Death by Pasta Flashcards
Who is the composer? When and where was he born? When and Where did he die?
Sonny Chua, born in Penang, Malaysia in 1967. He died in Melbourne in 2020 after spending most of his life in Victoria. He was 53 when he died.
What was Sonny Chua’s profession?
Australian pianist, composer, and teacher.
When did he start playing?
Sonny started playing when he was eight.
Where did Sonny study? Was he trained in composing?
he studied at the University of Melbourne, he was mainly self-taught in composing.
What styles does he usually write in?
Chua writes in a combination of classical, jazz, and contemporary styles.
Where has Sonny taught?
He has taught at Melbourne High School and was the director of music at Hamilton and Alexandra College and at Mac. Robertson girls’ high school.
What instrument does he mainly compose for?
Piano
What are some of his previous compositions?
bogus boogies, Red hot rhapsodies, Scenes of childhood and Sonatina.
When was Death by Pasta composed?
1991
When the collection is Death by Pasta from? How many songs were in the collection?
the piece is from ‘scenes of childhood’ it contains 14 pieces.
key?
D minor
What is the structure? What is it based on?
free formal structure, based on four motives that are connected with death or the underworld.
What are the four motives of death or the underworld?
Dies Irae - a plainchant melody from the middle ages, used in the requiem mass.
Tarantella - a fast Italian dance in 6/8 time, it was used to stop tarantula bites from being fatal (when it was thought that tarantulas were poisonous)
Tritone - is augmented 4th or diminished 5th. These intervals can also be called ‘diabolus in musica’ (devil in music) was once considered so dissonant that it was forbidden.
The funeral march - from Chopin’s sonata in B flat minor.
What style is this written in? How do you distinguish this style?
postmodern: quirkiness and good humor quotations (from other well-known works or styles) dissonance wide pitch and dynamic range
How is a piece with this style usually played?
to be played with energy, exuberance, and strong contrasts.
