Influential Composers Of The Late 20th Century
Composers’ techniques matured throughout the 20th century, as did listeners’ ears.Thus, it becomes progressively harder to pinpoint influential musicians.One must distinguish between those simply continuing the modern tradition, and those truly breaking barriers.
Robert Dick, dubbed “Hendrix of the flute” is one obvious boundary-breaker. (Dick)Born in New York City, Dick’s studies at the School for Music and Art were supplemented by lessons with acclaimed flutists Henry Zlotnik and Julius Baker.He attended Yale, receiving a B.A. in 1971 and a composition Master’s in 1973.
Dick’s most notable contribution to music is his revolution of the flute.He realized the flute’s limited color palette and one-note-at-a-time capability was incompatible with “an environment where the pace of change is accelerating…The flute sound of the future will be yet more powerful and colorful…” (Dick).Inspired by world music, jazz, rock, and electronic music, Dick made accessible the colorful extended technique spectrum: jet whistles, harmonics, throat tuning, multiphonics, whisper tones, circular breathing.Dick did not INVENT all these techniques.(Circular breathing has been a long-established tradition—especially for Bulgarian kaval flutes and Rajasthan’s Narh flutes).But, it is through Dick’s advocacy that these techniques are becoming accepted practice.His tutorial method books have been hailed “the definitive instructor” (Dick).
Circular Breathing for the Flutist provides detailed analysis of the technique, visual aids, and step-by-step instruction that focuses on developing correct embouchure before applying more detailed coordination.After only 6 months of daily 10-15 minute practice, f...
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...t to his/her time.Rent, the modern version of Puccini’s La Boehme, unabashedly brings hush-hush issues of AIDS, drug addiction, and homosexual relationships to the forefront, without alienating audiences.He juxtaposes poignant melodies and clear harmonies with jarring subject matter and explosive characters that choose to revel in love, pain, and survival.Larson’s contribution shows that being artistically cultured does not mean ignoring reality.
Of the three New Yorkers mentioned, Copland was most influential.Without his pioneering music in the early half of the century, American music might never have established its own flavor.Without his advocacy of advancement in the second half of the century, techniques such as Robert Dick’s or Jonathan Larson’s might not have had such a strong base on which to be established nor been accepted by ever-maturing audiences.
Though Jelly Roll Morton began his career without formal training, he grew to live an influential life. His piano style, musical notations on paper, and creative compositions thrived in the 1910s and the 1920s and even weaved its way into the later eras as musicians used Morton’s music as the foundation for their own. Even past his death, Jelly Roll Morton remains a legendary figure. His works are meticulously preserved and displayed in the prestigious Smithsonian Museum and universities around the world continue his legacy by teaching students about Jelly Roll Morton and his influential career.
Nearly a century’s worth of compositions has earned Aaron Copland extensive recognition as the foremost American composer of his time. Ironically, Copland was raised the son of Russian Jewish immigrants and inhabitant of a colorless city environment, yet would become known for producing the music of “rugged-souled Americans” (Mellers 4). Unbounded by historical musical constraints such as those present in the culture of France, where Copland studied for many years, Copland found himself free to explore and experiment in pursuit of a unique, undoubtedly American sound.
One man made his impression on the music world soon after he arrived to America. His
Ludwig Van Beethoven and W.A. Mozart are the two most important musicians of their time. Their pieces are everlasting and will live on forever. Their styles are so unique and uplifting that they could never be matched. These masterminds played in the same time period but their lives differed tremendously. There are some similarities and many differences between these two but one fact will remain: They are the central and most vital part of all music.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven are two of the greatest composers ever to write music. Both men lived in the early 18th and 19th century, but their music and influences are still felt today. The men faced similar experiences, yet they both lead very different lives. All together the pieces that these men composed amounts to over 300 published, and unpublished works of art. The people of their time period often had mixed feelings about these men, some “complained that Mozart’s music presented them with too many ideas and that his melodies moved from one to the next faster than audiences could follow, yet the ideas themselves seem effortless and natural, clear and unforced.” (Bonds 210-211) Beethoven’s criticisms ranged from ‘genius’ to grim dislike. Mozart and Beethoven were influenced by things going on around them such as: love, nature, and the Enlightenment.
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
When society envisions a Wind Ensemble, talented musicians, grand music halls, and difficult arrangements typically come to mind. However, a modern-day Wind Ensemble includes a variety of musicians,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven are very famous past composers that have created many pieces that have influenced not just people of their time, but people in modern times as well.
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Western Music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message. Throughout these different periods in western music one thing has remained constant, the true essence of music, a way to communicate with someone on a much more divine level than be by rudimentary conversation. Though Ludwig Van Beethoven and Paul McCartney may seem completely opposite they have one in common through their music they changed the world’s perception of its self
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Music has shaped the lives of people throughout history. Even in its earliest forms, music has included use of instruments. One of the oldest musical instruments known is a variation of the flute; the original flute is thought to date back nearly 67,000 years ago. Tonight we are going to move throughout the eras with a history of instrumental music. This concert will begin with the Renaissance Era and continue through time until we have reached modern instrumental music.
George Gershwin was one of America's most well-known composers and respected pianists that introduced the sounds of Broadway and Hollywood together. He coordinated the elements of classical music style and the robust sounds of American jazz; Gershwin created a musical style that made the music of jazz acceptable to the classical listeners, and brought in American music into the mix. “Gershwin wrote mainly for the Broadway musical theatre.” He blended, in different variations, techniques and forms of classical music with the stylistic hints and techniques of popular music and jazz.
Thanks to the development of nuclear fission and the nuclear reactor, our society has seen many changes over the past 65 years. Nuclear energy has helped to take our country into the next era. From medical uses to powering submarines, nuclear energy has provided us with a much more advanced and efficient way of creating electricity and power.