A further discussion of the music of Mozart ensued with some listening moments including his 40th symphony and selections from The Magic Flute. All incredible music combining tremendous craft with great expression and creativity. Mozart's late music demonstrates maturity of ability, balance, and originality catapulting him to a rightful place among the finest composers in history. A performance of Fritz Wunderlich singing Tamino's aria should be required listening for all people! Stunning beauty of line and form. Certainly one of the greatest tenors of all time.
We then jumped into some practice tests for the upcoming MFAT exam. I encourage you to study each test, look at www.lcsproductions.net and begin to put together the totality of music ranging from a complete knowledge of music history to music theory.
Blog entries now will be minimal as we get into the nitty gritty of the test. Let's make it happen!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Day Sixteen--Britten and Mozart
Thanks to Denise for a fine report on English composer Benjamin Britten. Known for his choral music and operas, Britten also composed symphonies, chamber music, songs, and large-scale works. Using a language that remained essentially tonal yet experimented with chromaticism and atonality, Britten's music has a shimmering energy and sophistication that makes his music some of the finest of the 20th century. We listened to a small part of Peter Grimes, parts of Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra--Variations on a theme of Purcell, and a song cycle. Quite gripping at times and emotionally satisfying, his music continues to be catalogued and we expect more works to be revealed over time. Yet aside from a few works and some of his choral pieces, I worry that his genius will be overshadowed by other composers from the 20th century. Time is not always kind to the "traditionalist" who avoided the experimental. In 100 years, will Britten's music still be performed? No way to know but I suspect not.
We then jumped backwards for a brief discussion of the Classical period with an aim toward the music of Mozart. The classical period was a response to the excesses of the Baroque and aimed for a simpler construction of the music. We have less polyphony and more emphases on melody and accompaniment. Short phrases, repetition, and strict adherence to form, define much of the music of this time. Ironically, in the area of choral music we see more Baroque influence than we do instrumental music.
We moved through Haydn, discussed the influences and oddities of the Rococco music, and quickly landed on Mozart. While I am admittedly prejudiced toward the music of Mozart, at the same time there is no denying his brilliance and remarkable achievements. We will spend a little more time on his operas and instrumental music.
Favorite classical work?
We then jumped backwards for a brief discussion of the Classical period with an aim toward the music of Mozart. The classical period was a response to the excesses of the Baroque and aimed for a simpler construction of the music. We have less polyphony and more emphases on melody and accompaniment. Short phrases, repetition, and strict adherence to form, define much of the music of this time. Ironically, in the area of choral music we see more Baroque influence than we do instrumental music.
We moved through Haydn, discussed the influences and oddities of the Rococco music, and quickly landed on Mozart. While I am admittedly prejudiced toward the music of Mozart, at the same time there is no denying his brilliance and remarkable achievements. We will spend a little more time on his operas and instrumental music.
Favorite classical work?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Day Fifteen--Barber, Bartok
David's report on the music of Samuel Barber was good, and included some nice examples of music. We listened to Adagio for Strings, Essay No. 1, and a couple of songs. Other great music includes his piano concerto, Summer Music, piano pieces, and a couple of volumes of beautiful songs. Samuel Barber, one of and perhaps my favorite 20th century composer, is known for his post-tonal, neo-romantic style music that has an elegant, lyrical quality bathed in rich counterpoint and powerful emotion. But do not be deceived by the term neo-Romantic, for this describes the traditional forms and lack of experimentalism, but does not limit the remarkable language which ranges from tonal to 12-tone, rhythmic simplicity and extreme complexity. Each song, piece is distinctly Barber but also original to itself, containing a consistency not applicable to anything but that work. This makes his music highly unified but also quite varied. From choral works, operas, symphonies, concertos, piano pieces to songs, Barber covered the gamut of music literature. At times edgy and angular, other times warm and resonant, Barber's music has something for everyone.
Onward to a brief discussion of mega-talent Bela Bartok who composed operas, string quartets, piano works, concertos, and chamber music. Known for his Hungarian folk-based music, Bartok experimented with exotic scales, modes, meter, and harmonic complexity. We listened to his 2nd Piano Concerto and referenced his string quartets. Mentioning Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta we began to look at the influence of the Fibonacci Series and the Golden Mean on art and music. Bartok's adherence to the intriguing number series is an extension of what many scholars consider to be one of the elements of great works of art. Further study is warranted on this concept, but there is no question that music that withstands the test of time is generally molded around the Golden Mean idea.
Okay, name a piece you are currently preparing and find the Golden Mean.
Onward to a brief discussion of mega-talent Bela Bartok who composed operas, string quartets, piano works, concertos, and chamber music. Known for his Hungarian folk-based music, Bartok experimented with exotic scales, modes, meter, and harmonic complexity. We listened to his 2nd Piano Concerto and referenced his string quartets. Mentioning Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta we began to look at the influence of the Fibonacci Series and the Golden Mean on art and music. Bartok's adherence to the intriguing number series is an extension of what many scholars consider to be one of the elements of great works of art. Further study is warranted on this concept, but there is no question that music that withstands the test of time is generally molded around the Golden Mean idea.
Okay, name a piece you are currently preparing and find the Golden Mean.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Day Fourteen--Copland and Mannheim
Let's begin with the end of class. I obviously made some students irritated by trashing the music of Carl Stamitz. Yes, at first hearing the music is energetic, engaging, and full of charm and life with melodic substance and rhythms that propel the idiomatic instrumental writing. Yet over time we find stagnant harmonic motion, repetition of the phrase, predictable cadences, and a general lack of originality. The Mannheim school of orchestral playing is significant for its advances in instrumental music but does not hold up as music for all time. Unlike the music of Mozart and much of Haydn, music from the Mannheim school has not stood the test of time. Does this mean we should reject it outright? Of course not, yet it is worth understanding some of the elements that seem to exist for great musical art.
Keep in mind however, that this is merely my own view which tends to lean toward a desire for rich harmony and creative originality. You may and you should develop your own criteria for musical beauty, artistry, and expression. I would just urge you to be able to support your own opinions!
Thanks to Alex for the report on the music of Aaron Copland. We listened to several great works of Copland covering the gamut of his earlier jazz influenced music all the way to recent experiments in serialism. Known for his great American ballets and his film scores, it was intriguing to listen to an interview of Copland by Studs Terkel. Copland seemed to want recognition for the totality of his music rather than for one or two "American" works. His genius found great avenues in his chamber music, vocal music, as well as his stunning orchestral works.
Using open sounds, mixed meter, hints of polytonality, strident angular expressions, and extremes of range and dynamics, Copland's distinct language set the stage for other composers attempting to write American music. But Copland is considered the Master and his music continues to reach deep, communicating on several levels and withstanding the test of time. Certainly one of the greatest American composers, I believe we will continue to explore the vast world of Aaron Copland's output.
What is your favorite Copland piece? Why? Mine is probably The Red Pony due to its expansive breadth of sound and blend of dark and light which matches the wonderful film.
Oh and by the way, I expect to read FIVE comments to this posting, not four or three or two or one, FIVE.
Keep in mind however, that this is merely my own view which tends to lean toward a desire for rich harmony and creative originality. You may and you should develop your own criteria for musical beauty, artistry, and expression. I would just urge you to be able to support your own opinions!
Thanks to Alex for the report on the music of Aaron Copland. We listened to several great works of Copland covering the gamut of his earlier jazz influenced music all the way to recent experiments in serialism. Known for his great American ballets and his film scores, it was intriguing to listen to an interview of Copland by Studs Terkel. Copland seemed to want recognition for the totality of his music rather than for one or two "American" works. His genius found great avenues in his chamber music, vocal music, as well as his stunning orchestral works.
Using open sounds, mixed meter, hints of polytonality, strident angular expressions, and extremes of range and dynamics, Copland's distinct language set the stage for other composers attempting to write American music. But Copland is considered the Master and his music continues to reach deep, communicating on several levels and withstanding the test of time. Certainly one of the greatest American composers, I believe we will continue to explore the vast world of Aaron Copland's output.
What is your favorite Copland piece? Why? Mine is probably The Red Pony due to its expansive breadth of sound and blend of dark and light which matches the wonderful film.
Oh and by the way, I expect to read FIVE comments to this posting, not four or three or two or one, FIVE.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Day Thirteen--Stravinsky, Hanson,
We appreciate the report from Chris Bell on Stravinsky. Some biographical background provided a framework for an illustrious and prolific career of master composer Igor Stravinsky, a composer whose influence is not paralleled and whose output consists of virtually every form and genre conceived. We listened to Firebird Suite and discussed his early ballets. A brief mention of primitivism, new rhythms, sounds and colors, was followed by an abrupt change to Stravinsky's Neo-classicism.
Using classical themes, formal structure, and obvious tonality, Stravinsky spent the greater part of his compositional career writing Neo-classic music. Distinctly his own language but invoking a sense of the past, Stravinsky incorporated driving rhythms, concise expression, and fastidious orchestration as he galloped through the music. From large forms to piano music and chamber music, we find his creative genius. Among the pieces include Pulcinella Suite, Symphony in C, The Soldier's Tale, and Oedipus Rex. The Rakes Progress is considered by many to be a pinnacle of Stravinsky's neo-classicism.
As Stravinsky grew more mature, he turned to serialism for his compositional language with a free use of the 12-tone row concept. Agon, although serialized in construction, is uniquely Stravinsky, and although not as immediately accessible as his earlier music, it is masterful in construction and emotionally satisfying. His music, regardless of which phase you are hearing, is uniquely his with a clean, strident approach that seems calculated yet wonderfully creative at the same time. Using parallelism, exotic rhythms, harshness, and unpredictable shifts, Stravinsky's music seems to be standing the test of time. While some of it may fall into obscurity, most seems to stand on its own. His output includes ballets, chamber music, choral music, piano music, and theatrical elements. Quite a gifted composer and worth a lifetime of study.
Thanks Chris for your excellent report.
We spent a few minutes listening to Howard Hanson's Romantic Symphony No. 2, a wonderful work typical of Hanson's tonal style and ideal for today's modern film genre. Particular mention was made of the Hanson Chemistry Analysis system for music. This is based on the idea that composers lean on a certain sound or chemical make up for much of their music. Regardless of the voicing or combination of sounds, a particular chemistry of a chord retains its essential qualities. This is true in Stravinsky, Debussy, Brahms, Bartok, etc.
Keep in mind that while all systems of musical analysis are valid, none are without faults either. We are dealing with an art form that at times defies complete understanding. Yet the journey toward greater cognition of the creative process is worth the effort.
So what is your favorite Stravinsky piece? For me I think it is Petrushka although I really like Symphony of Psalms. I am probably moved the most by Oedipus Rex although in some ways the harshness of the story is disturbing.
Have your tests ready for Thursday. We will also hear a report on Copland. See you in class.
Using classical themes, formal structure, and obvious tonality, Stravinsky spent the greater part of his compositional career writing Neo-classic music. Distinctly his own language but invoking a sense of the past, Stravinsky incorporated driving rhythms, concise expression, and fastidious orchestration as he galloped through the music. From large forms to piano music and chamber music, we find his creative genius. Among the pieces include Pulcinella Suite, Symphony in C, The Soldier's Tale, and Oedipus Rex. The Rakes Progress is considered by many to be a pinnacle of Stravinsky's neo-classicism.
As Stravinsky grew more mature, he turned to serialism for his compositional language with a free use of the 12-tone row concept. Agon, although serialized in construction, is uniquely Stravinsky, and although not as immediately accessible as his earlier music, it is masterful in construction and emotionally satisfying. His music, regardless of which phase you are hearing, is uniquely his with a clean, strident approach that seems calculated yet wonderfully creative at the same time. Using parallelism, exotic rhythms, harshness, and unpredictable shifts, Stravinsky's music seems to be standing the test of time. While some of it may fall into obscurity, most seems to stand on its own. His output includes ballets, chamber music, choral music, piano music, and theatrical elements. Quite a gifted composer and worth a lifetime of study.
Thanks Chris for your excellent report.
We spent a few minutes listening to Howard Hanson's Romantic Symphony No. 2, a wonderful work typical of Hanson's tonal style and ideal for today's modern film genre. Particular mention was made of the Hanson Chemistry Analysis system for music. This is based on the idea that composers lean on a certain sound or chemical make up for much of their music. Regardless of the voicing or combination of sounds, a particular chemistry of a chord retains its essential qualities. This is true in Stravinsky, Debussy, Brahms, Bartok, etc.
Keep in mind that while all systems of musical analysis are valid, none are without faults either. We are dealing with an art form that at times defies complete understanding. Yet the journey toward greater cognition of the creative process is worth the effort.
So what is your favorite Stravinsky piece? For me I think it is Petrushka although I really like Symphony of Psalms. I am probably moved the most by Oedipus Rex although in some ways the harshness of the story is disturbing.
Have your tests ready for Thursday. We will also hear a report on Copland. See you in class.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Day Twelve--12 tone, Baroque
We spent a little more time on 12-tone music, pointing out different characteristics of the music including the multitude of ways to use a row. We also discussed how composers used this system and its contributions to contemporary music. Nice video about Schoenberg. But then we did an abrupt spin, went back a couple of hundred years and landed on the Baroque period!
We discussed the two types of Sonatas, the parts of a suite, the trio sonata, the passacaglia and chaconne, the toccata, the cantata, and of course opera. Composers mentioned were Corelli, Vivaldi, Rameau, Frescobaldi, Purcell, and J.S. Bach. Theoretical concepts include the anatomy of a fugue, da capo aria, non-harmonic tones, homophony, text painting, the doctrine of affections, and the establishment of major and minor keys.
