Ballet
-A form of theatrical performance dance
~Movement and music together tell a story
Igor Stravinsky
- Russian ballet composer of the early 20th century
- Famous ballet musical
~Petrushka (1911)
*Unique textures were in rhythm and harmony (Russian folk songs)
**Abrupt shifts with unexpected pauses or changes to the tempo
*Polytonality
-Most famous Ballet
~The Right of Spring (1913)
*People rioted after the first act due to the new concept of polytonality
Polytonality
- The use of two or more keys at the same time
Aaron Copland
- American composer of the 20th century
-Music for ballets
~Appalachian Spring (1944)
*Pioneers
~Rodeo (1942)
*Cowgirl
~Billy the Kid (1938)
*Outlaw
-Is credited with developing a truly American style of Ballet
-He used open and slowly changing harmonies
-Played around with tonality
-Altering the keys of his compositions - Occasionally incorporating atonality
-Derived American ballet by themes and technical compositional styles
Atonality
-The lack of any musical key
~The composer balances all twelve tones to prevent a central key from forming is one of the defining traits of modernist music
Modern experimental music
-Style of composition developed in the mid-20th century that is focused on expanding the range of sounds accepted in music rather than strict elements of musical theory
Charles Ives
-American modernist composer who helped set important foundations for experimental music
-One of the earliest composers to begin systematically experimenting with music changing the accepted patterns of rhythms, keys, harmonies, and notes
-He incorporated American folk music into his compositions which was largely unprecedented in professional music
-He was on of the first people in America to work on experimental pieces
-Some of his experimental pieces
~Central Park in the Dark (1906)
~The Unanswered Question (1908)
John Cage
- American composer of the mid-20th century
-One of the first to really start experimental music; not in terms of what music was composed of, but in terms of how it was played
-Instead of relying on standard instruments, cage began experimenting with new sounds
-One of his notable contributions was his with the prepared piano
-His most famous piece
~ Four Minutes thirty-three seconds (1952)
*The orchestra does not play a single note
Prepared Piano
- A piano with objects inserted between the strings to alter the sound they make
Found instruments
- Objects not created for musical use but used as instruments
~Forks
~Bicycle horns
~Baseball bats
Philip Glass
- American composer of the mid to late 20th century
- Most associated with the form of modern music called minimalism
Minimalism
- Style characterized by repetitive musical themes representing a work in progress
~There is not subject to the peace; the point is to explore the process of listening to music
