Unit 5: European Composers from the 20th Century Flashcards
(340 cards)
1
Q
Describe Mahler’s symphonies:
A
“Mammoth,” last word in this orchestral genre and serves as a glorious summation of the Viennese symphonic tradition.
2
Q
What types of forms did Mahler use?
A
Traditional forms, such as sonata, rondo, theme and variations.
3
Q
What Romantic style elements did Mahler use?
A
Heightened emotionalism, Sehnsucht (yearning), Weltschmerz (world-weariness), lush chromatic musical language characterized by broad lyricism.
4
Q
Who represents the next step in German Lieder tradition established by Schubert, Schuman, Brahms, and Strauss?
A
Mahler.
5
Q
Who developed the orchestral song cycle?
A
Mahler
6
Q
Orchestral Sound Cycle
A
A group of songs for solo voice and orchestra.
7
Q
Give examples of how Mahler made progressive use of harmony and tonality:
A
Sudden unexpected modulations; beginning in one key and ending in another; bitonality.
8
Q
How did Mahler make use of exoticism?
A
Use of the pentatonic scale, Chinese texts in his last symphony.
9
Q
Who were Mahler’s symphonies influenced by, and how?
A
Beethoven; included choirs and soloists, and employed cyclic structure.
10
Q
What does Mahler’s No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand” exemplify?
A
How he expanded performing forces on a grand scale.
11
Q
True or false? Schumann was known as a master of orchestration, and often treated instruments in a chamber-like manner.
A
False, this was Mahler.
12
Q
What was Mahler’s choice of subject matter influenced by?
A
Nostalgia, soldier’s marches, folk dances, drinking songs.
13
Q
Mahler frequently used texts from a collection of poems entitled…
A
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn).
14
Q
Mahler was preoccupied with issues of…
A
Life and death, humankind’s purpose on earth.
15
Q
How does Mahler achieve organic unity in his Symphony No. 4 in G Major?
A
Cyclical construction. The same thematic material appears in more than one movement.
16
Q
What is the genre of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major?
A
Symphony.
17
Q
What is the language of the text in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major?
A
German.
18
Q
What is the source of the text in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major, fourth movement?
A
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn).
19
Q
What is the structure of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major?
A
Four movements.
20
Q
What are the performing forces in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major, fourth movement?
A
Large orchestra with mezzo soprano soloist (fourth movement only).
21
Q
Symphony
A
A multi-movement orchestral work developed in the 18th century, especially by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Typically in 4 movements, generally includes at least 1 movement in sonata form.
22
Q
Cyclical Structure
A
Material heard in one movement recurs in later movements. Creates structural unity in a multi-movement work. A characteristic employed increasingly by Romantic composers in various genres, but notably in their symphonies.
23
Q
What is the key of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G major, and what key does it end in?
A
It is in G major, but it ends in E major.
24
Q
What is the formal structure of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G major?
A
Can be viewed as modified strophic with a rondo-like design.
25
What is the summary of text behind Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G major?
The folk poem presents a child's optimistic and naive view of heaven. describing the bountiful feast prepared by the saints.
26
Scordatura Tuning
When the solo violin has been tuned a tone higher than normal. Imparts a course, rustic sound to the instrument.
27
Ravel is primarily known as an ___ composer.
Impressionist.
28
Describe Ravel's musical style:
Brilliant orchestration, incisive rhythms, and Lisztian virtuosity.
29
True or false? Ravel's stage works (both ballet and opera) demonstrate a clever wit and an eye for the theatrical.
True.
30
Birth/death years of Ravel:
1875 - 1937.
31
Where was Ravel born?
France, in the Basque village of Ciboure. Family moved to Paris three months later.
32
What is Ravel's ethnicity?
Father was Swiss, mother was Basque.
33
When did Ravel begin piano lessons?
Age 7.
34
Where did Ravel study piano?
Paris Conservatoire.
35
In 1889, where did Ravel attend where he encountered diverse international music that left a lasting impact on his compositional style?
Paris World Exposition.
36
What was Ravel's first published work?
A piano solo, Menuet antique.
37
Who did Ravel study composition with?
Gabriel Faure.
38
True or false? Ravel gained popularity and was known outside the Conservatoire, and won the Prix de Rome many times.
False, despite his popularity, he failed to win the Prix de Rome after several attempts.
39
Who were the "Les apaches" ("The Ruffians")?
Ravel and friends (like-minded progressive artists). Among them was Ricardo Vines (pianist) and Erik Satie (composer).
40
True or false? Ravel struggled financially.
False, he maintained a comfortable lifestyle and frequented the salons, cafes, and nightclubs of Paris.
41
True or false? Ravel grew in popularity as a composer after his studies, and explored many genres.
True.
42
Who commissioned Ravel to write Daphnis et Chloe?
Sergei Diaghilev and his Les Ballets Russes.
43
What did Sergei Diaghilev and his Les Ballets Russes commission Ravel to write?