Johann Fux's text on counterpoint and Rameau's text on harmony are both very important treatises as are the writings on music by Michael Praetorius.
The anatomy of a fugue includes the subject, countersubject, answers--both real and tonal, development, the use of stretto, contrary motion, sequence, augmentation, diminution, pedal point, and motivic application. We listened to several examples of fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier http://www2.nau.edu/tas3/wtc.html. As we listened, we pointed out the different kinds of answers and the various techniques used by Bach for his fugues.
Continuing study on the fugue and Baroque theory, we discussed counterpoint, harmony, and found ourselves in the land of the Doctrine of Affections. Connected to this was a brief listen to the music of Rameau and his influence on music history. His identification of the application of the harmonic series, his recognition of the sounds of nature, and his use of the the doctrine of affections for particular emotional response, were all established as significant.
Finally we get to the master himself, Johann Sebastian Bach whose music ranges from concertos to masses, cantatas, chorales, organ works, instrumental pieces, small forms, and large forms. His music is characterized by beauty of line, adherence to structure, complex counterpoint, harmonic invention, rhythmic drive, and richness of texture. All these things within the established Baroque harmonic framework! I encouraged everyone to study the Well-tempered Clavier as a way to understand the parts of a fugue as well as the harmony supporting the fugue.
How about that Crab Canon? Bach was a brilliant composer who melded mathematical purity and structure with great expression and powerful emotions.
Okay, were you moved, put off, confused or indifferent about the Vivaldi countertenor performance?
We discussed the two types of Sonatas, the parts of a suite, the trio sonata, the passacaglia and chaconne, the toccata, the cantata, and of course opera. Composers mentioned were Corelli, Vivaldi, Rameau, Frescobaldi, Purcell, and J.S. Bach. Theoretical concepts include the anatomy of a fugue, da capo aria, non-harmonic tones, homophony, text painting, the doctrine of affections, and the establishment of major and minor keys.
Johann Fux's text on counterpoint and Rameau's text on harmony are both very important treatises as are the writings on music by Michael Praetorius.
The anatomy of a fugue includes the subject, countersubject, answers--both real and tonal, development, the use of stretto, contrary motion, sequence, augmentation, diminution, pedal point, and motivic application. We listened to several examples of fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier http://www2.nau.edu/tas3/wtc.html. As we listened, we pointed out the different kinds of answers and the various techniques used by Bach for his fugues.
Continuing study on the fugue and Baroque theory, we discussed counterpoint, harmony, and found ourselves in the land of the Doctrine of Affections. Connected to this was a brief listen to the music of Rameau and his influence on music history. His identification of the application of the harmonic series, his recognition of the sounds of nature, and his use of the the doctrine of affections for particular emotional response, were all established as significant.
Finally we get to the master himself, Johann Sebastian Bach whose music ranges from concertos to masses, cantatas, chorales, organ works, instrumental pieces, small forms, and large forms. His music is characterized by beauty of line, adherence to structure, complex counterpoint, harmonic invention, rhythmic drive, and richness of texture. All these things within the established Baroque harmonic framework! I encouraged everyone to study the Well-tempered Clavier as a way to understand the parts of a fugue as well as the harmony supporting the fugue.
How about that Crab Canon? Bach was a brilliant composer who melded mathematical purity and structure with great expression and powerful emotions.
Okay, were you moved, put off, confused or indifferent about the Vivaldi countertenor performance?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Day Eleven--No class
Okay, you are off for Tuesday, September 28 due to the schedule change for the Encounter Week. Just study and listen.
See you Thursday. Chris, are you ready for Stravinsky?
See you Thursday. Chris, are you ready for Stravinsky?
Day Ten--Ravel, Schenkerian analysis, 12-tone
Before discussing a couple of composers and their musical language, it is necessary to take a few minutes to look at music a little differently. Although slow in embracing its concepts, I now subscribe, although not in its totality, to the Schenkerian approach to understanding a piece of music. Using a process of prolongation and reduction, we determine the foreground, middleground, and background of a piece of music. This then allows us to know the skeletal structure of work which then points us to the musical goals. Although absurd, in its extreme we determine that Beethoven's 3rd symphony is reduced and prolonged to an E flat major chord. In a odd way, this is also profound. I urge you to use whatever piece or song you are performing and think of its skeletal structure, finding new insights into the piece and applying performance principles to the composers ultimate intent. It can alter your own view of music and give you a higher sense of musical goals.
A brief look at the marvelous composer Maurice Ravel, and I was once again struck by his genius, his creativity, and mostly his commitment to musical excellence. Every piece he wrote is a gem, worth hearing, difficult to perform, emotionally charging, and shimmering with energy. In addition, he was one of the great orchestrators of all time as demonstrated in Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel's language is that of neo-classicism, impressionism, modality, tonality, and layers of sounds. We enjoyed hearing Pavane, Bolero, and portions of Toccata for piano.
Our brief discussion on functional versus non-functional harmony took us to a new understanding of why composers began to seek out other forms of musical expression. Does a 7th chord have to resolve to the tonic? Are there appropriate uses of parallel fifths or unprepared modulations or equality of pitch? Can planing or the breaking of the harmonic series have purpose? Does all music have to be in Sonata-Allegro form? Is there a place for other instruments or sounds in music? What is music?
All these questions and more shaped and continue to shape the music of today. As we continue to learn the details of composers, their languages, their influences, and way music is put together, keep in mind that we are expanding the definition of excellence in music. This includes the use of 12-tone music as a form of creating new music in a marriage of precise order and musical emotion. We took a superfluous look at the essential elements of 12-tone music including its rationale, its design, and some examples. A brief overview of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern accompanied our discussion that led us to a look at computer generated Matrix. More on this as we delve into this 12-tone world.
So honestly folks, what kind of music do you prefer? What is the first thing you hope to hear when you get in your car? I am just curious--no wrong answers are possible!
A brief look at the marvelous composer Maurice Ravel, and I was once again struck by his genius, his creativity, and mostly his commitment to musical excellence. Every piece he wrote is a gem, worth hearing, difficult to perform, emotionally charging, and shimmering with energy. In addition, he was one of the great orchestrators of all time as demonstrated in Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel's language is that of neo-classicism, impressionism, modality, tonality, and layers of sounds. We enjoyed hearing Pavane, Bolero, and portions of Toccata for piano.
Our brief discussion on functional versus non-functional harmony took us to a new understanding of why composers began to seek out other forms of musical expression. Does a 7th chord have to resolve to the tonic? Are there appropriate uses of parallel fifths or unprepared modulations or equality of pitch? Can planing or the breaking of the harmonic series have purpose? Does all music have to be in Sonata-Allegro form? Is there a place for other instruments or sounds in music? What is music?
All these questions and more shaped and continue to shape the music of today. As we continue to learn the details of composers, their languages, their influences, and way music is put together, keep in mind that we are expanding the definition of excellence in music. This includes the use of 12-tone music as a form of creating new music in a marriage of precise order and musical emotion. We took a superfluous look at the essential elements of 12-tone music including its rationale, its design, and some examples. A brief overview of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern accompanied our discussion that led us to a look at computer generated Matrix. More on this as we delve into this 12-tone world.
So honestly folks, what kind of music do you prefer? What is the first thing you hope to hear when you get in your car? I am just curious--no wrong answers are possible!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Presentation Assignments
Below are the presentation assignments for the next few weeks. I will fill in any gaps and do some reports on any composers or concepts not covered. These should be about 15 minutes and can include musical examples, power-point, hand-outs, or simply lecture style. You should cover the kinds of music the composer wrote and something about the composer's musical language.
Christopher Bell--Igor Stravinsky
Denise Wathen--Benjamin Britten
Alex Scholz--Aaron Copland
David Watson--Samuel Barber
Samantha Fenwick--Sergei Prokofiev
Christopher Bell--Igor Stravinsky
Denise Wathen--Benjamin Britten
Alex Scholz--Aaron Copland
David Watson--Samuel Barber
Samantha Fenwick--Sergei Prokofiev
Monday, September 20, 2010
Day Nine--Bernstein, Sibelius, Nationalism
Some discussion is necessary regarding Nationalism in music particularly as it relates to the 20th century. While it is just one of the defining characteristics of music of the period, in many ways the concept carries over into the music of most composers of our time. A composer cannot help but be enculturated into his environment thereby resulting in a language and sound that is directly related to his experience. This makes music that tends to define that time. We found this especially true in Leonard Bernstein but is also true of most composers. Between folk song, wars, experimentation, electronics, and the quick shifts of philosophical thought, it is little wonder that composers used a variety of techniques in their art music.
Using that concept as a springboard we delved into the illustrious career and music of hyper talent Leonard Bernstein. A man equally adept at speaking, composing, conducting, and performing, Bernstein's music continues to live in spite of or maybe because of its vast eclecticism and engaging style. A man devoted to reaching all people and a man whose religion was so ecumenical as to be almost without theological foundation, his music attempts to communicate with the non-believer, the Roman Catholic, the Greek orthodox, the Jewish, the Muslim, the drug user, the academic elite, the sophisticated, the uneducated, the traditionalists and the radicals. In many ways, this kind of global application is liberating, but also beyond the scope of most people. Because of our need for order and categorization, music for everyone that draws from a wide mosaic of styles, is almost beyond comprehension. Be that as it may, Bernstein's music is energetic, expressive, extreme, joyful, touching, and balances the craft of sophistication with the emotion of the masses. We listened to Chichester Psalms, Prelude Fugue and Riffs, Candide Overture, and parts of the incredible Mass. His music is distinctly American in its themes but universal in appeal. All part of the magic of Leonard Bernstein.
Moving on to Sibelius, and one must wonder why a late Romantic is included in this discussion, we discussed his symphonies, concertos, and suites. Listening to Finlandia gave us an opportunity to talk about Finnish music and nationalism in general. Sibelius' use of orchestral padding, large forms, tonality, and vibrant orchestral textures tends to set his music apart from many of his contemporaries. Among the most beautiful pieces in orchestral repertoire is the Violin Concerto by Sibelius. A special piece demonstrating his use of tonality and layering of orchestral texture. His commitment to composing music in an older model in the midst of other more progressive composers is both admirable and anachronistic. Yet he composed at such a high level, he remains influential in today's eclectic world.
A few minutes of Sibelius' 2nd symphony as it moves into the last movement, left most of us (but not all) breathless with the majesty and power of the music. Deep romantic lines melded with brass power and moments of gentle sensitivity to form some of the finest Romantic music of the 20th century. We need to discuss Ravel but it will have to be for next time!
What is your favorite Bernstein piece? Will his music withstand the test of time?
Using that concept as a springboard we delved into the illustrious career and music of hyper talent Leonard Bernstein. A man equally adept at speaking, composing, conducting, and performing, Bernstein's music continues to live in spite of or maybe because of its vast eclecticism and engaging style. A man devoted to reaching all people and a man whose religion was so ecumenical as to be almost without theological foundation, his music attempts to communicate with the non-believer, the Roman Catholic, the Greek orthodox, the Jewish, the Muslim, the drug user, the academic elite, the sophisticated, the uneducated, the traditionalists and the radicals. In many ways, this kind of global application is liberating, but also beyond the scope of most people. Because of our need for order and categorization, music for everyone that draws from a wide mosaic of styles, is almost beyond comprehension. Be that as it may, Bernstein's music is energetic, expressive, extreme, joyful, touching, and balances the craft of sophistication with the emotion of the masses. We listened to Chichester Psalms, Prelude Fugue and Riffs, Candide Overture, and parts of the incredible Mass. His music is distinctly American in its themes but universal in appeal. All part of the magic of Leonard Bernstein.
Moving on to Sibelius, and one must wonder why a late Romantic is included in this discussion, we discussed his symphonies, concertos, and suites. Listening to Finlandia gave us an opportunity to talk about Finnish music and nationalism in general. Sibelius' use of orchestral padding, large forms, tonality, and vibrant orchestral textures tends to set his music apart from many of his contemporaries. Among the most beautiful pieces in orchestral repertoire is the Violin Concerto by Sibelius. A special piece demonstrating his use of tonality and layering of orchestral texture. His commitment to composing music in an older model in the midst of other more progressive composers is both admirable and anachronistic. Yet he composed at such a high level, he remains influential in today's eclectic world.
A few minutes of Sibelius' 2nd symphony as it moves into the last movement, left most of us (but not all) breathless with the majesty and power of the music. Deep romantic lines melded with brass power and moments of gentle sensitivity to form some of the finest Romantic music of the 20th century. We need to discuss Ravel but it will have to be for next time!
What is your favorite Bernstein piece? Will his music withstand the test of time?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Day Eight--Renaissance
We slid back over to an earlier time and began talking about the Renaissance. Although not necessarily the most exciting topic (especially compared with John Cage or Stockhausen), one cannot deny the inherent beauty in much of the music nor its influence on later generations. The congruent independence of polyphony lends itself to opportunities for both collective and individual expression of line. Never is this more true than much of the choral music of the Renaissance where beauty, shape, text, and form come together in glorious emotional and musical highs. While we learn the academic impetus behind the music of the Renaissance, and consider its unending influence, let us not ignore its remarkable ability to effect us through rich and sensitive polyphony.
