An Analysis of Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Ete Essay Example

Romantic and free thinker, then Berliners infatuation with Shakespeare began to replace spiritual zeal (Richter). Burlier was often inspired by Shakespeare for his compositions, including Less Units d'etat. The title for the song cycle, translated as Summer Nights, corresponds with Shakespearean A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Less Units d'etat was originally composed and published in 1841 with piano accompaniment, but in 1856 Burlier published the orchestral version of what came to be his best-known cycle (Dickinson, 110). The first song of the cycle, Belleville, is a foreshadow of Joyous fellowship between two lovers that consists of a repetitive strophe (Dickinson, 110). Placed in the key of A major, the accompaniment is comprised of chords in the root position and first inversion that are set to a rhythm of instant, staccato eighth notes. The accompaniment is played by soprano and alto woodwinds and strings.

A simplistic yet lively accompaniment allows the vocalist to demonstrate the Joyous emotion of the text with a more legato style that contrasts from the orchestra (Burlier, Less Units d'etat). Shuffled 3 The second movement of the cycle is titled Lee Specter De la Rose (The Specter of the Rose) which is undoubtedly the most elaborate of the collection (Watson, 126). The remarkable poetry is not sung from the same point of view as the character in Belleville but is portrayed by the character that is described in Belleville.

The character singing has Just passed away and is angelically telling her abiding loved one that her ghost will remain with him eternally. Though saddening, Lee Specter De la Rose, is set in the key of D major, occasionally modulating to the dominant, which

provides a feeling of hope and comfort because the tonality is uplifting. The time signature is set in 9/8 and the tempo is marked Adagio. The text refers to attending a ball with her lover and celebrating brilliant festivities.

The accompaniment consists of many chromatic, sixteenth note runs that extend from the low instruments to Geiger voiced instruments, while the vocal line is quite sustained and legato, as if the accompaniment symbolizes pain and chaotic emotions while the text and musical expression of the vocal line provides reassurance and stability (Burlier, Less Units d'etat). Sure less Leagues (On the Lagoons) is the third movement and returns to the point of view of the first character in Belleville. The character singing is grieving the loss of his/her beloved with passionate anguish.

It as if the character is uncontrollably ranting upon their grief to anyone that will listen. On the musical score, located low the title of the movement, Burlier has printed the word "laments" to stress the intended emotion. The song is set in the key of G minor which sets the mood of sorrow and solemn. The movement is set in a duple compound meter with a tempo marking of Indication that appears to the listener as a comfortable pace that is not Shuffled 4 fast or slow. The accompaniment mainly features instruments of lower timbre along with violins playing in their lower register.

The voice also begins in the lower register, allowing the singer to use his/her chest voice which can add strength and fullness to the sound. The accompaniment is providing tonal stability by playing chords that remain in the G minor choral

structure. The vocal line does not follow the tonality of G minor due to Berliners frequent use of accidentals. For example, Burlier has written a sustained C natural in the vocal line while the accompaniment is playing a V chord. The tonal tension portrays the anger and confusion that the character is experiencing.

During the beginning of the movement, the vocal line is given much freedom for expression because the accompaniment is mainly comprised of block chords entering on each beat. As the emotions of the character intensify, the energy f accompaniment is also enhanced by repeating chords by use of compound eighth notes. The emotion of the vocalist and orchestra continues to increase because the vocalist makes their way to their high/head register to sustain notes to portray their anguish while the orchestra is playing repatriated chords set rhythmically to thirty- second notes.

The movement ends with the vocalist sustaining and the orchestra repatriating the dominant (V) chord to leave the listener with a sense of unsettled and discomfort (Burlier, Less Units d'etat). Lebanese (Absence) is the fourth movement and is very contrasting to Sure less Leagues by meaner of emotion and tonality. The character singing is in a stage of grief when one may deny the occurrence of the death. The singer repeatedly pleads "Reviews, reviews ma been mime," which literally translates to "Return, return my beloved. " Though the text is saddening, Burlier set the song in the key of F# major which provides a bright and elevating sound.