Daphnis et Chloe.
44
How was Daphnis et Chloe scored?
Large orchestra, wordless chorus, and even a wind machine.
45
Who entered WWI military service as an ambulance driver in 1915?
Ravel.
46
Why did Ravel write Le tombeau de Couperin?
As a dedication to his mother and to friends who perished during the war.
47
Why did Ravel reject the designation of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (one of the highest awards bestowed by the French government for outstanding achievement)?
As he felt that this honour should have been granted earlier.
48
In 1927, which composer visited the United States and developed a friendship with George Gershwin?
Ravel.
49
Where was Ravel awarded an honorary doctorate?
Oxford University.
50
What were the final years of Ravel like?
Failing health and reclusive behaviour. Brain damage from taxi accident.
51
How did Ravel approach harmony?
Tonal, but marked by chromaticism.
52
Ravel's bass lines often followed traditional ___ progressions.
Diatonic.
53
What are Ravel's Impressionist style features?
Use of modes, pentatonic and woke tone scales, parallel chord streams, unresolved seventh and ninth chords, aggregate chords (chords built one on top of the other).
54
What are Ravel's neo-classicist style features?
Lean textures, contrapuntal writing, traditional forms.
55
Who was Ravel's rich orchestral writing influenced by?
Debussy and Russian composers such as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Igor Stravinsky.
56
Ravel had a natural affinity for Spanish music because of...
His mother's Basque heritage.
57
In which of Ravel's works are Spanish influences evident?
Rapsodie espagnole, Bolero, and the opera L'heure espagnole.
58
Ravel's attraction to American jazz is evident in...
The first movement of his Piano Concerto in G and the second movement -- entitled "Blues" -- of his Violin Sonata.
59
In which types of work did Ravel set the poetry of French Symbolists?
In his art songs (melodies) and song cycles.
60
Ravel's friendship with gifted soloists resulted in...
Highly virtuosic works.
61
True or false? There are hints of humour and gentle, even naive, charm in some of Ravel's works.
True.
62
Whose piece was Jeux d'eau by Ravel inspired by?
Liszt (Fountains at the Villa d'Este).
63
What is the genre of Ravel's Jeux d'eau?
Solo piano work.
64
What is the English translation of Jeux d'eau?
Water Games.
65
Who was Jeux d'eau dedicated o?
Gabriel Faure.
66
Who was Jeux d'eau premiered by?
Ricardo Vines.
67
Glissando
Derived from French glossier, to slide. On the harp, a quick strumming of all the strings with a broad sweeping hand movement creating beautiful, shimmering effects. On the piano, a rapidly ascending or descending "strumming" of the keys (white or black).
68
Whole Tone Scale
A non-traditional scale employed by composers of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Consists of six different pitches, al spaced a whole tone (whole step) apart, for example, C-D-E-F♯-G♯-A♯-(C).
69
Pentatonic Scale
A scale consisting of five different pitches, for example, C-D-E-G-A-(C). Can be rendered easily by playing the five black keys on the piano. Common to the folk music of many European and Asian cultures.
70
What is the key of Jeux d'eau?
E major.
71
What is the form of Jeux d'eau?
Resembles sonata form.
72
Which composer was known as a Hungarian nationalist?
Bartok.
73
Folk music played an important role in the expression of nationalism in the 19th century in the countries Bohemia, Norway, and Germany. Which composers are representative of this?
Smetana, Grieg, and Brahms, respectively.
74
Bartok approached folk music with a more ___ approach compared to his nationalistic predecessors.
Scientific.
75
How did Bartok use folk music scientifically?
Preserved authentic folk songs and dances. Notated music, created historic sound recording at the source of the music.
76
Birth/death years for Bartok:
1881 - 1945.
77
Where was Bartok born?
Nagyszentmiklos, Hungary (now Romania).
78
What was the occupation of Bartok's parents?
Father was headmaster of agricultural school. Mother was teacher. Both were amateur musicians.
79
When did Bartok begin learning piano, and with whom?
At age five with his mother.
80
Why was Bartok's schooling disrupted for six years?
Due to frequent moves after the death of his father.
81
What were Bartok's earliest works?
Dance pieces such as waltzes, Landler, and polkas. Some early piano works were programmatic.
82
Where did Bartok's family end up settling in 1894, and what role did Bartok occupy?
The larger city of Poszony (now Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic). Bartok appointed the chapel organist at a local school that offered specialized music studies.
83
Why did Bartok refuse entry to Vienna Conservatory?
Because he wanted to study with the same professors that taught his idol, Erno Dohnanyi.
84
In 1899, Bartok entered the ___ Academy with advanced standing in piano and composition.
Budapest.
85
Bartok's enthusiasm for composition grew after...
Hearing a performance of Richard Strauss' symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra.
86
Describe Batok's nature and health.
