Chapter 2: Early Works, In Love With the West
Born in Tokyo on October 8 1930, Takemitsu’s parents were not professional musicians, but his father was a shakahachi player and was responsible for providing his first encounter with Eastern and Western musical styles - also being a committed Jazz record collector. Growing up throughout Word War II, the young Takemitsu's formal education came to a halt at the age of 14 when he was sent to serve at a military provisions base in the province of Saitama, far from Tokyo. However, an experience while serving at these barracks was potentially life changing for the teenager, and, if happened in a different circumstance may not have had such a profound affect on him. Throughout early life Takemitsu had been used to hearing traditional Japanese classical music - which did not particularly appeal to him. His first mature encounter with Western music occurred when a group of young servicemen got hold of a record player and secretively played a recording of ‘Parlez-moi d’amour’ a French Chanson by Josephine Baker. Takemitsu acknowledges the great feeling of shock and awe at his first real experience with music of the West; ‘America appeared like a great, shining dream’. The experience of growing up through the conflict and experiencing his native music in pre-war Japan left negative impressions on Takemitsu which he could not easily remove. This is reflected - especially throughout the pieces about to be analysed - in the conscious denial of ‘Japanese’ elements and the unmistakable influence of specific western art composers.
A Reliance on Octanocism
The first public exposure of Takemitsu’s composing was a recital in December 1950 through a composing association at the time called Shinsakkyoku...
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...with tempo indications barely rising over ♩= 60. The use of slower tempo indications - which may also be observed in Takemitsu’s Uninterrupted Rests with ♩= 48 may also possibly be down to a lack of technical aptitude on the keyboard in his early composing years. The same way Burt notes that Takemitsu’s tendency towards softer dynamics may have its origins in not wanting to irritate benefactors who allowed him - a stranger - to play on their piano. The piece Uninterrupted Rests (1952-59) which will now be analysed shows various similarities with Lento/ Litany which shine light on Takemitsu’s early stylistic development. The use of softer dynamics, slower tempo indications as well as ‘impressionistic’ qualities may be noted in both pieces, however, perhaps more importantly, a general mood implicit in both attempting to be expressed is a deep interminable unhappiness.
Daniel Felsenfeld reveals a positive, impactful significance — one that has completely changed his life — in his literacy narrative “Rebel Music” by drawing upon what his early adolescent years of music were like before his shift into a new taste for music, how this new taste of music precisely, yet strangely appealed to him, and what this new music inspired him to ultimately become. Near the beginning of his narrative, Felsenfeld described his primal time with music in Orange County, Calif. He had developed his musical skills enough to jumpstart a career around music — working in piano bars and in community theater orchestra pits. However, Felsenfeld stated that the music he worked with “... was dull, or at least had a dulling effect on me — it didn’t sparkle, or ask questions,” and that “I [he] took a lot of gigs, but at 17 I was already pretty detached” (pg. 625). Felsenfeld easily
Some scholars theorize that the Middle Passage to the Americas was so traumatic that most African influence was eradicated, and that few traces of Africa exist in African-American music. This “cultural tabulala [sic] rasa” theory is rightfully rejected by many scholars (Wilson 3). The inflow of African people to the New World was brought on by the existence of slavery, and resulted in the creation of a sort of extension of the African continent in a different hemisphere. In his article “The Significance of the Relationship Between [sic] Afro-American Music and West African Music,” music scholar Olly Wilson refutes the tabula rasa theory, and provides extensive examples of the ties that continue to exist between the two distant geographical regions. Another prominent scholar who recognizes the integration of African elements in American musics is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Though his much deeper and more analytical approach to African musics is divergent from Wilson’s, both scholars acknowledge African diaspora musics and examine them in different ways based on different criteria.
