Study Guide: Graduate Placement Examination in Music History
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The Order of Numbers in the Second Viennese School of Music
The order of numbers in the Second Viennese School of Music Carlota Sim˜oes Department of Mathematics University of Coimbra Portugal Mathematics and Music seem nowadays independent areas of knowledge. Nevertheless, strong connections exist between them since ancient times. Twentieth-century music is no exception, since in many aspects it admits an obvious mathematical formalization. In this article some twelve-tone music rules, as created by Schoenberg, are presented and translated into math- ematics. The representation obtained is used as a tool in the analysis of some compositions by Schoenberg, Berg, Webern (the Second Viennese School) and also by Milton Babbitt (a contemporary composer born in 1916). The Second Viennese School of Music The 12-tone music was condemned by the Nazis (and forbidden in the occupied Europe) because its author was a Jew; by the Stalinists for having a bourgeois cosmopolitan formalism; by the public for being different from everything else. Roland de Cand´e[2] Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was born in Vienna, in a Jewish family. He lived several years in Vienna and in Berlin. In 1933, forced to leave the Academy of Arts of Berlin, he moved to Paris and short after to the United States. He lived in Los Angeles from 1934 until the end of his life. In 1923 Schoenberg presented the twelve-tone music together with a new composition method, also adopted by Alban Berg (1885-1935) and Anton Webern (1883-1945), his students since 1904. The three composers were so closely associated that they became known as the Second Viennese School of Music. -
Sergei Prokofiev Russia Modern Era Composer (1891-1953)
Hey Kids, Meet Sergei Prokofiev Russia Modern Era Composer (1891-1953) Sergei Prokofiev was born in Russia on April 27, 1891. He began studying the piano with his mother at the age of three. By the age of five Sergei was displaying unusual musical abilities. His first composition, written down by his mother, was called Indian Gallop. By the age of nine he had written his first opera, The Giant. At the age of thirteen Sergei entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory having already produced a whole portfolio of compositions. While at the conservatory he studied with Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Later in his life, Prokofiev was said to have regretted not having taken full advantage of this opportunity. The music that Prokofiev composed was new and different. He brought to the concert hall strange new harmonies, dynamic rhythms and lots of humor. When the Russian Revolution broke out, Prokofiev traveled to America. He hoped he would be able to compose in peace. American audiences, however, were not ready for his new sounds so he moved to Paris. In Paris, Prokofiev found greater success where his operas and ballets were well liked. Prokofiev returned to Russia in 1932 spending the last 19 years of his life in his home country. During this time, he produced some of his finest works including Peter and the Wolf for chamber orchestra and narrator, and the score for his ballet Romeo and Juliet which contained some of his most inspired music. Sergei Prokofiev died on March 5, 1953 as one of the most admired composers of the twentieth century. -
Comparison and Contrast of Performance Practice for the Tuba
COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE OF THE TUBA IN IGOR STRAVINSKY’S THE RITE OF SPRING, DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH’S SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN D MAJOR, OP. 47, AND SERGEI PROKOFIEV’S SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 100 Roy L. Couch, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2006 APPROVED: Donald C. Little, Major Professor Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Minor Professor Keith Johnson, Committee Member Brian Bowman, Coordinator of Brass Instrument Studies Graham Phipps, Program Coordinator of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Couch, Roy L., Comparison and Contrast of Performance Practice for the Tuba in Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 47, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 100, Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2006, 46 pp.,references, 63 titles. Performance practice is a term familiar to serious musicians. For the performer, this means assimilating and applying all the education and training that has been pursued in a course of study. Performance practice entails many aspects such as development of the craft of performing on the instrument, comprehensive knowledge of pertinent literature, score study and listening to recordings, study of instruments of the period, notation and articulation practices of the time, and issues of tempo and dynamics. The orchestral literature of Eastern Europe, especially Germany and Russia, from the mid-nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century provides some of the most significant and musically challenging parts for the tuba. -
Tonical Ambiguity in Three Pieces by Sergei Prokofiev
TONICAL AMBIGUITY IN THREE PIECES BY SERGEI PROKOFIEV by DAVID VINCENT EDWIN STRATKAUSKAS B.Mus.,The University of British Columbia, 1992 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (School of Music) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA October 1996 © David Vincent Edwin Stratkauskas, 1996 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of MlASlC- The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada •ate OCTDKER II ; • DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT There is much that is traditional in the compositional style of Sergei Prokofiev, invoking the stylistic spirit of the preceding two hundred years. One familiar element is the harmonic vocabulary, as evidenced by the frequent use of simple triadic sonorities, but these seemingly simple sonorities are frequently instilled with a sense of multiple meaning, and help to facilitate a tonal style which differs from the classical norm. In this style, the conditions of monotonality do not necessarily apply; there is often a sense of the coexistence of several "tonical" possibilities. -
