Paul Hindemith set out to anchor a new movement towards 'unnatural' music, while Germany lacked composers of New Music, to attempt to bring structure and pedagogy to the creation of an otherwise unstructured and unteachable new musical art form. Being in exile from Germany due to his unconventional and unappreciated (by the Nazi party primarily) work, he sought refuge in the United States to pursue and be faithful to his art. He discovered that theory constants were truly undefinable, however the process of trying to find them opened his mind increasingly inwardly.1 Hindemith’s ideas permeate his musical creations and his chronology of works represent a timeline of their changes. The first of three movements, “Angelic Concert”, in his Mathis der Maler symphony preceding his opera, is an example of how his theoretical processes ultimately came together into a solidified and understandable practice.
As a teacher, Hindemith held many ideas about the future of New Music, and wanted to change the way music theory was studied and taught. He wanted to teach chordal harmony and progressions in the reverse of what was considered logical, as described by Humphrey Searle, “The problem which Hindemith attempts to solve . . . is that of the free use of all the twelve tones of the chromatic scale within a tonal framework.”1 In popular theory, chromatic notes were seen as alterations or decoration around a strict scale and chordal progression. Hindemith “ … has, through his system of tonal relationship based on vibrations, liberated those notes which have no place in the diatonic scale from their subservient position as passing notes . . . The result of this arrangement, he claims, is that it frees the composer from “the tyranny of the maj...
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...mposer who thrived on clarity, concision, and linear energy rather than on the late romantics’ diffuse forms, exaggerated emotion, and tortured harmonic logic. … for Hindemith the object was always synthesis, reconciliation of past and present.” 12
Works Cited
1 Geoffrey Skelton, Paul Hindemith (London: Victor Gollancz, 1975), 143
2 Geoffrey Skelton, Paul Hindemith (London: Victor Gollancz, 1975), 146
3 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986), 23
4 Ibid, 35
5 Ibid, 23
6 Colin Mason, ed., Oxford Studies of Composers (London: Oxford
University Press, 1970), vol. 6, Hindemith, by Ian Kemp, 39
7 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith, 30
8 Ian Kemp, Hindemith, 48
9 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith, 15
10 Ian Kemp, Hindemith, 7
11 Ibid, 39
12 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith, 3
Felsenfeld described his “passion for this ‘other’ kind of music felt like the height of rebellion: I was the lone Bolshevik in my army” (pg. 626). He further defined his description by stating how “[r]ebels sought to break the mold, to do something that was exclusively ‘theirs,’ to be weird by way of self-expression,” and compared this idea of a rebel to himself: “... since I [he] was the only one I knew listening to symphonies and concerti, operas and string quartets, I felt I was the weirdest of them all; …,” signifying that he feels much like a rebel in his own musical vibe (pg. 626). Taking this feeling of rebellious passion and amazement of classical music, Felsenfeld “... decided, with little prior experience or interest, to become a composer,” ultimately changing his way and mood of life for the better by working in a career with music that he most irresistibly loves and people who share similar feelings to his own in contrast to the work he took up in piano bars and community theater orchestra pits where the music he felt were utterly dull and lifeless (pg.
1. "Audre Lorde (1934-1992)." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 173. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2006. 36-148. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. . 14 November 2011
Tennessee Williams. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1978. 1. See Section 167. Heilman, Robert.
William Henry Hadow and Charles Rosen are two historians who talk primarily about musical context. Hadow sets his discussion in the framework of classical composers' movement away from Baroque forms. He says that when Beethoven and his contemporaries chose ternary form over Baroque binary, typified in the dance suite, they chose a structure that was then used successfully into the twentieth century. This was only poss...
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
I was impressed by the range of the pieces that were performed as they were from 18th century classical symphony arrangements to contemporary techno pieces. However, the pieces that moved me most were Mozart’s Molto Allegro, Oaken Sky by Chris Rogerson and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. In hindsight, I am surprised that the two pieces from the Classical Era had such an impact on me. Perhaps, “classical” pieces were what I expected to hear at a Symphony. Oaken Sky evoked the most imagery for me and the conductor’s introduction of the piece was perhaps partly responsible for my ability to go from the earth to the sky in my mind’s eye. Oaken Sky was definitely a pleasant surprise and very pleasing to all of my senses. I was fully engaged in body, mind and soul with Rogerson’s composition. Cielito Lindo was interesting and the soloist really enhanced the piece with a stellar performance. Warehouse Medicine caused an incongruent stirring in me; perhaps I was not prepared for electronics to be added to the symphony. Ravel’s composition, Le Tombeau de Couperin, was a moving piece, but did not engage my senses, only my intellect. This work essentially left me feeling confused and although I appreciated the description of the dedication of the work by the composer, this was my least favorite piece. The “CPCC” soloist, Juan Caljero’s, rendition of Cileito Lindo was mesmerizing. Charlotte
When one considers the history of classical music, often images of Vienna, Prague, and other European cities come to mind. Centuries of European musical achievement and development have implanted in society the idea that classical music is an inherently European creation. Considering the accomplishments of countless composers such as J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Antonin Dvorak, this preconception is certainly not unfounded. However, Leonard Bernstein's rise to international fame proved that one cannot neglect American composers in a discussion of the development of Western music. Combining elements of a vast array of musical styles, Bernstein's unique compositions reached a wide variety of audiences and often bridged gaps between distinct musical genres. Through his long conducting career, profoundly influential compositional output, and televised music lectures, Leonard Bernstein left a lasting legacy which came to define American music in the 20th century.
