Nationalism can be considered to refer to music that embraces some traditional elements such as that of folk songs or typical dance forms. It can also include aspects of culture that specifically originate from a particular country that distinguishes it from another.
There is also the political angle to add into the mix which naturally encompasses composers such as Shostakovich, Elgar, Dvorak, and Smetana for example. This is not to say that Nationalism is implicitly identified with patriotism or the extremes of the political spectrum like Fascism or Nazism; it is not.
Tracking back towards the Baroque Period of music it is interesting to note that composers often wrote music that reflected popular trends. JS Bach, for instance, composed a set of French, Italian and English Suites but he did not come from any of those countries, he was German-born.
JS Bach is not the only example, but he serves to illustrate that while each of these countries had a national style, you did not have to be from that country to use that style in your own work.
Nationalism Impact On Classical Music
Where the seeds of nationalistic music are first evident around the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Culturally, Europe is in upheaval and the transition from Classical to Romantic is underway.
With this background, it seems perfectly reasonable that composers began to look increasingly towards their country of origin, their traditions and folk music on which to draw a national identity and strength.
The nature of patronage was changing as WA Mozart and Joseph Haydn passed into the history books. Along with the wars that raged across Europe came a change in authority and power. The aristocracy and the church largely funded composers throughout their careers. It may not always have been a lot of money but this patronage secured many a living.
As the Classical era closes this option becomes increasingly more exclusive leaving composers to make a living in other ways. Tapping into the spirit of the country and writing music for the people, not the powerful was one way in which this happened.
Nationalism in Russian, Italian, German, Ukrainian Classical Music
Stepping west from central Europe into Russia, we uncover a composer who played a wonderfully illustrative role in the development of nationalistic music: Mikhail Glinka. Glinka may not be a composer you are familiar with and to an extent, it’s not surprising as his catalogue of music is often overlooked.
Early in his career as a composer, Glinka was influenced by his three years in Italy under the great shadow of Bellini and Donizetti. Glinka was fortunate enough to have a further six months of study in Berlin where I think it’s fair to say he became increasingly homesick.
Berlin did see the start of his Symphony For Orchestra On Two Russian Themes (1834), that marked Glinka’s change of musical direction away from Italy and Germany towards his homeland.
This turn back in the direction of Russia following the death of his father led Glinka directly down a nationalist path; a celebration of Russian history and culture. Glinka’s compositions during this period, are felt to be amongst his best. His opera A Life For The Tsar (also known as Ivan Susanin), made his name and shot him into the spotlight.
Likewise, his collection of songs from around 1836 are exceptions and like his operas reflected his nationalism. Perhaps his most significant orchestral composition was Kamarinskaya (1848). It draws heavily on Russian folk songs that essentially dictate the structure of the work.
In addition to being a brilliant orchestral work, it started a nationalist stream of music in Russia that was warmly embraced by Tchaikovsky. This is nicely illustrated in Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony (1872), in which he makes fine use of three Ukrainian folk songs.
Nationalism in Polish Classical Music
There are many more examples of the desire to incorporate national folk songs, dances, and stories into classical compositions. The Romantic Era was the ideal breeding ground for such ideas and a shift of focus. Consider the works of Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). A significant quantity of Chopin’s output centres on Polish traditional forms.
His Mazurkas, of which he composed around 59, illustrate Chopin’s nationalistic slant as well as his fluency in incorporating and developing existing structures into his compositions. Later, composer Alexander Scriabin followed Chopin’s example and composed 24 Mazurkas of his own.
This is not the full extent of Chopin’s Polish-influenced music. Of equal merit and a delight to try and play, as his Polonaises that he composed throughout his brief life. The distinctive rhythm of this Polish dance forms the bedrock of the compositions. They are amongst Chopin’s earliest pieces for piano with the final polonaise Polonaise-Fantasie (1846), being his last.
There are around twenty-three in total with some now lost. Another lively and engaging work that exploits the polonaise rhythm is the final movement of Weber’s Second Clarinet Concerto.
Nationalism in German & Italian Classical Music
Richard Wagner, amongst the plethora of composers who chose to mine the rich veins of their cultural heritages, constructed his monumental operas around Teutonic Legends. Wagner composed both music and text for his stage works that directly evoked the strength and spirit of the German people.
Similarly, Carl Maria von Weber’s earlier opera Die Freischütz (Op.77; 1821), is often cited as being the first German Romantic opera. Weber based his plot on German ghost stories (from Gespensterbuch), creating a uniquely haunting score to accompany the stories.
We should not omit Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (1824), which is undeniably nationalistic but with a decidedly humanist, forward-looking heart. Nationalism is overshadowed by the eminent drive towards humans creating a better world for all with the elevation of the human spirit.
Franz Schubert’s incredible collection of lieder owes much to the folk tradition of Germany. The yearning expressed in his songs set the tone for composers like Robert Schumann.
Nationalism in all its glory, comes crashing through in the operatic masterpieces of Giuseppe Verdi. And, the political content in these works, like Nabucco (1842), Verdi did not shy away from acknowledging. The effect on the socio-political landscape of Italy at the time is well documented.
Nationalism in British Classical Music
In the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the British spirit shines out like a beacon of hope in his symphonic and many other works. Vaughn Williams devoted a substantial amount of time to collecting and curating English folk-song that overtly serves as a basis for his compositions.
The works of Edward Elgar whose Pomp and Circumstance March (No.1 in D major), appear on the final night of the Promenade Concert series in London each year, rousing the audience to a somewhat nostalgic, patriotic journey.
Elgar, like Vaughn Williams, stood his corner whilst the world pursued ever more extreme musical avenues. He embodies the pastoral composers of the Edwardian period.
Nationalism in American Classical Music
America is no less nationalistic. As a final mention, the work of Aaron Copland and to some extent Charles Ives, seamlessly incorporate folk music into their work. In the case of Copland, it is his ballets that perhaps illustrate this best.
They are responsible for greatly assisting the establishment of an American ballet style. You also hear the influence of jazz that has come to be synonymous with the traditional music of the USA.