The Renaissance period is an exciting time musically due to two pervading concepts that occurred. One is the methodical but certain progress from modality to tonality. This happened as musica ficta became more prevalent and as composers wrestled with its ubiquity in polyphony. Eventually a consistent use of musica ficta in the same melodic location formed a new key with the necessity for a key signature. The second event, while not necessarily musical, created a musical environment that exists to the present time. That is the Reformation and Counter Reformation. With the events of the Reformation ultimately leading to Protestantism and the Counter Reformation causing a resurgence of Roman Catholic piety, composers found themselves in a mild quandary, whether to write music in the traditions of the past or push forward with something new.
We talked about some facts regarding the period including some scholarship of the time. I pointed out the value of knowing something about Tinctoris and Zarlino, and discussed the concept of Cantus Firmus. We then waded into the world of Renaissance polyphony by singing a motet of Victoria. Separating the Renaissance into sacred music and secular music, we discussed the madrigal, the motet, the mass, and dance music. We mentioned many composers of the time and talked about text painting, modality, the polychoral music of Gabrieli, and the beauty of much of the music of Palestrina.
We did attempt to point out the distinction between composers who adopted a "traditional" approach to the music as opposed to those who pushed for something new. Gesualdo was mentioned and a brief reference to Monteverdi, who will need to be discussed further.
Today was primarily centered around the music and influence of Monteverdi, a composer with one leg in the Renaissance and the other in the Baroque. Using madrigals, drama, and opera, Monteverdi helped usher in a new type of music that became known as the Baroque. While the music of the High Renaissance was polyphonic with independent lines working congruently, and the music was primarily linear with resulting vertical harmony, the music of the Baroque was driven more by the bass line and subsequently the harmonic implications.
The concepts of basso continuo, a melody served an accompaniment, and an establishment of sharps, flats, and key structures affected music development most dramatically. This is seen in the late madrigals of Monteverdi. In an ironic sense, the bass line began to serve as the foundation for the music, rather than serving as another melodic line. This then led to a greater realization of the harmonic series and its importance in designing the overall sound of music.
Monteverdi's contributions to music were not only in the area of musical development but also in music drama and orchestration, as his use of instruments as an important force in opera, make his music among the most influential of his time. We listened to Tancredi and Clorinda, pointing out the string tremolos, the layering of sounds, and the vocal inflections adding to the drama. The development of opera music included the rise of the importance of the orchestra. As the instruments themselves became more sophisticated and composers began to make more technical demands on the players, the orchestra took on a greater role. This role included enhancing the drama and even playing its own overtures. Ultimately these "sinfonias" separated to become what we now know as the symphony. Perhaps the most respected early opera that is still performed today is Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a wonderfully expressive and complex retelling of the ancient Greek story of Orpheus.
We listened to several examples of the music and left the room feeling warmed by the beauty of polyphony of the Renaissance (at least I hope so!). So who is your favorite composer of the time period? Is there a place for this music in churches today?
The Renaissance period is an exciting time musically due to two pervading concepts that occurred. One is the methodical but certain progress from modality to tonality. This happened as musica ficta became more prevalent and as composers wrestled with its ubiquity in polyphony. Eventually a consistent use of musica ficta in the same melodic location formed a new key with the necessity for a key signature. The second event, while not necessarily musical, created a musical environment that exists to the present time. That is the Reformation and Counter Reformation. With the events of the Reformation ultimately leading to Protestantism and the Counter Reformation causing a resurgence of Roman Catholic piety, composers found themselves in a mild quandary, whether to write music in the traditions of the past or push forward with something new.
We talked about some facts regarding the period including some scholarship of the time. I pointed out the value of knowing something about Tinctoris and Zarlino, and discussed the concept of Cantus Firmus. We then waded into the world of Renaissance polyphony by singing a motet of Victoria. Separating the Renaissance into sacred music and secular music, we discussed the madrigal, the motet, the mass, and dance music. We mentioned many composers of the time and talked about text painting, modality, the polychoral music of Gabrieli, and the beauty of much of the music of Palestrina.
We did attempt to point out the distinction between composers who adopted a "traditional" approach to the music as opposed to those who pushed for something new. Gesualdo was mentioned and a brief reference to Monteverdi, who will need to be discussed further.
Today was primarily centered around the music and influence of Monteverdi, a composer with one leg in the Renaissance and the other in the Baroque. Using madrigals, drama, and opera, Monteverdi helped usher in a new type of music that became known as the Baroque. While the music of the High Renaissance was polyphonic with independent lines working congruently, and the music was primarily linear with resulting vertical harmony, the music of the Baroque was driven more by the bass line and subsequently the harmonic implications.
The concepts of basso continuo, a melody served an accompaniment, and an establishment of sharps, flats, and key structures affected music development most dramatically. This is seen in the late madrigals of Monteverdi. In an ironic sense, the bass line began to serve as the foundation for the music, rather than serving as another melodic line. This then led to a greater realization of the harmonic series and its importance in designing the overall sound of music.
Monteverdi's contributions to music were not only in the area of musical development but also in music drama and orchestration, as his use of instruments as an important force in opera, make his music among the most influential of his time. We listened to Tancredi and Clorinda, pointing out the string tremolos, the layering of sounds, and the vocal inflections adding to the drama. The development of opera music included the rise of the importance of the orchestra. As the instruments themselves became more sophisticated and composers began to make more technical demands on the players, the orchestra took on a greater role. This role included enhancing the drama and even playing its own overtures. Ultimately these "sinfonias" separated to become what we now know as the symphony. Perhaps the most respected early opera that is still performed today is Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a wonderfully expressive and complex retelling of the ancient Greek story of Orpheus.
We listened to several examples of the music and left the room feeling warmed by the beauty of polyphony of the Renaissance (at least I hope so!). So who is your favorite composer of the time period? Is there a place for this music in churches today?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Day 7--Moderns and Film
We looked a little more at some of the experiments of our time. This moved us easily into film music which like all music utilizes a vast amount of sounds, styles, and approaches. A study of the music of the architect turned musician Iannis Xenakis reveals a unique structure and sound unlike other composers. Does this make his music inferior or superior? Neither. It makes his music original and multi-dimensioned. On that subject, we discussed Minimalism a little more.
While this concept may have begun partly from the drug culture of the 60s with hints of Eastern mysticism (although I will argue that Minimalism as a technique has been around for centuries), it has taken flight and can now be found in mainstream media and is accepted as a style or genre on the par with any other kind of music. Anytime a new idea is born, artists take different pathways from that idea toward other means of expression. For Steve Reich, he took a less popular approach and began experimenting with complex rhythms and harmonies. This gives his music depth and complexity but not always a quick appeal. Philip Glass, however, took the idea to a "softer" more acceptable region and found himself immersed in the world of film music.
Back to Glass in a minute. Other composers such as John Adams, elected to incorporate the concepts of minimalism in his own brand of musical poetry and creative expression. This makes his music sound emotionally charged yet driven by text and story. Take a minute to experience Nixon in China on youtube. Search for Nixon in China. It is a powerful opera and monumental in many respects.
It is the music of Philip Glass that has had the most dramatic influence on music today. Film scores, symphonies, piano music, organ music, chamber works, concertos, and even commercials have adopted his music. A style of repetition, engaging harmonies, intriguing pulsation, trance-like rhythm, and depth of orchestration all lend themselves to an appealing sound not easy to dismiss nor forget. In many ways, his score fully represents and enhances the visuals of the film, such as in The Illusionist, a stunning and haunting work ideal for the techniques of Philip Glass. He continues to compose at a breakneck pace producing works for small ensembles, large orchestras, piano, organ, and film scores. Will his music withstand the test of time? Nobody knows but you are welcome to speculate!
A brief discussion of John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Dmitri Tiomkin, and Erich Korngold reminded us not to dismiss the music of film scores. Often original, emotional, and well-crafted, film scores continue to be regarded as some of the finest music of the 20th Century and beyond. My respect for these composers cannot be overstated. What do you think? Do you like film music?
We jumped full force into the world of Oliver Messiaen, pointing out the melding of bird sounds with "Modes of Limited Transposition." Watching a video of Messiaen, followed by moment of listening to a portion of Turangalila, gave us a sense of the power, beauty, and creativity of Messiaen's music. Certainly masterful, yet difficult to perform, Messiaen remains one of the major composers of the last half of the 20th Century.
While this concept may have begun partly from the drug culture of the 60s with hints of Eastern mysticism (although I will argue that Minimalism as a technique has been around for centuries), it has taken flight and can now be found in mainstream media and is accepted as a style or genre on the par with any other kind of music. Anytime a new idea is born, artists take different pathways from that idea toward other means of expression. For Steve Reich, he took a less popular approach and began experimenting with complex rhythms and harmonies. This gives his music depth and complexity but not always a quick appeal. Philip Glass, however, took the idea to a "softer" more acceptable region and found himself immersed in the world of film music.
Back to Glass in a minute. Other composers such as John Adams, elected to incorporate the concepts of minimalism in his own brand of musical poetry and creative expression. This makes his music sound emotionally charged yet driven by text and story. Take a minute to experience Nixon in China on youtube. Search for Nixon in China. It is a powerful opera and monumental in many respects.
It is the music of Philip Glass that has had the most dramatic influence on music today. Film scores, symphonies, piano music, organ music, chamber works, concertos, and even commercials have adopted his music. A style of repetition, engaging harmonies, intriguing pulsation, trance-like rhythm, and depth of orchestration all lend themselves to an appealing sound not easy to dismiss nor forget. In many ways, his score fully represents and enhances the visuals of the film, such as in The Illusionist, a stunning and haunting work ideal for the techniques of Philip Glass. He continues to compose at a breakneck pace producing works for small ensembles, large orchestras, piano, organ, and film scores. Will his music withstand the test of time? Nobody knows but you are welcome to speculate!
A brief discussion of John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Dmitri Tiomkin, and Erich Korngold reminded us not to dismiss the music of film scores. Often original, emotional, and well-crafted, film scores continue to be regarded as some of the finest music of the 20th Century and beyond. My respect for these composers cannot be overstated. What do you think? Do you like film music?
We jumped full force into the world of Oliver Messiaen, pointing out the melding of bird sounds with "Modes of Limited Transposition." Watching a video of Messiaen, followed by moment of listening to a portion of Turangalila, gave us a sense of the power, beauty, and creativity of Messiaen's music. Certainly masterful, yet difficult to perform, Messiaen remains one of the major composers of the last half of the 20th Century.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Day 6--The Moderns
Today began with a lively discussion of the college music curriculum. Should we be teaching film music, popular music, rock, contemporary Christian? Several opinions later, we jumped into the experimental art music of the last 50 years. Any discussion of experimental music cannot be made without an understanding of two things: music of John Cage and a broad definition of music. A good video of John Cage helps articulate his view of music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcHnL7aS64Y. Cage's experiments in sound including prepared piano led the way to the "happenings" movement of the 1960s. Happenings were musical and extra-musical experimental events that qualify as sound or aural events in time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happening). Happenings have led to performance art of today which seems to be reserved for nightclubs or college activities on certain campuses. But there is no denying the influence of the various musical experiments of the 60s.
If music is sound, regardless of its system or organization, and regardless of man's attempt to compartmentalize its role and purpose, then it stands to reason that music is only limited by man's creative spirit. With that in mind, we jumped into some sounds and music that are being performed today. The influence of John Cage cannot be overemphasized, but equal to Cage, although in a more traditional framework, is the music of Edgar Varese. We listened to a little bit of Ameriques and discussed the sounds and approach of Varese. A bit strident at times, shocking, yet oddly sensitive, Varese's music opened the door to new sounds and textures for future composers.
The composers Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Babbit, Xenakis, Boulez, and Stockhausen to name just a few have all been involved with experimentation and searching for new sounds and aural expression. A riveting recording of Helicopter String Quartet by Stockhausen led us to a wide variety of opinions and but little discussion. Each member of the string quartet plays inside a flying helicopter where the sound is heard on the ground by the audience. We listened to approximately 3 minutes of the lengthy piece and some of us seemed taken with the concept and the resulting sound. Perhaps this is due to the direct imagery of 4 helicopters, not sure though.
A quick shift of thought took us back to minimalism, with the goal of landing on the music of Phillip Glass. We will be listening to a few examples and discussing his remarkable career in film music. Historically, minimalism grew out of the tension of the 1960s with a pulsating, process-oriented style exemplified by Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Eastern mysticism and subtle development in increments characterize minimalism. Beginning with early efforts including Einstein on the Beach, Philip Glass has had a tremendous influence on music. In an almost unprecedented rise, Philip Glass's career took a meteoric rise several years and he became one of the most sought after film composers of our time.
We concluded with comments about minimalism and other kind of music of today. So what kind of music do you despise? Why? Is John Cage right or wrong about sound? What causes composers to experiment with different kinds of music?
If music is sound, regardless of its system or organization, and regardless of man's attempt to compartmentalize its role and purpose, then it stands to reason that music is only limited by man's creative spirit. With that in mind, we jumped into some sounds and music that are being performed today. The influence of John Cage cannot be overemphasized, but equal to Cage, although in a more traditional framework, is the music of Edgar Varese. We listened to a little bit of Ameriques and discussed the sounds and approach of Varese. A bit strident at times, shocking, yet oddly sensitive, Varese's music opened the door to new sounds and textures for future composers.