He was rather shy and pessimistic, and his health was never robust. Had serious lung issues early in life.
87
What was Bartok's first major success?
Nationalist symphonic poem Kossuth.
88
Why did Bartok find Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and other "gypsy music" problematic?
It was not an authentic Hungarian "voice."
89
Why did Bartok decide to start researching and annotating folk music at the source?
He became captivated when he overheard a maid singing authentic Hungarian folk songs at a resort.
90
Who was Zoltan Kodaly?
A musician who shared Bartok's interest in ethnomusicology. Maintained an enduring personal and professional friendship, and they went on many folk song collecting tours together.
91
Who is known as an ethnomusicologist?
Bartok.
92
True or false? Bartok studied Hungarian folk songs only.
False, he also collected and recorded folk songs in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and North Africa.
93
Where did Bartok teach for over twenty years?
Budapest Academy.
94
Who inspired Bartok to write ballet music?
Igor Stravinsky's music and Vaslav Nijinsky's choreography at a performance of Les Ballets Russes on Budapest.
95
Who was Bartok's second marriage with?
Ditta Pasztory (his student).
96
Who received the French Legion of Honor in 1932?
Bartok.
97
Which composer became a committee member in the League of Nations and witnessed deteriorating human rights and growing intolerance?
Bartok.
98
In what country was his historic recording of his trio Contrasts made?
USA.
99
In 1940, Bartok moved to ___.
The United States.
100
Who worked at Columbia university as an ethnocmusicologist?
Bartok.
101
Why did Bartok struggle financially in the USA?
Because he could not access overseas royalties because of the war.
102
Why was Bartok unable to finish his second lecture series at Harvard University?
He was hospitalized due to leukaemia.
103
Who paid for Bartok's medical treatment, despite Bartok not being a member?
ASCAP (American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers).
104
Who was Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra commissioned by?
Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
105
What are the style traits most closely associated with Bartok's music?
Rhythmic complexity, folk elements, traditional forms, and dissonant harmony.
106
Bartok's early compositions reveal enthusiasm for...
Richard Strauss and post-Romantic style.
107
How was Bartok's Hungarian nationalism manifested?
In various folk elements, including pentatonic and other non-traditional scales, irregular rhythms and phrase structures, dance types.
108
Expressionist elements are present in Bartok's...
Opera, Bluebeard's Castle.
109
Bartok was influenced by Debussy and ___, Stravinsky and ___.
Impressionism, primitivism.
110
Bartok often displays a ___ approach to instrumental writing and biting harmonic dissonance verging on atonality.
Percussive.
111
Bartok employed contrapuntal textures and neo-classical forms such as...
Fugue, sonata, rondo, cyclic structure.
112
Bartok was fond of palindromic forms. What does this mean?
"Mirror" forms.
113
Which composer used formal structures influenced by mathematical principles, such as the Fibonacci series?
Bartok.
114
Who wrote the pedagogical work Mikrokosmos?
Bartok.
115
When did Bartok write Concerto for Orchestra?
When his health was failing in 1943. Wrote it in just seven weeks.
116
What is the genre of Concerto for Orchestra?
Orchestral work.
117
What is the structure of Concerto for Orchestra?
Five movements.
118
Changing Meter
A common trait in 20th-century music. The time signature changes frequently and unpredictably. A rejection of standard metrical patterns in favour of non-symmetrical groupings.
119
Ostinato
A short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated throughout a section or a work.
120
Polytonality
The simultaneous use of two or more keys.
121
Quotation in Music
Music that parodies another composition or style. Draws a melody from a pre-existing work and presents it in a new guise.
122
Modality
The use of non-traditional scales, in particular, those scales that date back to antiquity. For example, Lydian mode.
123
What is the key of Interrupted Intermezzo, fourth movement, from Concerto for Orchestra?
Begins in E Lydian, ends in B major with modal inflections.
124
What is the form of Interrupted Intermezzo, fourth movement, from Concerto for Orchestra?
Rondo-like (introduction ABA'CB'A'').
125
What is the time signature of Interrupted Intermezzo, fourth movement, from Concerto for Orchestra?
Changing meter.
126
What genres did Prokofiev focus on?
Classical forms, ballet, opera, film scores, and children's music.
127
Birth/death years of Prokofiev:
1891 - 1953.
128
Where was Prokofiev born?
Sontsovska (Ukraine).
129
Descrive Prokofiev's family background:
Well to-do family; father Sergei was an agricultural engineer and mother Maria was an amateur pianist who gave him his first piano lessons at age four.
130
Which composer started composing at age five?
Prokofiev.
131
Which composer loved opera, and wrote four as a youth?
Prokofiev.
132
Who did Prokofiev take lessons with first, besides his mother?
Reinhold Gliere.
133
Who studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory as the youngest student ever admitted?
Prokofiev.
134
Who garnered a reputation as an enfant terrible for his wild playing style and percussive, dissonant compositions?
