Composers 2 Flashcards
(31 cards)
about Bruckner (4)
from Austrian countryside
best known for symphonies & sacred music
friend and admirer of Mahler
renowned organist
Bruckner characteristics (8)
organ texture
tremolo in strings
2+3 rhythm
serious, consistent, vertical
clear phrase differentiation
long sections, slow build
fewer chord changes
minimal percussion
about Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (4)
E-flat Major, “Romantic”
written 1874, ours rev. 1880
Several versions exist
Famous horn solo in opening theme
movements in Bruckner 4
I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
II. Andante, quasi allegretto
III. Scherzo: Bewegt (Trio: Nicht zu schnell)
IV. Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
about Mahler (4)
Austro-Bohemian conductor
Works banned during the Nazi era
Bridge b/t German Romanticism & modernism
Incorporates his Lieder into orch music
Mahler characteristics (6)
Melody lines more exposed & in dialogue; countermelody
Clean, compact, sparing orchestration
More linear, non-differentiated phrasing
Playfulness, band music, dark humor, craziness
Sudden changes and interjections
Polyphony & counterpoint
about Mahler Symphony No. 4 (6)
G Major
Written 1899-1900
contains the Lied “Das himmlische Leben”
Scherzo depicts Death playing the fiddle
Use of scordatura (alternate tuning)
Includes soprano solo
movements in Mahler 4
I. Bedachtig, nicht eilen
II. In gemachlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast (Scherzo & Trio)
III. Ruhevoll, poco adagio
IV. Sehr behaglich (incl. soprano)
about Strauss (3)
German composer
late Romantic & early Modern
best known for tone poems & operas
Strauss characteristics (6)
Brisk, high energy
Lots going on in layers
Moves to the next thing quickly
Moments of conventional writing
Programmatic
Chaotic sections followed by normal, beautiful sections
about Strauss’ Don Quixote (3)
Don Quixote: Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character
Written 1897
Solos for cello, viola, tenor tuba, and bass clarinet
movements in Strauss Don Quixote
- Introduction
- Theme
- Maggiore
4-13. Variations 1-10 - Finale
about Stravinsky (4)
Russian, lived in France and USA
Neoclassical, serialism
Studied with Rimsky-Korsakov
made famous by Firebird & Petroushka
Stravinsky characteristics (5)
Chromaticism to build tension
Diatonicism for resolution
Use of unusual techniques in orchestra
Ethereal strings
Each section has its own function
about Stravinsky’s Firebird (4)
Written for Ballets Russes
Sergei Diaghilev
Written for Paris 1910
Suite more often performed
about Debussy (2)
French composer
Impressionism & symbolism
Debussy characteristics (4)
Modality & unusual scales
Metric ambiguity
Abstract
Larger orchestra (than Ravel)
about Debussy’s La Mer (3)
A “symphonic sketch”
Written 1905
Bruckner 2+3 appears in finale
movements of Debussy’s La Mer
I. De l’aube à midi sur la mer (Très lent - Animez peu à peu)
II. Jeux de vagues (Allegro - animé)
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Animé et tumulteux)
about Ravel (3)
French composer, pianist
Impressionism
Many orchestral works first written for piano
Ravel characteristics (5)
No full brass section
Smaller orchestra (than Debussy)
Neoclassical sound
Clear phrasing
Aleatory
about Ravel’s Ma mère l’oye (3)
Originally a piano duet
Mother Goose
Written 1911
movements of Ravel’s Ma mère l’oye
I. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant
II. Petit poucet
III. Laideronette, impératrice des pagodes
IV. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête
V. Le jardin féerique
about Schoenberg (3)
Austrian-American
Modernism, 12-tone theory, free atonality
Moved to USA and taught at UCLA