The composers Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Babbit, Xenakis, Boulez, and Stockhausen to name just a few have all been involved with experimentation and searching for new sounds and aural expression. A riveting recording of Helicopter String Quartet by Stockhausen led us to a wide variety of opinions and but little discussion. Each member of the string quartet plays inside a flying helicopter where the sound is heard on the ground by the audience. We listened to approximately 3 minutes of the lengthy piece and some of us seemed taken with the concept and the resulting sound. Perhaps this is due to the direct imagery of 4 helicopters, not sure though.
A quick shift of thought took us back to minimalism, with the goal of landing on the music of Phillip Glass. We will be listening to a few examples and discussing his remarkable career in film music. Historically, minimalism grew out of the tension of the 1960s with a pulsating, process-oriented style exemplified by Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Eastern mysticism and subtle development in increments characterize minimalism. Beginning with early efforts including Einstein on the Beach, Philip Glass has had a tremendous influence on music. In an almost unprecedented rise, Philip Glass's career took a meteoric rise several years and he became one of the most sought after film composers of our time.
We concluded with comments about minimalism and other kind of music of today. So what kind of music do you despise? Why? Is John Cage right or wrong about sound? What causes composers to experiment with different kinds of music?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Day 5--Machaut and the Middle Ages
Jumping in the deep water of early music, our talk was rather superficial and general, skipping through a few hundred years fairly quickly, but still informative. Becoming too detailed would prevent further necessary discussions of other great topics! We discussed monody, plainchant, plainsong, early notation, Gregorian chant, and church modes. We recited 7 of the modes in order: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Locrian, deliberately avoiding much discussion of the hypo varieties.
A brief talk of tropes, sequences, and conductus explained how music came to be added to the Mass and how composers were needed to develop these additions. Much of the additions were born out of practical necessity to have music during the Mass. Since text was also needed with the music, eventually the motet was developed.
Spending some time on meter and rhythm, we alluded to the rhythmic modes used in sacred and secular music and then looked at how meter signatures developed. It really is a fascinating study and explains where we get the C that most people call "common" time. For an indepth understanding, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
Organum is an early type of polyphony that likely resulted from the overtones in a Cathedral. There are different kinds of organum and different approaches to organum including melismatic organum and free organum with varying types of motion used, syllabic, oblique, and contrary. Eventually the voices became more independent, resulting in what we know of as polyphony. Passing through French Ars Nova, the Italian Ars Nova, Trouveres, Troubadours and host of other terms related to early music, we landed on Machaut where we discussed Isorhythm. An understanding of Talea and Color is central to knowing what Isorhythm means and how it is used in music. We looked at an example of this, referencing the amazingly clever piece My end is my beginning by Machaut. I will send a pdf of this piece to you by email.
You may ask what is the value of this kind of clever approach to music? It has to do with unifying the elements of a piece. A piece of music becomes consistent within itself through its unifying elements. Otherwise we simply have a gushing of complex emotions without any consistency. Isorhythm is simply one way, albeit an excellent way, of giving a piece unity.
Another "exciting" day in music 4000. Please read the early music articles in www.lcsproductions.net.
Okay, is Chris Tomlin a great composer? Why is his music successful? What makes some music meaningless and trite, while others seem to speak for centuries?
A brief talk of tropes, sequences, and conductus explained how music came to be added to the Mass and how composers were needed to develop these additions. Much of the additions were born out of practical necessity to have music during the Mass. Since text was also needed with the music, eventually the motet was developed.
Spending some time on meter and rhythm, we alluded to the rhythmic modes used in sacred and secular music and then looked at how meter signatures developed. It really is a fascinating study and explains where we get the C that most people call "common" time. For an indepth understanding, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
Organum is an early type of polyphony that likely resulted from the overtones in a Cathedral. There are different kinds of organum and different approaches to organum including melismatic organum and free organum with varying types of motion used, syllabic, oblique, and contrary. Eventually the voices became more independent, resulting in what we know of as polyphony. Passing through French Ars Nova, the Italian Ars Nova, Trouveres, Troubadours and host of other terms related to early music, we landed on Machaut where we discussed Isorhythm. An understanding of Talea and Color is central to knowing what Isorhythm means and how it is used in music. We looked at an example of this, referencing the amazingly clever piece My end is my beginning by Machaut. I will send a pdf of this piece to you by email.
You may ask what is the value of this kind of clever approach to music? It has to do with unifying the elements of a piece. A piece of music becomes consistent within itself through its unifying elements. Otherwise we simply have a gushing of complex emotions without any consistency. Isorhythm is simply one way, albeit an excellent way, of giving a piece unity.
Another "exciting" day in music 4000. Please read the early music articles in www.lcsproductions.net.
Okay, is Chris Tomlin a great composer? Why is his music successful? What makes some music meaningless and trite, while others seem to speak for centuries?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Day Four--September 2
Finishing up the test discussion and talking through various issues related to pieces of music, we then dived into Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. Unfortunately not everyone was present which made me hesitate a little since I wanted everyone to experience the same music. But I pressed forward and we listened to the Prelude followed by Liebestod.
From its inception through the development of chant, polyphony, key signatures, instruments, and finally Romantic music, from the pen of master composer Richard Wagner, there came a piece of music that blossomed forth as the crowning achievement of all that is Romantic--Tristan and Isolde. Yet that same piece, though shining as the epitome of the age, also projected a future that we are still in today. A quick study of the "Tristan" chord reveals a complicated structure emanating from chromaticism and suspensions. This hint of emancipation from tonality ultimately took us to atonality and finally music of today known as "tonality with an attitude!" This pivotal chord, richly romantic but mysteriously ambiguous, acts as a catalyst for future musical innovations while establishing the Romantic period in music, a period frothy with emotion and bathed in human expression.
As stunning and rather bold as this statement is, it is actually the expression of unbridled passion that occurs in Liebestod where we find Wagner at his finest. We listened carefully and intensely to Liebestod, with its 6-5 suspensions, its stunning motion, breath-taking harmonic rhythm, motivic development, and mostly its sense of direction and purpose, all surrounding a gripping, even monumental expression of love and death. Marvelous piece for sure and unforgettable once experienced.
A short discussion on church modes followed with the encouragement to study the Middle Ages articles on www.lcsproductions.net.
So if the purpose of music is to elicit, express, cleanse emotions, have we as musicians achieved this purpose?
From its inception through the development of chant, polyphony, key signatures, instruments, and finally Romantic music, from the pen of master composer Richard Wagner, there came a piece of music that blossomed forth as the crowning achievement of all that is Romantic--Tristan and Isolde. Yet that same piece, though shining as the epitome of the age, also projected a future that we are still in today. A quick study of the "Tristan" chord reveals a complicated structure emanating from chromaticism and suspensions. This hint of emancipation from tonality ultimately took us to atonality and finally music of today known as "tonality with an attitude!" This pivotal chord, richly romantic but mysteriously ambiguous, acts as a catalyst for future musical innovations while establishing the Romantic period in music, a period frothy with emotion and bathed in human expression.
As stunning and rather bold as this statement is, it is actually the expression of unbridled passion that occurs in Liebestod where we find Wagner at his finest. We listened carefully and intensely to Liebestod, with its 6-5 suspensions, its stunning motion, breath-taking harmonic rhythm, motivic development, and mostly its sense of direction and purpose, all surrounding a gripping, even monumental expression of love and death. Marvelous piece for sure and unforgettable once experienced.
A short discussion on church modes followed with the encouragement to study the Middle Ages articles on www.lcsproductions.net.
So if the purpose of music is to elicit, express, cleanse emotions, have we as musicians achieved this purpose?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Day Three--Boring but necessary
Today was rather dull as we tore into the tests to seek the correct answers. We went through every question, elaborating when necessary and spending some time on the essential ambiguity of Music History and Music Theory. But in spite of the gray area of some terms such as Tone Poem or Serialism, there is still much to gain by attempting to categorize composers and definitions historically.
Please read through the article. It is a nice historical overview of the 20th century and musical developments. I am not sure I like his dogma nor his conclusions, but I do appreciate much of the enlightenment and information. What does "tonality with an attitude" mean to you?
http://axess.se/magasin/english.aspx?article=713
So if God likes tonality and atonality and simply looks for our honesty in musical expression and honoring Him in all things, why is all church music tonal?
The Bad Boy of Music, George Antheil, attempted something new and was labeled a radical. Is there anything new in music today? Are we done with musical developments? What will music be in 100 years?
Please read through the article. It is a nice historical overview of the 20th century and musical developments. I am not sure I like his dogma nor his conclusions, but I do appreciate much of the enlightenment and information. What does "tonality with an attitude" mean to you?
http://axess.se/magasin/english.aspx?article=713
So if God likes tonality and atonality and simply looks for our honesty in musical expression and honoring Him in all things, why is all church music tonal?
The Bad Boy of Music, George Antheil, attempted something new and was labeled a radical. Is there anything new in music today? Are we done with musical developments? What will music be in 100 years?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Day Two--August 26, 2010
We started 5 minutes late which is understandable considering it was our first day in the music library. We were listening to the amazing Liebestod by Wagner but unfortunately got a little caught up in the way the singer looked. This is the downside of youtube for music learning. Music is primarily an aural art and it can be anathema to judge the visual aspects of music over the aural. Yet human nature cannot help but address the visual as well. So it is with caution that we use youtube for some of our listening moments.
Meanwhile, I maintain that Tristan und Isolde is the turning point in music study. It is thoroughly Romantic in all respects but points us to the heavy chromaticism and blurring of tonality that happens later. Plus it is one of the most glorious works in the entire repertory of music literature. Further study is warranted.
We took the test, did the listening, talked about some web resources, and discussed Neo-classicism in the 20th century. Most of the class involved taking a test. Lucky for me, we have plenty to learn. If the students already had complete and accurate knowledge of everything in music, there would be no need for a teacher!
So the question for today is: Why do we tend to prefer tonality over atonality? Does God prefer tonality?
Meanwhile, I maintain that Tristan und Isolde is the turning point in music study. It is thoroughly Romantic in all respects but points us to the heavy chromaticism and blurring of tonality that happens later. Plus it is one of the most glorious works in the entire repertory of music literature. Further study is warranted.
We took the test, did the listening, talked about some web resources, and discussed Neo-classicism in the 20th century. Most of the class involved taking a test. Lucky for me, we have plenty to learn. If the students already had complete and accurate knowledge of everything in music, there would be no need for a teacher!
So the question for today is: Why do we tend to prefer tonality over atonality? Does God prefer tonality?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day One--Fall 2010
We discussed the format of this course and reiterated the importance of attendance. Much of the class will be discussion and listening with information presented on this blog. In addition, the classes will be placed on this blog for supplemental study. We are working to develop a comprehensive understanding of the history of music including all styles of music and its theoretical components. Recognizing this is an ambitious project, we will capsulize much of the information with the hope that students will supplement through web resources available. Rather than approaching this course chronologically, we have decided to play ping-pong with music history by starting at the beginning then bouncing to the present. As we move forward and backward, the plan is to end with the Romantic period! Kind of different, but we established that most weakness seem to be in the areas of early music and current developments.
We discussed the artificiality of the time periods in music. It is absolutely necessary to know them and to place composers, terms, concepts within the time periods, but also necessary to know that rarely is anything kind of systematizing that clean. Know your time periods and be able to articulate something about them but also know that constraints that humans place on the arbitrary musical periods.
We had an odd discussion about harmonic language. How it originated with monody, became polyphony and relied on root movement by 4ths and 5ths. In the Classical period we have root movement by major 3rds, followed by minor 3rds in the Romantic period. Impressionism brings major 2nds and Dodecaphony relies on minor 2nds. It was a fun ride but rather fast and confusing as well.
We ended with a strange discussion about pop music versus cultivated music and had a funny moment talking about "This Little Light of Mine." It was all educational in an unusual sort of way.
So what do you think? What Praise and Worship songs sung today will withstand the test of time and be heard in 100 years? Why?
We discussed the artificiality of the time periods in music. It is absolutely necessary to know them and to place composers, terms, concepts within the time periods, but also necessary to know that rarely is anything kind of systematizing that clean. Know your time periods and be able to articulate something about them but also know that constraints that humans place on the arbitrary musical periods.
We had an odd discussion about harmonic language. How it originated with monody, became polyphony and relied on root movement by 4ths and 5ths. In the Classical period we have root movement by major 3rds, followed by minor 3rds in the Romantic period. Impressionism brings major 2nds and Dodecaphony relies on minor 2nds. It was a fun ride but rather fast and confusing as well.
We ended with a strange discussion about pop music versus cultivated music and had a funny moment talking about "This Little Light of Mine." It was all educational in an unusual sort of way.
So what do you think? What Praise and Worship songs sung today will withstand the test of time and be heard in 100 years? Why?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
MFAT
Okay, it is getting closer and we are in the throes of practice tests. Many of the questions have a clue to the answer which can be determined through the process of elimination. Furthermore each composer tends to have a theoretical association that ought to be helpful. When dealing with Classical form--think Mozart. When talking about Development--think Beethoven. When addressing the Fugue--Bach, Opera--Wagner and Verdi. Symphonies--Beethoven, Mahler. Songs--Schubert, Schumann. Tone Poems--Strauss and Sibelius (Liszt also). Neoclassicism--Stravinsky, 12-tone--Schoenberg and Webern. The list goes on and on.
Just keeping things categorized in your mind and eliminate the obviously wrong answers as you go. Take your time and don't get overwhelmed. Some of it is easy while other parts seem impossible. Lots of listening as well. We haven't really listened carefully enough, in fact we haven't really learned anything carefully enough! On the other hand, we have covered early and late music fairly extensively. Now it is time to do your own research and explore the fascinating and never-ending world of music.
