Weekly Class Assignments

9 APR 09

1. We will start next week by discussing and looking at Strauss's Rosenkavalier. Those who have not yet presented will go first, in score order. Addiitionally, look at the following two scenes:
   • Act II, from the begining, but look especially at the "presentation of the rose" (starts score p. 186, Rehearsal 25)
   • Act III, know the plot and overall action, but look especially at the concluding "Trio" ( starts score p. 496, Rehearsal 284)
2. Make sure that you have read Michael Kater's chapter "Richard Strauss: Jupiter Compromised" (see last week's assignment for details).
3. Be prepared to discuss Richard Strauss's relationship to the Nazi party, charges that he was anti-Semitic, etc. Use the following events as possible foci of discussion:
   • Strauss's willingness to accept the presidency of the RMK and how he used the office, either for self-benefit or to push any personal agenda.
   • Strauss's substitution as a conductor for Bruno Walter in 1933, the reasons he might have done so, and the impressions it left.
   • Strauss's letter to Stephan Zweig prior to the premiere of Die Schweigsame Frau and the repercussions of that documenet and surrounding events.
   • Strauss's composition of both the Olympic Hymn and the Japanische Festmusik, and his reasons for doing so.
   • Any other incident or event that you think is relevant to this discussion.
4. As a demonstration of how a project presentation might be done, I will give a 15-20 presentation on "Strauss and Wind Band music (especially arrangements)" at the end of evening.

2 APR 09

1. We will start next week by discussing and looking at Strauss's Salome, before moving on to Rosenkavalier.
2. Carry over all assignments related to Der Rosenkavalier
3. Looking ahead to the final seminar meetings of this semester, do the following, as your schedule allows:
   • Read Michael H. Kater, "Richard Strauss: Jupiter Compromised," (Chapter 8, pp. 211-263) in his Composers of the Nazi Era : Eight Portraits, which will be sent to you shortly as as PDF.
   • Prepare your own 15-20 minute oral presentation based on your major project.
   • Read Alex Ross, "The Last Emperor," The New Yorker 20 December 1999 (p. 86 ff.) [Instructions on how to access this article electronically to be posted in the future.]
   • Using Classical Music Library (or other resources), listen to three of Strauss's lates works: the Horn Concerto No. 2, The Oboe concerto, and the Duett Concertino.

26 MAR 09

1. We will start next week by discussing and looking at Strauss's Salome, before moving on to Rosenkavalier.
2. Using any sources of your own choice (NB. there are several useful items on the UCF Library reserve), look for information on the following:
   • Any general background on Der Rosenkavalier, including its composition, reception, and reputation.
   • Know the main characters and general plot outlines of Der Rosenkavalier.
3. Be prepared to discuss the entire first Act of Der Rosenkavalier. While you should know the entire Act in general terms (see above), you should individually focus on the following sections, concentrating on how the details of the music and action work (NB. 1st name has primary responsibility for the section, w/ 2nd as "backup and assistance"):
   • Opening mm. to Rehearsal 12 - Warfield
   • Octavian: "Wie du warst!..." (Rehearsal 12-48, pp. 11-22) - Royals & Hoey
   • Octavian: "Marie Theres'!" (Rehearsal 48 to 102, pp. 22-42) - Millhouse & Haymans
   • Baron: "Selbsverständlich...." [Och's Entrance] (Rehearsal 102-143, pp. 42-64) - Keller & Hammond
   • Baron: "Hat sie schon einmal mit einem Kavalier...." (Rehearsal 143-190, pp.64-85) - Jaume & Schreier
   • Marschallin: "Nein, er agiert mir gar zu gut!" (Rehearsal 190-224, pp.85-104) - Hoey & Royals
   • [Marschallin's entrance] Marschallin: "Ich präsentiere Eure Leibden her die Notar." (Rehearsal 224-269, pp. 104-128) - Haymans & Millhouse
   • [Exit of Baron] Marschallin: "Da geht er hin" (Rehearsal 269-306, pp, 128-145) - Hammond & Keller
   • Marschallin: "Dass ihn das Word so kränkt" [to end of Act I](Rehearsal 306-342+, pp. 145-164) - Schreier & Jaume
4. For one interpretation of Der Rosenkavalier read Lewis Lockwood, "The Element of Time in Der Rosenkavalier," pp. 243-258 in Richard Strauss: New Perspectives on the composer and His Work, ed. Bryan Gilliam.

