Nationalism in Music

Nationalism in 19th

Century Music

Content1.Definition of Nationalism.2.When and where did

Nationalism started.3.How Nationalism

influenced composers and their music.

4.Countries and their very own composers and works.

What is Nationalism ?According to Oxford English

Dictionary ( Online Edition ), Nationalism means

1 patriotic feeling, often to an excessive degree. 

2 advocacy of political independence for a particular country.

When and Where ?• During 19th century, it was

all started when France had their France revolution and the Napoleonic wars ( 1789-1814 ), through war they invaded most of the Europe.

The influence of Nationalism towards music

First point:Common bonds of language, culture

and history were strengthened.- Through of these aspects,

Nationalism led people In their country to be united against the colonist.

- - Example, like Germany and Italy, they become united and this inspired the composers to write music about their country.

The influence of Nationalism towards music

Second Point :Nationalism led to the increasing

usage of national language in the invaded countries.

- Textbook, newspapers and official documents were all written in national language.

- - the national past became a subject for folk songs, dances and fairy tales.

- - Example, in 1830s, important books were written in Czech and there were many collections of Czech folk poetry.

The influence of Nationalism towards music

Third point:Wrote operas and program music

inspired by history, legends and landscape of their native lands.

- The rhythm, tone color, texture and melody are from national tradition.

- Emphasized strongly on national style.

- Example, among the works are Russian Easter Overture ( Rimsky-Korsakov), Finlandia ( sibelius ), Slavonic Dances ( Dvorak )

The influence of Nationalism towards music

Fourth Point:Stirred the public to become

rebellious about revolution on their country.

- Musical composers were using their talent to write songs to make the people going to streets and doing riot against the government.

- Example, The Italian opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi, chose librettos that fanned public hatred for the Austrian overloads. Forming anti-Austrian.

The influence of Nationalism towards music

Last point:The strongest impact of Nationalism

was felt in lands that where own musical heritage had been dominated by foreign countries.

- Poland, Russia, Bohemia, and the Scandinavian countries produced composers that wrote music that had national flavor.

- Example, Early 19th Century, Chopin transformed his native Polish dances into great art.

Leading musical nationalist

Mussorgsky( 1839-1881 ); Pictures at an Exhibition ( 1874 )Rimsky-Korsakov( 1844-1908) ; Russian Easter

Smetana(1824-1884) ; The MoldauDvorak( 1841-1904) ; Slavonic Dances (1878)

Edvard Grieg (1865–1957) ; Peer Gynt Suite

Jean Sibelius(1865-1957); Finlandia (1899)

Isaac Albeniz(1860-1909) ; Suite Iberia (1906)

The Russian

Five

Mily Alexeyevich

Balakirev

César Antonovich Cui 

Modest Petrovich

Mussorgsky

Nikolai Andreyevich

Rimsky-Korsakov

Alexander Porfiryevich

Borodin

(1836-1910)

Musician

(1835-1918)

An army Enginee

r

( 1839-1881)A civil

servant

(1844-1908)

A naval officer

(1833-1887)

A chemist

Russian Five- The folk music of Russia are very

different from the western Europe.- Often based on ancient church

modes, consist of 8 tones within an octave and have the pattern of whole and half steps also tend with irregular in meter.

- It was in 1860s, where 5 young men, known as “Russian Five” form a group to creating a truly Russian music.

- Russian Five created a masterpiece of musical nationalism called Pictures at an Exhibition (1874).

Pictures at an Exhibition ( 1874 )- It was originated as a cycle of piano

pieces inspired by pictures from Mussorgsky’s friend, Victor Hartmann.

- There are 10 pieces of music in this masterpiece.

- One of the popular and important among those pieces is The Great Gate of Kiev.

Thank You for your attention.