Use web resources, youtube, Naxos, and of course books to learn about form, counterpoint, theory, history, musical language, trends, influences, genres, and philosophies. All these and more will help you.
I hope this course has been helpful to you. I hope you have learned new things and mostly I hope you are sparked for further musical growth. Classes like this one tend to show us more about what we don't know than what we do. I, myself, am convinced that I will never know enough and each day brings a new revelation of musical knowledge. Let's all keep flapping our wings, flying higher and faster in the world of music, bringing it to the people as we work to improve our abilities and our knowledge.
Best wishes to each of you.
Just keeping things categorized in your mind and eliminate the obviously wrong answers as you go. Take your time and don't get overwhelmed. Some of it is easy while other parts seem impossible. Lots of listening as well. We haven't really listened carefully enough, in fact we haven't really learned anything carefully enough! On the other hand, we have covered early and late music fairly extensively. Now it is time to do your own research and explore the fascinating and never-ending world of music.
Use web resources, youtube, Naxos, and of course books to learn about form, counterpoint, theory, history, musical language, trends, influences, genres, and philosophies. All these and more will help you.
I hope this course has been helpful to you. I hope you have learned new things and mostly I hope you are sparked for further musical growth. Classes like this one tend to show us more about what we don't know than what we do. I, myself, am convinced that I will never know enough and each day brings a new revelation of musical knowledge. Let's all keep flapping our wings, flying higher and faster in the world of music, bringing it to the people as we work to improve our abilities and our knowledge.
Best wishes to each of you.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Britten, Stravinsky and the Creative Process
What makes great composers tick? How do they get their ideas? Will their music live on or be forgotten? All curious questions for sure. Benjamin Britten, the exquisite melodist, wrote in an older vein with contemporary harmonic language. Known more for his vocal works, his instrumental works are clever, charming, and full of vibrancy of orchestration and rhythmic energy. We listened to Peter Grimes and Young Person's Guide both of which are nice representations of his style. Unfortunately Britten does not seem to be faring well in the professional world and aside from some choral works is rarely heard. Still his music is inventive, lyrical, energetic, and bold.
Stravinsky, on the other hand, continues to be performed at a high rate. We need to remember his three distinct styles and periods--early ballets of rich color, primitivism, rhythmic, and experimental; Neoclassicism of traditional forms, sounds, harmony, and clean balance; Serialism of the last few years invoking the 12-tone row and various ordered systems of composing. His music, regardless of which phase you are hearing, is uniquely his with a clean, strident approach that seems calculated yet wonderfully creative at the same time.
Using parallelism, exotic rhythms, harshness, and unpredictable shifts, Stravinsky's music seems to be standing the test of time. While some of it may fall into obscurity, most seems to stand on its own. His output includes ballets, chamber music, choral music, piano music, and theatrical elements. Quite a gifted composer and worth a lifetime of study.
Thanks to Charles and Kris for their reports. We now wrap up this class. Time to ask questions and get everything learned!
It's been a great semester.
Stravinsky, on the other hand, continues to be performed at a high rate. We need to remember his three distinct styles and periods--early ballets of rich color, primitivism, rhythmic, and experimental; Neoclassicism of traditional forms, sounds, harmony, and clean balance; Serialism of the last few years invoking the 12-tone row and various ordered systems of composing. His music, regardless of which phase you are hearing, is uniquely his with a clean, strident approach that seems calculated yet wonderfully creative at the same time.
Using parallelism, exotic rhythms, harshness, and unpredictable shifts, Stravinsky's music seems to be standing the test of time. While some of it may fall into obscurity, most seems to stand on its own. His output includes ballets, chamber music, choral music, piano music, and theatrical elements. Quite a gifted composer and worth a lifetime of study.
Thanks to Charles and Kris for their reports. We now wrap up this class. Time to ask questions and get everything learned!
It's been a great semester.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Samuel Barber
Caitlan's report on the music of Samuel Barber was excellent, as all the reports have been. Samuel Barber, one of and perhaps my favorite 20th century composer, is known for his post-tonal, neo-romantic style music that has an elegant, lyrical quality bathed in rich counterpoint and powerful emotion. Each song, piece is distinctly Barber but also original to itself, containing a consistently not applicable to anything but that work. This makes his music highly unified but also quite varied. From choral works, operas, symphonies, concertos, piano pieces to songs, Barber covered the gamut of music literature. At times edgy and angular, other times warm and resonant, Barber's music has something for everyone. We listened to Adagio for Strings, the Piano Concerto, a piano piece, and a song, all to great enjoyment.
I must confess that in my humble estimation, Barber is the greatest of the 20th century composers particularly among Americans. My Philip Glass today ended up vacillating with Barber as well!
So we are nearing the end with reports on Stravinsky and Britten. A couple more practice tests and it is time for the big one--Major Field Achievement Test in music. I think we are nearly ready but all of us need to do some additional study.
See you in class.
I must confess that in my humble estimation, Barber is the greatest of the 20th century composers particularly among Americans. My Philip Glass today ended up vacillating with Barber as well!
So we are nearing the end with reports on Stravinsky and Britten. A couple more practice tests and it is time for the big one--Major Field Achievement Test in music. I think we are nearly ready but all of us need to do some additional study.
See you in class.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Schedule
Don't forget that we are NOT having class on April 20. We will have class on the 22 at which time we will hear from Charles Skipping and Kris Redus. In addition, go ahead and work on the test that Rebekah sent to you. We will also be taking some more practice tests as we get closer to the real date.
The next couple of weeks will be spent listening and learning a little more about 20th century theory, composers, and styles. We will return for a quick look at Classical forms and briefly touch on Romantic music with a quick return where we began--Wagner!
Start studying www.lcsproductions.net, particularly the glossary of terms and the composers associated with time periods.
See you Thursday morning!
The next couple of weeks will be spent listening and learning a little more about 20th century theory, composers, and styles. We will return for a quick look at Classical forms and briefly touch on Romantic music with a quick return where we began--Wagner!
Start studying www.lcsproductions.net, particularly the glossary of terms and the composers associated with time periods.
See you Thursday morning!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and Webern
Two great reports on the music of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff, both from Russia. Prokofiev, known for his piano music, chamber music, concertos, symphonies, and Peter and the Wolf. At the top of his game, his music is energetic, complex, expressive, and demonstrates a thorough knowledge of harmony, rhythm, and drama. At times though, his music lacks in originality, falling into a tonally predictive framework. Perhaps he was overly restricted by his own government and found himself trying to write music to please the leaders. We will never know, but it does seem that way at times. Don't forget to watch the cartoon of Peter and the Wolf! Great stuff and worth seeing. I feel sad to think of a generation that misses out on the gems of the film and music world! (pardon my old geezer tendency).
Rachmaninoff--wow. Cara covered this quite well. Stunningly beautiful melodies, long melodic lines, gripping emotion, powerful and rich harmonic language, all within a traditional Romantic model. He may have been "behind" times with his musical language, but he sure was good at it! Symphonies, concertos, chamber music, choral music, and piano music all glow with Romantic sensitivity. I would urge you to listen to the 2nd Symphony, Adagio and at least once a month to the 2nd Piano Concerto. Good for a "life" reflection moment!
I keep being drawn to the music of Webern. The more I hear and study, the more I like. Using pointillism, serialism, canon and counterpoint, he achieves a beauty of form and expression unlike any other composer. Very special music that is both complex and simple. The lack of a singable, lyrical melody is its charm, its power being that of the opaque and the transparent.
Okay, onward to Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Barok. We need to know a little bit about the Fibonacci series, the Hindemith language, and the 3 periods of Stravinsky. We also need to take some practice tests.
Don't forget that with Naxos, you have the entire "cultivated" repertoire at your fingertips. Go for it. Today is a Philip Glass day for me. What day is this for you?
Rachmaninoff--wow. Cara covered this quite well. Stunningly beautiful melodies, long melodic lines, gripping emotion, powerful and rich harmonic language, all within a traditional Romantic model. He may have been "behind" times with his musical language, but he sure was good at it! Symphonies, concertos, chamber music, choral music, and piano music all glow with Romantic sensitivity. I would urge you to listen to the 2nd Symphony, Adagio and at least once a month to the 2nd Piano Concerto. Good for a "life" reflection moment!
I keep being drawn to the music of Webern. The more I hear and study, the more I like. Using pointillism, serialism, canon and counterpoint, he achieves a beauty of form and expression unlike any other composer. Very special music that is both complex and simple. The lack of a singable, lyrical melody is its charm, its power being that of the opaque and the transparent.
Okay, onward to Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Barok. We need to know a little bit about the Fibonacci series, the Hindemith language, and the 3 periods of Stravinsky. We also need to take some practice tests.
Don't forget that with Naxos, you have the entire "cultivated" repertoire at your fingertips. Go for it. Today is a Philip Glass day for me. What day is this for you?
Ravel and Tonality
Thanks to Rebekah for the report on the music of Ravel. It was very enlightening and I was once again struck by his genius, his creativity, and mostly his commitment to musical excellence. Every piece he wrote is a gem, worth hearing, difficult to perform, emotionally charging, and shimmering with energy. In addition, he was one of the great orchestrators of all time as demonstrated in Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel's language is that of neo-classicism, impressionism, modality, tonality, and layers of sounds.
Our brief discussion on functional versus non-functional harmony took us to a new understanding of why composers began to seek out other forms of musical expression. Does a 7th chord have to resolve to the tonic? Are there appropriate uses of parallel fifths or unprepared modulations or equality of pitch? Can planing or the breaking of the harmonic series have purpose? Does all music have to be in Sonata-Allegro form? Is there a place for other instruments or sounds in music? What is music?
All these questions and more shaped and continue to shape the music of today. As we continue to learn the details of composers, their languages, their influences, and way music is put together, keep in mind that we are expanding the definition of excellence in music.
So honestly folks, what kind of music do you prefer? What is the first thing you hope to hear when you get in your car?
Just curious!
Our brief discussion on functional versus non-functional harmony took us to a new understanding of why composers began to seek out other forms of musical expression. Does a 7th chord have to resolve to the tonic? Are there appropriate uses of parallel fifths or unprepared modulations or equality of pitch? Can planing or the breaking of the harmonic series have purpose? Does all music have to be in Sonata-Allegro form? Is there a place for other instruments or sounds in music? What is music?
All these questions and more shaped and continue to shape the music of today. As we continue to learn the details of composers, their languages, their influences, and way music is put together, keep in mind that we are expanding the definition of excellence in music.
So honestly folks, what kind of music do you prefer? What is the first thing you hope to hear when you get in your car?
Just curious!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sibelius, 12-tone, Messiaen, and the future
Another great report, this time from Tabitha, gave us a new appreciation for the music of Sibelius. Remember that he is known for his Romantic layering of sounds, long phrases, strength of orchestration, and national spirit of the country of Finland. It has been said that he quit writing music due to not being able or maybe not liking the "new" sounds of the 20th century. In spite of his being a late romantic, and lacking in some originality, he remains in a league of his own for his Orchestral suites and tone-poems. A remarkably gifted and expressive composer, his music continues to find favor with concert audiences everywhere.
We then did a little more work on 12-tone. There are several ways to understand the 12 tone row, from basic numbering to a more advanced system. Modern analyses tend to label the first note as number 0, following the chromatic scale upward to number 11. The matrix is the built on numbers which correlate to the notes. This makes for a cleaner understanding of 12-tone music and serialism in general. For sheer complexity, and depth of expression, 12-tone serial music remains intriguing and wonderfully fascinating for its magnitude and musical force. While the genre has never caught on as the ultimate expression of music, it has influenced countless composers and given us sound and music that remains in the repertoire. I would urge you to do further study on serialism and various techniques. I especially ask that you remain open-minded to this music and seek out opportunities to experience it.
We are not done with 12-tone, but do need to press forward with our reports. It is time to take some practice tests for the MFAT. Some of these will be done in class on the screen, others may be given for homework. Also, we need to do some more listening of music in class for identification purposes.
Our brief visit with Messiaen with his bird sounds, modes of limited transposition, and expansive use of the orchestra, maybe gave us a new perspective of music. While his music does not seem to be performed much (perhaps due to its difficulty and complexity), it does have a particular following. My awareness of the rhythmic and melodic qualities of bird calls has been quite keen lately? Have you noticed the amazing sounds of birds in the environment?
Up to this point, what has been the most interesting thing you have learned in class? Has there been anything that you just haven't liked? Do you think that our "conservative" traditionalism in music programming is a result of general preference or deep-rooted philosophy?
We then did a little more work on 12-tone. There are several ways to understand the 12 tone row, from basic numbering to a more advanced system. Modern analyses tend to label the first note as number 0, following the chromatic scale upward to number 11. The matrix is the built on numbers which correlate to the notes. This makes for a cleaner understanding of 12-tone music and serialism in general. For sheer complexity, and depth of expression, 12-tone serial music remains intriguing and wonderfully fascinating for its magnitude and musical force. While the genre has never caught on as the ultimate expression of music, it has influenced countless composers and given us sound and music that remains in the repertoire. I would urge you to do further study on serialism and various techniques. I especially ask that you remain open-minded to this music and seek out opportunities to experience it.
We are not done with 12-tone, but do need to press forward with our reports. It is time to take some practice tests for the MFAT. Some of these will be done in class on the screen, others may be given for homework. Also, we need to do some more listening of music in class for identification purposes.