19 MAR 09

1. We will start next week by concluding the discussion of Strauss's Lieder, before moving on to his operas.
2. Be prepared to discuss Richard Strauss as a composer of Lieder. Read any summary of Strauss's song composition, chosen from:
   • Barbra A. Petersen, "Richard Strauss : A Lifetime of Lied Composition," in German Lieder in the Nineteenth Century, ed. Rufus Hallmark, pp. 250-278.
   • James L. Zychowicz, "The Lieder of Mahler and Richard Strauss," in The Cambridge Companion to the Lied, ed. James Parsons, pp. 261-272.
   • Christine Getz, "The Lieder of Richard Strauss," in The Richard Strauss Companion, ed. Mark-Daniel Schmid, pp. 335-381.
3. Be prepared to speak (briefly) about your own song analysis (assigned last week.)
4. Listen to (and study the texts) of Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder
5. Using any sources of your ownh choice, look for information on the following:
   • An overview of Strauss's operas, including a basic listing of titles, librettists, and general reputations of his various stage works.
   • Guntram, especially information concerning its general history, the ending of Strauss's libretto, and its implications for his personal philosphy.
   • Feuersnot, focusing on the general relationship between this work and Strauss's attitude toward Munich.
   • Salome, including the work's general history and reputation, and a good plot summary that focuses on the ending of the opera.
   • Read Alex Roth, "The Salome Summit: Mahler and Strauss in Graz 1906," The Berlin Journal 8 (Spring 2004): 50-53 (sent to you as a PDF attachment).

5 MAR 09

1. Reminder: There is no seminar meeting next week, as the university is closed for Spring Break. We will resume meeting on the Thursday following (19 March 09).
2. Be prepared to discuss Richard Strauss and the "business" of music, including such issues as composer's rights, copyright reform, etc. Know who the principal players are and the chief issues. Read as much of the following as possible:
   • Barbara A. Petersen, "Die Händler und die Kunst: Richard Strauss as Composers' Advocate," in Richard Strauss : New Perspectives on the Composer and His Work, ed. Bryan Gilliam, pp. 115-132.
   • Franzpeter Messmer, "The Trailblazer of Modern Musical Copyright," GEMA News 160 (Dec 1999). [to be sent to you as a PDF]
   • Hans-Christoph Mauruschat, "The Appreciation of Music" (parts 1-7), GEMA News 160-166 (Dec 1999-Nov 2002). [to be sent to you as a PDF]
   • Any relevant passages in the standard Strauss biographical literature. The final chapter(s) of Schuh's biography are especially good on this topic.
3. Be prepared to discuss Richard Strauss as a composer of Lieder. Read any summary of Strauss's song composition, chosen from:
   • Barbra A. Petersen, "Richard Strauss : A Lifetime of Lied Composition," in German Lieder in the Nineteenth Century, ed. Rufus Hallmark, pp. 250-278.
   • James L. Zychowicz, "The Lieder of Mahler and Richard Strauss," in The Cambridge Companion to the Lied, ed. James Parsons, pp. 261-272.
   • Christine Getz, "The Lieder of Richard Strauss," in The Richard Strauss Companion, ed. Mark-Daniel Schmid, pp. 335-381.
4. Prepare your own song analysis for discussion (assigned in class)
5. Listen to (and study the texts) of Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder

26 FEB 09

1. There will be no new (additional) assignments for this coming week. Instead, you should have sufficicent work remaining from previous assignments to keep busy. Remember, you have several impending deadlines, and the majority of next week's class will be devoted to Also sprach Zarathustra, with you (the seminar members) doing most of the discussion.

