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主題主題:Vienna 永遠的永遠的流行音樂流行音樂StraussWaltzJohann Strauss Jr 1825-1899The Great Waltz(1938)Directed byJulienDuvivier(more)Writing creditsGottfriedReinhardt(story)SamuelHoffenstein(screenplay).The waltz king Alotofwhatwecallclassicalmusicstartedoutaspopularmusic.Mostofthenon-religiousRenaissancepiecesperformednowbyscholarlyearlymusicgroupsarenothingmorethanextremelyoldoldies-popsongsanddancetunesthathitthechartsbefore1600.The waltz king Andoneofthemostbelovedofall19th-centurycomposers,amanwhosemusicisnowplayedbysymphonyorchestrasaroundtheworld,wasactuallyadance-bandleader.The waltz king JohannStraussJr.wasthemostcommerciallysuccessfulbandleadersofhisperiods,StraussprosperoushometownofViennawentwaltzmadintheearly19thcentury.Spectaculardancepalaceswereeverywhere.Theprivilegedclassesthrewoneopulentpartyafteranother,whiletheworkingclassescongregatedattradesmensballs.The waltz king Inthe1820s,JohannStraussSr.andhispartnerJosefLannerwerethefirstmentocornertheViennesewaltzmarket.Theywrotetheirownmusicandconductedtheirownsmalldanceorchestrastogreatadulationandprofit.The waltz king Despitehissuccess-orperhapsbecausehefearedthecompetition-Straussinsistedthathissonspursuenon-musicalcareers.Twoofthem,EduardandJosef,obeyed,butwrotewaltzesandpolkasontheside.The waltz king Hiseldestson,JohannJr.,secretlyrehearsed15musiciansandmadehisdebutin1844.Fortheoccasionhedwrittenfourwaltzes,twoquadrillesandthreepolkas,whichwereimmediatelyhailedasequaltohisfatherswork.Beforelong,theyoungStrausswouldfarsurpasstheeffortsofhisfather.The waltz king ThefirstoriginalwaltzStraussplayedthatnightwascalledTheFavorSeekers;thelastwastitledThoughtPoems.Thosetitlesbecamehiscareersdualtheme.The waltz king AllStrausswaltzesare,ineffect,thoughtpoems,withanexpressivenessandelaboratedetailthattranscenddancemusicforms.OnereviewerofaStraussconcertatthe1867ParisExhibitionwrote,Noonethoughtofdancing,foreveryonewantedtolisten.The waltz king StrausswasandremainsknownasTheWaltzKing,buthewroteseveraldifferentkindsofpieces-polkas,marches,quadrillesandothers,aswellassparklingoperettasincludingDieFledermausandTheGypsyBaron.The waltz king Itseasytotellmostoftheseformsapart.Themarchneedsnointroduction.Itsatwo-stepthatssosimpleitcantbedancedto;youmerely,well,marchtoit.The waltz king ThepolkawasoriginallyalivelyBohemianpeasantdancethatsentcouplesboundingandtwirlingalloverthedancefloor.Mostpolkasareinternary,orthree-part,form.Thefirstandthirdpartsareidentical,andthesecondoftenbringsinacontrastingmood.ThetwomostfamousStrausspolkasareThunderandLightningandTritsch-Tratsch.The waltz king Aquadrilleisagroupdance,requiringanequalnumberofcouples.ItseemstohaveoriginatedinFranceandmayhavebegunasmusictoaccompanydisplaysofhorsemanship.Thequadrilleisnotonlyagroupdance,butagroupofdances-five,usually,indifferentrhythmsandtempos.Atfirst,quadrillesusedfolktunes,butStraussquadrillesemploysongsandoperaariasthatwerepopularinhisday.The waltz king Finally,thewaltz.Thebasicwaltzisin3/4timewiththeemphasisonthefirstbeat(count:ONE-two-three,ONE-two-three).Whilethepolkaisaboisterous,jerkydance,thewaltzischaracterizedbyglidingandsmoothrotation.The waltz king TheViennesewaltzhasaspecialrhythm.Itsstillathree-count,butthesecondbeatisrushedalittle,leavingashortbreathingspacebetweenthesecondandthirdbeats.AtrulyauthenticperformanceofaStrausswaltzwillrushthesecondbeatinthismanner,impartingaspeciallilttothemusic.The waltz king TounderstandStraussdistinctionasacomposerofwaltzingthoughtpoems,consideroneofhismostpopularworks,theEmperorWaltz.The waltz king Mostwaltzesbeginwithalittleintroductiontogivecouplestimetogetontothedancefloor.TheEmperorWaltzopenswithanextendedintro.Firsttheresadistantmarchtune,ratherjauntybutdecidedlymilitary.The waltz king Awaltzmelodytriestosurgeforwardbutisinterruptedbythemarch,whichnowcomesupfrontandfullregalia.The waltz king