Romanticism
TERM MUSIC PROJECT

Due

This is a MAJOR term project. All material to be typed. It should represent your knowledge and understanding of Romantic issues and concepts.

Watch the video of Puccini's opera La Boheme. There are copies of it in the chorus room and they may be signed out overnight.

Answer each of the following. Support your ideas and opinions with specific references to the music or plot. Write clearly, concisely and to the point. Romantic prose is not the goal but rather a "classical" statement of fact. Must be typed.


1. Describe the "Romantic Musical" characteristics of the opera.

2. List- define- and give specific examples of the "Romantic Issues" represented in La Boheme.

3. Opera makes no attempt to be "real." Describe the scene in Act III in which the audience witnesses two simultaneous but different events taking place at once. Explain how this is supposed to work. Is it effective? Why or why not.

4. Mimi's final aria is also not "real." Why is it an appropriate "romantic" technique? Why is it accepted?

5. Winter and cold have played an important role in "Die Wintereisse," Frankenstein and in La Boheme. Discuss the common symbolism?

6. Describe the conflict of love Vs reason in Rudolfo's and Mimi's relationship. Is the message of the opera that reason is right or that love is right? Explain and support your opinion. What would be a contemporary example of this issue?

7. Compare and contrast the characters of Mimi and Musetta.

ART

Create a visual image that represents a scene from that opera La Boheme that
a. has been updated and set in 1996.
b. represents one of the more important "Romantic" issues

Provide a written explanation of
a. the design elements used in your art work
b. the meaning, symbolism, and message of your work.



Option:
Compare and contrast Puccini's La Boheme with the Broadway musical Rent. Note significant differences in plot. Discuss the Romantic issues presented in each, how they are the same and how they are different.