Jump to content

Art song: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
 
(39 intermediate revisions by 31 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{For|a song by Tyla|Art (song)}}
{{Short description|Vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment}}
[[File:Nacht und traume bar 5.png|thumb|right|200px|Bar five of [[Schubert]]'s art song entitled ''[[Nacht und Träume]]''. The vocal part, including the [[melody]] notes and the text, is in the top stave. The two staves below are the piano part.]]
[[File:Nacht und traume bar 5.png|thumb|right|200px|Bar five of [[Schubert]]'s art song entitled ''[[Nacht und Träume]]''. The vocal part, including the [[melody]] notes and the text, is in the top stave. The two staves below are the piano part.]]


An '''art song''' is a [[vocal music]] [[Musical composition|composition]], usually written for one voice with [[piano]] accompaniment, and usually in the [[classical music|classical art music]] tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs (e.g., the "art song repertoire").<ref name="Meister">Meister, ''An Introduction to the Art Song'', pp. 11–17.</ref> An art song is most often a musical setting of an independent poem or text,<ref name="Meister" /> "intended for the concert repertory"<ref>''Art Song'', Grove Online</ref> "as part of a recital or other relatively formal social occasion".<ref>Randel, ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'', p. 61</ref> While many pieces of vocal music are easily recognized as art songs, others are more difficult to categorize. For example, a wordless [[vocalise]] written by a classical composer is sometimes considered an art song<ref name="Meister" /> and sometimes not.<ref>Kimball, ''Introduction'', p. xiii</ref>
An '''art song''' is a [[Western world|Western]] [[vocal music]] [[Musical composition|composition]], usually written for one voice with [[piano]] accompaniment, and usually in the [[classical music|classical art music]] tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs (e.g., the "art song repertoire").<ref name="Meister">Meister, ''An Introduction to the Art Song'', pp. 11–17.</ref> An art song is most often a musical setting of an independent poem or text,<ref name="Meister" /> "intended for the concert repertory"<ref>''Art Song'', Grove Online</ref> "as part of a recital or other relatively formal social occasion".<ref>Randel, ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'', p. 61</ref> While many vocal music pieces are easily recognized as art songs, others are more difficult to categorize. For example, a wordless [[vocalise]] written by a classical composer is sometimes considered an art song<ref name="Meister" /> and sometimes not.<ref>Kimball, ''Introduction'', p. xiii</ref>