I have been thought to be Asian majority of my life, yet my heritage is not remotely Asian. Similarly, Jazz would not be a genre that most would expect to represent Asian culture. Yet as I listened, I am transformed into what I would envision would be the streets of Tokyo. Dan Nimmer’s use of percussion with a wooden block and a gong, instantly resonated sounds that you would associate with Japan. The trumpets used a cup mute to round out their sound. The cup also reduced their sound’s usual force, as it would be too much of a contrast for the scene the music is representing. The drummer’s, Ali Jackson, percussion also produced rapid rhythms and a unique hollow sound which further brought in the listener into another
Howard, John Tasker, and George Kent Bellows. A Short History of Music in America. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1957. 342-3. Print.
1Grout, Donald J. and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western Music, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1996) 104-105.
Subotnik, Rose Rosengard. Developing Variations: Style and Ideology in Western Music. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1991.
“Together the matrices of race and music occupied similar position and shared the same spaces in the works of some of the most lasting texts of Enlightenment thought..., by the end of the eighteenth century, music could embody differences and exhibit race…. Just as nature gave birth and form to race, so music exhibited remarkable affinities to nature” (Radano and Bohlman 2000: 14). Radano and Bohlman pointed out that nature is a source of differences that give rise to the different racial identities. As music embodies the physical differences of human, racial differences are not only confined to the differences in physical appearances, but also the differences in many musical features, including language, tonality and vocal expression. Nonetheless, music is the common ground of different racial identities. “In the racial imagination, music also occupies a position that bridges or overlaps with racial differences. Music fills in the spaces between racial distinctiveness….” (Radano and Bohlman 2000:8) Even though music serves as a medium through which different racial identities are voiced and celebrated individually, it establishes the common ground and glues the differences
Music is an art and a wonderful gift to human race. It soothes, stimulates and makes us feel happy. It affects our moods in many different ways from lullaby to war cry for changes in the society. Music is actually distinct to different people. Above all, it has a transformational importance that is captured in its art and nature. Music draws our emotions and it has an impact of bridging different cultures across the continents. Slave songs were very vital channels through which all kind of information was conveyed both positive and negative.
Because of Reich’s extraordinary musical compositions, he has won multiple awards and prizes. Reich won the Pulitzer...
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”.
Music’s role on society has changed drastically through the course of its history as it has become ever so increasingly expansive. Many of the previous musical movements were only for the wealthy as entertainment
There are two main rhythmic ideas that are present in this piece. The first is the regular rhythmic pulse in the pianos and mallet instruments
There is one universal language: the language of music. Music has a special quality and ability to bridge both social and cultural divides. A proposed theory by Dr. Gray, Founder and Director of National Musical Arts’ BioMusic Program; describes music has been around longer than human-beings have. Music is the one thing human beings from various backgrounds can relate to. Every living creature would agree. Music is heard everywhere not just among humans, but in nature as well, through the twitting of birds, winds blowing, the soft sound of raindrops against a windowpane, the ocean waves moving back and forth and the hum of the ocean rushing in a sea shell. There is no escaping it; music lives in and surrounds us steadily. While there are countless songs which confer social or cultural consciousness, this paper will analyze and address the dynamics of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”, video. Stylistically, the paper will examine the artist point of view, the unique use of lyrical analysis and sound description in relation to its historical, social, political and/or cultural context. This essay will also trace the lyrical analysis and sound description of song and discuss how the elements (visually, sonically, and lyrically) interplay with the theme of immigration and/or violence.
Music often carries information about community knowledge, aesthetics, or perspectives. Toni Morrison discusses the power of music and the way it functions in culture in discussions of her craft. Symbolic and structural elements of music appear throughout all of Toni Morrison’s fiction in one way or another. (Obadike) As mentioned above, the title itself, draws attention to the world-renowned music created by African Americans in the 1920s’ as well as to the book’s jazz-like narrative structure and themes.
With the help of a conversation with friends in a cocktail party, Bruno Nettle discovers that they define music as something which must have certain characteristics in order to be accepted as true and proper music. His frien...