Music History Refresher

Music history is a great topic, especially if you were a music major but can't seem to remember those legitimate points. I've put together a small music history refresher just for you! If you don't need a refresher use it as a brain teaser and try to remember quotes, or you could compare and contrast composers from different eras!

"Those who felt inclined only to amplify of slightly alter the aims and methods of their predecessors"

1. Respighi

2. Delius

3. Ricahrd Strauss

4. Defalla

5. Sir Edward Elgar - wrote pomp and circumstance (graduation song)

6. William Tomlinson Griffes

7. Rachmaninov Russian composer who fled to the US

8. Ernst von Dohnanyi - a Hungarian composer who was on the FSU faculty. He lived in Hungary fled to the US- Classroom is named after him.

"Those who felt that radically new methods were needed in the pursuit of familiar aims - 'radicals'"

1. Igor Stravinsky - chief exponent of polytonality and flexible rhythm

2. Arnold Schoenberg- Chief exponent of atonality and expressionism. He is the composers who is very hard to listen to

3. Alan Berg - Schoenburg's Disciple - wrote and produced a violin concerto and opera

"Those who felt that the entire tendency of music in the recent past needed reversing. They were a combination of both the new and old (or first and second classifications).

1. Darius Milhaud

2. Francis Poulenc

3. Arthur Honegger

4. Dmitri Shostakovich

5. Sergei Prokiev

6. Aaron Copland

7. George Gershwin

8. Bela Bartok

Expressionism: music that reflected common everyday life

1. It was more sophisticated than impressionism

2. Characteristics of the machine age

3. A modern movement in art came right after WWI

4. In music, a revolt against romanticism and classical music occurred it also gave poetry and painting a new turn

5. Instead of appealing to emotion, music became more forceful and energetic. It could create beautiful or ugly emotions. Art could reflect the common place. There was more cacophonous music, or harsh sounding music

6. There were internal changes in the composition of music, such as key or tonality

7. It was a revolt against Romanticism and Impressionism. This new approach to music appeared to intellect not emotion

8. Modern musicians broke down the barrier of key to open experiments in music: there was a change in the texture of music

a. Polytonality - playing of two or more keys at the same time - this discord

b. Atonality- no key, or tone at all

c. Rhythmic- was abandoned in favor of flexible rhythm, music that changes from 4/4 to 5/4 to 3/8 time. Beats are constantly changing from measure to measure

d. Polyrhythmic- is two or more rhythms played at the same time. This is found in Latin Music

9. These rhythms opened a new door to all kinds of experiments

10. Not all composers changed to modern styles

11. Expressionism widened the horizons of music, and allowed for flexible rhythm

12. Expressionism highly subjective, had non-representations paths, and opened the way for more intense subjective

13. Looks for material in expressing derived forms from the materials of art.

Surrealism

1. Subjectivism with Surrealism of the 1920s

2. Is shown with non-representational tags. It is classified with pictures that do not represent anything

Socialist Realism

There are four new types of music:

1. Polytonality

2. Atonality

3. Polyrhythm

4. Flexible Rhythm

Types of Composers:

1. Those that build on the past

2. Radicals: Stravinsky and Schoenberg

3. Those that combined the ideas from group two, but also tok from the past. This was all other composers

Igor Stravinsky

He used polytonality, harmony and orchestration. He was a great influence of the 20^th century.

Know his relationship with modern music. He used Polytonality. He is known for constantly changing his style of writing. His three ballets remain his most popular music to date ("Rite of Spring", "Firebird", and "Petrushka"). He studied with Korsakov and influenced many composers following him.

Background

1. Born in St. Petersburg

2. Studied under Rimsky-Korsakov - suggested he get into music

3. Master orchestration

4. Associated with Serge Diaghilev

Style

1. Used all sounds of orchestration and interesting rhythms

2. Constantly changing style

3. Took on Neo-classical style, which meant recreating the forms and styles of the 17^th and 18^th century

4. Wrote smaller works because the elements of orchestration were limited because of war

5. Stavinsky was interested in Ragtime, lively in American Jazz

6. He wrote music about music. He was a composer's composer.

7. Chief exponent of polytonality

Greatest contribution to music - he used polytonality, in which two or more keys are plays simultaneously. He went against the rules of harmony and always had a changing style. Also flexible rhythm and form

