Modern Era Part Two Flashcards
serialism
A compositional approach developed in the 20thcentury by the Second Viennese School; any number of musical parameters (such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tone colour) are organized using a specific ordering (set) that undergoes manipulation
twelve-tone music
A method of composition developed by Schoenberg; an approach used to organize atonal music arranging the twelve tones of the chromatic scale in a fixed order
inversion
rewriting a melody upside down; intervals ascending now descend etc.
retrograde
rewriting a melody backward
tone row
fixed order of the twelve chromatic pitches; the basis of a twelve-tone composition
Symphony, op. 21 genre, composition date, structure, performing forces
Genre- orchestral work
Composition date- 1928
Structure- two movements, based on the same tone row
Performing forces- chamber orchestra: violin, violas, cellos, two harps, clarinet, bass clarinet, two horns
Symphony, op. 21 mvmt 2 compositional approach, form, meter
Compositional approach- twelve-tone method
Form- theme and seven variations
Meter- 2/4
Symphony, op. 21
Variation 1- Lebhafter (livelier)
Variation 2- Sehr lebhaft (very lively)
Variation 3- Wieder mässiger (again more moderately)
Variation 4- Ausserst ruhig (Extremely quiet)
Variation 5- Sehr lebhaft (very lively)
Variation 6 -Marschmässig (Marchlike)
Variation 7- Etwas breitar (Somewhat broadened)
Coda- Original row and retrograde form employed
Anton Webern dates
1883-1945
Webern musical style
-a member of the Second Viennese School
-influenced by Schoenberg, his teacher, and by his studies of musicology under Guido Adler at the University of Vienna
-Twelve-tone works display a radical, strict approach: not only pitch but also rhythm and dynamics are at times subject to mathematical ordering
-preferred traditional forms and absolute music
-incorporates many canonic and palindromic elements
-instrumental writing features Klangfarbenmelodie
Webern Compositions
Compositions: Im Sommerwind, Passacaglia, op. 1; Symphony, op. 21; Variations, op. 30, Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Kinderstuck, Sacred Songs, Five Canons and Latin Texts, Das Augenlicht
neo-Classicism
a post-World War I style marked by a return to absolute music and traditional formal structures
ostinato
a short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated throughout a section or a work
polytonality
the simultaneous use of two or more keys
Concerto for Orchestra genre, composition date, structure
Genre- orchestral work
Composition date- 1943
Structure- five movements
Concerto for Orchestra key, form, tempo, meter
Key- begins in E Lydian and ends in B major with modal inflections
Form- rondo-like (introduction ABA1CB1A2)
Tempo- Allegretto
Meter- changing meter
Concerto for Orchestra
Introduction- violins, violas and cellos play a four-note motive in unison outlining the tritone (A sharp down to E)
Section A- A folk-like melody in the oboe outlines a tritone, expanded in the woodwinds accompanied by its inversion, meter changes frequently
Section B- marked calmo and cantabile, strikes an elegiac note with a sweeping lyrical melody in the violas
Section A1- abbreviated statement of the opening melody, increased dissonance
Section C2: The Inturruption- Clarinet introduces a light-hearted melody, similar to “Da geh’; ich zu Maxin” from Franz Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow, clangorous dissonances heightened by brass glissandi
Section B1- sweeping melody returns, dispelling the cacophony created by the “interruption”
Section A2- woodwinds state fragments of the opening theme, extended flute cadenza
General tempo of Concerto for Orchestra all movements
Medium, medium fast, and fast
Form all movements of Concerto for Orchestra
1- sonata
2- scherzo trio
3-free-form
4-ABA1CBA1
5-sonata
Bartók dates
1881-1945
Bartók life
-born in Hungary (now in Romania)
-father was headmaster of an agricultural school and an amateur musician; mother was a piano teacher
-started piano lessons with his mother at age five; father died when Bartók was seven
-shy and serious by nature; health was never robust
-first major success was his nationalist symphonic poem Kossuth
-travelled extensively to collect and record folk songs
-taught at Budapest Academy for over twenty years
-married Marta Aiegler, a piano student; their son Béla was born in 1910
