the last note that is sustained for a whole measure.

The tension is released and the orchestra jumps in to repeat part A with a slight alteration.

The orchestra begins the final part of the piece as all instruments increase in the scale and crescendo into a fortissimo. On the highest E note of the scale, all instruments cadence into a homophonic finish.

Listening Guide: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Presenter’s Notes: The instruments of this orchestra include four horns, three bassoons and trombones, two flutes, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, cornets, and one piccolo, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, timpani, glockenspiel, bass drum, cymbals, strings, harp and triangle. The original orchestra has 14 parts or stanzas for the E major scale for two pianos. The introductory theme represents the presence of the sorcerer as he’s performing his magic, with his apprentice who is watching him.

(0:00)

(1:23)

The strings begin the introduction in a soft mezzo-piano and hold a note for a few seconds to establish a mysterious theme of the sorcerer, and they stop as the woodwinds come in to establish the main melody. The strings begin again and the melody increases in volume and moves up the scale as the harp begins to occasionally play a high note to give a “twinkling” sensation, and the oboes hold the highest note and decrescendo.

The silence is broken by a loud fortissimo note played by the woodwinds, and their dissonant secco form gives a “scrambling” theme. The tempo is now faster and more choppy.


Presenter’s Notes: The high notes from the strings appear as the sorcerer leaves and the apprentice is creeping up to see if he has left yet. The low horn signifies mischief when the apprentice first attempts his master’s magic. The horn is each a spell thrown upon the broom while different instruments take turns playing short and loud noises to signify the apprentice’s failures to control the broom. Then the broom is officially “alive,” and is made official with the “thud” from the timpani. At 2:25, the clumsy and repetitive melody that gets stuck in your head, or the “broom theme” represents the brooms with the buckets marching to go get water.

(1:30)

(2:00)

(2:25)

The horns are introduced. When they come in, it calms the woodwinds and brings them back to their slow consonant melody. The strings are now holding a very high and eerie note, and the low horns come in to confirm trouble. There’s one last last twinkle from the harp before the music fades.

Three loud and sudden notes from the strings begin the next part. Now, different instruments take turns playing short and loud notes while being accompanied by a solo horn that repeats two alarming notes; high then low. The horn ceases and the strings pick up the short notes and play them faster until they reach a triple meter, then all instruments come in for a high note, and all music ceases with a “thud” from the timpani.

The next part is introduced by the low horns. One note every five measures increases to one and two every five, then begins to repeat every measure. The clumsy melody is begun by the contrabassoon, and the strings come in homophonically to accompany the melody.


Presenter’s Notes: The strings’ descending notes represent the broom scooping up water into each of its two buckets, and the whole orchestra plummets down the scale together at 3:24 when the broom pours the buckets. A happy melody lead by the clarinet and harp represents the relief of the apprentice when he sees the broom accomplishing his chores, so he merrily leaves the room to take a nap.

(3:07)

(3:24)

(3:49)

The strings repeat three descending notes in the minor mode once here, and once again three seconds later. The melody is still being lead by the contrabassoon.

The woodwinds play three increasing notes before the entire orchestra slides down the whole scale homophonically, signalling a massive fall. The band repeats the main verse now with the trumpets leading the melody.

A short homophonic solo is played by the strings that transitions the verse into a fugue with a different melody that is now lead by the clarinets and the triangle, accompanied by the rest of the orchestra, and simple meter plucking of the strings.


Presenter’s Notes: Although, the broom does not stop once completed, and begins to pour out too much water that spills out with a crash given by the cymbols. The water continues to splash and swish with every full-range stroke by the glockenspielist. The last two notes from the strings represent the last moments of consciousness as the apprentice falls asleep. The solo glockenspiel represents the dream the apprentice is experiencing, and the string solo is his glee as he possesses great power within his dream.

(4:12)

(4:37)

(5:13)

The strings become more and more vigorous and crescendo until the cymbal crashes. The attention is now shifted towards the glockenspiel that is now descending the whole range of notes with a glissando to add a vibrant fall every measure. The melody is lead by the strings again.

The last two notes are repeated in a crescendo by the strings, then all music ceases. The trombone now plays the same note every measure for the fugue in the concerto while the strings come back in while they also accompany a solo performed by the glockenspiel. The strings proceed to play a descending scale, and the orchestra cresendos with increasing pitch.

The strings split into two groups; one being part of the fugue, plucking one note homophonically along with the rest of the orchestra and the triangle which is now very loud. The other group of strings now has a solo in another concerto.


Presenter’s Notes: The apprentice is commanding waves that are splashing with each cymbal crash in his dream. Chaos brews as clouds roll over and the waves becomes too high when the strings and cymbals become frantic, and the waves roar towards him as played by the timpani roll. Order being restored is always characterized by the brass instruments taking the lead in a forte, which in this case is when the apprentice awakens from his dream.