Our brief visit with Messiaen with his bird sounds, modes of limited transposition, and expansive use of the orchestra, maybe gave us a new perspective of music. While his music does not seem to be performed much (perhaps due to its difficulty and complexity), it does have a particular following. My awareness of the rhythmic and melodic qualities of bird calls has been quite keen lately? Have you noticed the amazing sounds of birds in the environment?
Up to this point, what has been the most interesting thing you have learned in class? Has there been anything that you just haven't liked? Do you think that our "conservative" traditionalism in music programming is a result of general preference or deep-rooted philosophy?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Travels, Illness, but more learning also
So sorry to be out last week, illness kept me in bed all day! With the choir on tour, we are losing another day as well, but we can still press forward. Make sure you are ready for your reports. I enjoyed Matt's report on Ives and feel more enlightened and appreciative of Ives. Noteworthy is the variety of musical language used by Ives as well as the amount of music written. He dabbled in many forms, styles, and types of genres of music. While I often believe he made fun of academia, at the same time his music touches people in different ways, not the least of which is his American folk song incorporation. Mostly we find Ives to be strongly individual and uniquely American.
We continue to study and try to understand the 12-tone ideal of the music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. Since the method of understanding and analyzing this music has altered, we often find different approaches to the dissection of 12-tone music. I would urge you to do some advanced study on your own, including knowing a little about Prime, Inversion, Retrograde, and perhaps invariance, as well as combinatoriality http://www.robertkelleyphd.com/12-tone.htm. Obviously, much of this is graduate level kinds of analyses, but having a basic knowledge is quite useful.
We will be doing some further look at 12-tone and then press onward to the language of Messiaen, Hindemith, and Stravinsky. Before the semester is over, however, we need to return to the Classical/Romantic periods for a little bit more discussion on Sonata-Allegro form as well as the difference between functional harmony and non-functional harmony.
Preference and emotion aside, is there a place for 12-tone music in today's world? What about in popular music? Film scores?
We continue to study and try to understand the 12-tone ideal of the music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. Since the method of understanding and analyzing this music has altered, we often find different approaches to the dissection of 12-tone music. I would urge you to do some advanced study on your own, including knowing a little about Prime, Inversion, Retrograde, and perhaps invariance, as well as combinatoriality http://www.robertkelleyphd.com/12-tone.htm. Obviously, much of this is graduate level kinds of analyses, but having a basic knowledge is quite useful.
We will be doing some further look at 12-tone and then press onward to the language of Messiaen, Hindemith, and Stravinsky. Before the semester is over, however, we need to return to the Classical/Romantic periods for a little bit more discussion on Sonata-Allegro form as well as the difference between functional harmony and non-functional harmony.
Preference and emotion aside, is there a place for 12-tone music in today's world? What about in popular music? Film scores?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
More thoughts and reports
Okay, we discussed Baroque music pretty well, but I would encourage everyone to stay on it and read through the Anatomy of the Fugue replete with that amazing Well-tempered Clavier website. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/fugueanatomy.html
Also we did a precursory look at 12-tone music and atonality. We discussed what caused this kind of music and where it landed--extreme serialism. We now need to return to a more intricate look at the music itself and how it is put together. This will help us understand the styles of various composers and the music language of atonality. I am always interested in everyone's opinions on music particularly 12-tone music. Yet regardless of hate or love or even indifference, the music has an important and vital place in our history and although relegated to an extent to the academy, 12-tone music continues to affect music today.
Schoenberg--master and in some ways creator of the style. Not a 12-tone purist but very mathematical without detracting from Romantic expression. Beautiful, warm music that is not easily understood on one hearing.
Berg--essentially Romantic using a freer approach to the row. The harmony sounds rather tertian at times and he was comfortable jumping out of 12 tone style occasionally. It is in his operas where we find the most gripping, emotional music.
Webern--austere, terse musical language and quite pure with regard to the row. Highly sensitive and precise counterpoint. Quite difficult and oddly appealing. Pointillistic techniques mixed with tone color.
These three make up the 2nd Viennese school!
Reports and 12-tone music--all good stuff.
Are you disturbed by Lulu?
Also we did a precursory look at 12-tone music and atonality. We discussed what caused this kind of music and where it landed--extreme serialism. We now need to return to a more intricate look at the music itself and how it is put together. This will help us understand the styles of various composers and the music language of atonality. I am always interested in everyone's opinions on music particularly 12-tone music. Yet regardless of hate or love or even indifference, the music has an important and vital place in our history and although relegated to an extent to the academy, 12-tone music continues to affect music today.
Schoenberg--master and in some ways creator of the style. Not a 12-tone purist but very mathematical without detracting from Romantic expression. Beautiful, warm music that is not easily understood on one hearing.
Berg--essentially Romantic using a freer approach to the row. The harmony sounds rather tertian at times and he was comfortable jumping out of 12 tone style occasionally. It is in his operas where we find the most gripping, emotional music.
Webern--austere, terse musical language and quite pure with regard to the row. Highly sensitive and precise counterpoint. Quite difficult and oddly appealing. Pointillistic techniques mixed with tone color.
These three make up the 2nd Viennese school!
Reports and 12-tone music--all good stuff.
Are you disturbed by Lulu?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Reports and information
Today we are going to mention some additional information on the Baroque including the Musical Encyclopedia of Michael Praetorius. We are going to listen to a counter tenor performing Handel and reference some of the music of the late Baroque, specifically known as the Rococo. Walking through this garden of music we will reflect a little on the music excellence and philosophy which will land us onto a modern concept of academia and its music. This funny and brief journey will take us smack into the music of Charles Ives where we will hear a report.
Following the Ives discussion, we will begin discussing the concept of 12-tone music and its evolution. We will stay on this idea the rest of the hour, peppering our brains with different knowledge of serialism and its application to music and sound. Some historical perspective is necessary and a little pontification of tonality is expected. Time to wade in the waters of atonality, discussing its role, its acceptance, and finally its future.
What do you think of atonality? Like it, hate it, indifferent? Why?
Following the Ives discussion, we will begin discussing the concept of 12-tone music and its evolution. We will stay on this idea the rest of the hour, peppering our brains with different knowledge of serialism and its application to music and sound. Some historical perspective is necessary and a little pontification of tonality is expected. Time to wade in the waters of atonality, discussing its role, its acceptance, and finally its future.
What do you think of atonality? Like it, hate it, indifferent? Why?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Disgusted
I am disgusted with the LACK of postings by our class this semester. Why do you not read and post? Please explain. I am quite frustrated at this point. Please read the essays and respond. It will not take much time and is mandatory.
BAH. Not happy at all.
BAH. Not happy at all.
Baroque and the Fugue
Today, after a brief discussion of Slimjim's post (should be fun), we are going to have some fugue moments and learn a little more about the baroque. In the past, the students seemed to know more about the Baroque than I expected. If so, we will not spend as much time on it as we have the other subjects. Yet, we still need to understand figured bass, Da Capo Aria, parts of the fugue, composers, and style.
Today is a quick but hopefully pointed discussion of the Baroque Period. We are talking about the two types of Sonatas, the parts of a suite, the trio sonata, the passacaglia and chaconne, the toccata, the cantata, and of course opera. Composers mentioned will be Corelli, Vivaldi, Rameau, Frescobaldi, Purcell, and J.S. Bach. Theoretical concepts include the anatomy of a fugue, da capo aria, non-harmonic tones, homophony, text painting, the doctrine of affections, and the establishment of major and minor keys.
Johann Fux's text on counterpoint and Rameau's text on harmony are both very important treatises as are the writings on music by Michael Praetorius.
The anatomy of a fugue includes the subject, countersubject, answers--both real and tonal, development, the use of stretto, contrary motion, sequence, augmentation, diminution, pedal point, and motivic application. We listened to several examples of fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier http://www2.nau.edu/tas3/wtc.html. As we listened, we pointed out the different kinds of answers and the various techniques used by Bach for his fugues.
Continuing study on the fugue and Baroque theory, we discussed counterpoint, harmony, and found ourselves in the land of the Doctrine of Affections. Connected to this was a brief listen to the music of Rameau and his influence on music history. His identification of the application of the harmonic series, his recognition of the sounds of nature, and his use of the the doctrine of affections for particular emotional response, were all established as significant.
Finally we get to the master himself, Johann Sebastian Bach whose music ranges from concertos to masses, cantatas, chorales, organ works, instrumental pieces, small forms, and large forms. His music is characterized by beauty of line, adherence to structure, complex counterpoint, harmonic invention, rhythmic drive, and richness of texture. All these things within the established Baroque harmonic framework! I encouraged everyone to study the Well-tempered Clavier as a way to understand the parts of a fugue as well as the harmony supporting the fugue.
Now back to the 20th century with more discussion of primitivism, folk influence, and finally 12-tone music.
Today is a quick but hopefully pointed discussion of the Baroque Period. We are talking about the two types of Sonatas, the parts of a suite, the trio sonata, the passacaglia and chaconne, the toccata, the cantata, and of course opera. Composers mentioned will be Corelli, Vivaldi, Rameau, Frescobaldi, Purcell, and J.S. Bach. Theoretical concepts include the anatomy of a fugue, da capo aria, non-harmonic tones, homophony, text painting, the doctrine of affections, and the establishment of major and minor keys.
Johann Fux's text on counterpoint and Rameau's text on harmony are both very important treatises as are the writings on music by Michael Praetorius.
The anatomy of a fugue includes the subject, countersubject, answers--both real and tonal, development, the use of stretto, contrary motion, sequence, augmentation, diminution, pedal point, and motivic application. We listened to several examples of fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier http://www2.nau.edu/tas3/wtc.html. As we listened, we pointed out the different kinds of answers and the various techniques used by Bach for his fugues.
Continuing study on the fugue and Baroque theory, we discussed counterpoint, harmony, and found ourselves in the land of the Doctrine of Affections. Connected to this was a brief listen to the music of Rameau and his influence on music history. His identification of the application of the harmonic series, his recognition of the sounds of nature, and his use of the the doctrine of affections for particular emotional response, were all established as significant.
Finally we get to the master himself, Johann Sebastian Bach whose music ranges from concertos to masses, cantatas, chorales, organ works, instrumental pieces, small forms, and large forms. His music is characterized by beauty of line, adherence to structure, complex counterpoint, harmonic invention, rhythmic drive, and richness of texture. All these things within the established Baroque harmonic framework! I encouraged everyone to study the Well-tempered Clavier as a way to understand the parts of a fugue as well as the harmony supporting the fugue.
Now back to the 20th century with more discussion of primitivism, folk influence, and finally 12-tone music.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
20th Century composers
Some discussion is necessary regarding Nationalism in music particularly as it relates to the 20th century. While it is just one of the defining characteristics of music of the period, in many ways the concept carries over into the music of most composers of our time. A composer cannot help but be acculturated into his environment thereby resulting in a language and sound that is directly related to his experience. This makes music that tends to define that time. We found this especially true in Leonard Bernstein but is also true of most composers. Between folk song, wars, experimentation, electronics, and the quick shifts of philosophical thought, it is little wonder that composers used a variety of techniques in their art music.
Today was a quick overview of Copland, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Sibelius. We have some more discussion on Barber, Messiaen, Bartok, and Prokofiev coming up. Our Copland moments included listening to Billy the Kid and talking about his use of polyrhythm and bitonality. Copland's emphasis on American folk songs gives his music a nationalistic spirit and made him known as the Dean of American Composers. Ballets, suites, film scores, concertos, chamber music, songs, and choral music comprise his immense and varied repertoire. Of greater interest is the "Copland sound" which includes open 5ths, 4ths, and expansive utilization of the harmonic series. In spite of the use of dissonance and hints of serialism, Copland's ability to open the textures, provides his music with an engaging and palatable mosaic still heard today.
Our brief minutes spent on Ravel revealed a composer steeped in classical forms but adopting a coloristic approach to music often called Impressionistic. Ravel's remarkable gifts found fruition in concertos, ballets, piano works, chamber pieces, songs, and orchestral showpieces. Known as one of the great orchestrators in music history, his Pictures at an Exhibition continues to be played frequently in concert halls. Perhaps the most performed Ravel piece is Bolero, a piece with 2 themes and a repetitious rhythm. Without a development section, Bolero never fails to elicit great emotional response from listeners and players.
Moving on to Sibelius, and one must wonder why a late Romantic is included in this discussion, we discussed his symphonies, concertos, and suites. Listening to Finlandia gave us an opportunity to talk about Finnish music and nationalism in general. Sibelius' use of orchestral padding, large forms, tonality, and vibrant orchestral textures tends to set his music apart from many of his contemporaries. Among the most beautiful pieces in orchestral repertoire is the Violin Concerto by Sibelius. A special piece demonstrating his use of tonality and layering of orchestral texture. His commitment to composing music in an older model in the midst of other more progressive composers is both admirable and anachronistic. Yet he composed at such a high level, he remains influential in today's eclectic world.
Many consider Stravinsky the greatest of 20th Century composers. From the 3 early ballets, through stunning neoclassicism, and finally serialism, Stravinsky epitomizes excellence in musical craft, expression, and creativity. Using bitonality, primitivism, complex rhythm, planing, and almost endless coloring, Stravinsky rocked the musical world with Rite of Spring. Following that shocking debut, he altered his style to a more conservative flavor drawing from classical music. Distinctly his own, Stravinsky's adoption of older forms never interfered with progressive creativity that tested the boundaries of tonality without abandoning the classical framework. Finally, in his mature years, he experimented with serialism, composing the deliciously complex Agon ballet.
