11/20/07.Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde & Chinoiserie

Lecture:  Music in fin-de-siècle Vienna

Generations:

•      Ringstrasse (1870s–1897): 

•      Early Modernists (1890s–1911): 

•      Second Viennese School (1900–1930): 

 Lecture: Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde

Background:

Duality of Das Lied von der Erde :

Chinoiserie & Central Male Narrator: 

Pentatonic Scale: uses scale of 5 notes (5 black keys: F#, G#, A#, C#, D#) —> creates “oriental” effect.

Voice Distribution & Scoring:

Progressive Tonality & Chromaticism, Bitonality, Polyphony

 In-Class Writing Assignment:  What was your reaction to Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (texts and music)?  Do you think that the music was well suited to the text? 

Slide Presentation: Mahler & Chinoiserie (Viennese Design Studio)

Background of Chinoiserie:

•      waves of oriental motifs in fashion & design —> integrated into art & literature

•      called “chinoiserie” although it extended to Middle Eastern-Far Eastern cultures (e.g., Persian motifs)

•      popular in mid-/late-18th century (cf. coffee illustrations: esp in porcellan designs, parks, paintings of Watteau & Bouchard);

•      Hans Bethge’s The Chinese Flute, a translation of Chinese poems into German —> of dubious authenticity = the basis for Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde;

•      Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Design Studio): favored folk-art motifs, “primitivism,” and “chinoiserie” —> trand back to more natural sources of inspiration (anti-urban bias)

Slides:

Mahler:

•      Gustav Mahler by Emil Orlik (1902)

•      Alma Mahler

•      Gustav & Alma Mahler in Basel (1903)

•      Caricature of Mahler conducting (1910) by Hans Schließmann

•     3 x details from Klimt’s “Beethoven Frieze” for the Secession exhibition in 1902:  “Longing for Happiness,” “The Hostile Forces,” & “Longing for Happiness finds Fulfillment in Poetry”

Chinoiserie & the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Design Studio):

•     5 x Kokoschka:  Postcard #77 (1907), 2 x “The Speckled Egg” [“Das getüpfte Ei”], WW Broadsheets, “The Dreaming Boys” (1908)

•     WW fashion Design Poster

•     Jos. Hoffman: Box (1912)

•     2 x Klimt: Adele Bloch-Bauer(1912) & Friederike Maria Beer (1916)

•     2 x Dagobert Peche: Dress Designs (1914–15)

•      Lotte Calm: “Harem Ensemble” (1914–15)

•     Max Snischek:  Coat (1914)

•     3 x Dagobert Peche: Jewel Box (1918), Toy Animals (1921–22), Lace (1920)