Transcript Modern and Contemporary Composers

Modern and Contemporary
Composers
From 1900 to the middle part of
the 20th Century.
American artists are recognized.
Duke Ellington 1899 – 1974
• Born in Washington, DC to
parents of modest means. Selftaught musician.
• A brilliant piano player, but he
claimed that his instrument
was his orchestra.
• His band had a unique sound:
full-bodied, sumptuous,
mysterious, and varied in
textures and effects.
More about the Duke…
• He was a notorious rule-breaker, even for a
Jazz musician. He introduced dissonance to
an unparalleled degree in Jazz.
• Influenced by the music and musicians from
New Orleans.
• Known more for his compositions rather
than his playing.
Still more on Duke…
• Gained national recognition at the Cotton
Club in New York City from 1927 to 1932.
• Transitioned from Jazz to Swing when the
popular music changed.
• It is said that he composed wholly or in part
over 1,000 pieces in his lifetime.
• Continued to compose on his death bed in
the hospital. Died of cancer.
His additions
• The players in his band experimented with
new timbres for their instruments.
• Some of these new sounds were:
• growling
• bending notes
• using rubber plungers as mutes for their
instruments
Some Famous Works:
• “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”
• “Choo Choo Gotta Hurry Home”
• “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That
Swing)”
• “Take the A Train”
George Gershwin 1898 - 1937
• Born to poor Russian immigrants in New York
City.
• Older brother Ira was supposed to be the family
musician, but George took over the piano at age
12.
• Dropped out of school at 15 and became a Tin Pan
Alley song-plugger for $15.00 a week.
• Influenced by Debussy and Ravel.
George Grows Up…
• At 18 George left the song industry and
played piano in the vaudeville circuits.
• At age 20 he wrote his first musical “La La
Lucille” and he went on to become famous.
• His brother Ira joined him as his lyricist,
and they became the most popular team in
America.
Fame and Fortune for George…
• Began writing musicals in the 20’s for
famous people like Fred Astaire, W.C.
Fields, and Bob Hope.
• They were poor in plot but strong in
musicality.
• Known best for bringing jazz into orchestral
compositions.
• Died of a brain tumor at 38 years old.
Some of Gershwin’s Most
Famous Songs…
• “Rhapsody in Blue”
• “An American in Paris”
• Porgy and Bess: Summertime
Aaron Copland 1900 - 1990
• Born in Brooklyn, New York to parents
who were Russian-Jewish immigrants.
• Discovered music on his own, and decided
to become a composer at 15.
• Wanted to write works that were American
in character, and he chose to focus on Jazz.
• This only lasted a few years, and he went
through a dark and dissonant period.
Copland finds his niche…
• During The Great Depression in the 1930’s
Copland drew on American Folklore to get
more in touch with the people of the nation.
• Themes included: jazz, revival hymns,
cowboy songs, and Appalachian folk songs.
• These works and his scores for movies
made him synonymous with American
music.
More about Copland
and his Music…
• His music is simple yet very professional.
• His works are described as slow and open,
and they evoke pictures of the American
landscape.
• Embraces 20th century ideas such as
polychords, polyrhythms, and changing
meters.
Copland’s later life…
• He stopped composing in 1970.
• He lectured, conducted, and wrote books on
music.
• Died in 1990 at the age of 90.
Copland’s Most Famous
Works…
• “Appalachian Spring”
• “Billy the Kidd: V. Gun Battle”
• “Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: IV
Hoedown”
• “A Lincoln Portrait”
• “Fanfare for the Common Man”
Igor Stravinsky 1882 - 1971
• Born in Russia, near St. Petersburg.
• Raised in a musical family, and studied with
famed composer Rimsky-Korsakov.
• Was commissioned to write a ballet in 1910
for the Russian Ballet, one of the most
successful and influential troupes in the
world.
More on Igor…
• His third ballet “The Rite of Spring”,
written only one year later was so
controversial in Paris that a riot developed
in the audience because of its pagan themes.
• He was perhaps the most famous and
celebrated composer worldwide between
WW I and WW II.
• He moved to the United States after WW II.
Stravinsky
• He is not known as well for his later works,
but he worked long into his 70’s and 80’s
with paid commissions.
• His work remained rich and intense.
• Died of natural causes in 1971.
Stravinsky’s Most Famous
Works…
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“The Firebird Suite”
“Petrouchka”
“The Rite of Spring”
“The Rake’s Progress”