Other factors help define art songs:
Other factors help define art songs:
*Songs that are part of a staged work (such as an [[aria]] from an [[opera]] or a song from a [[Musical theatre|musical]]) are not usually considered art songs.<ref name="Kimball-pxiv">Kimball, p. xiv</ref> However, some Baroque arias that "appear with great frequency in recital performance"<ref name="Kimball-pxiv" /> are now included in the art song repertoire.
*Songs that are part of a staged work (such as an [[aria]] from an [[opera]] or a song from a [[Musical theatre|musical]]) are not usually considered art songs.<ref name="Kimball-pxiv">Kimball, p. xiv</ref> However, some Baroque arias that "appear with great frequency in recital performance"<ref name="Kimball-pxiv" /> are now included in the art song repertoire.
*Songs with instruments besides piano (e.g., cello and piano) and/or other singers are referred to as "[[vocal chamber music]]", and are usually not considered art songs.<ref>Meister calls it "a variety of art song" (p. 13); Kimball does not include these works in her study of art songs.(p. xiv)</ref>
*Songs with instruments besides piano (e.g., cello and piano) and/or other singers are referred to as "vocal chamber music", and are usually not considered art songs.<ref>Meister calls it "a variety of art song" (p. 13); Kimball does not include these works in her study of art songs.(p. xiv)</ref>
*Songs originally written for voice and orchestra are called [[Orchestral song|"orchestral songs"]] and are not usually considered art songs, unless their original version was for solo voice and piano.<ref>Meister, p. 14, and Kimball, p. xiv</ref>
*Songs originally written for voice and orchestra are called [[Orchestral song|"orchestral songs"]] and are not usually considered art songs, unless their original version was for solo voice and piano.<ref>Meister, p. 14, and Kimball, p. xiv</ref>
*[[Folk music|Folk songs]] and traditional songs are generally not considered art songs, unless they are art music-style concert arrangements with [[piano]] accompaniment written by a specific composer<ref>Meister refers to them as a "hybrid medium", p. 14</ref> Several examples of these songs include [[Aaron Copland|Aaron Copland's]] two volumes of ''[[Old American Songs]]'', the Folksong arrangements by [[Benjamin Britten]],<ref>Benjamin Britten, ''Complete Folksong Arrangements'' (61 Songs), edited by Richard Walters, Boosey & Hawkes #M051933747, {{ISBN|1423421566}}</ref> and the ''Siete canciones populares españolas'' (''Seven Spanish Folksongs'') by [[Manuel de Falla]].
*[[Folk music|Folk songs]] and traditional songs are generally not considered art songs, unless they are art music-style concert arrangements with [[piano]] accompaniment written by a specific composer<ref>Meister refers to them as a "hybrid medium", p. 14</ref> Several examples of these songs include [[Aaron Copland|Aaron Copland's]] two volumes of ''[[Old American Songs]]'', the Folksong arrangements by [[Benjamin Britten]],<ref>Benjamin Britten, ''Complete Folksong Arrangements'' (61 Songs), edited by Richard Walters, Boosey & Hawkes #M051933747, {{ISBN|1423421566}}</ref> and the {{Lang|es|Siete canciones populares españolas}} (''Seven Spanish Folksongs'') by [[Manuel de Falla]].
*There is no agreement regarding [[Church music|sacred songs]]. Many song settings of [[Bible|biblical]] or sacred texts were composed for the concert stage and not for religious services; these are widely known as art songs (for example, the ''[[Vier ernste Gesänge]]'' by [[Johannes Brahms]]). Other sacred songs may or may not be considered art songs.<ref>Neither Meister nor Kimball mention sacred songs generally, but both discuss the Brahms songs and selected other works in their books on art song.</ref>
*There is no agreement regarding [[Church music|sacred songs]]. Many song settings of [[Bible|biblical]] or sacred texts were composed for the concert stage and not for religious services; these are widely known as art songs (for example, the ''[[Vier ernste Gesänge]]'' by [[Johannes Brahms]]). Other sacred songs may or may not be considered art songs.<ref>Neither Meister nor Kimball mention sacred songs generally, but both discuss the Brahms songs and selected other works in their books on art song.</ref>
*A group of art songs composed to be performed in a group to form a narrative or dramatic whole is called a [[song cycle]].
*A group of art songs composed to be performed in a group to form a narrative or dramatic whole is called a [[song cycle]].
Line 13: Line 15:
==Languages and nationalities==
==Languages and nationalities==


[[File:PDP-CH - Helge Rosvaenge, Tenor - Gerald Moore, Pianoforte - Der Feuerreiter - Hugo Wolf Society - Hmv-db3321-2ra2193.flac|thumb|right|200px|A recording of singer [[Helge Rosvaenge]] (Tenor) and [[Gerald Moore]], [[Pianoforte]], performing ''Der Feuerreiter''.]]
[[File:PDP-CH - Helge Rosvaenge, Tenor - Gerald Moore, Pianoforte - Der Feuerreiter - Hugo Wolf Society - Hmv-db3321-2ra2193.flac|thumb|right|200px|A recording of singer [[Helge Rosvaenge]] (Tenor) and [[Gerald Moore]], [[Pianoforte]], performing ''Der Feuerreiter'']]
Art songs have been composed in many languages, and are known by several names. The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as ''[[Lieder]]''. In France, the term ''[[mélodie]]'' distinguishes art songs from other French vocal pieces referred to as [[chanson]]s. The Spanish [[canción]] and the Italian [[canzone]] refer to songs generally and not specifically to art songs.
Art songs have been composed in many languages, and are known by several names. The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as ''[[Lieder]]''. In France, the term ''[[mélodie]]'' distinguishes art songs from other French vocal pieces referred to as [[chanson]]s. The Spanish [[canción]] and the Italian [[canzone]] refer to songs generally and not specifically to art songs.