The clarity, starkness, sophistication, and fastidiousness of Stravinsky's music continues to fascinate audiences and intrigue musical scholars. Each piece is a magical expression of his genius regardless of the language used at the time. 3 stages of composition, each stage being treated with utmost care, defines his illustrious career, a career that remains enviable for its prolific and complex output.
I would urge readers to listen to music of the composers studied and find a selection you like. What is your favorite Copland piece? Why? What is your favorite Stravinsky work? Sibelius? Ravel?
Posted by Robert L. Tucker, Ph.D. at 6:02 PM
Today was a quick overview of Copland, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Sibelius. We have some more discussion on Barber, Messiaen, Bartok, and Prokofiev coming up. Our Copland moments included listening to Billy the Kid and talking about his use of polyrhythm and bitonality. Copland's emphasis on American folk songs gives his music a nationalistic spirit and made him known as the Dean of American Composers. Ballets, suites, film scores, concertos, chamber music, songs, and choral music comprise his immense and varied repertoire. Of greater interest is the "Copland sound" which includes open 5ths, 4ths, and expansive utilization of the harmonic series. In spite of the use of dissonance and hints of serialism, Copland's ability to open the textures, provides his music with an engaging and palatable mosaic still heard today.
Our brief minutes spent on Ravel revealed a composer steeped in classical forms but adopting a coloristic approach to music often called Impressionistic. Ravel's remarkable gifts found fruition in concertos, ballets, piano works, chamber pieces, songs, and orchestral showpieces. Known as one of the great orchestrators in music history, his Pictures at an Exhibition continues to be played frequently in concert halls. Perhaps the most performed Ravel piece is Bolero, a piece with 2 themes and a repetitious rhythm. Without a development section, Bolero never fails to elicit great emotional response from listeners and players.
Moving on to Sibelius, and one must wonder why a late Romantic is included in this discussion, we discussed his symphonies, concertos, and suites. Listening to Finlandia gave us an opportunity to talk about Finnish music and nationalism in general. Sibelius' use of orchestral padding, large forms, tonality, and vibrant orchestral textures tends to set his music apart from many of his contemporaries. Among the most beautiful pieces in orchestral repertoire is the Violin Concerto by Sibelius. A special piece demonstrating his use of tonality and layering of orchestral texture. His commitment to composing music in an older model in the midst of other more progressive composers is both admirable and anachronistic. Yet he composed at such a high level, he remains influential in today's eclectic world.
Many consider Stravinsky the greatest of 20th Century composers. From the 3 early ballets, through stunning neoclassicism, and finally serialism, Stravinsky epitomizes excellence in musical craft, expression, and creativity. Using bitonality, primitivism, complex rhythm, planing, and almost endless coloring, Stravinsky rocked the musical world with Rite of Spring. Following that shocking debut, he altered his style to a more conservative flavor drawing from classical music. Distinctly his own, Stravinsky's adoption of older forms never interfered with progressive creativity that tested the boundaries of tonality without abandoning the classical framework. Finally, in his mature years, he experimented with serialism, composing the deliciously complex Agon ballet.
The clarity, starkness, sophistication, and fastidiousness of Stravinsky's music continues to fascinate audiences and intrigue musical scholars. Each piece is a magical expression of his genius regardless of the language used at the time. 3 stages of composition, each stage being treated with utmost care, defines his illustrious career, a career that remains enviable for its prolific and complex output.
I would urge readers to listen to music of the composers studied and find a selection you like. What is your favorite Copland piece? Why? What is your favorite Stravinsky work? Sibelius? Ravel?
Posted by Robert L. Tucker, Ph.D. at 6:02 PM
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Renaissance
We slid back over to an earlier time and began talking about the Renaissance. Although not necessarily those most exciting topic (especially compared with John Cage or Leonard Bernstein), one cannot deny the inherent beauty in much of the music nor its influence on later generations. The congruent independence of polyphony lends itself to opportunities for both collective and individual expression of line. Never is this more true than much of the choral music of the Renaissance where beauty, shape, text, and form come together in glorious emotional and musical highs. While we learn the academic impetus behind the music of the Renaissance, and consider its unending influence, let us not ignore its remarkable ability to effect us through rich and sensitive polyphony.
The Renaissance period is an exciting time musically due to two pervading concepts that occurred. One is the methodical but certain progress from modality to tonality. This happened as musica ficta became more prevalent and as composers wrestled with its ubiquity in polyphony. Eventually a consistent use of musica ficta in the same melodic location formed a new key with the necessity for a key signature. The second event, while not necessarily musical, created a musical environment that exists to the present time. That is the Reformation and Counter Reformation. With the events of the Reformation ultimately leading to Protestantism and the Counter Reformation causing a resurgence of Roman Catholic piety, composers found themselves in a mild quandary, whether to write music in the traditions of the past or push forward with something new.
We talked about some facts regarding the period including some scholarship of the time. I pointed out the value of knowing something about Tinctoris and Zarlino, and discussed the concept of Cantus Firmus. We then waded into the world of Renaissance polyphony by singing a motet of Victoria. Separating the Renaissance into sacred music and secular music, we discussed the madrigal, the motet, the mass, and dance music. We mentioned many composers of the time and talked about text painting, modality, the polychoral music of Gabrieli, and the beauty of much of the music of Palestrina.
We did attempt to point out the distinction between composers who adopted a "traditional" approach to the music as opposed to those who pushed for something new. Gesualdo was mentioned and a brief reference to Monteverdi, who will need to be discussed further.
Today was primarily centered around the music and influence of Monteverdi, a composer with one leg in the Renaissance and the other in the Baroque. Using madrigals, drama, and opera, Monteverdi helped usher in a new type of music that became known as the Baroque. While the music of the High Renaissance was polyphonic with independent lines working congruently, and the music was primarily linear with resulting vertical harmony, the music of the Baroque was driven more by the bass line and subsequently the harmonic implications.
The concepts of basso continuo, a melody served an accompaniment, and an establishment of sharps, flats, and key structures affected music development most dramatically. This is seen in the late madrigals of Monteverdi. In an ironic sense, the bass line began to serve as the foundation for the music, rather than serving as another melodic line. This then led to a greater realization of the harmonic series and its importance in designing the overall sound of music.
Monteverdi's contributions to music were not only in the area of musical development but also in music drama and orchestration, as his use of instruments as an important force in opera, make his music among the most influential of his time. We listened to Tancredi and Clorinda, pointing out the string tremolos, the layering of sounds, and the vocal inflections adding to the drama. The development of opera music included the rise of the importance of the orchestra. As the instruments themselves became more sophisticated and composers began to make more technical demands on the players, the orchestra took on a greater role. This role included enhancing the drama and even playing its own overtures. Ultimately these "sinfonias" separated to become what we now know as the symphony. Perhaps the most respected early opera that is still performed today is Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a wonderfully expressive and complex retelling of the ancient Greek story of Orpheus.
We listened to several examples of the music and left the room feeling warmed by the beauty of polyphony of the Renaissance (at least I hope so!). So who is your favorite composer of the time period. Is there a place for this music in churches today?
The Renaissance period is an exciting time musically due to two pervading concepts that occurred. One is the methodical but certain progress from modality to tonality. This happened as musica ficta became more prevalent and as composers wrestled with its ubiquity in polyphony. Eventually a consistent use of musica ficta in the same melodic location formed a new key with the necessity for a key signature. The second event, while not necessarily musical, created a musical environment that exists to the present time. That is the Reformation and Counter Reformation. With the events of the Reformation ultimately leading to Protestantism and the Counter Reformation causing a resurgence of Roman Catholic piety, composers found themselves in a mild quandary, whether to write music in the traditions of the past or push forward with something new.
We talked about some facts regarding the period including some scholarship of the time. I pointed out the value of knowing something about Tinctoris and Zarlino, and discussed the concept of Cantus Firmus. We then waded into the world of Renaissance polyphony by singing a motet of Victoria. Separating the Renaissance into sacred music and secular music, we discussed the madrigal, the motet, the mass, and dance music. We mentioned many composers of the time and talked about text painting, modality, the polychoral music of Gabrieli, and the beauty of much of the music of Palestrina.
We did attempt to point out the distinction between composers who adopted a "traditional" approach to the music as opposed to those who pushed for something new. Gesualdo was mentioned and a brief reference to Monteverdi, who will need to be discussed further.
Today was primarily centered around the music and influence of Monteverdi, a composer with one leg in the Renaissance and the other in the Baroque. Using madrigals, drama, and opera, Monteverdi helped usher in a new type of music that became known as the Baroque. While the music of the High Renaissance was polyphonic with independent lines working congruently, and the music was primarily linear with resulting vertical harmony, the music of the Baroque was driven more by the bass line and subsequently the harmonic implications.
The concepts of basso continuo, a melody served an accompaniment, and an establishment of sharps, flats, and key structures affected music development most dramatically. This is seen in the late madrigals of Monteverdi. In an ironic sense, the bass line began to serve as the foundation for the music, rather than serving as another melodic line. This then led to a greater realization of the harmonic series and its importance in designing the overall sound of music.
Monteverdi's contributions to music were not only in the area of musical development but also in music drama and orchestration, as his use of instruments as an important force in opera, make his music among the most influential of his time. We listened to Tancredi and Clorinda, pointing out the string tremolos, the layering of sounds, and the vocal inflections adding to the drama. The development of opera music included the rise of the importance of the orchestra. As the instruments themselves became more sophisticated and composers began to make more technical demands on the players, the orchestra took on a greater role. This role included enhancing the drama and even playing its own overtures. Ultimately these "sinfonias" separated to become what we now know as the symphony. Perhaps the most respected early opera that is still performed today is Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a wonderfully expressive and complex retelling of the ancient Greek story of Orpheus.
We listened to several examples of the music and left the room feeling warmed by the beauty of polyphony of the Renaissance (at least I hope so!). So who is your favorite composer of the time period. Is there a place for this music in churches today?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Assignments
The Music Literature OR the Musical Language of:
Aaron Copland
Paul Hindemith
Jean Sibelius--Tabitha Livingston (music)
Howard Hanson
Igor Stravinsky--Kris Redus (music)
Samuel Barber--Caitlan Coffey (music)
Benjamin Britten--Charles Skipping (language)
Bela Bartok
Dmitri Shostakovitch
Maurice Ravel--Rebekah Sherrod (music)
Sergei Prokofiev--Sara Dean (music)
Oliver Messiaen
Sergei Rachmaninoff--Cara Craggett (music)
Richard Strauss
Milton Babbitt
Libby Larsen
Charles Ives--Matt Ramirez (language)
http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/home.asp
We finished up Leonard Bernstein and jumped quickly back to the Renaissance where we will stay for another day. Question: Did Bernstein achieve the "bridging the gap" between the popular masses and the intellectual musical elite?
Answer please.
Aaron Copland
Paul Hindemith
Jean Sibelius--Tabitha Livingston (music)
Howard Hanson
Igor Stravinsky--Kris Redus (music)
Samuel Barber--Caitlan Coffey (music)
Benjamin Britten--Charles Skipping (language)
Bela Bartok
Dmitri Shostakovitch
Maurice Ravel--Rebekah Sherrod (music)
Sergei Prokofiev--Sara Dean (music)
Oliver Messiaen
Sergei Rachmaninoff--Cara Craggett (music)
Richard Strauss
Milton Babbitt
Libby Larsen
Charles Ives--Matt Ramirez (language)
http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/home.asp
We finished up Leonard Bernstein and jumped quickly back to the Renaissance where we will stay for another day. Question: Did Bernstein achieve the "bridging the gap" between the popular masses and the intellectual musical elite?
Answer please.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day Seven and Eight
Today is musical theater day with emphasis placed on the music, influence, and significance of Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein's music is understood better by an understanding of his worldview and his genius. As a first-class pianist, conductor, author, speaker, and composer, Leonard Bernstein's complete brilliance including originality, creativity, and personal charisma found an audience that reached an entire world. While his legacy may be the Overture to Candide, which happens to be the most played orchestral work in the world, and the music from West Side Story, it is in the areas of music theater, symphonies, choral music, and chamber music that he excelled.
But the music cannot be understood without addressing Bernstein's worldview and the philosophy that led to his eclecticism. His commitment to writing music that could relate to all age groups, religions, cultures, and nationalities gave him a type of universal religion not far from a variation of pantheism. This unusual collectivism gave his music a blend of sophistication mixed with popular culture. Musicians embracing music primarily for entertainment often find Bernstein's music to be overly-complicated, academic, and unusual. Cultivated musicians, conversely, often believe Bernstein's music is geared for a wide audience and therefore leans on the simplistic side and is given to cultural idioms of the time period.
Ironically, in a way, these criticisms are justified particularly when one studies only pockets of Bernstein's output. Yet taken as a whole, Bernstein's music is extraordinary in its complexity, beauty, energy, and creativity. It is perhaps his Mass, written for the opening of the Kennedy Center, that demonstrates his eclectic spirit as well as his controversial originality. We listened to several part of this engaging work, and I pointed out the usage of mixed meter, rock inflections, jazz idioms, and the religious qualities of the work. I encourage you to acquire a recording and listen to it; yet I also must qualify that it contains some inappropriate language. The work is guaranteed to make someone upset! But it also contains beautiful and shimmering music that exemplifies his style and his philosophy.
