Education Guide The Flying Dutchman by ... - Edmonton Opera

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Activity: Teacher Resource Background: Wagner in Historical Perspective Wagner lived and worked in a period of massive political upheaval in Europe, which may account for some of the darkness in his work. What else happened in his lifetime? What was happening in Canada? World Events 1821 The first British report of a Flying Dutchman sighting 1846 the potato famine in Ireland leads to massive Irish emigration to Canada, and changes the face of demographics in the country as poor and Catholic Irish begin to outnumber the wealthy Protestants who had previously emigrated. 1848 Revolution sweeps through Europe, resulting in the unification of both Germany and Italy Canadian Events 1821 The Hudson’s Bay and Northwest trading companies merged, ending a long-standing rivalry for resources and land in Canada. 1841 saw the first Parliament of Canada meet in Kingston 1843 Grace Marks was convicted of murder in Ontario in a hugely controversial case (many thought she was an unwitting accomplice and she was later exonerated). Her story is the source for Margaret Atwood’s novel Alias Grace. Activity: Compare and contrast the life and works of Wagner and a contemporary musician, politician, or historical figure, either in Canada or elsewhere in the world. How can their influence be seen in the 20 th century? Today? Education Guide The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner 24
Activity: Teacher Resource Background: Leitmotif and the Composers Who Love Them Long before the signature entrances of Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Darth Vader, there was music that reminded audiences of a particular character, emotion, or theme. Short, recurring motifs (from the French “motive” and translating as “short theme”) in orchestral music began appearing in the 1700’s, although not in any extensive or systematic way. Although these musical statements were usually short melodies, they could be particular chord progressions or as simple as particular repeated rhythms. Composers Carl Maria von Weber and Beethoven, among others, used this technique (think of the opening movement in Beethoven’s fifth symphony – Beethoven’s biographer suggested that the motif represents “fate knocking at the door.”) The idea of a musical statement representing a particular feeling or theme was also used by Hector Berlioz in his Symphonie Fantastique, wherein the recurring motif represents the love of the central characters, even though there are no singers on stage representing those lovers. Berlioz called this idea the idée fixe. While this idea had been around for a number of years before Richard Wagner arrived on the scene, it is he who is most often associated with the term leitmotif (loosely translated meaning “leading motif”). He used leitmotif extensively in his music, especially his operas and it is from this usage that they have become so intrinsically linked to his name. He used them to represent characters, ideas, thoughts and feelings in his work, and in his longest work, Der Ring des Nibelungen (or the Ring Cycle), there are dozens of motifs! Since Wagner, many other composers have used this technique in their works: Sergei Prokofiev uses it in Peter and the Wolf, Verdi gave his title character one in Aida, and stirred audiences with the music threatening the entrance of the “bad guy” Scarpia in Tosca. Today, leitmotifs appear constantly in movies and plays, and the term is even used in literary studies! While Wagner never named his leitmotifs, one of his students went to the trouble of identifying in some of his works all the motifs and naming each one after its idea or them, such as the “fate motif.” There are several important leitmotifs in the Flying Dutchman, and we have reproduced some of them on the following page. Education Guide The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner 25
Page 1 and 2: Edmonton Opera Education Guides 200
Page 3 and 4: What is Opera? The word opera is th
Page 5 and 6: Student Handout Activity: “Who’
Page 7 and 8: Male Voice Types • Tenor (“tene
Page 9 and 10: Chorus Most operas include music su
Page 11 and 12: Activity: Teacher Resource Teacher
Page 13 and 14: Section 2: Der fliegende Holländer
Page 15 and 16: Synopsis: The Flying Dutchman Tradi
Page 17 and 18: The Story Behind the Story Like mos
Page 19 and 20: Activity: Teacher Resource Activiti
Page 21 and 22: What is Expressionism? Generally sp
Page 23: complete the operatic work Die Feen
Page 27 and 28: Activity: Teacher Resource What’s
Page 29 and 30: Student Handout Leitmotif Bingo: Th
Page 31 and 32: Sources Websites www.arizonaopera.c

Education Guide The Flying Dutchman by ... - Edmonton Opera

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