Poetic Discourse In Music A Research On Mendelssohn’s Concert Overture

This dissertation is based on the programmatic meaning of Mendelssohn’s three concert overtures which were composed in the1820s-1830s. In order to reveal the special connotation of Mendelssohn’s concert overture in the culture context of early nineteenth century, this dissertation examines the musical structure and genre of these works at first, then interpret their related musical styles and art positions, and finally explore the effectiveness from the interrelationship between the nature of genre and poetic aesthetic.Chapter One mainly look back upon the development history of overtures, in order to infuse with the history environment of the19th century which was directed by the poetic aesthetic. The purpose is to explore the definiteness of the opportunity and effectiveness which were used to interpret the individual programmatic meaning of the concert overtures, and to discuss the positive response of Mendelssohn’s esthetic ideas which is reflected in the most of his works.The main parts of the thesis is composed of three main parts:chapter two, three and four, they respectively analyse A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Hebrides and Calm sea and Prosperous Voyage. The major purpose is to experience the poetic function of different music matericals through exploring their distinct characteristics from musical languages.Chapter Two represents the impressive poetic languages of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which are composed of the magic motto and the characteristic subject. The audiences can directly realized the dramatic music ideas which is concentrated in character portray. For the sake of clearly describing and imaging of this work, they generate a affiliated system which is consist of different kinds of themes that come from a special harmonic progress.There are two hidden history truths in The Hebrides which remedy the misunderstanding of Fingal’s Cave and its programmatic version in Chapter Three. There is a explicit programmatic connotation in the work which is presented by extending the identificated motive and tonal. Mendelssohn also reveal his longing fro nature besides the musical languages.The Fourth Chapter primarily discusses the interesting formal structural of Calm sea and Prosperous Voyage. It is consist of an individual fragment and a sonata form which is respectively composed by two different poets. Though it is seemed that the deepening throughout motive formed an unbalance structure,there is also an emphasis of the musical connotation. Goethe spirit, also imply a transcendental textual meaning The Conclusion Part summarize the complimentary relationship between the poetics and overture, then take a further step to interpret the potential representability through understanding Mendelssohn’s distinctive musical languages. The ultimate purpose is to find the development path of the19th programmatic music by the abovemetioned relationship.