Music for Eighteen Musicians (MFEM) is a minimalist composition by Steve Reich written between 1974 and1976. Though this piece was a culmination of Reich’s previous minimalist work, it was also innovative in its elements of structure and harmony. Reich emphasizes this point in saying “there is more harmonic movement in the first five minutes of Music for Eighteen Musicians than in any complete work of mine to date.” It was also his first attempt at composing for a large ensemble building upon his frequent use of piano and pitched percussion with a violin, a cello and two clarinets. The context leading up to the composition of Music for Eighteen Musicians sheds light onto the reason why it was composed and in a greater sense why Minimalism as a whole was born. During the 1950s music academies all over America were prominently concerned with a form of composition known as serialism. Serialism in it’s most basic and initial form can be characterized by twelve-tone rows, but is a much broader term that covers “series” that can be devised for other musical aspects such as dynamics and rhythmic duration. The alternative to this cerebral music was indeterminate music, which was being pioneered by John Cage during the 50s. Minimalist music throughout the late 50s and 60s developed largely as a reaction against the complexities of both serialism and indeterminate music. Minimal music was characterized by the music of the La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass. It brought back a strong sense of tonality and pulse, which was a massive contrast to serialism a-tonality and complex meter. The key element of minimalist music was in its repetitive nature. Steve Reich was born in 1936 in New York. He began to seriously ... ... middle of paper ... ...iece. Music for Eighteen Musicians harmony and structure is based around a cycle of eleven chords. These chords are constructed from a mode of seven pitches that have a key signature of three sharps. The individual chords are built form stacked fourths and fifths using these notes. The introduction to the piece gradually cycles through each of these chords. The subsequent eleven sections of Music for Eighteen Musicians are each based on one of the eleven chords. The introduction can be seen as a template for the overall structure of the piece. The eleven sections conform to either an arch structure of A B C D C B A or in the structure of a musical process. The conclusion returns to the gradual cycle of the eleven chords. 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
1. Music is a strictly local expression, rich in variety since each culture expresses affective differences through art, 2. Music is a poetic process--complex, vague, and irrational--based upon borrowed traditional musical materials (melodies, rhythms, forms, etc.), 3. Music is for a religious, elitist-class performer who can understand and appreciate its mysterious nature and power, 4. Music is played softly in intimate gatherings, 5. Music making is the activity of Everyman, exacting the talents of variously trained amateurs who, with industry and practice, decorate their recreation and leisure in moments of social intercourse.
Serialism is a rigorous system of composing music in which various elements of the piece are ordered according to a pre-determined ordered set or sets, and variations on them. The elements thus controlled may be the pitch of the notes, their length, their dynamics, their accents, or virtually any other musical quantity, which, in serial terms is called a parameter. More generally, serialism is any music which uses any ordered sets applied to any musical element.
Therefore, to endure the pains and sufferings the slaves had to use music. As illustrated above, the advent of music had far reaching results as it encouraged and gave them hope to continue working. The early music composers are the evidence of existence of early music which in turn has shaped today’s music like the blues and pop lyrics. In this case, the culture of the past has been rescued from getting lost.
My composer, Steve Reich, has written and continues to write contemporary, minimalist, vocal, and tape pieces. His pieces these pieces have been influenced not only by what he has encountered, but the music he had composed has influenced many others composer similar to him (Service). In this paper I will give a short biography of Reich that includes the many different places that he studied, what influenced his not so ordinary music styles, and what made him who he is today. I will also talk about his composition styles, which are different from many others, what influenced them, and what types of music her produced. Lastly, I will give my evaluation of one of his several world-renowned compositions.
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”.
Some musical composers of minimalism would be Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich who created clapping music, and LaMonte Young. Such musical pieces by these composer include Part’s Cantate Domino, In C, Doctor Atomic, The Illusionist, The Hours, and also a Prophecy of Nostradamus. There are different styles on minimalism such as post- minimalism and spiritual minimalism as well.
Basic terms are often confused when describing an individuals musical sense. Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary defines an artist as somebody who does something with great skill and creativity, and a musician is a music maker who plays, performs, conducts, or composes music, either as a hobby or a profession. The focus of this essay is not the plausible crime of a solely techno creator, or in contrast, the soaring melodies of a humans voice. Technology has tarnished the value of pure talent of music's original creation for the sake of popularity, riches and unnatural perfection.
Ever since humans first learned how to make music with their voices and with instruments thousands of years ago, music has been changing. Some changes took place over hundreds or even thousands of years, stunted by human isolation or by guidelines set in place by religious institutions. The 20th century, in contrast, experienced several rapid, radical changes in the popular genres of music. This made the 20th century a very rich time period for musical culture. These remarkable genres--including, but not limited to jazz, rock and roll, and the music of the “British invasion”--all influenced one another, and all influenced the culture we still live in today.
Arnold, Denis, ed. The New Oxford Companion to Music. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1983.
The book is divided into four chapters: 1) Humanly Organized Sound, 2) Music in Society and Culture, 3) Culture and Society in Music, and 4) Soundly Organized Humanity. In chapter one, Blacking discusses the analysis of sound. He begins by describing music as humanly organized sound. His overarching theme is that “the function of tones in relation to each other cannot be explained adequately as part of a closed system” (30). In other words, music can’t be analyzed simply by one set of rules. This is because every single culture has a different system that they use to structure and compose their music. In order to adequately analyze a society’s music we have to study their “system.” We must learn what music means to them. Then, and only then, can we accurately and completely analyze what a particular type or piece of music means to a particular society and culture.
John Cage has always been known as a controversial and new age composer. Some say that his pieces lack the very structure that makeup classic forms. I argue that John Cage’s work Living Room Music, despite instrumentation with no set pitch, has conclusive harmonies and is in the style of a Baroque suite. This is a strange concept for some because pitch has become such a focal point around harmonic analysis when in reality it can be determined simply by ensemble texture and dominate features.
...chestral introduction with an imperfect cadence. A strong rhythmic ¾ allegro passage, with sequences and descending scales is played by the orchestra, with timpani and cymbals. The music modulates, and a short, quiet woodwind passage is then alternated with an orchestral passage with dotted rhythms, creating a `terraced dynamics' effect. Part B begins with a major clarinet melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. A minor flute sequence follows, and is followed by a repetition of the oboe melody. A string sequence is then played, imitated by the oboe. There is a crescendo, then the rhythmic orchestral melody returns, alternated with a short flute passage. There are suspensions, descending scales and a crescendo, followed by a strong rhythmic passage with the timpani playing on the beat. Imperfect cadences are played, before the piece finishes with a perfect cadence.
Minimalism was a logical development of trends that started at the beginning of the 20th century - more notably, in architecture with the Bauhaus and Mies Van Der Rohe’s philosophy of “Less is More”. There was a new way of looking at things, challenging old ideas of form and style. This philosophy was absorbed in the art stream, which was freed of its classical linkages and where Minimalism grew to be influential across several genres.
Throughout this semester we have discussed an array of musical periods ranging from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to more recent modern times. As music progressed through time certain concepts such as melody, harmony, and texture changed along with the introduction of different instruments. In the early phases of music it was more directed toward religious ceremonies, but as time went on it became integrated into everyday life. Even though musical dynamics seem to change as the years go on, it has never failed to create some form of emotional response such as laughter or sadness.
Music is one of many forms of art. There are varying types of music which consists of seven different concepts. These concepts: rhythm, tone, beat, melody, harmony, expression, and structure, are the fundamental parts of music. These parts of music, with all of its characteristics, has been proven throughout history to change views of most humans on earth regardless of age race, sex, and nationality.