Line 20: Line 22:


==Performance and performers==
==Performance and performers==
Performance of art songs in [[recital]] requires special skills for both the singer and pianist. The degree of intimacy "seldom equaled in other kinds of music"<ref name="Meister" /> requires that the two performers "communicate to the audience the most subtle and evanescent emotions as expressed in the poem and music."<ref name="Meister" /> The two performers must agree on all aspects of the performance to create a unified partnership, making art song performance one of the "most sensitive type(s) of collaboration".<ref name="Meister" /> As well, the pianist must be able to closely match the mood and character expressed by the singer. Even though classical vocalists generally embark on successful performing careers as soloists by seeking out [[opera]] engagements, a number of today's most prominent singers have built their careers primarily by singing art songs, including [[Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau]], [[Thomas Quasthoff]], [[Ian Bostridge]], [[Matthias Goerne]], [[Wolfgang Holzmair]], [[Susan Graham]] and [[Elly Ameling]]. Pianists, too, have specialized in playing art songs with great singers. [[Gerald Moore]], [[Geoffrey Parsons (pianist)|Geoffrey Parsons]], [[Graham Johnson (musician)|Graham Johnson]], [[Dalton Baldwin]], [[Hartmut Höll]] and [[Martin Katz]] are six such pianists who have specialized in [[Accompaniment|accompanying]] art song performances. The piano parts in art songs can be so complex that the piano part is not really a subordinate accompaniment part; the pianist in challenging art songs is more of an equal partner with the solo singer. As such, some pianists who specialize in performing art song recitals with singers refer to themselves as "collaborative pianists", rather than as accompanists.
Performance of art songs in [[recital]] requires special skills for both the singer and pianist. The degree of intimacy "seldom equaled in other kinds of music"<ref name="Meister" /> requires that the two performers "communicate to the audience the most subtle and evanescent emotions as expressed in the poem and music".<ref name="Meister" /> The two performers must agree on all aspects of the performance to create a unified partnership, making art song performance one of the "most sensitive type(s) of collaboration".<ref name="Meister" /> As well, the pianist must be able to closely match the mood and character expressed by the singer. Even though classical vocalists generally embark on successful performing careers as soloists by seeking out [[opera]] engagements, a number of today's most prominent singers have built their careers primarily by singing art songs, including [[Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau]], [[Thomas Quasthoff]], [[Ian Bostridge]], [[Matthias Goerne]], [[Wolfgang Holzmair]], [[Susan Graham]] and [[Elly Ameling]]. Pianists, too, have specialized in playing art songs with great singers. [[Gerald Moore]], [[Geoffrey Parsons (pianist)|Geoffrey Parsons]], [[Graham Johnson (musician)|Graham Johnson]], [[Dalton Baldwin]], [[Hartmut Höll]] and [[Martin Katz (pianist)|Martin Katz]] are six such pianists who have specialized in [[Accompaniment|accompanying]] art song performances. The piano parts in art songs can be so complex that the piano part is not really a subordinate accompaniment part; the pianist in challenging art songs is more of an equal partner with the solo singer. As such, some pianists who specialize in performing art song recitals with singers refer to themselves as "collaborative pianists", rather than as accompanists.