(5:34)

(6:00)

(6:36)

The strings’ solo is over, eliminating the melody. All of the instruments confine within a drum roll by the timpani, and the strings increase in scale as the next part brews. What follows is a brilliant participation of imitation from each section of the orchestra. The woodwinds, strings, glockenspiel, and the brass instruments each take turns taking the melody before passing it to the next. Each time the melody would pass, the orchestra would return unification with the timpani’s drum roll.

After three cymbal crashes, the pace becomes frantic with the intense strings playing many notes within a measure, much like in “Flight of the Bumblebee.” The strings’ notes followed a descending order, then repeated from the highest scale, then suddenly moved low and started moving up the scale.

The strings take on a few simple notes while the brass instruments begin a triple meter with two high notes and a low note. The suspense is released with the strings playing a descending scale.


Presenter’s Notes: The apprentice awakes to find the building flooded from the brooms. He angrily chops it in half with an axe, illustrated with the “slicing” notes from the strings and cymbals, and the music ceases. The low rough pitch of the contrabassoon takes the role of the halves of the brooms as they manifest into two separate entities and return to work. The climax tells the dialogue of the apprentice as he’s beginning to drown. The shrieks of the brass and triangle represents his cries of desperation while the melody of the main broom theme crescendos as more brooms continue to pour in more water relentlessly.

(7:04)

(8:44)

(8:54)

For the first note for two measures, the strings and woodwinds hit a loud note, then hits four consecutive loud notes within a measure to end this part. Then, the contrabassoon begins to play a very low and dull drone noise with no accompaniment. The smooth sound of the woodwinds establish a melody which perfectly contrasts the rough sounds from the contrabassoon. The accompaniment comes in and repeats the second verse with the contrabassoons leading the melody, with a slight modification with the strings’ high notes.

The climax of the conflict. The strings become the most vigorous and the whole orchestra is playing at the fastest tempo with almost no recognizable tempo, except for the horns’ alarming notes in the background.

The trumpet shrieks with four high pitched notes. Cymbal crashes begin and the triangle is ringing at the fastest tempo. The woodwinds and strings resume the melody in increasing volume as the shrieks are beginning to be drowned out.


Presenter’s Notes: The apprentice fights his hardest to keep afloat, then becomes helpless, and surrenders to the chaos. The shrieking stops, but the melody continues and the strings and woodwinds represent the apprentice spiraling down underwater. When the brass comes in, every instrument converges to play one high note at a very fast tempo. This represents the sorcerer returning to find himself in the middle of his apprentice’s chaos. He quickly takes control of the situation and every entity drops what they are doing to obey him. The sorcerer casts a spell and stops the flood, silencing everything. The sorcerer lays eyes on his pupil. Not a single instrument can be heard at this time.

(9:18)

(9:55)

(10:12)

The shrieking stops and the strings and woodwinds decrescendo as they move down the scale. It is as if the instruments were in conflict with one another, as their turns leading would switch faster and faster.

A cymbal crashes, and the brass takes the melody while the other instruments harmonize in a fast tempo on the same note. This brings out the significance of the trumpets. The brass now controls the whole melody, and begins to slow it down as the accompaniment remains mezzo-piano,.

All of the brass instruments and the cymbal converges and crescendos to produce the loudest note of the performance, and the orchestra is silenced for eight seconds.


Presenter’s Notes: The apprentice, filled with shame, is now cowering in front of the sorcerer. The violins represent his shame and the last twinkle from the harp as he hands the sorcerer his broom and buckets. The one measure finale represents the powerful sorcerer’s instant restoration and reversal of his pupil’s mess, as well as a sign of relief for the apprentice as the sorcerer forgave him.

(10:32)

(11:36)

The strings and woodwinds pickup and exclude every other instrument, returning the song back to the first verse in mezzo-piano, now that the sorcerer has returned. This time, one of the violins begins a very slow and graceful solo that decrescendos with the rest of the strings and woodwinds, and the coda fades out with a last “twinkle” from the harp.

Just before the song ends, every instrument comes together in a fortissimo finale that is only one measure long. Every instrument from the orchestra was in complete homophonic unison with the four notes of the finale, bridging the powerful sounds of every instrument in one measure to produce the “boppity-boop” ending that thrills the audience and concludes the composition.

References "Walzerfreud' Und Teufelszeug." ORSO. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

"La Peri (Dukas)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Sept. 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

"La Plainte, Au Loin, Du Faune (Dukas, Paul)." - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

"The Visitor / El Visitante." The Visitor El Visitante. 1 May 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Storynory." Storynory. 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

(1) "Paul Dukas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

(2) "'Doctor Strange' Is "Marvel's 'Fantasia'," Says Cinematographer." The Hollywood Reporter. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

(4) "The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 Film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

(3) "Subtitles for." Subscene. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

(5) Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <http://www.allmusic.com/album/dukas-la-peri-symphonie-en-ut-majeur-mw0001851779>.

(6) "La Peri. De 1843 a Berlin." Balletmanos. 21 May 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

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