MUS 202 MUSIC APPRECIATION CLASS NOTES

in ‘blog’ style – most recent entries on top.

8 March 2010

1 March 2010

Assignment #4

Read the Alex Ross article “Why So Serious?,” in the New Yorker magazine, 8 Sep 2008. Answer these questions, 2 pages, due 15 March.

1.       Why are audiences today quiet for most performances of classical music? Why don’t they clap between movements of symphonies and sometimes even concertos?   What is “middle class” about this?
2.       What, according to Ross or the authors he is discussing, is the advantage of this?
3.       What, according to Ross or the authors he is discussing, is the disadvantage of this? (You get to express your opinion on #2 & #3 in your concert review assignment.)

Sonata form review

Listened to

· Mozart, Symphony No. 25 in G minor, 1st movement, (written in Salzburg, 1773). Angry, driving 1^st theme; goofy 2^nd theme; repeat of exposition comes as a bit of a surprise. Exciting early-instruments performance by Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, conducted by Jeremie Rhorer.

· Beethoven Symphony No. 3, 1^st movement, conducted by Roger Norringtion

A simpler form, the minuet:

The minuet is graceful dance music in a triple meter at a moderate tempo. It is usually very easy to count 1-2-3 in a minuet. (The waltz is also a dance in 3, but at a faster tempo. The waltz became popular in the 1800s.) The form is usually ABA. In the example we listened to, the minuet from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (‘A Little Serenade’), the A section was made of two smaller 8-bar ideas, each immediately repeated. So the big A section could be charted as aabb. The big B section has the same structure: two smaller 8-bar ideas, each immediately repeated. Since we have already used lower case “a” and “b”, we’ll move on and call it ccdd. As performed, the pattern is

A	B	A
aabb	ccdd	ab

Performance contrasts – the performer’s role in classical music

Beethoven Symphony No. 3, opening chords, conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi

Comparing two recordings of Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, 4^th movement

· Alfred Brendel

· Claudio Arrau

Comparing two recordings of J.S. Bach Goldberg Variations, 1^st variation

· Glenn Gould 1955

· Glenn Gould 1981

22 February 2010

Assignment #3. Due 8 March 2010. 2 pages, typed

1. What is sonata form? What is it for? How is sonata form different from other forms (old dance forms like the minuet or the AABA hybrid form used in popular songs)?

(To review song forms, see this webpage. You may answer this question about sonata form strictly with information presented in lecture, but don’t just draw a chart and leave it at that. Explain it! If you use the Internet or other reference sources, cite your sources and explain why you agree with the information and definition you have chosen. How does it square with your own experience? What or who is the source? Is it reliable and is it useful?)

2. How does knowing about sonata form influence your experience of the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3? (We will listen to it a second time in class.)

FORM

The idea of form in music is usually based on recognizing large-scale repetition. Repetition occurs on many levels and time-scales in music. Beats and rhythms repeat, suggesting groups of beats called bars or measures; melodies are usually heard as phrases lasting for several bars (usually 4). Phrases are often repeated exactly or repeated with variations within a section of music. One section of music is often followed by a contrasting section of music, and then the first section returns. We would chart this as ABA. (This is known as “ternary form,” musical jargon that really doesn’t add much to our story.) More poetically, we may experience this as

statement-departure-return

Simple forms in classical music include the minuet and the rondo. These were common in pieces such as symphonies at the end of the 1700s and gradually fade from use in the 1800s.

A	B	A
aabb	ccdd	ab

In many four-movement forms, such as symphonies, the minuet is the 3^rd movement, and the rondo is the last movement. (Big exception – Beethoven’s 3^rd!)

Rondos are usually fast, fun and in 2 (duple meter). A second contrasting section is added, so the pattern is ABACA. The example we listened to was Haydn’s (pronounced HIGH din) rondo from a 4-movement composition for piano, violin and cello (this chamber music group, a standard combination of instruments, is somewhat confusingly called a “piano trio”), Piano Trio in G, No. 25 H. XV, “The Gypsy” (1795). The “B” and “C” parts feature more syncopated rhythms and chromatically altered scales for a stereotypical “gypsy” musical style.