== Composers ==
== Composers ==


===British===
===English===
{{main article|English art song}}
{{main article|English art song}}
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
Line 44: Line 46:
*[[Jonathan Dove]]
*[[Jonathan Dove]]
*[[Benjamin Britten]]
*[[Benjamin Britten]]
⚫
*[[Morfydd Llwyn Owen]]
*[[Michael Tippett]]
*[[Michael Tippett]]
*[[Ian Venables]]
*[[Ian Venables]]
Line 50: Line 51:
*[[George Butterworth]]
*[[George Butterworth]]
*[[Francis George Scott]]
*[[Francis George Scott]]
*[[Rebecca Clarke (composer)|Rebecca Clarke]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 87: Line 89:
*[[John Musto]]
*[[John Musto]]
*[[Sarah Hutchings]]
*[[Sarah Hutchings]]
*[[Laura Schwendinger]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 106: Line 109:
*[[Gustav Mahler]]
*[[Gustav Mahler]]
*[[Richard Strauss]]
*[[Richard Strauss]]
*[[Joseph Marx]]
*[[Alexander von Zemlinsky]]
*[[Alexander von Zemlinsky]]
*[[Arnold Schoenberg]]
*[[Arnold Schoenberg]]
Line 116: Line 120:
*[[Paul Hindemith]]
*[[Paul Hindemith]]
*[[Wilhelm Killmayer]]
*[[Wilhelm Killmayer]]
*[[Josephine Lang]]
*[[Emilie Mayer]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 142: Line 148:
*[[Olivier Messiaen]]
*[[Olivier Messiaen]]
*[[Henri Dutilleux]]
*[[Henri Dutilleux]]
*[[Cécile Chaminade]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


Line 150: Line 157:
*[[Pascal Bentoiu]]
*[[Pascal Bentoiu]]
*[[Irina Hasnaș]]
*[[Irina Hasnaș]]
*[[Felicia Donceanu]]


===Spanish===
===Spanish===
Line 162: Line 170:
*[[Manuel García (tenor)|Manuel García]]
*[[Manuel García (tenor)|Manuel García]]
*[[Sebastián de Iradier]]
*[[Sebastián de Iradier]]
*[[José León]]
*José León
*[[Cristóbal Oudrid]]
*[[Cristóbal Oudrid]]
*[[Antonio Reparaz]]
*[[Antonio Reparaz]]
Line 233: Line 241:
*[[Frédéric Chopin]] – Poland
*[[Frédéric Chopin]] – Poland
*[[Stanisław Moniuszko]] – Poland
*[[Stanisław Moniuszko]] – Poland
*[[Eugen Suchoň]] – Slovakia
*[[Mykola Lysenko]] - Ukraine
*[[Mykola Leontovych]] - Ukraine


===Nordic===
===Nordic===
⚫
*[[Hugo Alfvén]] – Sweden
*[[Edvard Grieg]] – Norway (set German as well as Norse and Danish poetry)
*[[Edvard Grieg]] – Norway (set German as well as Norse and Danish poetry)
⚫
*[[Jean Sibelius]] – Finland (set both Finnish and Swedish)
*[[Yrjö Kilpinen]] – Finland
*[[Yrjö Kilpinen]] – Finland
⚫
*[[Wilhelm Stenhammar]] – Sweden
⚫
*[[Hugo Alfvén]] – Sweden
*[[Carl Nielsen]] – Denmark
*[[Carl Nielsen]] – Denmark
*[[Leevi Madetoja]] – Finland
*[[Ture Rangström]] – Sweden
⚫
*[[Jean Sibelius]] – Finland
⚫
*[[Wilhelm Stenhammar]] – Sweden


===Russian===
===Russian===
Line 272: Line 285:
*[[Kyrylo Stetsenko]]
*[[Kyrylo Stetsenko]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}

===Welsh===
*[[Dilys Elwyn-Edwards]]
⚫
*[[Morfydd Llwyn Owen]]
*[[Gareth Glyn]]
*[[Mansel Thomas]]
*[[Meirion Williams]]


===Asian===
===Asian===
*[[Nicanor Abelardo]] – Philippines
*[[Nicanor Abelardo]] – Philippines
*[[Ananda Sukarlan]] – Indonesia
*[[Ananda Sukarlan]] – Indonesia
*[[Byambasuren Sharav]] – Mongolia


===Afrikaans===
===Afrikaans===
Line 284: Line 305:
{{main|Art song in Arabic}}
{{main|Art song in Arabic}}
* [[Iyad Kanaan]] – Lebanon
* [[Iyad Kanaan]] – Lebanon



