Music 15 Final Study Guide

Who is Colin McPhee?

*Canadian who studied ethnomusicology in Bali *made transcriptions of Balinese gamelan music --transcription: to make arrangement of a piece of music

How is the character Carmen treated differently from Don Jose?

*Carmen: sing Spanish music to distinguish from Don Jose, sole purpose is entertainment, given a non-complex Afro-Cuban pop song (Habanera), non-establishment *Don Jose: portrays the classic European aria (Flower song) to contrast Carmen, complex harmonies and lyrical melodies, establishment

What are the exotic elements of Georges Bizet's Carmen?

*Habanera is an Afro-Cuban pop song *promiscuous dancing and costumes *opera comique *diegetic and non-diegetic *non-typical relationship between Carmen and Don Jose

Consider the audience of ballad opera in eighteenth century London. How would you describe this audience socially and culturally? What do they value as consumers? Be prepared to discuss how specific works support your answers.

*audience comprised of lower and middle class *non-professional singer performing popular, simple songs *public entertainment with spoken dialogue interspersed with spoken dialogue in English *The Beggar's Opera --written by John Gay --ballad opera that contained satire regarding London's society and contemporary politics --made fun of Italian opera *ballad opera is dependent on Italian opera because of its references to Italian opera

What is exoticism?

*consists of the influence of foreign, usually non-European, elements upon European art *process of evoking a place perceived as different from home by the people who created the culturally exotic product

Why does William Grant Still incorporate jazz elements into his Afro-American Symphony? What are some of these elements? How might this connect with what we have described as "imagined" ideas of Africa? How might it also be more complicated?

*fusion of classical and jazz music *his connections made to the idea of jazz music as primitive lead him to great success --complicated by the fact that he was African-American himself --used is race to make him different from white composers in the musical canon *jazz elements in Afro-American symphony: --incorporate actual jazz, blues-like melody (12 bar blues), swung rhythms --make sounds of jazz music with orchestral instruments

What are the exotic elements of Claude Debussy's Pagodes?

*imitates Gamelan scales *multi-layered texture *inspired by non-European music

What is "othering"?

*labeling a group/people as different from one's own group/people

How and why are gamelan styles used in Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice?

*opera about pederastic attraction (sexual nature between adult male and adolescent boy) *Aschenbach, a German novelist who travels to Venice, falls in love with Tadzio --dies from cholera outbreak *the use of gamelan represents Aschenbach's desires and fantasies --shows internalized guilt of homosexuality in a hostile society --only used for Aschenbach as a method of metaphorical exoticism *gamelan does not represent "othering", but is used to show something "other" within Aschenbach's character

Where would Carmen fall on the spectrum of exoticism?

*pure exoticism *the character Carmen is made to be an "other" *she is clearly shown as different from the rest of the characters by her sexualized and seductive personality and performance

Spectrum of exoticism according to Ralph Locke

*pure exoticism: consists of "othering", intentionally labeling a group as different from one's own *transcultural composing: hybrid of styles, usage of non-European elements not for "othering"

Why did Darius Milhaud incorporate jazz elements into his La creation du monde? What are some of these elements? How might this connect with what we have described as "imagined" ideas of Africa?

*story is told of the creation of the world through African elements *threw in bits of jazz elements for style --instrumentation, syncopation, jazz-like melodies (blue notes), imitates improvisation *jazz music = African music by white stereotypes of African-Americans --links jazz music to being primitive *layering of instruments emphasize the "imagined" ideas of Africa *complicated because Milhaud was white and appropriating jazz in his composition

What is the importance of the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 to our discussion of gamelan music?

*the Paris Exposition Universelle is a display of world cultures, such as arts and industries *the Kampong Javanaise is a recreation of the Sudanese village; mix of different cultures, seen as spectacle that emphasizes anything seen as exotic *Gamelan is a type of Indonesian orchestra used in ceremonial and religious occasions --common instruments: gong, gong chimes, drums, string instruments, xylophones, vocalists --uses non-European scale system --many layers of musical texture

Where would Debussy's Pagodes fall on the spectrum of exoticism and why?

*transcultural composing *contains elements of gamelan and European art music *hybrid of styles

Where would Colin McPhee Tabuh-tabuhan fall on the spectrum of exoticism and why?

*transcultural composing *not trying to actively represent anything, but creates a hybrid of styles *contains multi-layered and extended percussion section, gamelan (pentatonic) scales, melodies taken from traditional music

Consider the audience for Italian opera in eighteenth century London. How would you describe this audience socially and culturally? What do they value as consumers? Be prepared to discuss how specific works support your answers.

*wealthy audience because tickets were expensive *appreciated virtuosity and spectacle --did not understand Italian language, but Italians were seen as elite --more about prestige, being understood was not important --especially fond of castrati *Giulio Cesare --Italian opera (opera seria) --3 castrati --gave feeling of luxury and Italian import through its virtuosity --Italian lyrics, but aristocrats only cared for spectacle, virtuosity and prestige

Who were the intended consumers of Duke Ellington's "Jungle Music" at the Cotton Club in Harlem? How might this connect with what we have described as "imagined" ideas of Africa?

*wealthy white people *the Cotton Club was segregated during the prohibition era *Jungle Music --coined by audience, press and management --jazz music --presented as revues; performance of stereotypical African style --seen as primitive *connect with "imagined" ideas of Africa to market to White people --depictions of plantation and jungle life --normally played by lighter skin African-Americans to appeal to white people *Ellington's Black and Tan Fantasy used black stereotypes as a marketing ploy *jazz=African-American music=Africa=primitive