Transcript Modern Classical Music

Modern Classical
Music
Modern Era of Music
Music Appreciation
• A Short Introduction to Modern Classical Music
The Fast and Friendly Guide to the Modern Era of Classical Music
Characteristics
 A break with the past / “rules” are made to be broken
 Dissonance / atonal
 Aleotoric Music = Chance Music
 Use of prepared pianos, sprechstimme, & musical use of
non-instruments
Modern Era of Music
Music Appreciation
Notable Composers:
 Neo-classicist: Stravinsky
 Modernist: Schoenburg
 Neo-Romantic: Mahler
 Aleotoric composer: Cage
 Minimalist: Glass
 Electronic: Stockhausen
 Many composers write music for films: John Williams
Igor Stravinsky
• Seen as the musical
counterpoint to Picasso
• Changed his style many
times
• Firebird Suite
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZkIAVGlfWk
Arnold Schoenberg
• Developed twelve-tone
music
• Fled from Germany to
escape Hitler’s reign
• Pierrot Lunaire
(see next slide)
Note use of “sprechstimme” in song
Pierrot lunaire, Op. 21, No. 8 “Nacht” (“Night”) –1912 [2:06]ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (1874–1951)
Poetic
Structure
Inst’l Intro
1/13/14 4:00 PM
Timeline
Musical Features
0:00
Slow statements of the ostinato motif in piano
0:09
Cello, then bass clarinet add sustained notes
Poetry
Translation
Piano strikes its eighth pitch; all instruments sustain a
0:15
fermata
Refrain (A)
0:20
Bass clarinet resumes the ostinato; reciter enters
Finstre, schwarze
Dark, black
0:25
Cello resumes the ostinato
Riesenfalter Töteten der
giant moths Killed the
0:30
Piano resumes the ostinato
Sonne Glanz.
sun’s brightness.
Ein geschlossnes Zauberbuch,
Like a closed book of magic spells, The horizon
0:35
Reciter re-enters
Ruht der Horizont—
rests—
—verschwiegen.
—mutely.
Cello “trembles” on the bridge; Reciter sings (not using
0:49
Sprechstimme); ends with fermata
B
:55
All performers sustain a silent fermata
Ostinato in different speeds in piano & bass clarinet;
Aus dem Qualm verlorner
trembling effect in bass clarinet & cello
Tiefen Steigt ein
1:04
Upward leap on “Duft” word- paints “steigt”
Duft, Erinnrung mordend!
fragrance, murdering all memory!
Finstre, schwarze Riesenfalter
Dark, black giant mothsKilled the sun’s
1:09
Running lines seem to sag downward
Töteten der Sonne Glanz.
brightness.
:58
Refrain (A)
Out of the vapor of lost depths Arises a
John Cage
• Aleotoric composer
• Known for “prepared
piano” pieces & avantgarde music
• 4’33’’
•
Read as “4 minutes and 33 seconds”
• AND now…a live
performance by your
Queen…or Mrs. Fritts
Karlheinz Stockhausen
• Known for electronic &
aleatoric music
• Gesang der Junglinge
of the Youths”
“Song
Is this music?
Reading Article A & B
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Find one partner
Decide who will be Reader 1 & who will be
Reader 2
Find a piece of blank paper, a writing utensil,
& your article
Reader 1 reads 1st paragraph out loud to
Reader 2, Reader 2 listens carefully & takes
notes
Reader 2 reads next paragraph & Reader 1
takes notes
Reader 1 & 2 keep switching roles until entire
article is read.
Questions
1. Both articles are titled “Why Do We
Hate Modern Classical Music?” Do
they agree?
2. What does “sound like bus crashes”
refer to & do you agree?
3. Retell a story from the articles that
you remember/thought was
interesting.
Additional Examples of Modern
Classical Music
• “Einstein on the Beach”
by Philip Glass
• “Helicopter Quartet”
by Karlheinz Stockhausen
• “Clair de Lune” by
Claude Debussy –
example of
Impressionism
• Six Bagatelles by
ANTON WEBERN –
example of Twelve Tone
music
20th Century American Classical Music
• A brief list of American Classical Composers with
musical examples
• Discussion Question: Why are these composers not included in the
“Modern Classical Composers” section of this unit?
Modern Classical Review
• What is the genre/style of each
composer?
• Give examples of each genre
Classical/Romantic era rules broken • Perform your own sprechstimme –
Atonal is _______
ready go!
Dissonance sounds like ________
Major Genres / Styles are
________
Aleotoric music is ________
What do you know?
•
•
•
•
•
• Major modern & American
composers are _________