19^th Century Concert Music

Songs: Some songs of the mid 19^th Century were intended for performance as parlor music (music emulating the European tradition but intended for “accomplished amateurs”) and others were conceived for public concert settings

· Parlor Songs:

· Stephen Foster Songs (non-minstrel show)

· Like his minstrel show songs, Foster made very little money on his parlor songs due to his poor business sense. His publishers did make money from his songs, especially those written between 1850 and 1860

· Many of the songs are extremely sentimental; they also reflect traits of Romanticism, especially longing for the unattainable

· He published his first songs in the mid-1840’s in Cincinnati, e.g. There’s a Good Time Coming (1846)

· His best known songs are from the 1850’s, e.g. I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair (1854)

· He also wrote some songs associated with Civil War; he was a Unionist (North), e.g. Was My Brother In The Battle?

· Other “Sentimental Parlor Ballads” of Mid-19^th Century: instead of ballads about disasters and murder, we now have sentimental songs about separations due to distance or death

· This sometimes takes form of longing for “good old days” or venerating old things: The Old Arm Chair (1840) by Henry Russell, or Lament of the Blind Orphan Girl by WB Bradbury (1847)

· Traveling family troupes also sang these kinds of songs in concerts, for example the Hutchinson family and their song The Horticultural Wife. These songs were sometimes in the form of glees: secular, humorous songs in strophic form with melody in top voice and other voices sustaining harmony

Band Music

· The earliest “bands” were chamber groups of mostly woodwinds, horns; brass became much more versatile after invention of valve, took over. More suited to military music because would carry well outdoors. During the 2nd half of 19th century woodwinds gradually returned to ensemble.

· By late 19th century, band concerts were common: a mixture of marches, dances, concert overtures, sentimental ballads arranged for band, and virtuosic pieces, usually for brass, esp. cornet and euphonium.

· Famous Band Masters

· Patrick Gilmore (1829-92): an Irish cornet virtuoso who dreamed of producing “Monster Concerts” with huge numbers of performers.

· When Johnny Comes Marching Home is attributed to him

· Herbert L. Clarke (1867-1945): a cornet soloist who played in the Gilmore band until Gilmore died; then was invited to play in Sousa Band. Clarke’s performances were specifically constructed to offer opportunities for virtuosic display: cadenzas, rapid passage work, etc. Patterned after opera overtures of people like Rossini

· John Philip Sousa (1854-1932): Best known for his 136 marches, e.g. Stars and Stripes.

· Wrote many of his marches while conductor of Marine Band (1880-92). Built the band into a larger and more balanced ensemble. Formed Sousa’s Band in 1892, toured extensively through US, Canada, Europe; World Tour in 1910-11. Also composed operettas, songs, dance music, other band works.

· March format (see Ferris p. 84): Contains two large parts; first part has two strains, each 16 bars, repeated (AABB); then trio (third strain, 32 bars) and break (dramatic), those two sections repeated (CDCD) and one more time through trio (C)

Piano Music

· Charles Grobe wrote parlor music for the piano, e.g. United States Grand Waltz

· Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69) wrote true artistic concert music for piano

· He grew up in New Orleans; a child prodigy; sent to Paris at age 13 to study. Made Paris debut at 16 with works of Chopin and other Europeans as well as his own took Paris by storm

· The rest of his life was one long concert tour in Europe, the American West and South America

· Some of his works are very European, esp. Chopin (who knew and admired his music, called him “King of Pianists”). One such is Danse Ossianique

· Gottschalk often included native rhythms and textures into pieces, especially South American gestures and Latin rhythms; also imitated vernacular (including slave) instruments, as in Banjo

· Bamboula uses melodies and rhythms based on songs of Louisiana Creoles. (This dance is credited as one of the roots of New Orleans Jazz) This has two characteristic rhythms: cakewalk (related to ragtime) and habanera (Cuban).

· Example in Ferris (22) is Le Bananier (The Banana Tree) also uses Creole melody and ostinato (pattern that repeats insistently)

· Gottschalk also wrote some orchestral music, e.g. A Night in the Tropics (1859); (exists in an orchestral version and as a 2-piano piece)

Pianos became tremendously popular instruments in 19th century

· Went through lots of development from 18th century origins: clavichord could be used expressively, but had very small sound, couldn’t sustain for long; harpsichord didn’t sustain at all. The new piano could:

· make dynamic contrast, and overall dynamic level much higher: can be heard over symphony orchestra

· sustain sound and so carry melodies with longer notes

· encompass a much larger range (extended in 19th century to over 7 octaves)

· Piano manufacturing firms established in America in the 19th century; most famous is Steinway (est. 1853), Mason & Hamlin (est. 1854)

Orchestral Music and Orchestras: Orchestras had grown to pretty big groups by mid- 19th century (70-80 players), capable of lots of different kinds of sound compared to piano.

· The first “permanent” American orchestra was New York Philharmonic Society (est. 1842), but there were plenty of orchestras before that, just haven’t continued to present.

· The first year each of 63 musicians received $25; they presented 3 concerts. First concert included Beethoven 5, Weber Oberon overture, songs and chamber works.

· Next permanent orchestra was in Boston (est. 1881). Philadelphia had a music society that was as much choral as orchestral, Phil. orchestra established later.

· Most of the orchestral works on these concerts were imported from Europe, but a small number of Americans were writing orchestra music, including:

· Anthony Philip Heinrich (1781-1861), “The Beethoven of America.” Came to Philadelphia from Germany in 1810. Moved to Kentucky in 1817 and wrote what he considered to be truly “American” music. He was inspired by themes of nature. His music tended to imitate or depict events and things around him. He led first known performance of a Beethoven symphony in the US, but also wrote his own stuff.

· Heinrich’s most famous orchestral work is The Ornithological Combat of Kings: (1847 with many revisions) supposedly depicts fight between Eagle and Condor.