==See also==
==See also==
Line 299: Line 321:
| last = Kimball
| last = Kimball
| first = Carol
| first = Carol
| author-link =
| title = Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, revised edition
| title = Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, revised edition
| place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| publisher = Hal Leonard
| publisher = Hal Leonard
| year = 2005
| year = 2005
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 978-1-4234-1280-9}}
| isbn = 978-1-4234-1280-9}}
*{{Citation
*{{Citation
| last = Meister
| last = Meister
| first = Barbara
| first = Barbara
| author-link =
| title = An Introduction to the Art Song
| title = An Introduction to the Art Song
| place = New York, New York
| place = New York, New York
| publisher = Taplinger
| publisher = Taplinger
| year = 1980
| year = 1980
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0-8008-8032-3}}
| isbn = 0-8008-8032-3}}
*{{citation | last = Randel | first = Don Michael | year = 2003 | title = The Harvard Dictionary of Music | publisher = Harvard University Press | page = 61 | isbn = 0-674-01163-5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=02rFSecPhEsC&pg=PA61 | accessdate = 2012-10-22}}
*{{citation | last = Randel | first = Don Michael | year = 2003 | title = The Harvard Dictionary of Music | publisher = Harvard University Press | page = 61 | isbn = 0-674-01163-5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=02rFSecPhEsC&pg=PA61 | access-date = 2012-10-22}}
*{{Citation
*{{Citation
| last = Villamil
| last = Villamil
| first = Victoria Etnier
| first = Victoria Etnier
| author-link =
| title = A Singer's Guide to the American Art Song
| title = A Singer's Guide to the American Art Song
| place = Lanham, Maryland
| place = Lanham, Maryland
| publisher = Scarecrow Press
| publisher = Scarecrow Press
| year = 1993
| year = 1993
| volume =
| edition = 2004 paperback
| edition = 2004 paperback
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0-8108-5217-9}}
| isbn = 0-8108-5217-9}}


Line 350: Line 349:
| last = Emmons
| last = Emmons
| first = Shirlee, and Stanley Sonntag
| first = Shirlee, and Stanley Sonntag
| author-link =
| title = The Art of the Song Recital
| title = The Art of the Song Recital
| place = New York
| place = New York
| publisher = Schirmer Books
| publisher = Schirmer Books
| year = 1979
| year = 1979
| volume =
| edition = paperback
| edition = paperback
| page =
| pages =
| url = https://archive.org/details/artofsongrecital0000emmo
| url = https://archive.org/details/artofsongrecital0000emmo
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0-02-870530-0
| isbn = 0-02-870530-0
| url-access = registration
| url-access = registration
Line 368: Line 361:
| last = Hall
| last = Hall
| first = James Husst
| first = James Husst
| author-link =
| title = The Art Song
| title = The Art Song
| place = Norman, Oklahoma
| place = Norman, Oklahoma
| publisher = University of Oklahoma Press
| publisher = University of Oklahoma Press
| year = 1953
| year = 1953
}}
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = }}
*{{Citation
*{{Citation
| last = Ivey
| last = Ivey
| first = Donald
| first = Donald
| author-link =
| title = Song: Anatomy, Imagery, and Styles
| title = Song: Anatomy, Imagery, and Styles
| place = New York
| place = New York
| publisher = The Free Press
| publisher = The Free Press
| year = 1970
| year = 1970
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0-8108-5217-9}}
| isbn = 0-8108-5217-9}}
*Soumagnac, Myriam (1997). "La Mélodie italienne au début du XXe siècle", in Festschrift volume, ''Échoes de France et d'Ialie: liber amicorum Yves Gérard'' (jointly ed. by Marie-Claire Mussat, Jean Mongrédien & Jean-Michel Nectoux). Buchet-Chastel. p.&nbsp;381–386.
*Soumagnac, Myriam (1997). "La Mélodie italienne au début du XXe siècle", in Festschrift volume, ''Échoes de France et d'Ialie: liber amicorum Yves Gérard'' (jointly ed. by Marie-Claire Mussat, Jean Mongrédien & Jean-Michel Nectoux). Buchet-Chastel. p.&nbsp;381–386.
Line 401: Line 378:
| last = Walter
| last = Walter
| first = Wolfgang
| first = Wolfgang
| author-link =
| title = Lied-Bibliographie (Song Bibliography): Reference to Literature on the Art Song
| title = Lied-Bibliographie (Song Bibliography): Reference to Literature on the Art Song
| place = Frankfurt am Main
| place = Frankfurt am Main
| publisher = Peter Lang
| publisher = Peter Lang
| year = 2005
| year = 2005
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 08204-7319-7}}
| isbn = 08204-7319-7}}
*{{Citation
*{{Citation
| last = Whitton
| last = Whitton
| first = Kenneth
| first = Kenneth
| author-link =
| title = Lieder: An Introduction to German Song
| title = Lieder: An Introduction to German Song
| place = London
| place = London
| publisher = Julia MacRae
| publisher = Julia MacRae
| year = 1984
| year = 1984
| volume =
| edition =
| page =
| pages =
| url = https://archive.org/details/liederintroducti00whit
| url = https://archive.org/details/liederintroducti00whit
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0-531-09759-5
| isbn = 0-531-09759-5
| url-access = registration
| url-access = registration
Line 434: Line 396:


