Les Nuits DEte - 2052 Words

Amy Shuford 5 April 2011 Music History II Research Paper – Les Nuits d’Ete Dr. Christina Reitz An Analysis of Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Ete Born in 1803, in the village of La Cà ´te-Saint-Andrà ©, France, Hector Berlioz produced some of the most invigorating and exciting music of the Romantic period (Holoman, 1, 6). Romanticism primarily focused on subjectivism, therefore people were concentrating more on their emotions and spirituality and less on logical explanations for the problems of humanity. Those of the Romantic period valued nature and depended upon the creativity of artists in order to gain a deeper and different outlook on the world, one that was not strictly rational. Of all the Romantic art forms, music, especially†¦show more content†¦The tonal tension portrays the anger and confusion that the character is experiencing. During the beginning of the movement, the vocal line is given much freedom for expression because the accompaniment is mainly comprised of block chords entering on each beat. As the emotions of the character intensify, the energy of accompaniment is also enhanced by repeating chords by use of compound eighth notes. The emotion of the vocalist and orchestra continues to increase because the vocalist makes their way to their high/head register to sustain notes to portray their anguish while the orchestra is playing arpeggiated chords set rhythmically to thirty-second notes. The movement ends with the vocalist sustaining and the orchestra arpeggiating the dominant (V) chord to leave the listener with a sense of unsettlement and discomfort (Berlioz, Les Nuits d’Ete). L’Absence (Absence) is the fourth movement and is very contrasting to Sur les Lagunes by means of emotion and tonality. The character singing is in a stage of grief when one may deny the occurrence of the death. The singer repeatedly pleads â€Å"Reviens, reviens ma bien aimee,† which literally translates to â€Å"Return, return my beloved.† Though the text is saddening, Berlioz set the song in the key of F # major which provides a bright and elevating sound. The accompaniment is minimal in this movement because itShow MoreRelatedThea 1016562 Words   |  27 PagesBerlioz (1839/2008, Disc 1, Track 1). This music creates an intense atmosphere, which is very compatible with this plot. The ball at Capulet’s is accompanied by â€Å"Romà ©o et Juliette, Symphonie dramatique, Op. 17, 3à ¨me Partie: Nuit sereine - Le jardin de Capulet silencieux et desert Les jeunes Capulets sortent de la fà ªte, passente en chantant des reminiscences† by Hector Berlioz (1839/2008, Disc 1, Track 6). This music helps create a magnificent and high-class atmosphere. The music that I choose for Romeo