19 FEB 09

1. Be prepared to discuss Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel, op. 28, in detail. As with the earlier tone poems, do (as much as you can of) the following:
   • Determine, as best you can, from any of the standard Strauss sources, what the "program" of Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel, op. 28, is. Do take note of where you got whatever you find.
   • For a discussion and analysis of Till Eulenspeigel, read James Hepokoski, "Framing Till Eulenspeigel," 19th-Century Music 30, no. 1 (Summer 2006): 4-43. [Unfortunately, this item is not available online, so you must consult (and copy?) the hard copy in the UCF Library (or elsewhere).]
   • Use your full score of this work in the Dover Anthology to analyze the structure of Till Eulenspiegel. Additionally, you can download piano reductions at the IMSLP web site to help w/ your own analysis.
   • For listening, this work is included in the Classical Music Library (UCF Library articles and databases).
2. Using any of the resources available to you, i.e., any standard biographies (on reserve or elsewhere), the NGD, or other scholarly tools, continue reading about Richard Strauss's life and career through the later 1890s.
3. Be prepared to discuss Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30, in detail. As with the earlier tone poems, do (as much as you can of) the following:
   • Before attempting to determine the program of this work, read as background on Strauss and Nietzsche in the books by Williamson and/or Youmans. What did Strauss understand about Nietzsche and how did that influence this tone poem?
   • For earlier versions of Youman's chapters on Strauss and Nietzsche, see the following two articles (in JSTOR):
     • "The Role of Nietzsche in Richard Strauss's Artistic Development," The Journal of Musicology 21, No. 3 (2004): 309-342
     • "The Private Intellectual Context of Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra," 19th-Century Music 22, No. 2 (1998): 101-126
   • What is the program for Also sprach Zarathustra, and how closely does it coordinate with the score?
   • Use your full score of this work in the Dover Anthology to analyze the structure of Also sprach Zarathustra. Additionally, you can download piano reductions at the IMSLP web site to help w/ your own analysis.
   • For listening, this work is included in the Classical Music Library (UCF Library articles and databases).
4. For the view of theorist who generally discounts programs, see Edward Murphy, "Tonal Organization in Five Strauss Tone Poems," Music Review 49, Nos. 3-4 (1983): 223-33 [not in JSTOR, see the hard copy on the shelf in the UCF Library]
5. Friendly Reminder: Your "Strauss Biography Project" papers will be due in a few weeks. Make sure that you have allowed enough time to read and study all eight items on the list for the assignment. You have until March to complete the entire project.
6. Proposals for major paper topics have been returned to you as email attachments. Read the comments and use as guides in the preparations of your bibliographies and general research.

12 FEB 09

1. As always, finish any leftover reading or listening related to previous assignments.
2. For next week, make sure that you are ready to listen to Strauss's Macbeth. I will do most of the "work" in presenting this piece, but you should be prepared to respond to my questions, comment and ask your own questions. In particular, make sure that you have done the following:
   • Know Shakespeare's play, Macbeth (and its characters), in its general outline. A website like: "Sparknotes: Macbeth should be sufficient.
   • Try to determine, as best you can, from any of the standard Strauss sources, what the "program" of Strauss's Macbeth, op. 23, is. Do take note of where you got whatever you find.
   • Read James Hepokoski, "Structure and Program in Macbeth: A Proposed Reading of Strauss's First Symphonic Poem" in Gilliam, Richard Strauss and His World (67-89).
   • While you are not required to have a score of this work, you might download either the full orchestral score or the piano reduction (only 22 pp.), both available at the IMSLP web site.
3. Also, for next week, prepare to discuss and listen to Strauss's Don Juan, op. 20. While we will work primarily from Hepokoski's article, do not assume that his is the last word on this piece. Rather, be prepared to challenge him (or anyone else, including me). Be ready with the following:
   • Try to determine, as best you can, from any of the standard Strauss sources, what the "program" of Strauss's Don Juan, op. 20, is. Do take note of where you got whatever you find.
   • For an analysis of Don Juan, read James Hepokoski, "Fiery-Pulsed Libertine or Domestic Hero? Strauss's Don Juan Reinvestigated" in Gilliam, Richard Strauss: New Perspectives on the Composer and His Work (135-75).
   • Again, while you are not required to have a score of this work, you might download either the full orchestral score or the piano reduction (only 22 pp.), both available at the IMSLP web site.
   • For listening, this work is included in the Classical Music Library (UCF Library articles and databases).
4. As the last of next week's major assignments, prepare (as much as you can) to discuss and listen to Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel, op. 28. As with the earlier tone poems, do (as much as you can of) the following:
   • Try to determine, as best you can, from any of the standard Strauss sources, what the "program" of Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel, op. 28, is. Do take note of where you got whatever you find.
   • For a discussion and analysis of Till Eulenspeigel, read James Hepokoski, "Framing Till Eulenspeigel," 19th-Century Music 30, no. 1 (Summer 2006): 4-43. [Unfortunately, this item is not available online, so you must consult (and copy?) the hard copy in the UCF Library (or elsewhere).]
   • Reminder, you have a full score of this work in the Dover Anthology that you should have purchased for this course. Additionally, you can download piano reductions at the IMSLP web site to help w/ your own analysis.
   • For listening, this work is included in the Classical Music Library (UCF Library articles and databases).
5. Using any of the resources available to you, i.e., any standard biographies (on reserve or elsewhere), the NGD, or other scholarly tools, continue reading about Richard Strauss's life and career through the later 1890s.
6. Looking ahead two weeks (to class on 26 February), we will give Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30, a close look. Without giving you any specific assignments, you should know the obvious things to do, beginning with background reading, listening and score analysis (in your Dover Anthology). For specific readings on this tone poem, look at (and within) the books by Williamson and Youmans, both on reserve.
7. Friendly Reminder: Proposals for major paper topics are due to me this coming Friday (or within a day or two later, if you've cleared the extension with me).
8. Continue work on the "Strauss Biography Project," continuing to read the other seven items on the list for the assignment. Remember, you have until March to complete the entire project.