For me, the intellectual satisfaction derived from closely following these simple forms is marginal. Pop songs are often a bit more interesting. For more on song forms, see this webpage. A common song form is usually casually called AABA form (actual AABA form is the 32-bar plan of many songs in the 1^st half of the 20^th century). A more precise term would be “hybrid AABA form” or “compound AABA form.” It goes like this:

A	A	B	A
verse 1 – chorus	verse 2 – chorus	bridge	verse 3 – chorus

In class, we listened to

Prince, “Diamonds & Pearls.” Hybrid AABA form as architectural metaphor in a music video.

“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” The Proclaimers – very square, predictable use of 4, 8 and 16 bar phrase units in the hybrid AABA form – very square and true.

“Fantasy”, Earth, Wind & Fire (1977) – effective expressive departure from the expected formal pattern.

“You Belong With Me”, Taylor Swift (currently on the charts) – a grand use of form with two verses, a “rise” or “pre-chorus” and the chorus in each A section. The final statement of the A section elides the verse subsection. This works very well (in my opinion) because the bridge’s vocal melody is closely related to the tune of the verse, and the chorus gets restated with some of the textural elements of the verses.

Conscious appreciation of form requires listening with memory and with anticipation. Do we appreciate form unconsciously?

Sonata form examples

o Mozart, Symphony No. 25 in G minor, 1st movement, (Salzburg, 1773). Angry, driving 1^st theme; goofy 2^nd theme; repeat of exposition comes as a bit of a surprise. Exciting early-instruments performance by Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, conducted by Jeremie Rhorer.

o Beethoven, Sonata in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3, 1st movement. A vehicle for Beethoven to show off both his piano skills and compositional sense of humor. Performed by Garrick Ohlsson. The PowerPoint slides used in class are online. (Also known as Sonata No. 3, as it Beethoven’s third published sonata.)

o Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, 1st movement. Graphic notation video clip.

o Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 in F major, “Pastoral,” 1st movement. Performance: The London Classical Players, Roger Norrington, conductor.

o Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major, Op. 55, “Eroica,” 1st movement. Norrington.

Is sonata form the meaning of a piece? Or is the meaning more in how the form is used? A great discussion of sonata form has been posted by composer/critic Greg Sandow, focusing on Beethoven’s 5^th & 6^th symphonies. My own (much less useful) graphs comparing the relative amount of time spent presenting themes to the relative amount of time spent in transitions are here in powerpoint. For more on sonata form, see Listen (title) by Kerman & Tomlinson, Brief 5th ed. See pages 178-181. This is a standard music appreciation textbook that is on reserve in the library. The discussion of Mozart and his Symphony No. 40 is also relevant (pp. 182-185). Ask for music reserves in the library, either under "music" or my name.

8 Feb 2010

Class activity: watch Keeping Score: Revolutions in Music; Beethoven’s Eroica, documentary and performance.

Assignment #2 [due 22 Feb 2010]

1. What do you think of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3? Comment on the overall impact and the individual movements (and perhaps even sections within movements). Compare it to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in terms of your taste. Do you like it more or less?

2. Discuss 3 of what you consider to be the most interesting or important facts presented in the documentary Keeping Score: Revolutions in Music; Beethoven’s Eroica. How does knowledge of history, composer biography and social context influence your experience of this piece?

Terms we need

Fugue, counterpoint, texture, contrapuntal texture. Bach Little Fugue in G minor visualization

a symphony is not “a song” or four songs; it is in four movements (individual pieces that make up a symphony). Over the course of about 120 years or so (1770-1890), the usual pattern for symphonic movements was

I. Longest; usually fast, often a slow introduction. Most complex; full of transitions and contrasts

II. Usually slow & lyrical (emphasizing melodic beauty)

III. Dance-based; initially a minuet, and later a scherzo [as in The Eroica]

IV. Fast & fun

example of variation form & technique: Variations on “Ah, vous dirais-je, Mamam,” Mozart

helpful spelling hints: Heiligenstadt Testament; It’s the Eroica, not the Erotica

1 Feb 2010

Music fundamentals -- focus on meter, rhythm and major/minor tonality.

Chopin Preludes (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 7) recording by Garrick Ohlsson. Group effort at writing about a few of these.