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://hampsongfoundation.org/ Hampsong Foundation]
*[https://hampsongfoundation.org/ Hampsong Foundation]
*[http://www.joyinsinging.org Joy In Singing]
*[https://www.joyinsinging.org/ Joy In Singing]
*[http://www.lieder.net/ The LiederNet Archive] - texts to over 140,000 vocal works with over 29,000 translations
*[https://www.lieder.net/ The LiederNet Archive] - texts to over 165,000 vocal works with over 35,000 translations
*[http://artsongcentral.com Art Song Central]
*[https://artsongcentral.com/ Art Song Central]
*[http://theartsongproject.com The Art Song Project]
*[http://theartsongproject.com The Art Song Project]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171112074423/http://www.darryltaylor.com/alliance/ The African American Art Song Alliance]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171112074423/http://www.darryltaylor.com/alliance/ The African American Art Song Alliance]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713112202/http://www.joaquinrodrigo-songs.com/artsongcomposersnew.html Art Song Composers of Spain]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713112202/http://www.joaquinrodrigo-songs.com/artsongcomposersnew.html Art Song Composers of Spain]
*[http://www.canadianartsongproject.ca/ Canadian Art Song Project]
*[https://www.welsh-art-songs.com/composers Welsh Art Songs.com]
*[https://www.canadianartsongproject.ca/ Canadian Art Song Project]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160816234140/https://laasa.org/ Latin American Art Song Alliance]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160816234140/https://laasa.org/ Latin American Art Song Alliance]
*[http://www.ukrainianartsong.ca/ Ukrainian Art Song Project]
*[https://ukrainianartsong.ca/ Ukrainian Art Song Project]
*[http://orpheusandlyra.tripod.com/id18.html Ukrainian art songs. Audio files.]
*[https://orpheusandlyra.tripod.com/id18.html Ukrainian art songs. Audio files.]
*[https://www.artsongcolorado.org Art Song Colorado]
*[http://www.hispasong.com Hispasong.com] Spanish vocal music, in English.
*Canciones de España—Songs of Nineteenth-Century Spain [https://web.archive.org/web/20110713111526/http://www.joaquinrodrigo-songs.com/]
*Canciones de España—Songs of Nineteenth-Century Spain [https://web.archive.org/web/20110713111526/http://www.joaquinrodrigo-songs.com/]
* [http://lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive/ lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive] (archived [[Hawaii Public Radio]] broadcasts about arts songs)
* [https://lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive/ lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive] (archived [[Hawaii Public Radio]] broadcasts about arts songs)

{{Musical composition}}


[[Category:Song forms]]
[[Category:Song forms]]
[[Category:Western classical music styles]]
[[Category:Classical music styles]]
[[Category:Art songs| ]]
[[Category:Art songs| ]]

Latest revision as of 12:11, 13 October 2024

For a song by Tyla, see Art (song).
Bar five of Schubert's art song entitled Nacht und Träume. The vocal part, including the melody notes and the text, is in the top stave. The two staves below are the piano part.

