Survey of Music Lit III - Final Exam Questions

Describe the various types of fusion between high and low genres of music that prevailed in the 1960s, as reflected in progressive rock, Third Stream, and minimalism. Why do you think the mixed aspects of these genres were so controversial? How did these controversies reflect larger social debates?

The "sixties" was a time of great turmoil in numerous sociocultural spheres: civil rights, women's rights, the Vietnam War, and gay rights, to name a few. The violence that resulted from these interests, as well as the assassinations of public figures, shocked Americans.

Which genres of art music have been the most successful with audiences in the decades since 1990? Why do you think this is so?

By the late 1990s Adams's music was the most performed of any American classical composer.

Describe the aesthetic trends that gave rise to electronic music. What were some of the new musical instruments created through technology? What is the difference between musique concrete and Elektronische Musik? Who were the main contributors to each genre?

Composers such as Varese and Cage had been searching for something that could create new sounds. The answer was electronic music. Many saw music as needing to be free, and electronics offered that option. The possibility of "played back" sound developed in Germany in the 1930s. This allowed the splicing of performances to eliminate mistakes. The invention of the theremin allowed this as well. The use of electronics opened the door for two distinct camps. One sought to incorporate sounds of the real world in music; the other to create new sounds. In 1948 French engineer Pierre Schaeffler coined the term musique concrète to described the real-world approach. Zero hour composers took a different approach to electronic music, calling theirs Elektronische musik. A rivalry between the French (clarity and wit) and Germans (profundity) ensued. The two were reconciled in Stockhausen's works in which he uses both approaches: real sounds and synthesized sounds.

In what ways did the Nazi government in Germany mix artistic censorship and racism? What kinds of music were promoted in Nazi Germany, and what kinds were considered "degenerate"?

Hitler and his politics were abusive to a number of groups: minorities, Jews, Romani, homosexuals, and the disabled. A list of Degenerate Music appeared in 1938. The names of the banned Jews included Glazunov, Ravel, Satie, Saint-Saëns, and Krenek. Some were made "honorary" Jews. Many musicians died in concentration camps. The official Nazi attitude toward music was that it must be understandable to the average listener, which is what Hindemith's music was; however, the music of Carl Orff also promoted this view

Describe the musical philosophy of John Cage and the "chance" or aleatoric procedures he used to create music. How do pieces such as 4' 33" challenge and expand traditional definitions of music? Compare and contrast Cage's music and philosophy to that of the total serialists

The American counterpart to the European post-war avant-garde centered around Cage. Like the Europeans, the American sought to eliminate the artist's ego and personality from the product. He worked to counter the supremacy of traditional pitch organization as the basis for making music. Cage mixed Zen with I Ching. The predetermination of the I Ching yielded the music- producing algorithm sought by the zero hour composers, but Cage then added chance instead of serial operations as the path of progression for a work. This stemmed from his study of Buddhism. The music of Cage and Boulez ultimately sounded similar but was reached by opposite means. In this work, Cage said he was trying to erase the boundary between art and life.

Explain the various ways that minimalism was influenced by the political culture of the 1960s. How do minimalist works such as Steve Reich's Drumming and Music for 18 Musicians reflect ideals about social hierarchy and interaction that were prevalent in the 1960s

With this work, Reich felt he had come to a place where he was judge and audience of the work, not the public. Reich discovered that live performers, if properly rehearsed, could achieve the sound previously reserved for tape (Drumming). Reich's music began to appeal to a broad audience of professional musicians, popular music fans, and academics.

Briefly explain the differences between uptown, midtown, and downtown composers, and give some examples of each. How are these categories useful, and why do you think they began to break down?

"Uptown composers" refers to those who follow in the footsteps of European composers. This music has been described as "PhD music." "Midtown" composers are associated with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the groups who perform there. These composers matured during the time of Stravinsky's neoclassical music and Copland's Americanist works. Bernstein's West Side Story is one example of a work by a midtown composer. These composers essentially competed with the "museum repertory" of the Three B's in that they used the same language and form, only updated vocabulary. "Downtown" composers are geographically located in the Greenwich Village area and include the minimalists, these were seen as mavericks such as Cage.

In what ways does Benjamin Britten's depiction of Peter Grimes differ from that of George Crabbe's original poem? What does Britten do to make Peter a Sympathetic character? Why has Peter Grimes been viewed as an allegory for the mid-twentieth century social stigma surrounding homosexuality?

After Strauss composed his operas, the next main composer of opera in Europe was Britten. He publicly stated that his duty to opera was a public service. Britten composed seventeen works for the lyric stage. Britten's opera Peter Grimes can be read as relating to his own experiences. He and Peter Pears, his lifelong companion and the tenor who premiered several of his roles, were conscientious objectors at the beginning of World War II and moved to the United States. Britten alters the original story to portray Grimes more sympathetically.

In what respects is Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach a postmodernist work?

Because of his study of Indian music, Glass focused on "additive structures" rather than Reich's phase technique. The opera was described as surreal by some and compared to Thomson's Four Saints. The loud music, though consonant, extracted a visceral reaction from the audience. The music of Reich and Glass demonstrated that there was no longer any need to draw the line between high and low genres of music. Minimalism was a great leveler, which was why the Modernists feared it so much. Reich noted that the music of the European Modernists honestly portrayed the fragmented world of post-war Europe; but America had a different experience that demanded a different medium of expression.

Describe the types of experimental music composed in the US between 1910 and 1940. Who were the leading composers, and how did they experiment with new types of sound? In what respects were these composers outside the mainstream culture of art music?