We listened to Chichester Psalms, part of Symphony No. 2, and a few measures of Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs. These selections demonstrate mastery of harmony, counterpoint, melody, and orchestra. They further show Bernstein's eclectic incorporation of jazz idioms, religious worldview, and dramatic emotional content. We concluded our Bernstein discussion with a brief look at West Side Story and his love of music theater.
The next few minutes we discussed Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern, Frederick Lowe, Andrew Loyd Webber, and Cole Porter. Obviously many others contributed to American music theater, which may be a form of opera, and Broadway continues to be a vital part of American culture today. We spent a few minutes discussing the role of harmony in music theater with the reminder that songs containing rich harmony tend to "rise" to the top as music and withstand the test of time for excellence.
What do you think? Did Leonard Bernstein achieve the "bridging" of the gap between academic elites and popular masses? Is this a good thing? What other composers have attempted to do similar things?
We now jump backwards to the Renaissance for a couple of days of discussion of polyphony and development. It promises to be fun for all!
But the music cannot be understood without addressing Bernstein's worldview and the philosophy that led to his eclecticism. His commitment to writing music that could relate to all age groups, religions, cultures, and nationalities gave him a type of universal religion not far from a variation of pantheism. This unusual collectivism gave his music a blend of sophistication mixed with popular culture. Musicians embracing music primarily for entertainment often find Bernstein's music to be overly-complicated, academic, and unusual. Cultivated musicians, conversely, often believe Bernstein's music is geared for a wide audience and therefore leans on the simplistic side and is given to cultural idioms of the time period.
Ironically, in a way, these criticisms are justified particularly when one studies only pockets of Bernstein's output. Yet taken as a whole, Bernstein's music is extraordinary in its complexity, beauty, energy, and creativity. It is perhaps his Mass, written for the opening of the Kennedy Center, that demonstrates his eclectic spirit as well as his controversial originality. We listened to several part of this engaging work, and I pointed out the usage of mixed meter, rock inflections, jazz idioms, and the religious qualities of the work. I encourage you to acquire a recording and listen to it; yet I also must qualify that it contains some inappropriate language. The work is guaranteed to make someone upset! But it also contains beautiful and shimmering music that exemplifies his style and his philosophy.
We listened to Chichester Psalms, part of Symphony No. 2, and a few measures of Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs. These selections demonstrate mastery of harmony, counterpoint, melody, and orchestra. They further show Bernstein's eclectic incorporation of jazz idioms, religious worldview, and dramatic emotional content. We concluded our Bernstein discussion with a brief look at West Side Story and his love of music theater.
The next few minutes we discussed Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern, Frederick Lowe, Andrew Loyd Webber, and Cole Porter. Obviously many others contributed to American music theater, which may be a form of opera, and Broadway continues to be a vital part of American culture today. We spent a few minutes discussing the role of harmony in music theater with the reminder that songs containing rich harmony tend to "rise" to the top as music and withstand the test of time for excellence.
What do you think? Did Leonard Bernstein achieve the "bridging" of the gap between academic elites and popular masses? Is this a good thing? What other composers have attempted to do similar things?
We now jump backwards to the Renaissance for a couple of days of discussion of polyphony and development. It promises to be fun for all!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Day Six
Today began with a lively discussion of the college music curriculum. Should we be teaching film music, popular music, rock, contemporary Christian? Several opinions later, we jumped into the experimental art music of the last 50 years. Any discussion of experimental music cannot be made without an understanding of two things: music of John Cage and a broad definition of music. A good video of John Cage helps articulate his view of music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcHnL7aS64Y. Cage's experiments in sound including prepared piano led the way to the "happenings" movement of the 1960s. Happenings were musical and extra-musical experimental events that qualify as sound or aural events in time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happening). Happenings have led to performance art of today which seems to be reserved for nightclubs or college activities on certain campuses. But there is no denying the influence of the various musical experiments of the 60s.
If music is sound, regardless of its system or organization, and regardless of man's attempt to compartmentalize its role and purpose, then it stands to reason that music is only limited by man's creative spirit. With that in mind, we jumped into some sounds and music that are being performed today. The influence of John Cage cannot be overemphasized, but equal to Cage, although in a more traditional framework, is the music of Edgar Varese. We listened to Arcana and a little bit of Ameriques and discussed the sounds and approach of Varese. A bit strident at times, shocking, yet oddly sensitive, Varese's music opened the door to new sounds and textures for future composers.
The composers Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Babbit, Xenakis, and Stockhausen to name just a few have all been involved with experimentation and searching for new sounds and aural expression. A riveting recording of Kontakte by Stockhausen led us to a wide variety of opinions and discussion. Some students are uncomfortable with music that cannot be performed live. Others enjoyed the complexity of sound but tended to associate that with particular images. Kontakte then took us to a different kind of piece called Helicopter String Quartet by Stockhausen. Each member of the string quartet plays inside a flying helicopter where the sound is heard on the ground by the audience. We listened to approximately 6 minutes of the lengthy piece and all of us were pretty taken with the concept and the resulting sound. Perhaps this is due to the direct imagery of 4 helicopters, not sure though.
A quick shift of thought took us back to minimalism, landing on the music of Phillip Glass. We listened to a few examples and discussed his remarkable career in film music. Historically, minimalism grew out of the tension of the 1960s with a pulsating, process-oriented style exemplified by Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Eastern mysticism and subtle development in increments characterize minimalism. Beginning with early efforts including Einstein on the Beach, Philip Glass has had a tremendous influence on music. In an almost unprecedented rise, Philip Glass's career took a meteoric rise several years and he became one of the most sought after film composers of our time.
We concluded with comments about minimalism and other kind of music of today. It was not quite an earth-shattering day, but we did cover some modern material, leaving all us feeling both enriched and maybe a little confused. What is music? Is there a place for experimentalism in today's world? Do you like Minimalism in music?
If music is sound, regardless of its system or organization, and regardless of man's attempt to compartmentalize its role and purpose, then it stands to reason that music is only limited by man's creative spirit. With that in mind, we jumped into some sounds and music that are being performed today. The influence of John Cage cannot be overemphasized, but equal to Cage, although in a more traditional framework, is the music of Edgar Varese. We listened to Arcana and a little bit of Ameriques and discussed the sounds and approach of Varese. A bit strident at times, shocking, yet oddly sensitive, Varese's music opened the door to new sounds and textures for future composers.
The composers Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Babbit, Xenakis, and Stockhausen to name just a few have all been involved with experimentation and searching for new sounds and aural expression. A riveting recording of Kontakte by Stockhausen led us to a wide variety of opinions and discussion. Some students are uncomfortable with music that cannot be performed live. Others enjoyed the complexity of sound but tended to associate that with particular images. Kontakte then took us to a different kind of piece called Helicopter String Quartet by Stockhausen. Each member of the string quartet plays inside a flying helicopter where the sound is heard on the ground by the audience. We listened to approximately 6 minutes of the lengthy piece and all of us were pretty taken with the concept and the resulting sound. Perhaps this is due to the direct imagery of 4 helicopters, not sure though.
A quick shift of thought took us back to minimalism, landing on the music of Phillip Glass. We listened to a few examples and discussed his remarkable career in film music. Historically, minimalism grew out of the tension of the 1960s with a pulsating, process-oriented style exemplified by Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Eastern mysticism and subtle development in increments characterize minimalism. Beginning with early efforts including Einstein on the Beach, Philip Glass has had a tremendous influence on music. In an almost unprecedented rise, Philip Glass's career took a meteoric rise several years and he became one of the most sought after film composers of our time.
We concluded with comments about minimalism and other kind of music of today. It was not quite an earth-shattering day, but we did cover some modern material, leaving all us feeling both enriched and maybe a little confused. What is music? Is there a place for experimentalism in today's world? Do you like Minimalism in music?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day Five
Starting with a heavy discussion about the role of emotion in music, and referencing the Wagner piece, we moved around to why an understanding of music history is essential for understanding the gamut of music's purpose in the world today.
Jumping in the deep water of early music, our talk was rather superficial and general, skipping through a few hundred years fairly quickly, but still informative. Becoming too detailed would prevent further necessary discussions of other great topics! We discussed monody, plainchant, plainsong, early notation, Gregorian chant, and church modes. We recited 7 of the modes in order: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Locrian, deliberately avoiding much discussion of the hypo varieties.
A brief talk of tropes, sequences, and conductus explained how music came to be added to the Mass and how composers were needed to develop these additions. Much of the additions were born out of practical necessity to have music during the Mass. Since text was also needed with the music, eventually the motet was developed.
Spending some time on meter and rhythm, we alluded to the rhythmic modes used in sacred and secular music and then looked at how meter signatures developed. It really is a fascinating study and explains where we get the C that most people call "common" time. For an indepth understanding, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
Organum is an early type of polyphony that likely resulted from the overtones in a Cathedral. There are different kinds of organum and different approaches to organum including melismatic organum and free organum with varying types of motion used, syllabic, oblique, and contrary. Eventually the voices became more independent, resulting in what we know of as polyphony. Passing through French Ars Nova, the Italian Ars Nova, Trouveres, Troubadours and host of other terms related to early music, we landed on Machaut where we discussed Isorhythm. An understanding of Talea and Color is central to knowing what Isorhythm means and how it is used in music. We looked at an example of this, referencing the amazingly clever piece My end is my beginning by Machaut. I will send a pdf of this piece to you by email.
You may ask what is the value of this kind of clever approach to music? It has to do with unifying the elements of a piece. A piece of music becomes consistent within itself through its unifying elements. Otherwise we simply have a gushing of complex emotions without any consistency. Isorhythm is simply one way, albeit an excellent way, of giving a piece unity.
Another "exciting" day in music 4000. Please read the early music articles in www.lcsproductions.net. We will discuss the reading on Thursday and then jump into some recent developments of music.
Comment Question: What is the purpose of knowing something about music history?
Jumping in the deep water of early music, our talk was rather superficial and general, skipping through a few hundred years fairly quickly, but still informative. Becoming too detailed would prevent further necessary discussions of other great topics! We discussed monody, plainchant, plainsong, early notation, Gregorian chant, and church modes. We recited 7 of the modes in order: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Locrian, deliberately avoiding much discussion of the hypo varieties.
A brief talk of tropes, sequences, and conductus explained how music came to be added to the Mass and how composers were needed to develop these additions. Much of the additions were born out of practical necessity to have music during the Mass. Since text was also needed with the music, eventually the motet was developed.
Spending some time on meter and rhythm, we alluded to the rhythmic modes used in sacred and secular music and then looked at how meter signatures developed. It really is a fascinating study and explains where we get the C that most people call "common" time. For an indepth understanding, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensural_notation
Organum is an early type of polyphony that likely resulted from the overtones in a Cathedral. There are different kinds of organum and different approaches to organum including melismatic organum and free organum with varying types of motion used, syllabic, oblique, and contrary. Eventually the voices became more independent, resulting in what we know of as polyphony. Passing through French Ars Nova, the Italian Ars Nova, Trouveres, Troubadours and host of other terms related to early music, we landed on Machaut where we discussed Isorhythm. An understanding of Talea and Color is central to knowing what Isorhythm means and how it is used in music. We looked at an example of this, referencing the amazingly clever piece My end is my beginning by Machaut. I will send a pdf of this piece to you by email.
You may ask what is the value of this kind of clever approach to music? It has to do with unifying the elements of a piece. A piece of music becomes consistent within itself through its unifying elements. Otherwise we simply have a gushing of complex emotions without any consistency. Isorhythm is simply one way, albeit an excellent way, of giving a piece unity.
Another "exciting" day in music 4000. Please read the early music articles in www.lcsproductions.net. We will discuss the reading on Thursday and then jump into some recent developments of music.
Comment Question: What is the purpose of knowing something about music history?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day Four
Today we met in the music library which is where we will stay for the rest of the semester. We are slightly crowded in the back room, but a little coziness may enhance learning. At least nobody can fall asleep easily!
We spent some time looking at www.lcsproductions.net which is great resource for music history and theory. We then listened to Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, truly a magnificent piece in all respects. A few more minutes of discussion and we jumped backward in time to early music. What did you think of Liebestod? How did you feel after it was done?
Discussing monody, plainsong, chant, organum, church modes, rhythmic modes, tropes and sequences, and parts of the mass, we landed on Machaut where we spent some time discussing Isorhythm. A few minutes of notation and a few more on the printing press, and we find ourselves nearly ready to go forward in time to today! Should be fun!
We spent some time looking at www.lcsproductions.net which is great resource for music history and theory. We then listened to Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, truly a magnificent piece in all respects. A few more minutes of discussion and we jumped backward in time to early music. What did you think of Liebestod? How did you feel after it was done?
Discussing monody, plainsong, chant, organum, church modes, rhythmic modes, tropes and sequences, and parts of the mass, we landed on Machaut where we spent some time discussing Isorhythm. A few minutes of notation and a few more on the printing press, and we find ourselves nearly ready to go forward in time to today! Should be fun!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day Three
Okay, we are on Day Three and continue to go through the test, defining terms, extrapolating ideas, and discussing composers. Once done, we will jump into the American musical scene and discuss pop music of today. Then moving into experimental sounds and various approaches to art music of the late 20th century, we will listen and learn some things that are both creative and maybe disturbing to some. A couple of days of this and it will be time to seesaw back to the Middle Ages for some fun discussion of Monody and the development of music.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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