Art Nouveau and the Symphony During the Fin-De-Si¿¿¿¿ Cle: The
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Art Nouveau and the Symphony during the Fin-de-Siècle: The Intersection of the Arts in Paris and Vienna A Document Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Division of Ensembles and Conducting of the College-Conservatory of Music By Christopher Hill M.M., University of Michigan, Orchestral Conducting (2005) B.M., Michigan State University, Double Bass Performance (2001) Advisor: Prof. Mark Gibson Reader: Dr. Jeongwon Joe Reader: Dr. Jonathan Kregor ii ABSTRACT This interdisciplinary document examines the intersection of art and music during the fin-de- siècle in Paris and Vienna, with particular emphasis on the convergence of Art Nouveau with the symphonic genre. It relates the more fluid Art Nouveau of Paris with the more geometric Jugendstil and Sezessionstil styles of Art Nouveau that emerged in Vienna, and explores the reciprocal influence of each in the development of the symphony during the fin-de-siècle. Four symphonic works that span the height of the Art Nouveau era are examined in detail, including the Symphony in B-flat major (1890) by Ernest Chausson (1855–1899), the Symphony No. 3 in B-flat major (1897) by Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871– 1942), the Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major (1902–3) by Vincent d’Indy (1851–1931), and the Symphony No. 7 (1904–5) by Gustav Mahler (1860–1911). Through an analysis of the shared Art Nouveau characteristics of each, a new lens for understanding and contextualizing these works is proposed. iii iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to a number of my friends and colleagues for their generous support and encouragement. Most importantly, I must thank my doctoral advisor and mentor, Prof. Mark Gibson, who initially urged me to pursue the idea of the intersection of the arts for this document. Throughout the past five years, he has taught me a great deal about the craft of conducting and supported me in the profession. I am also indebted to my two readers Dr. Jeongwon Joe and Dr. Jonathan Kregor for their time and assistance with the preparation of this document. Special thanks to Prof. Ulrich Nicolai, whom I first met during his time as a Visiting Professor at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he was on exchange from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He has always been most generous both with his time and advice. Not only did he assist me with my German, but he helped with accommodations during my stay in Munich during the summer of 2010. For their help in Vienna that same year, I am indebted to bass-baritone Steven Scheschareg, who shared his flat with me, and conductor David Rahbee, who showed me the grave of Mahler in Grinzing and the magic of the heurige. I would never have seen so much in my short time there without their invaluable assistance. I would be remiss not to mention Prof. Marianne Ploger, the head of musicianship at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, who played such an integral role in guiding me along this path during my time as a student at the University of Michigan and the years prior. I am grateful both to Prof. Robert Eshbach and Dr. Robert Haskins, not only for their support during my time at the University of New Hampshire, but particularly to Dr. Haskins for his helpful writing advice and willingness to read many of my early drafts. My longtime friend Dr. Michael Hopkins of the University of Michigan urged me to complete this project, a feat that proved to be more elusive than I could have ever imagined. v It is with a heavy heart that I must also thank my best friend Ming, who shared so many of the high and low points of this journey together with me and read so many revisions. Her critical assistance proved to be invaluable. I thank my family for their support and endurance. To the many others whom I have been fortunate to meet on my travels and throughout our interesting and varied experiences together, I thank you for letting me be a part of your story. Christopher Hill December 10, 2011 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I: ART NOUVEAU AND THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE IN PARIS AND VIENNA ............................................................ 9 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Literature Review ..............................................................................................................................................................................12 Political and Cultural Context: Paris and Vienna ...................................................................................................................... 14 Paris ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Vienna ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 The Role, Presentation and Intersection of the Arts in Paris and Vienna ........................................................................... 23 Paris ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Vienna ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 The Rise and Development of Art Nouveau ............................................................................................................................... 31 1. Félix Vallotton, Poster for L’Art Nouveau (1895). Musée de la Publicité, Paris. ......................................................................... 33 2. Henry Van de Velde, dining room in Bing’s L’Art Nouveau (1895). Wallpaper by Paul-Elie Ranson. Fonds Louis Bonnier. Institut francais d’architecture, Paris. .............................................................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER 2: WAGNER, DEBUSSY, THE SYMPHONY AND ART NOUVEAU ................................................................... 38 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Wagner, the Gesamtkunstwerk and Art Nouveau .................................................................................................................. 40 Debussy, the Arabesque, and Art Nouveau ............................................................................................................................... 44 3. Claude Debussy, Deux arabesques (1888, 1891), L. 66: I, m. 95 – 100. Leipzig: Edition Peters, 1969.................................... 45 The Fin-de-Siècle Symphonic Landscape in Paris and Vienna .............................................................................................. 49 vii Folk Music and the Decorative Arts............................................................................................................................................. 56 The Parallel Development of Instruments and Materials ....................................................................................................... 63 Methodologies for Cross-Disciplinary Comparison ...............................................................................................................66 4. Christopher Hill, Cross Disciplinary Mappings. ..............................................................................................................................66 Developing Relational Methods through Klee and Schoenberg ..................................................................................... 68 5. Paul Klee, Tendril (1932). Felix Klee, Berne. ..................................................................................................................................... 71 CHAPTER 3: THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE PARISIAN SYMPHONY AND ART NOUVEAU ........................................................... 73 Ernest Chausson, the Symphony in B-flat, and Art Nouveau ................................................................................................ 73 Chausson: Style, Aesthetic, and Art Nouveau ...................................................................................................................... 79 Chausson: Symphony in