Musical Pieces

1. Fireworks was written for Rimsky-Korsokov's daughter - this piece made him famous

2. Firebird was a ballet written for Diaghilev in 1910

a. *Fireworks and Firebird both sound Impressionistic

3. Petrushka, a ballet, puppet that comes to life

Listened to

1. Firebird - mythological bird with wings of fire captured by a prince

2. Rite of Spring is about Prehistoric Russia

a. Two sections

i. One is about preshistoric Russia

ii. One is a sacrificial dance with a beautiful girl

b. Flexible rhythm and polytonality - historic piece

c. Brutal dissonance and strange melodies caused uproar in opera houses

3. Symphony of Psalms - from neoclassic period

Bela Bartok

1. Born in Hungary, music based on folk songs. He finished with a book on folk material

2. Child prodigy - 17 scholarship to Vienna - turned it down and went to Budapest conservatory - won honors in piano there

3. Extreme interest in folklore

4. Fled to New York

5. Taught Colombia university

6. Died Luekemia - "I still have so much to let say"

7. Wrote 3^rd piano concerto so his wife could collect

Style

A. Concentrated, reticent, austere, modern, great rhythm and imagination

B. He is an example of modern dissonance couterpoints

C. He was a virtuoso pianist - treated piano like percussion instrument

D. Melodies were small range and cirles around a single note

E. Liked sounds of night - he made music called night pieces

F. Primitive fold like sound

Listened to

1. Music for strings, percussion, and celeste (keyboard with no bass)

a. Night piece

b. Last movement was a major folk dance - one of his famous

2. Concerto #3 in C Major - pleasing to public - played before he died

3. Miraculous Mandarin- about a prostitute who has mean over and they get beaten up

Bah

1. Concerto for Orchestra

2. Concerto #3 for Piano and Orchestra

3. Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste

4. Miraculas (Miraculous) Mandarin

*Wrote music based on the folk music of his native Hungary. He used the piano as percussion, and used modern dissonant counterpoint. Night Pieces.

*Based his music on folk songs. He had a great the rhythmic imagination. He treated the piano as a percussion instrument. Known for his love of night pieces

Paul Hindemith

A. Born in Germany

B. Studied Violin and viola before he could read/write

C. Played with Frankfurt orchestra as a concert master, worked his way to conductor

D. Founded Amar String Quartet, played modern chamber music

E. Fled to US

F. Offered position at Yale - stayed until retired then moved to switz

G. 1923 Kamber Musik, aka chamber music brought im to the attention of the European music world

Style

1. Poyphonic writing

2. Counterpoint became fully integrated into his style

3. Infuses modern music into old forms. His music is a combination of Bach's principles with harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic innovations of the 20^th century

4. Considered 20^th century Bach (patterened his music after him)

5. Known for Gebrachmusik (music for use) - music should be used as a part of everyday life " work a day" music. Everyone should be able to play music

6. Wrote a lot of band pieces

7. Played every instrument in orchestra

8. Wrote sonata for every first chair in orchestra

Musical Pieces

1. Mathis Der Maler = "Mathis Painter" - originally was an opera, made a symphony too - banned in germany because of themes and ideals

a. Three movements

i. Played in class - First - Concert of Angels - based on famous painting

ii. Second - Entombment of Christ

iii. Third - temptation of St. Anthony

2. Solo writing we listened to Sonata for Trombone and Piano, and Sonata for Viola and Piano

3. Wrote a lot of solos for Viola (favorite instrument)

9. Sonata for Trombone and Piano

10. Sonata for Viola and Piano

11. Mathis Der Malir (Mathis the Painter)

a. 1^st movement: Concert of Angels

*Believed that all should make music. This was known as Gebrachmusik or music for use.

*He loved Bach and considered himself a modern 20^th century Bach.

*Used a polyphonic style with many melodies and counterpoint

*He used Gebrachmusik music (music for use). He thought music should be for everyday usage. A German composer who moved to America. He influenced many American writers through his teaching at Yale. Hindemith could play every instrument in the orchestra. He was known as the 20^th century Bach. He combined counterpoint with modern melody

Arnold Schoenberg

A. Most thought of in connection with Expressionism

B. Component of abstract art in his music

C. Born in Vienna

D. Taught himself composition style

E. Began writing Wagnerism romantic composer

F. Fist compositions were tonal and easy to listen to

G. Fled to US - University of Southern California

H. Exponent of abstract art

*He had three periods of music in his life which are classified by the style in which he wrote. The first period was romantic, his second period was atonal and the third period was romantic, his second period was atonal and third period was where he used the 12 ton

Had three periods of music:

1. Romantic -Wagnerism- easy listening- used typical sounds, and included the piece Tranfigured Night

2. Atonal Period- used no key at all; there was no recognition of interval there is avoidance and destruction of key

3. 12 Tone System (Serial Music) - invented this which is also known as atonal - system sounds all 12 notes of the chromatic scale without repeating one before he goes on

a. Devised octave in 12 equal parts

b. Music sounds funny because of tone system

Works we listened to

1. Transfigured night(verklarte Nacht) -> glomy piece written for orchestra during the romantic period ( first )

2. Pierrot Lunaire - (crazy clown) - it has voice and 5 solo instruments

a. The voices use a musical speech called Sprechstimme - where voices are spoken at a really high pitch and then either rise about or fall below the spoken note

b. Based on 21 french poems and the poems are spoken in the piece

c. Written in atonal period (2^nd period)

3. Variation for Orchestra

Darius Milhaud

A. Well to do Jewish Family

B. Trained Paris Conservatory

C. Associated with the US through Tanglewood, Mass, Santa Barbara Music College, and Aspen, Colorado

D. Most prolific composer of this century

E. Over 300 operas

F. Children operas, many songs, ballets, symphonies, and quartets

G. Music: lyrical quality - polytonality (not dissonant), not produce negative reaction

H. Loved American Jazz

Outstanding characteristics are

1. His jazz element

2. Brazililan element

3. Use of polytonality

4. Melody in his music

Listened:

1. La Creation De Monde - "Creation of the World"

2. Brazilian element: Le Boef Sur Le Troit" "Bull on the Roof" - repeats certain parts less than 13 times in this piece

5. La Creation De Monde- The Creation of the world

6. Le Boef sur le Toit - The Bull on the Roof

*He had American Jazz and Brazilian elements in his music. "Bull on the Rood" contained Brazilian element.

Arthur Honegger

A. French - Swiss

B. Grandiose music: wrote oratorios (choral pieces)

C. Wrote: King of David for Chorus and Orchestra - a famous choral opera piece. This was a chronology of the life of david.

Listened:

1. Pacific 231- imitation of locaomotive (a train) loved trains

a. No melody, harmony, or rhythm

b. Only sound of Train Com

2. King David

3. Vivace - "lively" - light & entertaining

*His most outstanding work was King David. He also wrote Pacific 231 which is an imitation of a choo-choo train

Francis Poulenc

A. Achieved clarity and elegance assoc. with French simply by being himself

B. A lot of tongue in cheek humor in his music

C. Musical clown of the first order

D. Wrote over 130 songs and gave the piano a voice

E. Music: pleasant, elegant, and prolific

F. Outstanding exponent of the 20 century art sosngs

G. Tonal Style - wrote in every category

Listened to

1. Gloria for Chorus and Orchestra - serious religious piece - sung in Latin

2. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra or the Rustic Concert for Harpsicord and Orchestra

3. Concert Champetre - Rustic Concert

a. Bach wrote for Harpsicord - but it went out of style

b. Wanna de la Gasta played a lot of Bach

4. Les Biches

5. Gloria

6. Concerto for Two Pianos

7. Concert Champetre - this piece is a piece for harsicord

*He wrote in a number of musical categories. He was known as a musical clown. He was an exponent of 20^th century art song. He wrote with a tongue and cheek style, and he was very easy to listen to. His style is described as witty and charming

Socialist Realism - Theory of art that stresses the connection between music and imagery of life and tends to link musical expression with a strong emotional content

Dmitre Shostakoich

A. Born in Saint Petersburg/Leningrad

B. Raised under soviet regime/commies

C. Studied st. Petersburg conservatory

D. Started writing music at the age of 13- first symphony at 19 (Leningrad)

E. Beethoven was his model

F. Regarded himself as Beethoven of the 20^th century

Style

Two contastin elements

1. Grotesque/gay/boisterous - rhytnmic vitality

2. Lyrical/quiet/senitmenal- songlike nostalgic

3. *altered between the two

4. *liked people music

5. Age of Gold ("Polka" and "The Dance")

6. Symphony #5

*Beethoven greatly influenced him. He considered himself the 29^th century Beethoven. Known for great contrasts in black and white. His music ranges from gay and grotesque to lyrical, quiet, and meditative. Wrote 15 symphonies - 5^th was the most popular

Serger Prokofiev

1. The Classical Symphony

2. The Love for Three Oranges

3. Piano #3 in C Major

4. Peter and the Wolf

*Know the five elements of Prokofiev. Some of his famous works include classical symphony, concerto #3, and peter and the wolf

Les Six

1. Louis Durey

2. Germaine Tailleferre

3. George Auric

4. Darios Milaud

5. Arthur Honegger

6. Frances Poulenc

• Revolted against Romantisicm & Impressionism

• Promoted French Music

• Their goal was to spread music in France. They revolted against Romaticism and Impressionism. Know all six composers names, though we actually studied only three out of the six (Milhaud, Honegger, and Poulenc)