An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs (e.g., the "art song repertoire").[1] An art song is most often a musical setting of an independent poem or text,[1] "intended for the concert repertory"[2] "as part of a recital or other relatively formal social occasion".[3] While many vocal music pieces are easily recognized as art songs, others are more difficult to categorize. For example, a wordless vocalise written by a classical composer is sometimes considered an art song[1] and sometimes not.[4]

Other factors help define art songs:

  • Songs that are part of a staged work (such as an aria from an opera or a song from a musical) are not usually considered art songs.[5] However, some Baroque arias that "appear with great frequency in recital performance"[5] are now included in the art song repertoire.
  • Songs with instruments besides piano (e.g., cello and piano) and/or other singers are referred to as "vocal chamber music", and are usually not considered art songs.[6]
  • Songs originally written for voice and orchestra are called "orchestral songs" and are not usually considered art songs, unless their original version was for solo voice and piano.[7]
  • Folk songs and traditional songs are generally not considered art songs, unless they are art music-style concert arrangements with piano accompaniment written by a specific composer[8] Several examples of these songs include Aaron Copland's two volumes of Old American Songs, the Folksong arrangements by Benjamin Britten,[9] and the Siete canciones populares españolas (Seven Spanish Folksongs) by Manuel de Falla.
  • There is no agreement regarding sacred songs. Many song settings of biblical or sacred texts were composed for the concert stage and not for religious services; these are widely known as art songs (for example, the Vier ernste Gesänge by Johannes Brahms). Other sacred songs may or may not be considered art songs.[10]
  • A group of art songs composed to be performed in a group to form a narrative or dramatic whole is called a song cycle.

Languages and nationalities

[edit]
A recording of singer Helge Rosvaenge (Tenor) and Gerald Moore, Pianoforte, performing Der Feuerreiter

Art songs have been composed in many languages, and are known by several names. The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as Lieder. In France, the term mélodie distinguishes art songs from other French vocal pieces referred to as chansons. The Spanish canción and the Italian canzone refer to songs generally and not specifically to art songs.

Form

[edit]

The composer's musical language and interpretation of the text often dictate the formal design of an art song. If all of the poem's verses are sung to the same music, the song is strophic. Arrangements of folk songs are often strophic,[1] and "there are exceptional cases in which the musical repetition provides dramatic irony for the changing text, or where an almost hypnotic monotony is desired."[1] Several of the songs in Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin are good examples of this. If the vocal melody remains the same but the accompaniment changes under it for each verse, the piece is called a "modified strophic" song. In contrast, songs in which "each section of the text receives fresh music"[1] are called through-composed. Most through-composed works have some repetition of musical material in them. Many art songs use some version of the ABA form (also known as "song form" or "ternary form"), with a beginning musical section, a contrasting middle section, and a return to the first section's music. In some cases, in the return to the first section's music, the composer may make minor changes.

Performance and performers

[edit]

Performance of art songs in recital requires special skills for both the singer and pianist. The degree of intimacy "seldom equaled in other kinds of music"[1] requires that the two performers "communicate to the audience the most subtle and evanescent emotions as expressed in the poem and music".[1] The two performers must agree on all aspects of the performance to create a unified partnership, making art song performance one of the "most sensitive type(s) of collaboration".[1] As well, the pianist must be able to closely match the mood and character expressed by the singer. Even though classical vocalists generally embark on successful performing careers as soloists by seeking out opera engagements, a number of today's most prominent singers have built their careers primarily by singing art songs, including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Quasthoff, Ian Bostridge, Matthias Goerne, Wolfgang Holzmair, Susan Graham and Elly Ameling. Pianists, too, have specialized in playing art songs with great singers. Gerald Moore, Geoffrey Parsons, Graham Johnson, Dalton Baldwin, Hartmut Höll and Martin Katz are six such pianists who have specialized in accompanying art song performances. The piano parts in art songs can be so complex that the piano part is not really a subordinate accompaniment part; the pianist in challenging art songs is more of an equal partner with the solo singer. As such, some pianists who specialize in performing art song recitals with singers refer to themselves as "collaborative pianists", rather than as accompanists.

