Great Composers of Music: Quick and Easy Learning

Here is a little refresher for you music majors that can't seem to remember what you learned in college. This could also be a great review for you college students that need to learn information quick. I've put together a little brain teaser for you music history lovers! Read, review, and learn it in a sinch!

Isaac Albeniz (1860 - 1909)

-primarily a pianist and piano composer

-what he wrote was for an orchestra

-his piano music is hard to play

-wrote

-Triana from Iberia

-one of his famous pieces

-contains 12 separate pieces

-example of rhythmical Spanish music

Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916)

-piano composer

-founded academy for music

-Academy of Granados

-used a lot of poetic imagination in his music

-wrote pieces after paintings by Spanish painter, Goya

-music called Goyescas

Wrote

-The Maiden and the Nightingale

-lyrical music

Joaquin Turina (1882 - 1949)

-known for his classical guitar music

-soft and sweet

-originated in Spain

-wrote in virtually every musical category

-also wrote for the orchestra and the piano

-wrote

-La Oracion del Torero

-very Spanish song

Manual de Falla (1876 - 1946)

-famous at age 30 at the premier of his opera

-La Vida Breve (Life is Short)

-considered top major composer of Spanish music in its golden age

-wrote

-El Amor Brojo

-one act ballet

-El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three Cornered Hat)

-his masterpiece

REVIEW

Impressionism

-influenced by painting and poetry

-Paintings: Sunrise by Monet

-some of the famous artists

-Renior

-Degas

-Pissarro

-concentrated on suggestion more than details

-purpose was to please

-focused on sound rather than meaning

Similarities Between Debussy and Ravel

-both revolted against Wagnerism

-both used the chord of the 9^th

-both used pentatonic scale

-both made use of ancient Greek scales

-both wrote in Spanish Idiom

-both used originality in piano compositions

-the piano music of Ravel, like that of Debussy, calls for new techniques and an emotional approach

-After Debussy and Ravel, impressionism spread quickly all over the world, except Germany

-hit every country except Germany

Differences Between Debussy and Ravel

Russian influence

-Debussy à Musorgsky

-Ravel àRimsky-Korsakov

Romantic influence

-Debussy à Chopin

-Ravel à Liszt

Movement influence

-Debussy à impressionism

-Ravel à classicism

Whole Tone Scale

-used by Debussy

-NOT by Ravel

Melody

-Debussy à fragmentary

-Ravel à good sense of melody

Jazz influence

-did NOT influence Debussy

-influenced Ravel

Form

-Debussy used parallelism (block-like chords with parallel motions)

-Ravel used clear outlining

French Impressionism

Debussy

-influenced by the impressionist artists and poets and turned it into music

-fragmented melodies

-wanted to create aestheticism in music

-used whole tone scale

-used pentatonic scale

-used all consonant chords

-did not want any more dissonant music

-explored new world on the keyboard and the pedal

-liked percussion section

-would use two harps

-used human voices as a section in his orchestra

-did not sing words, just sounds

-hated jazz

-revolted against Wagnerian style

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

-Prelude to "Afternoon of the Faun"

-Nocturnes for Orchestra

-Iberia

-La Mer

-Dance of Puck/Minstrels

-Fireworks/Isle of Joy

Ravel

-classicist at heart

-combined classical with impressionism

-liked the pentatonic scale

-used the chord of the 11^th

-affected by the Jazz Idiom

-used a lot of melody

-revolted against Wagnerism

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

Bolero

Rapsodie Espagnole

Alborada del Gracioso

Piano Concerto in "D" Major

Concerto for the Left Hand

Daphnis el Chloe

Jeus D'eau

Italian Impressionism

Respighi

-from Italy

-counterpoint between ancient and harmony

-used romantic nationalism

-combined old church modes with modern harmonies

-used lyricism

-had orchestral background of Strauss

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

Pines of Rome

Fountains of Rome

English Impressionism

Delius

-connected to Florida and wrote several pieces about it and nature

-had many things in common with Debussy

-used modal scales

-parallel motion

-block-like chords

-music can be described as dreamy and wistful, or fused with rapture

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

La Calinda from Koanga

Walk to the Paradise Garden

On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

Spanish Impressionism

-2 types of Spanish music

-Rhythmical

-Lyrical

List of music that you might of listened to in class, or will! Good luck!

Albienez

-uses the rhythmical aspect of Spanish music

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

Triana from Iberia

Granados

-used lyrical aspect of Spanish impressionism

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTEND TO IN CLASS

The Maiden and the Nightingale

Turina

-classical guitar

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

La Oracion Del Torero

De Falla

-considered the chief Spanish composer

HIS MUSIC THAT WE LISTENED TO IN CLASS

Spanish Dance #2

Final Dance

Ritual Fire Dance

El Sombrero de Tres Picos

Works Cited
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History (Complete Idiot's Guide to) by Michael Miller (Paperback - Jul 1, 2008)