Between World War I and World War II, American composers also experimented with "ultramodern" styles, even though the political situation was somewhat more stable than in Europe. Cowell's early music used extended piano techniques, such as tone clusters. Varèse, an innovative composer in the United States in the 1920s, worked toward the "liberation of sound." His first American work, Amériques, was on the scale of the Rite of Spring. He attempted (unsuccessfully) to blend neoprimitivsm and futurism. His Ionisation uses thirteen percussion players. Harry Partch's 43-interval scales, microtones.

Explain the political background behind the increasing popularity of American folk music in the 1930's and '40s. What was the Popular Front, and why did it use folk music to achieve its aims?

During the Great Depression, American arts moved toward a new image that reflected populist patriotism. At the same time, Communist parties around the world united, and the American Communist Party participated in a policy known as the Populist Front. Because of connections with Communist ideology, Copland was forced to make a political stand that separated from him from his earlier affiliations and moved him to broader nationalist aims.

In what ways did minimalist composers mix popular and classical art forms? Which composers and works were influenced by jazz, popular, and non-Western music?

Minimalism contains aspects of classical music but also has traces of popular music and world music. Musically, the term "minimalism" said something about the process of composition, rather than the result. LaMonte Young is considered the founder of American minimalism. Young's String Trio combines minimalism with serialism. Young placed restrictions on his music, particularly as regards pitch. Among Young's followers, Terry Riley first found a wider audience for minimalism. Reich received musical training in the mode that was typical for an elite Modernist, but his exposure to a wide variety of recordings helped move him in a different direction. Reich was drawn to percussion, including non-Western styles that became part of his idiom.

Discuss the philosophy expressed by Milton Babbitt in "Who Cares if you listen?". How was it rooted in 19th century historicism

Much of the music composed in the early twentieth century eventually received approval from audiences. The composers in this chapter, however, did not win such popular approval. Babbitt provided the reasoning behind their music in a lecture originally entitled "The Composer as Specialist," which is now known by another title: "Who Cares If You Listen?"

Describe the different ways in which Aaron Copland's works represent "Americanist" style. How was Copland's music influenced by the political landscape and his own political beliefs?

One of the composers who absorbed elements of the folk revivals was Copland. Aspects of Copland's folk song style—their novelty and originality—and not literal authenticity mark them as national emblems. Copland's Third Symphony is often paired with the Fanfare. Together they may be compared to Shostakovich's Fifth and Seventh symphonies in their relation to national spirit and World War II.

Describe the sequence of historical events that led to the suppression of Soviet artists in the 1930's. Why are Dmitry Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District and his Fifth Symphony such important works in the history of Soviet censorship?

Shostakovich had a gift for the dramatic, which he cultivated while playing piano for silent films. In 1923 he premiered Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District as part of a new restructuring of the arts. At first the opera enjoyed great success, until Stalin attended a performance in January 1917. A few days later Stalin threatened him in an article he wrote, eventually banning the opera. That Shostakovich, the best composer in the Soviet Union, could be treated so harshly is a testament to governmental control of the arts. He quickly wrote the Fifth Symphony, and it is structured rather traditionally. The "grotesque and satirical" aspects that characterized his earlier pieces are missing here. The symphony was well received by the establishment, and Shostakovich moved back into their good graces.

What is performance art? How do performance artists such as Meredith Monk and Laurie Anderson challenge traditional concepts of music and musical categories?

The 1970s and '80s saw a revival of oral practices associated with folklore, known as performance art. These performances are usually multimedia. Monk developed a personal style of vocal delivery. She dispensed with words and used her voice as an instrument. The structures she used recall textures and structures found in Medieval music. D. Laurie Anderson is another performance artist. In contrast to Monk's small-scaled events, Anderson aimed at multimedia shows that toured around the world. Self-parody is another aspect of her performances, which aligns perfectly with Postmodernism.

What was Socialist Realism?

The Soviet government tightly controlled the arts. They demanded that peasants and workers should be able to understand and appreciate art. The official doctrine for the arts was called Socialist Realism. Art was to be communitarian, educational, and comprehensible.

Explain Postmodernism. How does it differ from Modernism? How do collage, pastiche, performance art, and neo-Romanticism reflect a Postmodernist aesthetic

The last third of the twentieth century has come to be seen as "Postmodern." Aesthetically, Postmodern signals a change in sensibility. The idea of progress was questioned by some, linked to a "master narrative" that assumes cultural progress. Postmodern architecture blends styles from different periods together. The musical equivalent was the collage (cutting and pasting) and pastiche (imitation in the style of the past). Berio's Sinfonia (1968) is an example of collage. The title of the work suggests a link with the past. The work also has connections with Mahler (whose music was in vogue at the time, thanks to Bernstein). Rochberg explained that personal emotions are never simply that but are part of something that connects people.

Describe the debate over whether Shostakovich was a dissident or a collaborator. How and why do these different views influence the way you hear his Fifth Symphony?

The symphony was seen as a formal retraction by the composer, and he seemed to support that belief. Nonetheless, the Fifth Symphony redeemed Shostakovich.

What is total serialism? What were the first pieces to experiment with it? What social and political factors contributed to its emergence in the 1950s?

Webern emerges as the precise model for subsequent serialists to follow, which was applying serial techniques to all matters in a composition. Boulez proposed to serialize pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and timbre. The first famous work to accomplish this was Messiaen's Mode de valeurs et d'intensités. Boulez's Structures (1951). Boulez noted that the time for performance of scores had passed; now it was time to analyze only.