Opening vocal melody of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it),” recorded by Beyoncé, considered as fanfare; a sampled (and distorted and processed) trumpet sound reinforces the idea. Compared to fanfare in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 as an example of dissimulation – suggesting or distorting one of MTT’s ‘primal moves.’

Meter examples, mariachi music: “Son de la Negra” in 3; “Jesusita en Chihuahua” in 2. “Cielito Lindo” in 3.

The ambiguous meter of the ‘waltz’ melody in the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is, to me, an interesting example of dissimulation. The animated piano reduction of the melody is on the web.

More important than decoding the exact meter is simply recognizing when something is unusual; example, “2 + 2 = 5,” Radiohead.

25 Jan 2010

ASSIGNMENT #1 -- Reaction paper Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Write about your personal experience in listening to the Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 and the "Keeping Score" documentary. One to two pages, double spaced. In your paper, include specific observations, make comparisons, and evaluate the relative importance or significance of facts and your observations.

Ideally, your writing will focus on the music itself. Write something about each movement. Notice that the movements themselves have internal contrasts.

Other suggested topics or questions to write about: was the documentary interesting? What specifically was interesting about it? Was the documentary helpful or not helpful in your experience of listening to the symphony? Describe the various emotions or thoughts that came to you while listening to the symphony. Describe the evolution and changes those thoughts and moods might have gone through. Describe some of the musical details that you perceive and their describe emotional effect on you. Evaluate claims made by Michael Tilson Thomas. Does this music really engage questions of ‘how life is’? Do the emotional states and meanings ascribed to the music by Michael Tilson Thomas, such as fate, resignation, suffering, alienation, joy and so on, correspond to your own personal feelings and interpretation of the music? Rate the individual movements as to their interest to and describe the way in which the four contrasting movements work together across time. Negative critical comments about the documentary or the music itself are encouraged if they are supported by specific observations.

Purpose of this assignment: to promote thinking and reflecting about the experience of listening to this piece. There is no right answer -- any thinking is encouraged.

Evaluation:

A = a good mixture of specific details and observations with interpretations and conclusions; personal.

A+ = well written and engaging.

B = good details or overall comments, but lacking in interpretation or specific details

C = some good comments but also confused or incorrect information

D = poor writing obscures any point being made

F = no personal reaction described

zero = plagiarism

LECTURE

Course intro

Anyone from any background, ethnic, cultural, or economic, can appreciate this music. Video example: Gustavo Dudamel leading a youth orchestra in an exciting performance of a movement from Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphoy.

On the assignment

· As a professor, I don’t care what you think, I care that you think (as a person I care about honesty, and I do hope that you enjoy the symphony )

· “teaching you how to think" pretentious!

· I’d like to make you aware of your choice of what to think about (these last 2 points are adapted from a David Foster Wallace commencement address)

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 and Keeping Score: MTT on music, the first in the series of Keeping Score documentaries. On reserve.

A good recording by a student orchestra is available on the web; scroll down to the 2001-2002 season.

Before watching

Terms

§ Scherzo [scare-tzo] – “joke” – a light or humorous musical piece, usually the 3^rd movement in a 4-movement symphony or string quartet.

§ Pizzicato [pits-i-ca-to] – plucked strings, rather than bowed strings

§ Ostinato – short repeated musical idea, usually and accompaniment figure

Too long?

· Baseball – long term tensions/pay-offs? 18-minute rollercoaster ride?

· Short attention span myth

Meaning? (no words, no images)

· MTT words of use?

· Disembodied aesthetic view of music – sounds, not images; sounds, not bodies

· Embodied emotions not your own

· ‘Fidelity to emotions’? (non-specific)

Multiplicity of emotions different from most music (popular, rock, movie music)

Opening vocal melody of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it),” recorded by Beyoncé, considered as fanfare; sampled trumpet sound reinforces the idea. Compared to fanfare in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 as an example of dissimulation – suggesting or distorting one of MTT’s ‘primal moves.’

Meter examples, mariachi music: “Son de la Negra” in 3; “Jesusita en Chihuahua” in 2.

The ambiguous meter of the ‘waltz’ melody in the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is, to me, an interesting example of dissimulation. Notated examples (pdf) of the melody; corresponding audio.

MUS 202 music appreciation home page

Jan-May 2010

David Meckler