What is the story behind Transfigured Night?
As the title suggests, Verklärte Nacht is the story of a miraculous transformation. The piece is based on a poem by the German poet Richard Dehmel that tells an emotional story about a couple walking in the woods on a cold winter night. In Dehmel’s poem, the woman is pregnant with the child of a man she never loved.
Is Transfigured Night expressionism?
The close literary association, the use of an extended single movement form and the nearly expressionist exploration of a personal, inner psychological state characterize Transfigured Night as a harbinger of new 20th century tendencies despite its Romantic cast.
What is the setting of Verklärte Nacht by Arnold Schoenberg?
Arnold Schoenberg was 25 when he dashed off Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) in a flurry of inspiration during a three-week period in September of 1899. At the time, he was vacationing in the scenic Austrian countryside near the mountain resort of Semmering.
What is the meaning of Verklärte Nacht?
Transfigured Night
Verklärte Nacht (“Transfigured Night”) was inspired by a mystical poem by Richard Dehmel. In cold, moonlit woods, a woman confesses to her lover that she carries the child of another man she never loved but to whom she yielded for fulfillment.
Does verklarte Nacht have form?
The over-all form of the poem Verklärte Nacht is obvious enough in its ABACA structure, wherein A functions as a refrain in which a narrator describes two people walking. The B section consists of a woman informing a man that she is pregnant (by another man), while C recounts the man’s response.
Does verklarte Nacht have rhythm?
“Verklärte Nacht” does not open with strange or unexpected harmony, but with a simple six-note scale descending in D minor. It’s the first time all six instruments play in rhythmic unison, and they play, together, the same three-note motif that Schoenberg has been developing since the beginning of the work.
Does verklarte Nacht have harmony?
Does Verklärte Nacht have harmony?
“Verklärte Nacht” does not open with strange or unexpected harmony, but with a simple six-note scale descending in D minor.
Does Verklärte Nacht have form?
The structure of Verklärte Nacht, in accordance with the poem, is made up of five sections, in which the first, third, and fifth are of more epic nature and so portray the deep feelings of the people wandering about in the cold moonlit night. …
When was verklarte Nacht composed?
1899
Verklärte Nacht/Composed
This was the cultural context in which the young Schoenberg composed Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) between September and December 1899.
What kind of musical style is verklarte Nacht?
Verklärte Nacht was originally scored for string sextet, making it the first chamber music written as a symphonic poem. Schoenberg arranged the original string sextet for string orchestra in 1917. He later revised it in 1943, the version heard on this concert.
What is the musical element of verklarte Nacht?
Verklärte Nacht is a tone poem—that is, an instrumental composition with plot content—in the tradition of Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes and Richard Strauss’s Don Juan. Schoenberg’s piece differs from its models in that it is a chamber piece, not an orchestral work.
How old was Robert Schoenberg when he composed Transfigured Night?
Schoenberg composed Transfigured Night in 1899, when he was 25 years old. He later arranged it for string orchestra, and to this day the string orchestra version of Transfigured Night remains Schoenberg’s single most “popular” composition.
Who is the poem Transfigured Night based on?
Transfigured Night is based on a poem by the same name written by the German writer and poet Richard Dehmel (1863-1920). The poem describes a nameless man and woman walking together on a cold night. The first line of the poem – “Two people walk through the bare, cold grove” – is bleakly depicted by Schoenberg in the key of D Minor.
Who is the choreographer of Transfigured Night Rambert?
Created by two-time Olivier-award winning choreographer Kim Brandstrup, it is a dramatic love story, with intimate duets and spectacular ensemble dancing amplifying the beauty and romance of its Schoenberg score. ‘Suddenly everyone’s doing narrative’ – interview with Kim Brandstrup in the Financial Times (registration required)
Who was impressed with Schoenberg’s treatment of Verklarte Nacht?
Richard Dehmel himself was favorably impressed by Schoenberg’s treatment of the poem, writing, “I had intended to follow the motives of my text in your composition, but soon forgot to do so, I was so enthralled by the music.” ^ Grout & Palisca 1988, p. .