WorksheetsMus 12 Quiz 3
Total questions: 28
Worksheet time: 44mins
What are some famous pieces Wagner has made part of his "Ring" series? Select all that applies.
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of
the Nibelung)
Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold)
Julio Cesare
Don Giovanni
What date did Das Rheingold premiere?
(a)
What is Gesamtkunstwerk ("A Total Work of Art")? Select all that applies.
a theory where Wagner sought to synthesis poetry, music, and drama
realized these ideals most fully in Das Rheingold & Die Walkure (The Valkyrie)
realized these ideas in large with the Ring of the Nibelung with encompassed Das Rheingold & Die Walkure
wrote about his theory in a series of essays between 1849 and 1852
What makes Wagner's music different?
acted more a symphony than an opera
no arias, no long melismas, oriented songs
singers expected to declaim their words in a heightened speech-rhythm, in association with the orchestra
no ensembles in his Ring cycle (multiple singing), nor choruses until the very end -> drama is in the words & orchestra
What are leitmotivs? Select all that applies.
themes closely related to persons, events, moods, and things (ring, a sword, or gold)
the music of the leitmotifis tell you what the character is thinking or feeling
characterized by memorable shortness, a chord, a characteristic rhythm
the leitmotifs can be so indistinct that you may not hear them (considered malleable0
Wagner's advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centers, greatly influenced the development of Western art music. His Tristan und Isolde is sometimes described as marking the start of modern music. Wagner interrupted his work on Siegfried, the third opera in his Ring, to write Tristan and Isolde.
What are the four operas of the Ring cycle?
Das Rheingold (Rhine Gold)
Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
Siegfried
Götterdämmerung
When was the ring cycle performed at Wagner's Festspielahus? (12,13,14,15 August 1876)
(a)
Below are facts of the ring cycle. Select all that applies.
based on versions of the Scandinavian saga of the
Nibelungs involving gods and mortals & is of extraordinary scale
A full performance of the cycle takes place over four nights at the opera,
with a total playing time of approximately 16 hours, depending on the
conductor's pacing
The first and shortest opera, Das Rheingold, typically lasts two and a half
hours (there is no intermission)
The final and longest, Götterdämmerung, takes up to five hours (not
counting intermissions).
Select all the correct facts from the Ring Cycle (pt.2)
It follows the struggles of gods, mortal heroes, and mythical creatures as
they vie for control of the magic ring (forged from gold from the Rhine
River) which grants domination over the entire world
The scale and scope of the story is epic
The drama and intrigue continue through three generations of
protagonists, until the final cataclysm at the end of Götterdämmerung
Wagner wrote for a huge orchestra, including a greatly enlarged
brass section with new instruments such as the Wagner tuba,
bass trumpet and contrabass trombone
Listen to this Scene i At the Bottom of the Rhine where you can hear the birth of the world
How did Wagner change the way music was consumed?
made it more rowdy where people were encouraged to yell
audience had to be quiet and opera was watched a low lighting
removed ideas of the castrati for good
made singing more accessible for women
There are ~20 leitmotives that recur in all four of the ring operas +30 others
Das Rheingold is the shortest of the Ring cycle, lasting up to 2 and half hours while Gotterdammerung lasts up to 5 hours
What do the Rhine maidens symbolize?
purity, innocence
greed, power
anger, wrath
the god's downfall
Pick all the relevant characters in the first act, Das Rheingold
Loge (the demigod with fire powers)
Wotan (the king of Gods)
Alberich (the dwarf that renounced love for the gold after humiliated by the Rhine maidens)
Petra (Wotan's mom)
Freia (Wotan's sister in law that Wotan "offers" to the giants)
Listening 1:
1. Prelude: Rhine Maidens and Alberich
○ The opening of Das Rheingold
○ Alberich lusts after the Rhinemaidens
○ They tease him
○ He steals the gold
○ Opening leitmotiv: Perfect 5th, E-flat and B-flat
2. Alberich’s Curse: "Am I now free?" in English (“Bin Ich nun frei”)
○ Wotan and Loge (gods) have kidnapped Alberich
○ They steal the ring from him
○ Alberich curses the ring
■ It will inspire restless jealousy in those who own it
■ Murderous envy in those who do not
Listenings Part 2 (ACT IV)
3. Erda’s Warning: “Weiche, Wotan! Weiche!” (Yield, Wotan! Yield!)
● Erda: Primal earth mother, goddess of earthly wisdom
○ Wotan has been bargaining with the giants → doesn’t want to give up the ring
○ Warns Wotan of great calamity
○ Basically: give up the Ring
4. Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla
● Fafner has slain Fasolt
● Donner, god of thunder, summons a storm to clear the air
● Froh, god of spring, creates a rainbow bridge spanning the Rhine
● Wotan leads the gods across, into Valhalla
● Loge god of fire, hangs back; he believes the gods are hastening to their end
● The Rhinemaidens ask the gods to return the gold, but Wotan says: not happening
What type of singers are seen in listening 1, or the prelude?
Soprano (Rhinemaidens)
Mezzo-soprano (Rhinemaidens)
Baritone (Alberich)
Tenor (Alberich)
https://youtu.be/CzFdrDju4Zw?si=ZZZtKN8_aAnsbeGa (The leitmotif for the creation of the world)
Alberich's curse... (Select all that applies)
Alberich is a baritone.
Wotan and Loge have kidnapped Alberich and stole all his treasure.
Wotan and Loge offer Freia up for Alberich
Alberich curses the ring
Erda's warning...(select all that applies)
Erda is a contralto
She gives a warning to Wotan of great calamity of keeping the ring
Wotan is seen wanting to keep the ring despite his promise to the giants
Erda curses Wotan
The God's Entrance to Valhalla
Consists of numerous gods Wotan, Donner, Froh, Loge (don't need to memorize)
Numerous voice types tenor, baritone, bass-baritone (don't need to memorize)
The gods cross into Valhalla excluding Loge
Started because the giants had a mortal battle over the ring and Donner clears the air via summoning a thunderstorm. Froh then creates a rainbow bride to Valhall.
What made Wagner's musical style different?
Moved away from coloratura/meslimatic passages
De capo aria were avoided
Long cadenzas were avoided
He preferred dramatic, powerful voices instead of coloratura voices and they would have a speeh-rhythm
Renounced orchestral music
Plot features scenes such as:
○ Alberich stealing gold from the three Rhinemaidens
○ Forging a magic ring and enslaving the Nibelungs (underground dwarf people)
○ Wotan hiring giants to build a palace (Valhalla)
■ Originally offers the goddess Freia as payment
■ Loge schemes to offer an alternative payment instead
● This is the treasure of the Nibelungs (including the ring), stolen from Alberich
○ Wotan arguing with the giants over their compensation
○ Erda warns Wotan to give up the ring
○ The giants fight over the ring, one is killed
○ Gods cross into Valhalla
Nibelheim (the underground city) represented by a chorus of anvils
Wagner was one of the most discussed opera composers to have ever lived. he also changed how music was listened. Pick all that applies to some facts about Wagner and his innovactions
Used in Nazi propaganda music
Expanded brass section: bass trumpet, contrabass trombone, Wagner tuba
Orchestra is completely hidden during the opera (in a pit)
Orchestra is an active participant in the drama through its use of musical leitmotifs
The use of leitmotifs
Musical themes/ideas that represent the “inner” drama
Can represent: characters, emotions (anger, lust, etc.), objects (the Ring, Sword)
READ THE PASSAGES!!!