Prokofiev.
135
Prokofiev garnered a reputation as an enfant terrible for...
His wild playing style and percussive, dissonant compositions?
136
Who were Prokofiev's compositions teachers?
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov.
137
Which composer is Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov associated with?
Prokofiev.
138
Who played his first piano sonata while still a student at his Moscow debut recital, and had two piano concertos premier and published while still la student?
Prokofiev.
139
Who received the Rubinstein Prize upon graduation?
Prokofiev.
140
Who wrote Scytian Suite under commission of Sergei Diaghilev and his Les Ballets Russes?
Prokofiev.
141
Which composer left Europe for the USA, and toured Tokyo and Yokohama on the way?
Prokofiev.
142
Whose piano playing was described as "savage, steely, and mechanistic" by American media?
Prokofiev.
143
What was the name of Prokofiev's comedy opera?
The Love for Three Oranges.
144
Where did Prokofiev decide to settle in 1922?
Paris, but he travelled frequently to Germany, USA, Canada, and Cuba. He ended up moving back to the Soviet Union after a concert tour.
145
Who was Prokofiev's first wife?
Lina Llubera.
146
True or false? Prokofiev garnered popularity within the Soviet government, and was not subject to normal censorship rules.
False, despite receiving highest Soviet donors (Stalin Prize and Order of the Red Banner), he endured many hardships including difficulty with government censors.
147
Who travelled to Hollywood, California to research the new art of film scoring?
Prokofiev.
148
Who married poet Mira Mendelssohn, who collaborated with him on the operas Betrothal in a Monastery and War and Peace?
Prokofiev.
149
Why was the time that Prokofiev died significant?
He died hours before Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. News of the composer's death was withheld so as not to eclipse the dictator.
150
What are the four principle characteristics of Prokofiev's music?
1. Classical elements.
2. Lyrical elements.
3. Motoric elements.
4. Search for innovation.
151
What are the Classical elements in Prokofiev's music?
Use of Classical forms such as sonata, rondo. Cultivated Classical genres, including concerto, symphony, sonata, suite.
152
Give an example of the Classical elements in Prokofiev's music:
Symphony No. 1 in D, "Classical."
153
What are the lyrical elements in Prokofiev's music?
Sweeping melodies and lush harmonies. For example, Romeo and Juliet.
154
Give an example of the lyrical elements in Prokofiev's music:
Romeo and Juliet.
155
What are the motoric elements in Prokofiev's music?
Constant rhythmic drive resulting in a feeling of moto prepetuum.
156
Give an example of the motoric elements in Prokofiev's music:
Toccata.
157
What aspects of Prokofiev's music display a search for innovation?
Progressive features such as an unabashed dissonance, abrupt changes of key, rhythmic complexities. Unique approach to pianistic writing, evidenced by novel textures, percussive effects.
158
Give an example of Prokofiev's search for innovation:
Diabolical Suggestion.
159
Prokofiev's fervent Russian nationalism is demonstrated through...
Quotations of hymns, folk songs. For example, Alexander Nevsky.
160
How did Prokofiev often project an impish, scherzo-like quality?
Through the use of crisp rhythms, clipped staccatos, and colourful orchestration.
161
Prokofiev's harmonic language was grounded in ___, though often very ___.
Tonality, dissonant.
162
What is depicted in Prokofiev's piece "The Montagues and the Capulets: The Capulet Ball" from Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, op. 64c?
The scene where Juliet (a Capulet) is supposed to meet Paris, a suitor chosen for her, but instead falls for Romeo, the son of the family's arch enemy, the Montagues.
163
What is the genre of "The Montagues and the Capulets: The Capulet Ball" from Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, op. 64c?
Originally composed for the ballet, later reworked into orchestral suites.
164
What is the source of "The Montagues and the Capulets: The Capulet Ball" from Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, op. 64c?
A play by William Shakespeare.
165
What are the performing forces of "The Montagues and the Capulets: The Capulet Ball" from Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, op. 64c?
Large orchestra with expanded percussion.
166
Ballet
Highly stylized type of dance that often interprets a story. First developed in the 17th century at the court of Louis XIV. 19th-century ballet reached its zenith at the Russian court. Russian dancers dominated the bells scene through most of the 20th century.
167
Choreography
The art of designing the dance steps and movements in a ballet (or musical).
168
En Pointe
French for "on point." A challenging dance technique practised by ballerinas (female dancers) and used in traditional ballet. Requires the dancer to dance and balance on their toes with the help of specially constructed dance slippers.
169
Orchestral Suite
A group of orchestral movements drawn from a larger dramatic work such as a ballet. Programmatic in nature. Played in a concert setting, outside of its original dramatic context.
170
What is the form of "The Montagues and the Capulets: The Capulet Ball" from Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, op. 64c?
Ternary.
171
Who was the leader of the Second Viennese School?
Schoenberg.
172
What method did Schoenberg come up with that shattered the harmonic conventions of the past?
