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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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

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?