To what extent can The Rite's innovations be boiled down to rhythm alone?
To what extent can The Rite's innovations be boiled down to rhythm alone? The Rite of Spring, first performed to much controversy in 1913, is a ballet unlike any other of its time, before its time or possibly even afterwards. It has almost nothing in common with the idealisms of Tchaikovsky. In terms of subject matter, it is vastly different even to Stravinsky's earlier ballets. It is this difference, a plotline which is harsh and based not on fantasy or folk tales, but on supposed ancient tribal history, which separates it from its contemporaries and predecessors and is reflected so obviously in the music. The most prominent musical difference between The Rite and other contemporary works is the popular claim that Stravinsky has minimized the influence of harmony, melody and overall tonality at the expense of rhythm and meter; in other words, that rhythm is the driving force of the work. From the perspective of the casual listener, this manifests itself as the phenomenon of the percussive nature of instruments that are normally melodious. Stravinsky himself acknowledged the importance of the subject matter to the resultant music from the very start of the composition process. The idea of Le Sacre de printemps came to me while I was still composing The Firebird. I had dreamed a scene of pagan ritual in which a chosen sacrificial virgin danced herself to death. This vision
Beethoven and his influence on Schubert
Beethoven: His influence on Schubert Major Works of Western Classical Music May 21, 2010 The works of Ludwig van Beethoven have profoundly impressed countless musicians from his own time to the present. Discuss Beethoven's influence on one later composer of your choice, making reference to specific works of Beethoven himself and of the selected composer. Explore the nature of this influence, and whether or not it was explicitly expressed by the composer. Be clear about the genre of your examples. If they are vocal, explore their text (s); if instrumental, explain whether they are programmatic or abstract in nature. Beethoven was one of the most important figures in western classical music composition who had influenced a number of his successors including many great composers. He had put forth roots in the Mozart and Haydn traditions of classical period but went way beyond that. His lifetime covered both the end of the classical period and the beginning of the romantic period. Not just the techniques and his unique style, but also his revolutionary ideas, his passion to liberty of individuals and the ideas of French Revolution generating an integrity with the radical humanistic ideals of his contemporary society were making him distinct from any other composer. "Beethoven's story is one of personal triumph over tragedy and supreme musical achievement. A complex and
Analysis of Haydn's Piano Sonata in E Flat, Hob XVI/49
Write a detailed harmonic and formal analysis of the development section from the first movement of Joseph Haydn's Piano Sonata in E Flat, Hob XVI/49, focusing on the interaction of motive, texture, scoring and harmony. Sonata in E Flat major, Hob XVI/49, can be said to embody both the Viennese keyboard style and many of the musical ideas that Haydn gathered in the cosmopolitan capital of England. Written in 1789, it is one of his last piano sonatas and is quite representative of works composed in his late period. Most importantly, Haydn's mastery of the standard sonata form was unquestioned in this sonata and it provides a template by which to judge divergence and innovation. The development section in the first movement in this particular sonata begins at bar 65 and ends at beat 3 of bar 131. It serves as a contrasting and linking section that connects the exposition to the recapitulation though the transformation and juxtaposition of motives, with the harmony going through distant keys. This essay will attempt to analyse bar 65 to bar 131 of the first movement of Haydn's Piano Sonata in E Flat, Hob XVI/49 in three aspects, namely motives, harmony and scoring and pianistic writing. Motives The development section acts as a segment in the sonata to develop motives. Through different techniques such as sequences, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation and repetition,
The kitchen, a 'realist text' is written by Arnold Wesker, a 'naturalistic writer'.
The Kitchen - documentation Text and Performance 3 'Realist art or literature is seen as simply one convention among others, a set of formal representations...' (Strindberg 1976) 'Naturalism alone corresponds to our social needs; it alone has deep roots in the spirit of our times; and it alone can provide a living, durable formula for our art...' (Emile Zola 1881) The kitchen, a 'realist text' is written by Arnold Wesker, a 'naturalistic writer'. These terms have been used for many years now in conjunction with theatre. Their meanings have changed and very easily overlap with each other, just as the above quotes suggest; because of this the task of performing in the form of realism as opposed to naturalism is impossible. This suggests that in performance there is a real possibility of creating the desired effect without having to justify whether it is naturalistic or indeed realistic. Performing a section of the kitchen requires at least a basic understanding of these terms. Arnold Wesker gives a lengthy explanation of what he wants to see on stage, he goes to great detail to explain his restaurant and the people in it: 'The quality of food here is not so important as the speed with which it is served (Wesker 1960). Wesker continues to give character notes on each of his main 15 characters that are also accompanied by specific actions for many of them. Now directors,
Jazz vs Classical Music
Jazz vs. Classical Music Upon entering a modern record store, one is confronted with a wide variety of choices in recorded music. These choices not only include a multitude of artists, but also a wide diversity of music categories. These categories run the gamut from easy listening dance music to more complex art music. On the complex side of the scale are the categories known as Jazz and Classical music. Some of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a lifelong study of Jazz or Classical music, and a few exceptional musicians have actually mastered both. A comparison of classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music. Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two. The music called classical, found in stores and performed regularly by symphonies around the world, spans a length of time from 1600 up to the present. This time frame includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The classical period of music actually spans a time from of 1750 to 1800; thus, the term Classical is a misnomer and could more correctly be changed to Western Art Music or European Art Music. European because most of the major composers up till the 20th century was European. Vivaldi was Italian, Bach was German,
English Assessment Task: Remembering
Advanced English Assessment Task: Remembering 1. A Fortunate Life composed by A.B Facey is a reflection of a lifetime that most would hope to forget. In complete contrast Piano a poem written by D.H. Lawrence reveals the composers joyful emotions when remembering his childhood. What both texts represent is the concept that without memory the individual could not progress. A Fortunate Life represents this with Facey remembering abuse, poverty, and war yet 'it has been rich and full', being a powerful description of the progression of life, the good and the bad times, denoting that although not all memories are pleasurable they are significant to ones 'whole' life. Piano demonstrates this same concept. Memory affects the composer, as he says 'down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past'. The composer is in fact fixated with his past, which he yearns to remember as a way of moving ahead. An aspect in which the texts completely differ in their analysis of remembrance is the need to remain obsessed with one's past. The difference between obsessed and using remembrance to progress is clearly demonstrated by the two texts. Facey remembers events but never lingers on the memories more then is necessary for his development. On the contrary the composer of Piano wants to dwell in his past, '...the heart of me weeps to belong...' the composer wants to
Can music be a representational art? Discuss some views on this issue.