Twelve-Tone Method.
173
Birth/death years of Schoenberg:
1874 - 1951.
174
Where was Schoenberg born?
Vienna, Austria.
175
Whose father owned a show shop, and struggled financially after the father's death?
Schoenberg.
176
Why did Schoenberg leave school for five years?
He had to work at a bank to support his family. Pursued interests in music, literature, and philosophy on his own. Essentially self-taught.
177
Schoenberg studied the works of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, which had a profound impact on...
The development of his contrapuntal style and approach to formal structure.
178
Which composer's principle instrument was the cello, and played chamber music with two childhood friends who shared his music interests?
Schoenberg.
179
Who was Alexander von Zemlinsky?
Schoenberg's only composition teacher.
180
Who viewed religion as a quest, and converted to Christianity in 188, only to reconvert to Judaism in 1933?
Schoenberg.
181
Who suffered from asthma their whole life, and lived in poor health?
Schoenberg.
182
Who married Alexander von Zemlinsky's sister, Mathilde?
Schoenberg.
183
What was Schoenberg's role in Berlin?
Worked as a conductor at a cabaret theatre?
184
Schoenberg attained a teaching position at the ___ Conservatory in Berlin, with the support of Richard Strauss.
Stern.
185
When Schoenberg returned to Vienna in 1903, he attracted private students, including...
Anton Webern and Alban Berg.
186
Which composer felt a moral obligation to his art, and earned very little money as a teacher and composer?
Schoenberg.
187
Schoenberg's reputation as a composer was established with early ___ and ___ works.
Post-Romantic, Expressionist.
188
Schoenberg began to study art, and his own paintings embraced ___.
Expressionism.
189
When did Schoenberg begin to abandon tonality?
In 1908 with his song cycle The book of Hanging Gardens.
190
Who wrote Harmonielehre, and what is it?
Schoenberg. It is a treatise on harmony.
191
When Schoenberg returned to Berlin in 1908, he created a stir with unorthodox instrumentation and new Sprechstimme technique in his piece ___.
Pierrot lunaire.
192
Schoenberg served briefly in WWI and became depressed, slowing down his musical output. True or false?
True.
193
What did Schoenberg develop during his "years of silence"?
The twelve-tone method.
194
When was the first twelve-tone composition completed?
1926.
195
In Berlin in 1928, Schoenberg became the master-class instructor of composition at the...
Prussian Academy of the Arts.
196
Why did Schoenberg feel compelled to leave Germany?
Due to the rise of the Nazi party and increasing anti-Semitism.
197
Who moved to LA and lectured at USC and UCLA?
Schoenberg.
198
Why was Schoenberg's fear of the number 13 ironic?
He died at age 76 (7+6=13) on Friday the 13th.
199
Who suffered from triskaidekaphobia?
Schoenberg.
200
Twelve-Tone Music
A method of composition developed by Schoenberg. An approach used to organize atonal music. Based on a fixed order of the twelve chromatic pitches forming a tone row. Also referred to as dodecaphonic music.
201
Tone Row
Fixed order of the twelve chromatic pitches. Basis of a twelve-tone composition. Undergoes manipulations including: transposition, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde-inversion.
202
Inversion
Writing the tone row upside down.
203
Retrograde
Writing the tone row backwards.
204
Retrograde-Inversion
Writing the tone row upside down and backwards.
205
Diminution
A rhythmic device in which the note values of a melody are shortened. As a result, the music sounds faster.
206
Canon
From the latin for "law." Strict imitation of a musical line at a fixed interval throughout. Can be a complete polyphonic composition or a technique used within a work.
207
Why did Schoenberg elicit more vehement opposition than any of his contemporaries?
He championed atonality and developed the radically new twelve-tone method. Contrapuntal textures, chamber-like sonorities.
208
What are Schoenberg's four stylistic periods?
1. Post-Romantic Period (until 1908).
2. Expressionist Period (1908 - 1917).
- -- Years of Silence and Gestation (1917 - 1928) ---
3. Serialist Period (1923 - 1933).
4. American Period (1933 - 1951).
209
Describe Schoenberg's Post-Romantic Period (until 1908).
Influenced by Wagner, Mahler, Strauss. Drawn to programmatic elements, chromatic harmony, lush orchestration.
210
Give an example of a work from Schoenberg's Post-Romantic Period (until 1908).
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night).
211
Describe Schoenberg's Expressionist Period (1908 - 1917).
Marked by rejection of tonality. Disjunct melodies often span a wide range. Developed Klangradbenmelodie and invented Sprechstimme. Polyphonic procedures were masked by dissonance.
212
Give an example of a work from Schoenberg's Expressionist Period (1908 - 1917).
Pierrot Lunaire.
213
Describe Schoenberg's Serialist Period (1923 - 1933).
Composed using the twelve-tone method. Returned to Classical forms such as sonata, rondo, variation, suite.
