9. Local Color. In the second half of the 19th century, a tide of nationalism began to rise among the arts in Europe. For Italy, France, and Germany, the longtime bastions of international culture, this meant an increased interest in national history and legend, and the use of more specific regional settings. But for composers in Eastern Europe, it was more radical: a matter of pulling out of the shadow of the West and proclaiming themselves creators in their own right, with national subjects and a national music to go with them. For most, the key was to turn to traditional folk music, whether the folk dances of a particular region, or the more subtle strains of melody and harmony found in folk song.

The Bartered Bride, written by the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana in 1864, is a relatively early example of this trend. In the first half-hour, we will look at various aspects of local color in the score, turning to a variety of productions for illustration. In the remainder of the class, we shall watch selected numbers from each of the three acts in a German-Language production from Vienna, to see how closely Smetana follows the traditions of comic opera elsewhere, and when he breaks from them to create something essentially new. The handouts for the class (see links above) contain a synopsis of the story.

Much of the most characteristic music in the opera is found in the overture and dance interludes. If you want something to get you into the mood, listen to the audio recording of all these excerpts here. Some, but not all of them, will also be played in class.

 
The script, videos, and images will be posted immediately after class.