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?
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I heard about Matts computer not being compatible for his presentation. I was relieved to find out that I hadn't missed the Ives discussion.
ReplyDeleteI don't like counter tenors. I had to listen to them in opera lit with Dr. Mr Church. Its not natural.
I think I am kind of inbetween when it comes to atonality. I have an Ives set for my recital; the first piece has no tonal center what so ever and follows no pattern. It has been challenging yes, but after having and working on it some time I do like singing it. However I don't think I could live in a completely atonal world. I need structure. :)
I gathered my thoughts on how to answer this, and then read Caitlan's and decided I like what she said. I have an appreciation for atonal music, and alot of it intrigues me. I don't know that I would like to play it as much as just listen to it though. But, as previously stated here, and as Dr. Tucker said in class today about too much aspirin, I can only take so much of it at a time, and definately need my share of other types of music as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of atonal music. I think it has it's place & that it can be enjoyed, but the total lack of center puts me on edge & makes me quite irritable. As I do not enjoy being irritable, I prefer to steer away from music that will make me feel so. However, I think I should clarify that I do not feel the same about all 20th century music -- most is dissonant, but not all is atonal.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way Rebekah feels about atonality, except towards praise and worship music. The monotonous tonal center is quite irritable. This doesn't apply to all of course; just most.
ReplyDeleteI like atonality. It makes music exciting to listen to. Though some are a little harder because they are so "sharp" sounding. I would much rather listen to Shoenberg than Mozart. There's so much to grasp...it just baffles me!
ReplyDeleteI get very tired of incessant tonality, like Pedro was saying. I like atonality alot, on a few conditions however... I think the absence of tonality is wonderful when there is still rhythmic structure to hold the music together. A lot of atonal music just sounds like someone banging on a piano which kind of defeats the purpose to me. It's kind of like teaching a trained music to sound like a over-zealous little kid. That idea doesn't hold alot of scholarly merit to me.
ReplyDeleteI remember what I thought about the very limited (and ignorant, might I add) view I had of atonal music before I began to study music in college...I hated it so much! Just like Kris said, it sounded like someone hacking away on their instrument for several minutes. I always bought the classical music CD's and MP3's that was popular...you know, the ones entitled, "Classical Music to Make You Relax", or "Pieces to Play When That Girl You Like Walks into Your English Class". It's no wonder I knew so much Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart! I could hum Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata (or at least the Adagio Cantabile, that is) in my sleep! There was never Ives, Schoenberg, John Cage, or Edvard Varese on those albums.
ReplyDeleteI thought like Olivia Berry did; that is, I thought that atonal music was the culprit for people turning away from cultivated music to create the most tonal music known to man today...pop music.
Is that the real reason pop music exists? Did the masses even like cultivated music as much as the next musician in the time prior to the 21st century I live in today?
The only answer I know for sure is that I really enjoy atonal music as much as the so-called 'tonal' literature. I especially love vocal music without a tonal center. One of my favorite pieces is "Pierrot Lunaire No. 8 Nacht" by the master of the disaster himself, Arnold Schoenberg.
I have grown to venture to other music besides the kind I grew up with, where a major chord equals happiness and a minor chord evokes sadness. I am curious to hear what eastern music is like (Asia, Africa). Do its chords, melodies, and progressions evoke the same 'feelings' that a western native like myself have grown accustomed to?
Haha...Pedro and Kris?
Don't EVEN get me started on the half-hearted, lazy, and inconsiderate praise and worship &$%^ that has poisoned churches today.