214
Give an example of a work from Schoenberg's Serialist Period (1923 - 1933).
Variations for Orchestra, op. 31.
215
Describe Schoenberg's American Period (1933 - 1951).
Greater stylistic diversity, with occasional returns to tonal composition. Employed a more liberal approach to twelve-tone composition. More connected to his Jewish faith, many works have religious themes.
216
Give an example of a work from Schoenberg's American Period (1933 - 1951).
A Survivor From Warsaw.
217
What is Pierrot lunaire about?
Pierrot, a sad but impish clown character from the Italian com media dell'arte tradition.
218
What is the form of Pierrot lunaire?
Song cycle.
219
What is the language of Pierrot luniare?
German.
220
What is the English translation of Pierrot lunaire?
Moonstruck Pierrot.
221
What is the source of text of Pierrot lunaire?
21 poems by Albert Giraud.
222
What is the structure of Pierrot lunaire?
21 songs, arranged in three groups of seven.
223
What are the performing forces in "Der Mondfleck" and "O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit" from Pierrot lunaire, op. 21?
Solo voice (memo soprano) and eight instruments, played by five instrumentalists (violin doubling on viola, flute doubling piccolo, clarinet doubling on bass clarinet, cello, and piano).
224
Klangfarbenmelodie
German for "tone-color melody." A concept developed by Schoenberg in the early 20th century. Individual notes of a melody are distributed among several instruments and often over a wide range. Creates an angular melody and sparse sound. Often compared to pointillism in painting.
225
Pointillism
A term derived from the post-Impressionist style of painting that used dots of pure colour on the canvas. In music, this dappled effect was achieved through the use of Klangfarbenmelodie and the delicate weaving of the contrapuntal lines.
226
Sprechstimme
German for "speech-voice." A vocal technique developed by Schoenberg and used for the first time in his song cycle Pierrot lunaire. The singer/reciter performs what sounds like "pitched speaking." The singer initiates a note then drops the pitch slightly. Indicated with an "x" marked on the stem of the note.
227
Rondeau
A poetic form developed in the 14th century. Generally, the poem consisted of four verses: the first verse was repeated partially in the second verse, and completely in the fourth verse. The musical rounded often took its shape from the poem's structure.
228
What are the performing forces in Der Mondfleck?
Voice, piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello, piano.
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What is the key of Der Mondfleck?
Atonal.
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What is the form of Der Mondfleck?
Rondeau.
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What is the summary of text of Der Mondfleck?
Pierrot is upset about a white fleck on his black jacket. Does not realize it is a moonbeam, rubs at it to no avail.
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What are the performing forces in O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit?
Voice and all eight instruments (only time in the cycle all instruments are used).
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What is the key of O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit?
Atonal.
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What is the form of O alter Duft aus Marchenzeit?
Rondeau.
235
Why is Berg's music more accessible to audiences than the music of Schoenberg and Webern?
Because he was able to combine elements of tonality with atonal writing.
236
Who was the most popular member of the Second Viennese School?
Berg.
237
Berg's early works show influences of...
Mahler (orchestral colour), Wagner (use of leitmotifs, setting of own librettos, chromatic harmony).
238
What elements of Debussy's music was Berg influenced by?
Whole-tone scales, parallel chord motion.
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What elements did Berg obtain from Schoenberg (his teacher)?
Expressionism and twelve-tone technique.
240
Which composer in the Second Viennese School balanced tonal and atonal elements in his music?
Berg.
241
Berg's approach to the serial technique was ___, as tone rows often had tonal implications.
Liberal.
242
What traditional formal elements did Berg display in Wozzeck?
Passacaglia, fugue, sonata form, theme and variations, cyclic references.
243
True or false? Berg wrote technically demanding virtuosic pieces.
True.
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True or false? Berg came up with Sprechstimme and Klangfarbenmelodie.
False. However, he did use these.
245
What is the genre of Wozzeck?
Expressionist opera.
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What language is Wozzeck in?
German.
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What is the source of the plot for Wozzeck?
19th-century play Woyzeck, by George Buchner.
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Who prepared the libretto for Wozzeck?
Berg.
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What is the structure of Wozzeck?
Three acts, with five scenes in each act.
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What is the plot of Wozzeck?
Wozzeck is subject to theCaptain's taunts and Doctor's dietary experiments, undermining his already feeble state of mind. Wozzeck then suspects his wife Marie is cheating on him with the Drum Major. To add insult to the injury, the Drum Major boasts of his conquests, then beats Wozzeck up. Wozzeck meets Marie by the pond, and he stabs her. When he goes to search for the knife he dropped in the pond, he drowns. Meanwhile, their child is rejected by all the other children and he is seen all alone riding his hobby horse.
251
Celesta
A percussion instrument resembling a small upright piano. Metal bars are struck by hammers that have been activated by a keyboard. Produces a delicate, silvery sound.