The accompaniment is minimal in this movement because it usually doubles or repeats the vocal line. Shuffled 5 After the first plea of

the lover to return, the music transitions to a recitative-type section. The notes are in stepwise motion, almost monotone, as if the singer is speaking rather than singing. Burlier set the text ingeniously because the singer is entranced by speaking about the lovers' mortal distance and the musical is as well somewhat hypnotic. The singer then comes out of his/her trance with a refrain of "Reviews, reviews... ".

Although set a third higher, the recitative returns and the singer claims that they will travel to great distances to gain their beloved again. This movement ends with a third repetition of "Reviews, reviews" with a dynamic marking f piano pianissimo. "Ma been mime" is also sustained on an F#5 which is located near the passage of most soprano voices, making it difficult to produce quietly but very accomplished singers can add a quality this phrase that is incredible. Because this phrase is set high in the voice at a quiet level, it sounds as if the singer is working to hold back the tears and the overwhelming emotions.

As stated earlier, the key of F# major is the element that makes this movement so fascinating. The singer is fighting to contain his/her emotions but is supported by an uplifting tonality. Lee Specter De la Rose is sung from the point of view as the deceased but, he/she is represented again in the accompaniment of Absence. The accompaniment represents the spirit of the deceased and the promise that he/she made in Lee Specter De la Rose (Burlier, Less Units d'etat). The fifth movement, Au Centimeter (To the Cemetery), is about the character making their way to the

tomb of their beloved.

Upon their arrival to the gravesite, the character sees a lonesome dove singing a song which puts him/her in a reminiscence of their beloved looking angelic in a white dress and can smell her perfume. The heartache decides to never return to the cemetery, for the song of the lonely dove is too plaintive. Burlier set this song in D major in % Shuffled 6 time at a moderate tempo. The accompaniment begins with continuous quarter notes on the dominant chord to represent a funeral march. The vocal line corresponds with the accompaniment by also singing syllables on quarter notes although, the vocal line is in D minor.

Burlier does not give many dynamic markings other than the intended dynamic of each large phrase (usually pianissimo). This really brings attention to the text because Au Centimeter is the most tender of all the moms but, it also demonstrates how the character has gone through all the stages of grief and can no longer cry, become angry or express any kind of emotion whatsoever. When the character begins to see his/her loved on in the form of a daydream or memory, the accompaniment modulates to A minor and plays continuous eighth notes.

As the memory becomes more painful to the singer, the accompaniment modulates stepwise from C major, to B major to A major and so on by playing repatriated chords on sixteenth note runs. When the singer returns to reality, the accompaniment returns back to the funeral march from the beginning. After the singer proclaims that he/she will not return to the tomb, the movement ends back in D major, giving

the listener hope that the singer will soon overcome his/ her suffering (Burlier, Less Units d'etat).

I'll Innocence (The Island Uncharted) is the final movement of Less Units d'etat. This movement is set in the key of F major, in a compound meter with a tempo marking of Allegro spittoon, making it a musically brilliant and frolicsome. All sadness and grief are emotions of the past. Although the character is still grieving, he/she is inspired by that grief to see the world and to lands that the lovers would eave traveled to together. The accompaniment of this movement is by far the most complex in the cycle, as if it were a duet between the orchestra and voice.

Throughout the entire movement, in addition to playing repatriated sixteenth note chords, Shuffled 7 the accompaniment in embellished with stepwise runs that are located between the tonic and dominant of each modulation. The singer says repeatedly throughout the movement "Tell me young fair one, where do you wish to go? The sail swell sits wing, the wind will blow! " It is as if Burlier has captured the eagerness of the singer and the text painting of the wind into the accompaniment.

The cycle ends after the singer as asked for the last time where the lovers shall go and the orchestra ends on a simple, yet reassuring F major chord (Burlier, Less Units d'etat). Upon composing Less Units d'etat, Burlier embodies many themes of the Romantic Era, such as death, youth and nature to create a song cycle of utmost empathy and beauty. Together these six songs musically demonstrate all stages of grief that are oblivious,

angry, sorrowful, and hopeful. As Cluck wrote his operas, Burlier allowed for the music and text to both stand as two powerful elements that could come together to create something that is extraordinary (Bonds, 341).