Italian Serenade
Encyclopedia
The Italian Serenade is a piece of music written by Hugo Wolf
in 1887. It was written originally for string quartet
and named simply Serenade in G major. By April 1890, he was referring to it in his letters as "Italian Serenade". In 1892, he arranged it for string orchestra. It is one of his few works other than lieder.
The work was written between 2 and 4 May 1887. One of its inspirations was his concurrent work on setting various poems by Joseph Eichendorff
to music, and the first of them "Der Soldat I" has a theme that is similar to that of the Serenade. That poem’s subject is similar to that of Eichendorff's novella Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts (From the Life of a Ne'er-Do-Well), and it may be that Wolf was as much influenced by this work as he was by the poem. The novella includes a section about an Italian serenade played by a small orchestra. The hero of the novella is a young violinist who leaves home to seek his fortune further afield, and this could well have been something that Wolf could relate to.
It was originally planned as part of a work in three movements. However, Wolf later abandoned this plan in favor of a self-contained, one-movement work. His father died only a week after he wrote the Serenade, and he wrote no more music for the remainder of 1887.
When Wolf orchestrated the work in 1892, he was intending it as the first movement of a four-movement suite. He did sketch a slow movement in G minor, but never finished it. In his letters, he mentions another movement that he claimed to have completed, but that score has never come to light, only 45 measures of sketches being extant. In 1897, he sketched a few pages of a Tarantella
to complete the suite, but he was committed to an insane asylum before he could finish it. In summary, all that remains of the projected suite is the Italian Serenade. Throughout his time in the asylum, where he remained for the rest of his life, he planned to complete the suite, but this never eventuated. Wolf died in February 1903.
The Italian Serenade is quite short, taking only about 7 minutes, and has a lilting and varied theme, played over a pizzicato figure. The main theme is said to have been based on an old Italian melody played on an obsolete form of oboe
called the piffero
. Its lively and optimistic manner is an evocation of the Italianate spirit, realised through melodic richness. Robert W. Gutman has written that "The essence of the delicious Italian Serenade is its antithesis of romantic sentiment and mocking wit".
Its first performance was in Vienna
in January 1904, eleven months after Wolf's death. Both the original string quartet version and the orchestral version were played at the premiere.
The Italian Serenade has been recorded many times, it is a favourite encore piece for string quartets, and it has been arranged by other hands for combinations of instruments such as a wind quintet and solo viola
and orchestra.
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, somewhat related to that of the Second Viennese School in concision but utterly unrelated in...
in 1887. It was written originally for string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
and named simply Serenade in G major. By April 1890, he was referring to it in his letters as "Italian Serenade". In 1892, he arranged it for string orchestra. It is one of his few works other than lieder.
The work was written between 2 and 4 May 1887. One of its inspirations was his concurrent work on setting various poems by Joseph Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet and novelist of the later German romantic school.Eichendorff is regarded as one of the most important German Romantics and his works have sustained high popularity in Germany from production to the present day.-Life:Eichendorff was born at Schloß...
to music, and the first of them "Der Soldat I" has a theme that is similar to that of the Serenade. That poem’s subject is similar to that of Eichendorff's novella Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts (From the Life of a Ne'er-Do-Well), and it may be that Wolf was as much influenced by this work as he was by the poem. The novella includes a section about an Italian serenade played by a small orchestra. The hero of the novella is a young violinist who leaves home to seek his fortune further afield, and this could well have been something that Wolf could relate to.
It was originally planned as part of a work in three movements. However, Wolf later abandoned this plan in favor of a self-contained, one-movement work. His father died only a week after he wrote the Serenade, and he wrote no more music for the remainder of 1887.
When Wolf orchestrated the work in 1892, he was intending it as the first movement of a four-movement suite. He did sketch a slow movement in G minor, but never finished it. In his letters, he mentions another movement that he claimed to have completed, but that score has never come to light, only 45 measures of sketches being extant. In 1897, he sketched a few pages of a Tarantella
Tarantella
The term tarantella groups a number of different southern Italian couple folk dances characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 6/8 time , accompanied by tambourines. It is among the most recognized of traditional Italian music. The specific dance name varies with every region, for instance...
to complete the suite, but he was committed to an insane asylum before he could finish it. In summary, all that remains of the projected suite is the Italian Serenade. Throughout his time in the asylum, where he remained for the rest of his life, he planned to complete the suite, but this never eventuated. Wolf died in February 1903.
The Italian Serenade is quite short, taking only about 7 minutes, and has a lilting and varied theme, played over a pizzicato figure. The main theme is said to have been based on an old Italian melody played on an obsolete form of oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
called the piffero
Piffero
The piffero or piffaro is a double reed musical instrument with a conical bore, of the oboe family.It is used to play music in the tradition of the quattro province, an area of mountains and valleys in the north-west Italian Apennines which includes parts of the four provinces of Alessandria,...
. Its lively and optimistic manner is an evocation of the Italianate spirit, realised through melodic richness. Robert W. Gutman has written that "The essence of the delicious Italian Serenade is its antithesis of romantic sentiment and mocking wit".
Its first performance was in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in January 1904, eleven months after Wolf's death. Both the original string quartet version and the orchestral version were played at the premiere.
The Italian Serenade has been recorded many times, it is a favourite encore piece for string quartets, and it has been arranged by other hands for combinations of instruments such as a wind quintet and solo viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and orchestra.
Sources
- The Kennedy Center
- marbecks.co.nz
- Music@Menlo 2008
- Italian Serenade sheet music: arrangement for viola and orchestra