252
Cluster Chord
A dissonant chord consisting of major and minor seconds. Often employed in atonal music.
253
Webern's entire musical output is approximately ___ minutes in length.
180.
254
How did Webern's approach to twelve-tone composition differ from Berg's approach?
It was more radical. He explored contrapuntal and mathematical relationships within Classical architecture, and his intricate miniatures are often referred to as "perfect crystals."
255
Webern was influenced by the lyricism of...
Schubert, Bruckner, and Mahler.
256
Webern's early works demonstrate ___.
Expressionism.
257
Describe Webern's twelve-tone method.
Radical, strict approach. Verging on total serialism (all elements -- pitch, rhythm, dynamics -- subject to mathematical ordering).
258
Who wrote a doctoral thesis on the Renaissance polyphony of Heinrich Isaac?
Webern.
259
True or false? There are many canonic and palindromic elements present in Webern's music.
True.
260
Webern preferred ___ forms and ___ music.
Traditional, absolute.
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Webern's instrumental writing features Klangfarbenmelodie. True or false?
True.
262
Why is the title of Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement misleading?
The title harkens back to the genre popularized by the First Viennese School, however, the work represents a marked departure from 18th and 19th century symphonic practice.
263
What is the genre of Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement?
Chamber symphony.
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What is the structure of Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement?
Two movements, based on the same tone row.
265
What are the performing forces in Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement?
Chamber orchestra: violins, violas, chills, two harps, clarinet, bass clarinet, two horns.
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Variations are organized like ___ in Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement
Arches.
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What is the compositional approach to Webern's Symphony, op. 21, second movement?
Twelve-tone.
268
Birth/death dates for Messiaen:
1908 - 1992.
269
Where was Messiaen born?
Avignon, France.
270
What did Messiaen's parents do?
Father was an English teacher and translator of Shakespeare, while mother was a poet.
271
Messiaen began composing and playing piano at age ___.
7.
272
In 1919, Messiaen's family moved to Paris and he entered the ___ ___ at a very young age.
Paris Conservatoire.
273
Which composer is associated with Paul Dukas?
Messiaen.
274
Who was a frequent Paris Conservatoire prize winner in both performance and theory?
Messiaen.
275
Messiaen was appointed organist at ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ in Paris, and remained in this capacity for the rest of his life.
L'eglise da la Sainte Trinite.
276
Who did Messiaen marry in 1931?
Claire Delbos, a composer and violinist; dedicated first song cycles to her.
277
Who was appointed professor of music at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.
Messiaen.
278
Who was the founding member of La Jeune France?
Messiaen
279
La Jeune France
Founded by Messiaen, a group of composers promoting a modern French aesthetic.
280
Who was conscripted into the French army at the advent of WWII, and was taken prisoner of war by the Germans?
Messiaen.
281
Where did Messiaen write Quatuor pour la fin du temps?
While imprisoned in prison camp. Premiered the work with fellow prisoners from Stalag Villa.
282
Who was appointed professor at the Paris Conservatoire in 1941 and taught there for over thirty years?
Messiaen.
283
Whose students represent a who's who of modern composition (for example, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Claude Vivier)?
Messiaen.
284
Who published Technique de mon langage musical (Technique of My Musical Language) that outlined his compositional approach, especially with regard to rhythmic and pitch modes.
Messiaen.
285
Who studied birdsong?
Messiaen.
286
Who did Messiaen marry after his first wife died, and why was this significant?
Yvonne Loriod. She was a former student who premiered and recorded many of his works.
287
Who travelled to Japan for concert performances and birdsong study?
Messiaen.
288
Whose honours included the Legion of Honor in France?
Messiaen (also, Bartok. Ravel was awarded it but declined).
289
What was Messiaen's only opera?
Saint Francois d'Assise
290
What were the three significant sources of inspiration for Messiaen?
1. Spirituality.
2. Non-Western musical sources.
3. Nature, especially birdsong.
291
How was spirituality reflected in Messiaen's works?
Devout Catholic faith reflected. Employed actual chant, as well as melodies influenced by the melodic shapes and forms of chants.
292
How were non-western musical sources reflected in Messiaen's works?
Structural, harmonic, and particularly rhythmic elements are drawn principally from non-Western sources. Influenced by his studies of ancient Greek poetry and Hindu music.
293
Who developed an approach that regarded rhythm as an accumulation of durations rather than a division of time into equal parts?
Messiaen.
294
Where did Messiaen draw inspiration for Harawi?
South American/Peruvian folk music.
295
Where did Messiaen draw inspiration for Sept haiku?
Traditional songs and birdsongs of Japan.
296
How was nature, especially birdsong reflected in Messiaen's works?
Birdsongs were researched and transcribed. For example, Abime des oiseaux (Abyss of Birds) from Quatuor pour la fin du temps.
297
Which of Messien's works reveal influence from Debussy?