Themarchtunerecedes,andisfollowedbyaswirlingtransitionalpassagewithalittlecellosolo.Thisleadsquietlyintothewaltzthemethatappearedintheintroduction.Theresnograndannouncement;itjustsubtlybegins.The waltz king Nowcomesawholeseriesofwaltzes,allfeaturingsingingmelodiclines.Orchestralflourishesoccasionallybillowlikewomensballgowns,buttherearequietsections,too.The waltz king Eachnewtuneisalittlemoreextrovertedthanthelast,butneartheendthewistful,nostalgicopeningwaltzreturns.Itsallabouttoendinanobleblaze,buteverythingsuddenlydiesawayintothatpoeticcellosolofromtheintroduction.Itsveryslow,noteasilydanced.The waltz king Finallycomesabriefupliftingcoda,louderandabitfasterthanthecellosoloandfullofbrassfanfares.The waltz king StraussmelodicgiftassuredhimofthepublicsunflaggingfavorthroughoutEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Thewaltzwasasocialopiate,andeachStrausswaltzprovidedadeeplysatisfyinghigh.The waltz king Waltzingwas,inmodernparlance,anescapemechanism.DuringStrausslife,Viennasopulenceanditsglitteringballsmaskedapervasivexenophobia,politicaloppression,epidemicsofcholeraandscarletfever,andfinancialcrises.The waltz king ButwhocouldworryaboutsuchthingswhiledancingtomusicgiventitleslikeCarefreeandICouldntCareLess?The waltz king Nothingchanges,doesit?WhenDr.Burneyin1805describedthewaltzasa“riotousmoderninvention”,whoseverynameimplied“towallow,welter,tumbledownorrollinthedirtormire”,hecouldjustaseasilyhavebeendenouncingrocknrollin1956.Whenhewondered“howuneasyanEnglishmotherwouldbetoseeherdaughtersofamiliarlytreated”,hecouldhavebeencommentingonthelambadaor“DirtyDancing”.The waltz king ThissalaciouspopularentertainmenthitthebigtimewhenJohannStraussVaterformedhisrock-sorry,dance-bandin1825,whereafteritgraduallygainedacceptanceasasocialactivity.In1844,JohannStraussSohn,whowasbornthesameyearashisdadsband,formedoneofhisown,thekeystepinhistransformationfrombankclerktoWaltzKing,andembarkedonacareerwhichwastoelevatethewaltzfromthecoffeehouse(c.f.disco)totheregalballroomsofEurope.The waltz king WhilenothingassuresrespectabilitymorethanrecognitionbytheEstablishment,Straussalsowonadmirationfromsomesurprisingquarters,namelytheavant-gardeofthenextgeneration.Mahlerwasagreatfan,evenpayingtributeinhisFifth Symphony,thoughhewrylyobservedthatStraussveryfacilitypreventedhisbecominga“greatcomposer”(presumablyinthesenseofBeethovenorBrahms)-hehadnoneedofsymphonicdevelopment,becausewhenonetunehadrunitscourse,hesimplypulledanother,equallymemorable,outofhishat!Cryingshame!The waltz king Schoenberg was so incensed at thestodginessofthe“palm-court”arrangements of the 1920s that heorganised a concert,to show that itwasnotcompulsoryforpiano,harmonium and string quartet tomangle Strauss elegant tunes.Thearrangements by Schoenberg,Berg,and Webern are wellworth searchingout,believeme!The waltz king YoucouldsayStraussmadeanartformoutofthepot-pourri.Heexercisedimmenseskillincoordinatingthetunespulledfromhiscapaciousheadgear,combiningthemwithimaginativeintroductionsandbridgingphrasestotransmutemeredancesequencesintoexquisitetone-poems.IbelievethatStraussremainssouniversallywell-lovedbecausehismusicisnotjuststylishandattractive,butalsoedifyinglywellboltedtogether.The waltz king Thenamesgiventothesepieceswereoftenjustfancifulhandles,butsometimes reflected the character ofthemusic.ThustheintroductiontotheEmperor Waltz(or Kaiser-Walzer,ifyou want to be picky),written inhonourofFranzJosefin1888,isinamarch-like2/4givingitaregal,evenpompous feel.It also has a certainfussinesswhich,ifIwereFranzJosef,Imightwonderabout.The waltz king Howeffortlesslyitleads,viaacadentialcellosolo,intothefirstwaltztune-cunningly pre-echoed in theintroduction-and on intoa colourfulandvariedfulldressball.Thestatelyprocessional of the introduction isbrilliantlyreflectedinacentral,majestic,tune,resplendentinweightybrass,whichyoujustknowwillcomebacktoformthesonorousclimax(butsurprisinglynottheconclusion).Ifyoufeeltheurgetodanceintheaisles,goahead!
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