Unit 6: North American Composers Flashcards
Who was a leading figure in establishing Canadian music internationally and in paving the way for female composes in Canada?
Jean Coulthard.
Who was Jean Coulthard influenced by?
Ralph Vaughn Williams, Bela Bartok, Aaron Copland, and Arnold Schoenberg.
Where did Jean Coulthard study?
In London, England at the Royal Academy of Music with Ralph Vaughn Williams.
Describe the neo-Romantic characteristics in Jean Coulthard’s music:
Lyricism, lush harmonies, emotional intensity.
True or false? Coulthard had a popular appealing style.
True.
Give examples of Coulthard’s music that features nationalism in the form of quotations from Canadian folk music:
Canadian Fantasy, The Pines of Emily Carr.
What did Coulthard experiment with?
Serialism, aleatoric procedures, and electronic music.
Coulthard’s interest in pedagogy demonstrated in ___ works for both piano and violin.
Didactic.
True or false? Coulthard received the Officer of the Order of Canada.
True.
Who was “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic commissioned by?
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for a tour of Japan in 1974.
What does “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic resemble?
Film music.
Which side of Coulthard is put on display in “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic?
More conservative, accessible style.
“The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic is an example of Canadian neo-___.
Romanticism.
What is the genre of “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic?
Orchestral music.
What are the performing forces in “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic?
Large orchestra with expanded percussion section.
What is the overall structure of Canada Mosaic?
Seven movements.
What were Coulthard’s three objectives in Canada Mosaic?
- Use Canadian folk songs from different parts of the country.
- Create an image of Canada. Ethnic groups and varied scenes.
- Relate to the people and scenes of own childhood melodies.
What is the form of “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic?
Free-form.
What is the origin of the text in “The Contended House” from Canada Mosaic?
A la claire fontaine, a French Canadian folk song.
Who was a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers?
Harry Somers.
Who is considered to be the foremost English-Canadian composer of their time?
Harry Somers.
Somers’ work walks a fine line between an elite modernity and…
Popular appeal.
Who introduced Somers to the twelve-tone technique?
John Weinzweig.
Somers’ music displays a wide range of contemporary characteristics, including…
Serialism, quasi-diatonic harmony, and neo-Classicism.
While studying in Paris, Somers was influenced by…
His teacher Darius Milhaud, as well as his contemporaries, Pierre Boulez and Oliver Messiaen.
Whose music inspired Somers to add nationalism, quotation in music, and write in a neoclassical style?
Bela Bartok and Aaron Copland.
True or false? Somers abandoned tonality in the 1960’s/
True.
What languages did Somers use in his opera, Louis Riel?
English, French, Cree, Latin.
True or false? Somers’ work is picturesque, and can even be considered programmatic.
True.
Somers was an advocate of “light music.” What does this mean?
Many works were intended for players of limited ability. These works offer performers an opportunity to increase their musical understanding and ability.
True or false? Somers occasionally explored indeterminacy (chance or aleatoric music).
True.
True or false? The Picasso Suite is light music.
True.