-married Ditta Pásztory, his piano student, after divorcing Marta; they had a son, Peter
-Toured the US successfully
-enjoyed increasing international fame
-visiting lecturer at Harvard but didn’t finish his 2nd lecture series due to illness
-medical treatment paid for by ASCAP though he wasn’t a member
-Concerto for Orchstra commissioned by Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchstra
-died in New York City
Bartók musical style
-early compositions showed post-romantic style
-Folk elements: pentatonic and other non-traditional scales, irregular rhythms and phrase structures, dance types
-Expressionist elements are present in his opera, Bluebeard’s Castle
-employed contrapuntal textures and neo-Classical forms such as fugue, sonata, rondo, cyclic structure; for example, Sonatina
-compositional devices including palidromic forms and mathematical principles, such as the fibonacci series
-percussive approach to instrumental writting and harmonic dissonance
orchestral suite
a group of contrasting orchestral movements, often drawn from a larger dramatic work such as a ballet; often programmatic in nature
choreography
The art of designing the dance steps and movements in ballet (or musical)
ballet
a highly stylized type of dance that often interprets a story; first developed in the 17thcentury at the court of Louis XIV
Romeo and Juliet suite genre, composition date, source of program, performing forces
Genre- originally composed for the ballet; later reworked into an orchestral suite
Composition date- 1936
Source of the program- a play by Willian Shakespeare
Performing forces- large orchestra with expanded percussion
The Montagues and the Capulets key, form
Key- E minor
Form- ternary
The Montagues and the Capulets Section A and B key, tempo, meter
Section A:
Key- begins in E minor
Tempo- Allegro pesante
Meter- 4/4
Section B:
Key- E minor
Tempo- Moderato tranquillo
Meter-3/4
The Montagues and the Capulets point from each section
A: The two-measure opening establishes E minor, played by low strings and low brass
violins and clarinets play a melody rising and falling sequentially through the tonic and dominant minor arpeggios
aggressive dotted-note figures impart a feeling of noble arrogance
syncopation
the new theme in D minor heralds the arrival of Lord Capulet and Tybalt
ascending and descending natural minor scale
played f by French horns in octaves
the section ends with an emphatic authentic cadence
B: new melody gently outlines ascending E minor triad
played by flutes, later joined by clarinets
harps, pizzicato strings, and celesta enhance the ethereal atmosphere
this music accompanies Juliet’s first dance at the Capulet ball with her handsome suitor, Paris
Prokofiev dates
1891-1953
Prokofiev dates
1891-1953
Prokofiev dates
1891-1953
Prokofiev life
Born in Sontsovaka
Father was an agricultural engineer
Mother, Maria, an amateur pianist, gave him his first piano lessons at age four
Began composing at age five, loved opera, and wrote several while still in his youth
Lessons with Russian pianist Reinhold Gliére
The youngest student ever admitted to St. Petersburg Conservatory
Composition teachers included Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov
His first two piano concertos premiered and were published while still a student
Visited London and met Sergei Diaghilev who commissioned a ballet
Left for the US, travelling in Japan, gave recitals
critics described his piano as savage, steely, mechanistic
The comic opera the love for three oranges premiered in Chicago
settled in Paris but frequently travelled abroad
international reputation as a virtuoso pianist and composer
Prokofiev musical style
Classical elements- sonata, rondo, (forms), concerto, symphony, sonata, suite (genres)
Lyrical elements- sweeping melodies and lush harmonies
Motoric Elements- constant rhythmic drive
Search for Innovation- progressive features such as dissonance, abrupt changes of key, rhythmic complexities, unique approach to pianistic writing, novel textures, percussive effects
Other characteristics- harmonic language grounded in tonality though dissonant, virtuosity, polytonality, scherzo-like quality
Quatuor pour la fin du Temps genre, composition date, translation of title, structure, performing forces
Genre- chamber music
Composition date- 1941
Translation of title- Quarter for End of Time
Structure- eight movements