Composers

[edit]

English

[edit]
Main article: English art song

American

[edit]
Main article: American art song

Austrian and German

[edit]
Main article: Lieder

French

[edit]
Main article: Mélodie

Romanian

[edit]

Spanish

[edit]

19th century:

20th century:

Latin American

[edit]

In Spanish:

In Portuguese (all Brazilian):

Italian

[edit]

Eastern European

[edit]

Nordic

[edit]

Russian

[edit]
Main article: Russian art song

Ukrainian

[edit]

Welsh

[edit]

Asian

[edit]

Afrikaans

[edit]

Arabic

[edit]
Main article: Art song in Arabic


See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Meister, An Introduction to the Art Song, pp. 11–17.
  2. ^ Art Song, Grove Online
  3. ^ Randel, Harvard Dictionary of Music, p. 61
  4. ^ Kimball, Introduction, p. xiii
  5. ^ a b Kimball, p. xiv
  6. ^ Meister calls it "a variety of art song" (p. 13); Kimball does not include these works in her study of art songs.(p. xiv)
  7. ^ Meister, p. 14, and Kimball, p. xiv
  8. ^ Meister refers to them as a "hybrid medium", p. 14
  9. ^ Benjamin Britten, Complete Folksong Arrangements (61 Songs), edited by Richard Walters, Boosey & Hawkes #M051933747, ISBN 1423421566
  10. ^ Neither Meister nor Kimball mention sacred songs generally, but both discuss the Brahms songs and selected other works in their books on art song.
  11. ^ a b c Composers – Ukrainian Art Song Project Archived 2015-04-16 at the Wayback Machine

References

[edit]
  • Draayer, Suzanne (2009), Art Song Composers of Spain: An Encyclopedia, Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0-8108-6362-0
  • Draayer, Suzanne (2003), A Singer's Guide to the Songs of Joaquín Rodrigo, Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0-8108-4827-6
  • Kimball, Carol (2005), Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, revised edition, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard, ISBN 978-1-4234-1280-9
  • Meister, Barbara (1980), An Introduction to the Art Song, New York, New York: Taplinger, ISBN 0-8008-8032-3
  • Randel, Don Michael (2003), The Harvard Dictionary of Music, Harvard University Press, p. 61, ISBN 0-674-01163-5, retrieved 2012-10-22
  • Villamil, Victoria Etnier (1993), A Singer's Guide to the American Art Song (2004 paperback ed.), Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, ISBN 0-8108-5217-9

Further reading

[edit]
  • Emmons, Shirlee, and Stanley Sonntag (1979), The Art of the Song Recital (paperback ed.), New York: Schirmer Books, ISBN 0-02-870530-0{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Hall, James Husst (1953), The Art Song, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press
  • Ivey, Donald (1970), Song: Anatomy, Imagery, and Styles, New York: The Free Press, ISBN 0-8108-5217-9
  • Soumagnac, Myriam (1997). "La Mélodie italienne au début du XXe siècle", in Festschrift volume, Échoes de France et d'Ialie: liber amicorum Yves Gérard (jointly ed. by Marie-Claire Mussat, Jean Mongrédien & Jean-Michel Nectoux). Buchet-Chastel. p. 381–386.
  • Walter, Wolfgang (2005), Lied-Bibliographie (Song Bibliography): Reference to Literature on the Art Song, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, ISBN 08204-7319-7
  • Whitton, Kenneth (1984), Lieder: An Introduction to German Song, London: Julia MacRae, ISBN 0-531-09759-5
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Art_song&oldid=1250933991"