1. Finish any leftover reading or listening related to Strauss's earliest years and music, as well as any unfinished work on his music and career through 1885.
2. Using any of the resources available to you, i.e., any standard biographies (on reserve or elsewhere), the NGD, or other scholarly tools, investigate Richard Strauss's life and career from about 1885 to 1890. In particular, you should look for information on:
   • How does Strauss becomes interested in and motivated to compose "program music"?
   • Take note of how Alexander Ritter (and others) affect Strauss's attitude toward various composers (notably Brahms and Wagner) and the musical styles they represent.
   • What are Strauss's most important, large-scale (orchestral) works in this era (c. 1880-90)? Which are programmatic, and in what ways are they programmatic (or not)?
3. For background, read in the NGD the article on "programme music" (note the English spelling). What is this category and how do works so identified differ from other kinds of music in the era?
4. If possible, listen to any (or all) of the following works by Strauss (preferably in this order): Symphony No. 2, op. 12; Burlesque, Tr 145; Aus Italien, op. 16; Macbeth, op. 23; Don Juan, op. 20.
5. Look specifically for the program notes by Strauss for his orchestral work, Aus Italien, op. 16. See Schuh, pp. 139-40, and also Bryan Gilliam's chapter on "Richard Strauss" (esp. pp. 346-8) in Kern Holoman, The Nineteenth-century Symphony (ML 1255.N5 1996), recently added to the course reserve.
6. To expand your knowledge of the Strauss bibliography, look at the following items for their contents and relative value as research tools:
   • Mark-Daniel Schmid, ed., The Richard Strauss Companion (UCF Library Reserve)
   • Bryan Gilliam, Richard Strauss and His World (UCF Library Reserve)
   • Bryan Gilliam, Richard Strauss : New Perspectives on the Composer and His Work (UCF Library Reserve)
   • The Richard Strauss Institute (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) (web resource)
   • Richard Strauss Online (web resource)
   • http://www.richard-strauss.com/ (web resource)
7. Instructions for the major paper are now posted on the course web site. Read them carefully, noting the various internal deadlines, and begin to formulate your possible project topics.
8. Continue work on the "Strauss Biography Project" by now starting to read the other seven items on the list for the assignment. Remember, you have until March to complete the entire project.