Cather, Willa. “Paul’s Case.” The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Eds. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. Shorter 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2000. 198-207.
“To say the word romanticism is to say modern art - that is, intimacy, spirituality, color, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts.” Charles Baudelaire. The Romantic era in classical music symbolized an epochal time that circumnavigated the whole of Western culture. Feelings of deep emotion were beginning to be expressed in ways that would have seemed once inappropriate. Individualism began to grip you people by its reins and celebrate their unique personalities and minds. Some youth began to wear their hair long, their beards scraggly and unkept, and their clothing was inspired by the outlandish and the flamboyant. Music morphed from a once tangible aural stimulant into music marked by its decent into the depths of human emotions most of which were not rational. Classical music became a stream of consciousness, a vehicle to convey their countless emotions. In the Romantic Period, music now voiced what, for centuries, people had been too afraid to express. The culture, the composers, and the music of the Romantic era changed classical music profoundly. The Romantic era classical music manifested itself as a time of the irrational and peculiar, a time that allowed many people the opportunity to express their inmost convictions through the music.
This concert is held by the Stony Brook University music department and is to perform seven pieces of music written by seven student composers. The concert is performed in Recital Hall of Staller Center in Stony Brook University. Since it is a small hall, audiences are very close to the performers. In fact, it is the first time I am this close to the performers and the sound for me is so clear and powerful that seems like floating in front of my eyes. Among the seven pieces, “Ephemeral Reveries” and “Gekko no mori” are piano solo, “Two Songs for Joey” is in piano and marimba, “Suite” and “Fold Duet No. 1” are in woodwinds, “Elsewhere” is played by string groups, and “e, ee, ree, and I was free” is in vocal. Personally, I like the sound of piano and guitar the best. Therefore, in the latter part I will analysis two pieces in piano, “Gekko no mori” and “Two Songs for Joey”.
" American Literature 58.2 (May 1986): 181-202. Wright, Richard. A.
" The Southern Literary Journal 17.2 (Spring 1985): 54-66. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed.
Lauter, Paul, ed. The Heeath Anthology of American Literature: Volume Two. New York: Houghton Mifflin Inc., 1996
Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most famous composers during the 19th century. Although in his music he did show some features of romanticism, he was strongly influenced by traditional genres such as counterpoint etc. In this essay, the biography of the composer, background of the genre and analysis of the piece will be investigated
The concept of the Renaissance man is somewhat of a lost ideal, replaced by the specialized philosophy of the industrial era. From the 14th to 17th centuries; however, it would be common to find a man with a profound knowledge of both the Arts, music, poetry, literature, art, and the Sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology. The Renaissance man embraced all forms of knowledge, and through a deep passion for both the Arts and Sciences, used each discipline to expand the other. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, this same philosophy is far gone. Where these two fields once were used together to create an ultimate beauty, they are now pitted against each other by many scholars. It is not uncommon now for a mathematician or physicist to dismiss the Arts as a waste of time; or for an artist or musician to proclaim the Sciences as useless to them. As both an avid blues guitarist and an IB math student, I aim to contrast this modern opinion. I will do so by exploring the relationship between the Arts and Sciences; specifically mathematics and music. On a personal level, I find this to be extremely important, as I hold a deep value for all means of human expression and learning. I believe also that the Arts and Sciences hold one great unifying thing together, which is the search for Truth and Beauty. In a modernized world where ideas and creations can be shared so quickly; the potential for a profound knowledge and passion of both these fields has never been greater. Concepts I plan to explore are: how musical scales can be made using Fibonacci ratios, the Golden Ratio’s relationship with music, equal temperament, where else the Fibonacci numbers occur in music, the exponential nature of octaves, and how exposure to music help...