Early works, like eight piano preludes. Parallel chord streams, added sixth, ninth, and aggregate chords.
298
In addition to the major and minor scales, what other kinds of scales did Messiaen use?
Whole tone scale, octatonic scale, and new modal scales with anywhere between 6-10 pitches.
299
Messiaen thought of chords and modulations in terms of ___.
Colours.
300
Who used "nonretrogradeable" rhythms, or rhythmic palindromes (rhythmic patterns that read the same forward and backward)?
Messiaen.
301
What is the genre of Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps?
Chamber music.
302
What is the structure of Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps?
Eight movements.
303
What are the performing forces in Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps, second movement: "Vocalise"?
Clarinet, violin, cello, piano.
304
Mode of Limited Transposition
A scale that is limited to fewer than the usual twelve transpositions; some can only be transposed once. First mode of limited transposition is the whole tone scale. Second mode is the octatonic scale whose pattern alternates semi-tones and tones (half steps and steps). Absence of a central pitch or pull to a tonic.
305
Sourdine
French for "mute." An instruction given to string and brass instruments to use their mutes. Creates softer dynamics, veiled, subdued instrumental effects.
306
What is the English translation of Messiaen's "Vocalise pour l'ange qui annonce la fin du temps"?
"Vocalise, for the Angel who Announces the End of Time."
307
What is the source of text for Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps, second movement: "Vocalise"?
Catholic bible, Revelation of St. John (Chapter 10).
308
What is the structure of Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps, second movement: "Vocalise"?
ABA.
309
What does Ligeti's music reflect?
Diverse influences and interests such as serialism, electronic music, and ethnomusicology.
310
Where was Ligeti born?
In Romania to a Hungarian family.
311
What did Ligeti draw from European Classical tradition?
Genres, forms.
312
What did Ligeti draw from non-Western sources?
Scale and rhythmic systems.
313
Give an example of Ligeti's humour and satire:
Poème symphonique.
314
Where did Ligeti move from/to in 1956?
Hungary to Vienna, then to Germany.
315
True or false? Ligeti produced electronic works.
True.
316
Who developed micropolyphony?
Ligeti.
317
Ligeti applied East Asian harmonic practice (quartile harmony, parallel streams), West Indian, and African rhythmic patterns in...
Highly virtuosic displays.
318
Who employed additive rhythm, the alteration of irregular groupings of notes like 5+3 or 3+5?
Ligeti.
319
What is the genre of Atmospheres?
Orchestral work.
320
What are the performing forces in Atmospheres?
Large orchestra without percussion.
321
Micropolyphony
Developed by Ligeti. The weaving of many separate melodic strands into a complex polyphonic fabric. The sheer density of the music renders the individual lines imperceptible.
322
What was Part's initial occupation?
As a radio producer and composer of film scores in his native Estonia.
323
Who were Part's influences?
Russian neo-classical composers such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
324
Why did Part give up on the serial technique that he experimented with in the 1950's and 60's?
He grew tired of its constraints.
325
What was the "collage technique" that Part came up with?
Inserting borrowed musical material (from Bach, Tchaikovsky) into a serial composition.
326
Why did he withdraw from active composition in 1968 to study music from the middle ages and Renaissance?
To search for his own creative voice.
327
Tintinnabulation
A new style created by Part in 1976. Example of a piece in this style is Fur Alina.
328
What piece brought Part to international prominence?
Fratres.
329
Since his emigration from the Soviet Union to Germany in 1980, most of Part's work has been ___ in nature.
Religious.
330
Style of Part's work has been described as "___ ___" because of their subject matter and hypnotic effect.
Spiritual minimalism.
331
Part strives for "beauty of simplicity" by...
Isolating single notes, limiting the number of pitches through his tintinnabulation technique and frequently employing slow rhythms, slow dynamics, and reflective silences.
332
What is the genre of Cantate Domino canticum novum?
Sacred choral music.
333
What is the language of the text for Cantate Domino canticum novum?
Latin.
334
What is the English translation of Cantate Domino canticum novum?
"O sing to the Lord a new song."
335
What is the source of the text for Cantate Domino canticum novum?
Psalm 95, Catholic bible.
336
What are the performing forces in Cantate Domino canticum novum?
SATB chorus, organ.
337
What is the key of Cantate Domino canticum novum?
B flat tonal centre.
338
What is the form of Cantate Domino canticum novum?
Four sections.
339
Tintinnabulation
From Latin word for "bell." A minimalist compositional style developed by Part in the 1970's. Music generally characterized by two voices: one voice (called the tintinnabular voice) arpeggiates the tonic triad while the other voice moves diatonically, with conjunct motion. Works tend to have slow tempi, introspective mood, showing the composer's fascination with chant.
340
Minimalism
Musical style developed in the 1960's. Repetition of melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns with little variation. Often trance-like with a hypnotic effect. Generally tonal. Used by composers La Monte Young, Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and John Adams.