22 JAN 09

1. We will begin next week with some listening and discussion of Strauss's very earliest works (left over from the previous meeting.) Look at the PDF scores sent to you, and listen to any recordings you were able to locate (as per last week's instructions). We will then move forward into Strauss's music in 1880-85.
2. For next week (29 Jan 09) be prepared to describe and discuss (briefly!) your assigned work from Strauss's early years (c. 1880-1885). See the group email with the information on the assignment of pieces. Do the following with your piece:
   • Do a rough "formal" analysis of the work. How are its movements organized (broadly), what are the harmonic plans, how do these relate to "textbook" forms you might know?
   • How does Strauss shape his melodic and thematic materials, and what is his harmonic language like?
   • Do you note any obvious influences or resemblances to other (earlier) composers?
   • Know the basic "facts" of the composition, publication, etc., such as you might need for a very brief program note. NB. This is not a formal graded presentation, but rather you should be prepared to contribute to the discussion from the vantage point of your assigned work.
3. Using any of the resources available to you, i.e., any standard biographies (on reserve or elsewhere), the NGD, or other scholarly tools, investigate Richard Strauss's life and career from about 1880 to 1885. In particular, you should look for information on:
   • How does Strauss start to become a "public" figure? What are some of the activities and events that make Strauss a "working" musician or attract the notice of the public?
   • Take note of how such individuals as Franz Strauss, Eugen Spitzweg, Hans von Bülow, and others, assist or promote Strauss's career.
   • How does Strauss's name reach beyond Munich in these years?
4. Read my review of Franz Trenner, Richard Strauss Werkverzeichnis in Fontes artis musicae 42 (1995): 382-4, which will be sent to you as a PDF attachment to a group email. Use that article to learn how Strauss's music is cataloged and identified, especially when it does not carry an opus number. Also, what is the value of one catalog over the others?
5. Continue work on the "Strauss Biography Project" by now starting to read the other seven items on the list for the assignment. Remember, you have until March to complete the entire project.

15 JAN 09

1. Complete any remaining tasks from the 8 JAN 09 list below.
2. For next week (22 Jan 09) prepare your presentation on one of the eight biographies, according to the instructions found via the link to the "Strauss Biography Project" on the course web page. Reminder: you have only 5-8 minutes to make your graded presentation.
3. Using any of the resources available to you, i.e., any standard biographies (on reserve or elsewhere), the NGD, or other scholarly tools, investigate the life, education and musical development of Richard Strauss up to the age of about 16. In particular, you should look in detail for information on:
   • Strauss's family and their origins, and his closest acquaintances, especially noting their social standing, interest in the arts, etc.
   • The specifically musical influences and important events on Strauss in his formative years, including teachers, organizations and institutions, concerts attended, etc., that shaped his knowledge of and tastes in music.
   • Strauss's own musical compostitions up to the year 1880 (nothing after the Symphony in D minor).
4. Try to locate actual music examples from Strauss's earliest years (up to 1880), including either scores or recordings (complete or fragmentary). Hint: Classical Music Library (via UCF Library databases) includes a few examples. If you are unable to find the actual music, what information can you get from secondary sources? In short, what is Strauss's earliest music like?
5. In a few days, I may send you 1-2 examples of Strauss earliest music as a PDF attachment to an email. Read and act on any instructions in that email.

8 JAN 09

1. REMINDER: The seminar meeting for 8 January 2009 has been canceled due to a conflict with the FMEA meeting in Tampa.
2. Next Thursday, 15 January 2009, will be the first meeting of the seminar. Before next week's meeting, complete the following listed tasks.
3. Locate the course web site at http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~swarfiel/MUH6935str/6935strhome.html and bookmark this site for future reference.
4. Read the course syllabus (link on the course home page) carefully to make sure that you understand the course objectives, my expectations and your responsibilites.
5. Send me an EMAIL (to: swarfiel@mail.ucf.edu) from the account that you prefer, and in that message indicate that you have READ and UNDERSTAND the course syllabus.
6. If you are not familar with any of the electronic resources on the course home page (UCF Library, Oxford Music Index, RILM, Project Muse, Classical Music LIbrary, etc.), learn what each includes and how to navigate and use each site.
7. Using the New Grove Dictionary of Music II (part of Oxford Music Online or in the library's hard copy), read the article "Strauss, Richard" by Bryan Gilliam. Please note that you are to read the entire article (all 9 subsections). You should also skim through the works list and bibliography, simply to be aware of what they contain.
8. Be prepared for a general discussion of "Who was Richard Strauss?" In particular, you should be able to discuss the following:
   • Identify in broad outline, the most important events of his life and career
   • The names (and identities) of some of the more important individuals in Strauss's life and career
   • The titles of some of Strauss's most important works, roughly when they were composed, and why they might be important
   • Any particular issues that color the perception of Strauss and his music
   • Strauss's reputation as a composer and performing musician, both in his lifetime and subsequently.