Can music be a representational art? Discuss some views on this issue. Of all the different forms of art, none are more problematic when dealing with the issue of representation than music. When dealing with pictorial art it is common place to think that a painting of an object is a representation of it on canvas. However when a piece of music is said to represent something, numerous problems immediately arise. This is mainly due to the medium of music, sound. This essay will discuss these questions using the views of Roger Scruton, Kivy and myself. Scruton makes his argument through five conditions but I will only deal with three of them here because they are specifically relevant to music. His general argument is that music can't represent things and even if it could it would be irrelevant to the appreciation of the music. I'll later show how Kivy defends against this and I will also introduce some arguments that Kivy fails to address. Scruton's three conditions concerning representation in music are: . To be a representational work, a proper understanding of the work demands that the observer gain, some awareness of what is being represented. While the observer might not completely understand what is represented, she must still have a sufficient appreciation of what the work represents. 2. Following from 1), the observer must be able to distinguish the medium of
"Mama -Just killed a Man" - Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
Kasim, Mona 602-925-336 Music History 1 December 9, 2002 "Mama -Just killed a Man" Recorded in 1975, the meaning of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody has been a great secret, as the song's composer never exposed his inspiration for his lyrics except to say that they were "personal, about relationships." In 1976 he states, "that people should just listen to it, think about it and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them" (Moran). Although Freddy Mercury never publicized what the song means one can see what he was trying to portray just in the title of the song. Bohemian is used to describe freethinking people mostly pertaining to artists. A whole era of composers called Bohemians was talking about truth, life, love and liberty as inspiration for their music while traveling through Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). A bohemian composer expressed himself or herself without regard for social convention through their literary works or creative arts. Rhapsody, as Webster's Dictionary defines it is a musical composition of irregular form having an improvisatory character and a highly emotional text. Together the term Bohemian Rhapsody expresses the backbone of what Freddie Mercury was showing when he composed this song. Freddie expresses a freethinking nature through his lyrics and irregular character through his musical form. Although one may think of Queen's
Concert review
The general term of the word 'Music' has define as an art of sound arrangements which exists within the sequences to produce various compositions with the used of the melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003). On another hand, the terms of determining the genre of music are limitless. This is because it depends on the exposure of one towards various style of music through out his or her years and also the music background of a person. Hence, different people would have different thoughts and definition to determine the genre of music. As for my concert review, I have attended a local band performance for 'the AXN challenge' at One Utama, high street on 4th of April, 2009. There were two local bands that performed in this particular event and it was Estranged and Pop Shuvit. However, my main focus would be on Estranged and the genre that I would be examining is 'Rock'. The word 'Rock' was originated from the word 'Rock 'n' Roll' back in the year of 1954. 'Rock 'n' Roll' was actually an obvious reference to sex. Thus at the year of 1964, it was entitle again as the 'Rock Music' (infoplease.com, 2006). As for being a musician, the genre 'Rock' is the category and direction of music that I have been associated and familiarize with. Therefore, this concert review would be based on my experience, my knowledge upon 'Rock' and also certain readings that
Miles Davis So What transcription and analysis
Miles Davis' So What transcription and analysis by Bart Marantz Introduction Miles Davis' original tune So What was first recorded in 1959 on his album Kind of Blue (Columbia CS-8163) with the famed "'56 Quintet". For purposes of comparison, this 1959 debut studio recording and a subsequent 1961 live performance recording of the same tune will be transcribed and analyzed. Solo I (CS-8163) The conservative tempo of = 138 lends itself well to the cool icy-blue sound of Miles Davis' playing and to the smooth simplicity of statement he observes in this rendition of So What. (The music is available for viewing at the end of the article) Measures 1-10, including the pick-up beat, firmly establish the tone E, which appears one or more times in every measure except measure 6. Even later in measure 14, where he ventures into polytonality by ascending to the eleventh, he still ends the phrase in measure 15 on the tonic. Despite the danger of too much tonic repetition, Miles manages to camouflage and integrate it into a masterful melodic line. In the first five measures of the B section, beginning at measure 17, Miles uses this same technique of emphasizing the tonic to declare the key change to F dorian. In measure 23, he sets up an anticipation of the return to E dorian with the chromatic interplay of Eb and E. However, in this last A section of chorus one, beginning in