Day Seventeen--Mostly Mozart

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.