Can you provide me with both the artistic, but more importantly,
musical definition and connotations of the term 'aquarelle'. What
would this term infer, if used as the title of a piece of music?

Dear bradski-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting question.

In artistic terms the word ?aquarelle? (of French origin, from the
obsolete Italian word ?acquarella?) is sometimes used to describe a
thinly, almost transparently drawn or painted image. In essence, it
describes a watercolor. The term is also equally meaningful when used
to describe this method or technique of watercolor painting.

WEBSTERS 1913 DICTIONARY
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/aquarelle

Similarly, an ?aquarellist? is one who paints with watercolors.

E-DICTIONARY
http://e-dictionary.us/words/aq/aquarelle131823.php

There is no musical connotation of the term ?aquarelle? unless used
perhaps in a title relative to the lyrics or, if one took liberty it
could, I suppose, described a piece of music through which one could
detect a greater or different moral or underlying message. Though I
cannot provide an instance I can imagine someone suggesting that a
particular piece was ?aquarelle? in that it proved to be transparent
in its message or meaning. Beyond this speculation however the word is
not musical in nature nor is it formally relative to music in general.


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Request for Answer Clarification by bradski-ga on 13 Sep 2004 19:37 PDT

Hi,

Thanks for the answer, but there is a use of the term 'aquarelle' as
the title of a piece of music by Frederick Delius. This piece is for
strings, and so the title is not in reference to the lyrics. If you
could find out what this title infers in this case I would be much
obliged. I have heard but cannot confirm (I hope this process will)
that it is perhaps a reference to summer, or water.

Many thanks, 
Brad

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Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 13 Sep 2004 20:13 PDT

Yes, surely I have seen this as well. Delius is said to have equated
his music with art, specially color, where it pertains to conveying
serene naturalistc scenes through its melody:

"Composers had set dawn upon the orchestra before, notably Grieg (Peer
Gynt Suite), whom Delius knew after he returned to Europe. It was
Grieg in fact, convinced of the young man's talent, who finally
reconciled Delius' father to Frederick's musical career. There was
precedent too for music of rivers and waters, which runs, with
characteristic meters and melodies, throughout the history of the art.
The storm which occurs at "Sunset," in the third scene, is a storm in
the tradition of Beethoven and Rossini, and I might add, a wonderful
rendering of the setting. The timeless serenity and expanse of the
scene on the Saint John's can be felt in the breadth of the themes and
the gradualness of their development, in the gradual expansion and
contraction of dynamics, and in the composer's sensitive use of
orchestral colors, a sensitivity, throughout his life, particularly
suited to depicting scenes of nature."

"Delius: Florida Suite, Dance Rhapsody, Over the Hills and Far Away:
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Thomas Beecham, Conductor
Seraphim S-60212"
http://users3.ev1.net/~wbthomp/zooworld.html
 
No doubt you are right in that Delius recokoned a certain relationship
between his music and what we know if this term "aquarelle" but it
wasn't the water per se but the conveyance of the entire nature scene
and all it encompasses that his music reflects. In addition, Delius
enthusiasts sitting on the spot near the St. Johns River at Solano
Grove where Delius lived, composed and fell in love with his riverview
surroundings in 1884-1885 have likened the sunrise there to "a
watercolor painting". Surely the composer himself noticed this as well
and these things influenced his work.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
http://www.ju.edu/news/JUmagazine/summer1999/river.htm

While the word itself, as I indicayed, is not relative to music in the
formal sense, if one were to envision by compaprision the composer's
shifting musical "textures" this is undoutedly the explanation of HIS
intended use of the word for this particular peice if not his thoughts
at the time.

I hope this adds signficantly to what we have already discussed.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

Many thanks. Not the answer I was hoping for, but very clear and
accurate information.