Performing forces- clarinet, violin, cello, piano
Quatuor pour la fin du Temps genre, composition date, translation of title, structure, performing forces
Genre- chamber music
Composition date- 1941
Translation of title- Quarter for End of Time
Structure- eight movements
Performing forces- clarinet, violin, cello, piano
Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps translation of title, source of inspiration, form, tempo, meter
Translation of movement title: Vocalise, for the Angel Who Announces the End of Time
Source of inspiration: The Book of Revelation
Form- ABA’
Tempo- opens Robuste, modéré
Meter: 3/4
Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps points from each section
Section A:
marked Robuste, modéré
dissonant, crashing chords played on the piano in alternation
clarinet trills suggest bird calls
Section B:
marked Presque lent, impalpable, lointain
sourdine (mute) indicated for violin and cello; marked pp
very quiet, reverent, and mysterious character is created
cello and violin play a lyrical melody
the piano accompanies with descending parallel-motion chords
ends with repeated notes in a very soft dynamic
Section A1:
fast tempo and crashing dissonant chords return
motives reverse the direction from the opening section; now descending
abrupt clarinet motive concludes the movement
Messiaen musical style
Musical Style:
Three significant sources of inspiration:
Spirituality: devout Catholic faith reflected in religious-themed works, employed actual chant melodies
Non-Western Musical Sources: influenced by the rhythmic pulses found in ancient Greek poetry, explored classical Indian music, developed an approach that regarded rhythm as an accumulation of durations rather than a division fo time into equal parts, used traditional songs and birdsong of Japan
Birdsong: systematically researched and transcribed birdsongs
Other style traits: parallel chord streams; added sixth, ninth, and aggregate chords
-used whole-tone octatonic, and modal scales
-used to term “modes of limited transposition”
-adapted serial principles to melodic and rhythmic elements, instrumentation, and dynamics
-thought of chords and modulations in terms of colors
-music captured improvisatory spirit and explored keyboard virtuosity
Messiaen dates
1908-1992
Atmosphères notes from each section
Opening, Rehearsal Section A- A massive cluster chord containing every half step within a five-octave span is played, and instruments fade in and out as the micropolyphony is established
Rehearsal Sections B to D- single pitches in suspended whole notes give way to regularly increasing subdivisions (duplets, triplets, quadruplets, etc.); undulating thirds and trills appear in Sections C and D
Rehearsal Section E- leaping figures, dotted rhythms, syncopation, marked pppp
Rehearsal Sections F to G- after a culmination point in the extremely high wind register, winds and violins fade away; only lower strings remain by Section G
Rehearsal Sections H to J- builds back to ffff
Rehearsal Sections K to M- individual instruments, single pitches emerg
Rehearsal Sections N to T- soft, gentle figures in a dense polyphony bring the work to its conclusion
Ligeti compositions
Romanian Concerto
Poème Symphonique
Glissandi
Requiem
Closk and Clouds
Continuum
Ligeti musical style
-influences were far-reaching and diverse, drawing from both European Classical tradition and non-Western sources
-early works drew from folk traditions
-often humorous and satirical
-produced electronic works
-developed technique he referred to as “micro polyphony”
-employed addictive rhythm, the alternation of irregular groupings of notes like 5+3 or 3+5
Fanfare for the Common Man genre, composition date, performing forces
Genre-fanfare
composition date- 1942
performing forces- brass instruments with percussion
fanfare
a loud ceremonial piece or flourish often featuring brass instruments and percussion
Copland musical style
-Copland developed a populist style based on European traditions but overlaid with American elements
-He regarded his teacher and mentor, Nadia Boulanger, as the strongest influence on him (neo-classicism)
-admired the bold freshness of Stravinsky
-urban jazz influenced many works
-some Mexican influences (folk tunes and dances)
-fused together American music and dance vocabulary, cowboy songs
-musical nationalism proudly reflected
