Music As A Nationalistic Tool Essay Research

Music As A Nationalistic Tool Essay, Research Paper

Music has been a powerful force throughout history. Its power has affected all aspects of people.s lives. The ideas and attitudes people have toward their country can easily be seen in their music. While music in the early part of the modern era (1400-1900) served to promote patriotism and nationalism, music.s role in the late 20th century seems a reversal and has been a deconstructive force challenging nationalistic feelings.

The origin of all music is cultural (Nettl 940). Folk songs tell a story of one.s culture (Nettl 940). The traditions of a nation and the feelings of people towards that nation are first displayed in folksongs. (Nettl 76). .Culture grew from everyday life of the people. It was made up from all that was specific to a particular nation: their native speech, their folklore, their religious deviations, their idiosyncratic practices.. (1). The origins of modern European nations can be traced to ancient folksongs and lore.

The folk songs and the musical style reflected the inner characteristics of the culture (Nettl 7). Epic songs were the earliest of musical stories (Nettl 93). These songs were told by traveling minstrels about the history of an area (Nettl 93). .The Song of Roland. typifies the epic song as they impact folk culture and feelings of nationalism (Nettl 93). In .The Song of Roland., the main character extols the people:

Says Oliver: .Pagans from there

I saw; Never on earth did any man

see more. Gainst us their shields

a hundred thousand bore, that laced

helms and shining hauberks wore:

and, bolt upright, their bright brown

spearheads shove. Battle we.ll have

as nev. was before. Lords of the

Franks, God keep you in valor!

So hold your ground, we be not overborne.

Then say the Franks .Shame take

him that goes off: If we not

die, then perish one and all. (2)

In the minds of the Franks a nationalistic spirit was already forming.

From the folklore and myths emerged some of the greatest modern operas of Europe (Davies 20). These operas promoted nationalism by appealing to national pride insuring their popular success (Grout 411). Operas appealed to pride by utilizing the ancient folktales known by all (Grout 411).

During the Romantic Era many new composers utilized their nation.s folksongs and music (Romantic Era np). One example is Felipe Pedrell (1941-1922), a Spanish composer who used folksongs and folk music of the past to compose his most famous opera, La Celestina (3) (Grout 482). Pedrell was a hardened nationalist who adapted the folk music to his own aims (Grout 482). Other examples of composers absorbed in nationalistic spirits include Polish composers Mathias Kamienski (1734 . 1821), Jan Stefani (1746 . 1829), Hungarian composers Andres Bartay (1798-1856), August von Adleburg (1830-1873), Jino Hubay (1858-1937) and French composer Jean-Fran.oise Lesueur (1760-1837). All added to the nationalistic feelings in their emerging nations (Grout 482). But perhaps one of the best examples of nationalistic opera is from Italian composer Guissepe Verdi (1813-1901). One of Verdi.s greatest operas, A.da, gave rise to patriotic demonstrations and made .Viva Verdi. a cry for Italian national unity (Grout 362). Verdi.s musical call for national unity in Italy was one of the key factors that led to a unified patriotic state.

Another composer who made as great a contribution to history and nationalistic spirit was Richard Wagner (1813-1883) of Germany. Wagner used the same tactics as Pedrell and Verdi using common folktales and songs as basis for his musical dramas (Davies 532). One of the earliest examples of this is .Tristan. (1865) (5). .Tristan. is an opera based entirely on the Celtic myth .Tristan and Isolde. (Grout 413). This opera was popular but was surpassed by Wagner.s most famous work.

Wagner.s most famous musical drama was .Der Ring des Nibelungen. finished in 1876 (Davies 230). The basis of this opera was a famous Teutonic myth known by all Germans. It told of the life and adventures of folk hero, Sigfried (Davies 230). The opera was written in four parts over a seven-year period; the installments were Das Rheingold (1969), Die Walkure (1870), Sigfried (1872), and G.tterd.mmerung (1876) (6) (Davies 230). These Celtic and Teutonic myths helped provide Germany with a national identity that led to a nationalistic spirit that would continue in Germany until the present.

The beauty of Wagner.s operas and his own horrible personal bigotry were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Wagner was an extremely anti-Semitic individual as shown by his diaries and essays (Solomon np). .Only one thing can redeem you (Jews) from the burden of your curse: the redemption of Ahaversus . total destruction.. (7)

Wagner.s operas were not without signs of his anti Semitism. While he was not so open as to give the evil characters Jewish names, he reached his audience emotionally by making the evil characters sing the flattest notes and making them appear greedy and without emotion (Solomon). In Der Ring des Nebelungen Wagner portrays the character Mime as a poor, stinking Jew with brown hair and eyes, while the main character, Sigfried, is a strong noble man with blond hair and blue eyes (Solomon). Sigfried killed

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