-what are the salient features in the music?
-Texture? –
The music adopts the homophonic textures, which are composed of primary lines, with accompaniments.
Meter/Rhythm?
In the performance, unlike other performances, Wagner avoided the use of the traditional long stretching keys in his performance and paid major attention to the key regions thus creating a very smooth flow in his music.
-Instrumentation
In his performance, he has used a wide range of musical instruments, like the horn and the trombone, which when blended or used single-handedly produce different kinds of emotions during the performance.
The sounds and balance of the musical instruments are very clear and each instrument speaks for them.
-Form? –
According to (Grey 1995) Wagner tool, the dramatical form in his musical techniques, and he fully observed the aesthetic status of his symphony. He was also more conserved when it came to the non-operative tones in music.
Harmony –
According to (Treadwell 1995), Wagner adopted the use of leitmotifs which are the frequently occurring themes in his music. This, in turn, created a very rich harmony in his musical composition. When all these interconnect, they tell a well-detailed story through the use of music and drama.
What is the historical relevance of this performance/composer/piece of music/artist?
Through his performance, Wagner tries to express the change in history, when according to the storyline, he used legends in his storyline, thereby placing them in a historical context to compare the past with the present but to establish a new one, by not saving them from the past. To him, the use of art and drama could be of great benefit to the world.
By the use of great legends in his musical art and drama he also wanted to teach the world the need to recognize the historical moments for them to live free and fulfilling lives. Wagner believed that no political salvation came from the ills that were caused by civilization.
He was out to pass a message that, people could attain freedom and self-knowledge through having the capacity to love. Love condemns us to suffer on behalf of another person, which is the highest virtue possible, which is also a justification for human existence. Through his performance, people get to learn why they suffer.
-How is this work typical for the period written?
Wagner believed in change and his line of thinking was like that of Karl Max. through his musical writings, he believed that society could have a political revolution that would be able to grant mankind freedom. Wagner had a fierce political vision and this is expressed in his musical writings. At that time, people needed to come together and free themselves from the oppression that they were facing as a nation.
References
Treadwell, J. (1995). The “Ring” and the Conditions of Interpretation: Wagner’s Writing, 1848 to 1852. Cambridge Opera Journal, 7(3), 207-231.
Grey, T. (1988). Wagner, the Overture, and the Aesthetics of Musical Form. 19th-Century Music, 12(1), 3-22. doi:10.2307/746606
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