h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hi, hello, etc.
I thought you might be the right people to help me...
I need to do 2 presentations for school, one for music, one for german. the first will be about the opera La Traviata, the second a little unspecified about romantic motives (like nature or so) in music, I thought maybe in music by Schubert?
If anyone can say anything about these topics or has some link please don't hide it, it would be great to hear from you.
thanks, susanne

I wrote what became an Edited Entry on Giuseppe Verdi, a couple of years ago--you'll find it at A615025 if you want some more background about Verdi.

To quote from that:

"La Traviata (1853)

Background

While the title can be translated as 'The Lost One' or 'The Fallen Woman', the Italian title is more usually used. This work written to a libretto by Piave, based on the play La Dame aux Camellias by Alexandre Dumas the younger, which in turn was based on a semi-autobiographical novel. It is unusual in Verdi's work in having no political theme. The sympathetic treatment of the courtesan Violetta, which was regarded as scandalous at the time, may have reflected Verdi's feelings about his relationship with Giuseppina Strepponi. This opera was first performed at La Fenice in Venice, but the premiere was a fiasco, perhaps due to the often-recurring problem of an overweight soprano totally failing to look consumptive.

The Plot - Paris in the 1850s

Violetta (soprano) is a consumptive Parisian courtesan who falls in love with Alfredo Germont (tenor) and goes to live with him in the country. Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont (baritone) persuades Violetta to break off the relationship, for Alfredo's good. Violetta sacrifices her love and returns to Paris, where Alfredo insults her in front of her friends. As Violetta is dying of consumption a few weeks later, Alfredo, having learned the truth, returns in time to wish her farewell.

The Music

The music of this work is mostly on a more intimate scale, as suits the purely personal theme of the plot. There are a number of beautiful arias for the soprano heroine, including the well-known Sempre Libera, and her dying song, Addio, del Passato. The drinking song or 'Brindisi chorus' is also instantly recognisable."

This page from the Met in New York gives a longer synopsis of the plot:
http://www.metopera.org/synopses/traviata.html

Azara

Hi Suzanne.

I know a little about Romanticism, less about La Traviata. But my first semester thesis was on Verdi and the influence of Romanticism in music on the spirit of Italian nationalism. (It was a wimpy high school thesis paper, but I *did* write it )
Our conductor always uses the comparison of an old Greek temple. Classicism is the temple itself, the stone and the structure, which has form. Romanticism is the vines or ivy growing on the temple. (very descriptive, I know) But some things to look for in Romanticism are nationalistic or back to nature themes, heros, heroic deed, or generally glorious stuff, absurdly large orchestras/ensembles, and extreme dynamic levels. Romanticisim in other art forms besides music (art and literature) takes on many of these same characteristics. I think in my English class we argued that Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" was a romantic novel because of the glorification of the common man, the religious themes, and the use of nature as a symbol and character unto itself, not just as a setting. As for visual arts, call me clueless. Don't really know any examples or anything, but I'm assuming you're looking for information on music, because of where you're posting this.

Best of luck.
Jen

sorry, I completely forgot to thank you for your help.
THANK YOU
presentation of Verdi and traviata was only a small catastrophe and the other about romanticism I've finished, but not yet held. It's not very long, but I think everything I will say in it is correct.
If you're ever in need of any information about romanticism in literature or music ask me, I'm an expert now
susanne