-in his film scores, he remained true to his own style rather than following neo-romanticism
-experimented with Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system
Copland dates
(1900-1990)
Copland life
-born in Brooklyn to Russian Jewish immigrant parents
-while studying piano during his youth, fell under the spell of post-Romantics such as Richard Strauss and Hugo Wolf
-traveled to France where he attended the newly opened American School of Music at Fontainebleau
-became the first in a long line of American Composers to study with the legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger
-intially audiences were wary, even hostile towards the modernism of Copland’s music
-recognized early in his career the power of radio, film, phonograph, and the theater, specifically ballet and modern dance
-throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he forged a more accessible style of writing which afforded him a broader audience
-career took him on the road continually
-distinctly “American voice” heard in his music did not protect him from the ravages of McCarthyism; he was excluded from the roster of musicians chosen to help mark the inauguration of Eisenhower
-regarded as “The Dean of American Composers”
Fanfare for the Common Man key, form, tempo, meter
Key- B flat major
form- introduction, followed by four statements of the “fanfare” theme
tempo- very deliberately
meter- C
Fanfare for the Common Man, notes from each section
Introduction: marked “very deliberately”, opens boldly (ff) with the percussion playing three statements of the long-short-short rhythmic motive, timpani intones a perfect forth
Fanfare Theme: First Statement: Trumpets announce the main fanfare theme in unison, played f, prominent use of perfect interval leaps, a characteristic feature of fanfares, punctuated by percussion with the long-short-short rhythmic motive
Fanfare Theme: Second Statement: French horns join the trumpets in a slightly varied restatement of the fanfare theme, including shifts between the duple and triple meter
Fanfare Theme: Third Statement: trombones and tuba present the fanfare theme; the answering phrase is further expanded with a repeated descending line, and the texture becomes thicker
Fanfare Theme: Fourth Statement: marked pesante and fff, the final statement of the fanfare theme is played by the full ensemble, final measures marked by a crescendo and broadening tempo
Canada Mosaic genre, composition date, commissioned by, performing forces, structure
Genre- orchestral music
Composition date- 1974
Commissioned by- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Performing forces- large orchestra with an expanded percussion section
Structure- seven movements
The Contented House (Canada Mosaic) key, form, meter
Key-F major
Form- free-form
Meter- changing meters
The Contented Hous (Canada Mosaic) notes
The French-Canadian folk song “à la claire fontaine” is a melodic source for “The Contented House”
-introduction marked Poco lento, semplice, con teneremente
-opens p with a serene, homorhythmic passage in the strings
-material provides a backdrop for statements of the folk tune and also serves as a frame and interlude linking the statements
-the first quote of “à la claire fontaine,” marked dolce, is played by the oboe, answered by the strings
-the flute plays the second phrase of the folk melody, again answered by the strings
-music builds to a climax, orchestral density increases; ascending strings and woodwinds are punctuated with woodwind trills, timpani roll, and cymbals
-clarinets gently cascade downwards in parallel streams of thirds and sixths
Coulthard dates
1908-2000
Coulthard Musical Style
-influenced by Bartók, Copland, Schoenberg, Ralph V Williams
-musical style has many facets, including neo-Romantic characteristics: lyricism, lush harmonies, and emotional intensity; also experimented with serialism, aleatoric procedures, and electronic music
-many works display nationalism, often including quotations from Canadian folk music
-the commitment to pedagogy demonstrated in didactic works for both piano and violin
-commissions from leading Canadian performers
Coulthard Compositions
Canada Mosaic
The Pines of Emily Carr
violin concerto
string quartets, duo sonatas for piano and violin, violin and cello
Theme and Variations for Piano on B-A-C-H
Aegean Sketches; Music of Our Time
The Return of the Native
Spring Rhapsody
Christina Songs