Counterpoint and Fugue in Opera

[Alf Lederer]

Hello Everybody,

I am searching for examples of counterpoint and fugue in opera in
connection with an article I am writing. Of particular interest would
be examples from around 1830 going forward. I would appreciate any
suggestions you could provide.

Many thanks, Alfred Lederer

[Derrick Everett]

The most famous example of a fugue in opera must be the one in Jaromir
Weinberger's 'Schwanda the Bagpiper' (Svanda Dudak), which premiered in
Prague in 1927. 'Schwanda' has been, after Smetana's 'Bartered Bride'
(which has some fugato writing in its overture), the most performed Czech
opera outside its native country. The fugue appears in the second (last)
act of the opera and, coupled with the polka from act one, it is a popular
concert piece. The score of 'Schwanda' is rich in counterpoint.

Other notable examples of fugal writing, if not actually strict fugues, in
opera after 1830 include:

* the riot scene ending act two of Wagner's 'Die Meistersinger'
* the concluding chorus of Verdi's 'Falstaff'
* the opening chorus of Saint-Saens' 'Samson et Dalila'
* the Brocken scene of Boito's 'Mefistofele'
* a 12-tone fugue in the Bible-reading scene of Berg's 'Wozzeck'.

--
Derrick Everett
====== Writing from 59°54'N 10°37'E =======
http://home.c2i.net/monsalvat/index.htm
http://home.c2i.net/monsalvat/wagnerfaq.htm

[roy robertson]

Not sure if this is what you had in mind for counterpoint, but in "Peter
Grimes"
there's a glorious round sung on "Old Joe Has Gone Fishing". Then
there's the
passacaglia, of course.

R

--
"What will we tell the children?"
-Mark Foley, 1998 impeachment hearing

[samu...@comcast.net]

The overture to Gounod's Romeo includes a short, Bachian fugue.

Samurai

[EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)]

Alf Lederer wrote:

A very notable one is in the last act of Verdi's "Falstaff"

[Juan I. Cahis]

Please, add to the list the last scene of the last version of Verdi's
"Macbeth". This Fugue (a choir fugue) is not present in the first
version of the opera.

Derrick Everett <sparafu...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 05:00:11 -0800, Alf Lederer wrote:
>
>> Hello Everybody,
>>
>> I am searching for examples of counterpoint and fugue in opera in
>> connection with an article I am writing. Of particular interest would be
>> examples from around 1830 going forward. I would appreciate any
>> suggestions you could provide.
>>
>>
>The most famous example of a fugue in opera must be the one in Jaromir
>Weinberger's 'Schwanda the Bagpiper' (Svanda Dudak), which premiered in
>Prague in 1927. 'Schwanda' has been, after Smetana's 'Bartered Bride'
>(which has some fugato writing in its overture), the most performed Czech
>opera outside its native country. The fugue appears in the second (last)
>act of the opera and, coupled with the polka from act one, it is a popular
>concert piece. The score of 'Schwanda' is rich in counterpoint.
>
>Other notable examples of fugal writing, if not actually strict fugues, in
>opera after 1830 include:
>
> * the riot scene ending act two of Wagner's 'Die Meistersinger'
> * the concluding chorus of Verdi's 'Falstaff'
> * the opening chorus of Saint-Saens' 'Samson et Dalila'
> * the Brocken scene of Boito's 'Mefistofele'
> * a 12-tone fugue in the Bible-reading scene of Berg's 'Wozzeck'.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!