Sergei Prokofiev-Romeo and Juliet Suite
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Romeo and Juliet Suite We are all not so distantly removed as to firmly recognize the tumultuous changes that shaped the world between 1891 and 1953. To imagine a composer’s life and work, within this period, without taking due notice of historical background is to ‘miss the boat’ entirely. If one could mention to what extent European composers from Ravel to Elgar were affected by World War I. If one could recognize the turmoil of World War II meted out upon music composition and performance in Europe. If one could add to this the emergence of the USSR on the one hand, and the climate of modernization on the other. This modernization in all matters would be no less prevalent in music and architecture. It would bring the Bauhaus school of Design and the sonically comparable Second Viennese School of Schoenberg, Webern and Berg to the fore, and deliver through the Darmstadt period the antecedence of our entire modern tableaux. One should also recognize how very quickly all this had happened, connecting in short shrift, the Victorian age emerging triumphalist from its industrial grime - to the second Elizabethan age of jet travel, the television and the Cold War. Prokofiev’s life, career and working style reflects his extraordinary presence in the global arena marked equally by his ‘on again-off again’ relationship with the authorities in the USSR. His early compositions, especially for piano are marked with an iconoclastic, willful, unconventional, revolution of their own. By 1908/9 Prokofiev had graduated in composition from the conservatory and by 1913/14 was the pride of the student body. -
Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, Op. 94 by Sergey Prokofiev
SONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO IN D MAJOR, OP. 94 BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV: A PERFORMANCE GUIDE HONORS THESIS Presented to the Honors Committee of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation in the Honors ColLege by Danielle Emily Stevens San Marcos, Texas May 2014 1 SONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO IN D MAJOR, OP. 94 BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV: A PERFORMANCE GUIDE Thesis Supervisor: ________________________________ Kay Lipton, Ph.D. School of Music Second Reader: __________________________________ Adah Toland Jones, D. A. School of Music Second Reader: __________________________________ Cynthia GonzaLes, Ph.D. School of Music Approved: ____________________________________ Heather C. GaLLoway, Ph.D. Dean, Honors ColLege 2 Abstract This thesis contains a performance guide for Sergey Prokofiev’s Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, Op. 94 (1943). Prokofiev is among the most important Russian composers of the twentieth century. Recognized as a leading Neoclassicist, his bold innovations in harmony and his new palette of tone colors enliven the classical structures he embraced. This is especially evident in this flute sonata, which provides a microcosm of Prokofiev’s compositional style and highlights the beauty and virtuosic breadth of the flute in new ways. In Part 1 I have constructed an historical context for the sonata, with biographical information about Prokofiev, which includes anecdotes about his personality and behavior, and a discussion of the sonata’s commission and subsequent premiere. In Part 2 I offer an anaLysis of the piece with generaL performance suggestions and specific performance practice options for flutists that will assist them as they work toward an effective performance, one that is based on both the historically informed performance context, as well as remarks that focus on particular techniques, challenges and possible performance solutions. -
Soviet Censorship Policy from a Musician's Perspective
The View from an Open Window: Soviet Censorship Policy from a Musician’s Perspective By Danica Wong David Brodbeck, Ph.D. Departments of Music and European Studies Jayne Lewis, Ph.D. Department of English A Thesis Submitted in Partial Completion of the Certification Requirements for the Honors Program of the School of Humanities University of California, Irvine 24 May 2019 i Table of Contents Acknowledgments ii Abstract iii Introduction 1 The Music of Dmitri Shostakovich 9 Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District 10 The Fifth Symphony 17 The Music of Sergei Prokofiev 23 Alexander Nevsky 24 Zdravitsa 30 Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and The Crisis of 1948 35 Vano Muradeli and The Great Fellowship 35 The Zhdanov Affair 38 Conclusion 41 Bibliography 44 ii Acknowledgements While this world has been marked across time by the silenced and the silencers, there have always been and continue to be the supporters who work to help others achieve their dreams and communicate what they believe to be vital in their own lives. I am fortunate enough have a background and live in a place where my voice can be heard without much opposition, but this thesis could not have been completed without the immeasurable support I received from a variety of individuals and groups. First, I must extend my utmost gratitude to my primary advisor, Dr. David Brodbeck. I did not think that I would be able to find a humanities faculty member so in tune with both history and music, but to my great surprise and delight, I found the perfect advisor for my project. -
Segall, Prokofiev's Symphony ..., and the Theory Of
Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 2, Yuri Kholopov, and the Theory of Twelve-Tone Chords Christopher Segall NOTE: The examples for the (text-only) PDF version of this item are available online at: http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.18.24.2/mto.18.24.2.segall.php KEYWORDS: Sergei Prokofiev, twelve-tone technique, twelve-tone chord, aggregate chord, Russian music theory, Yuri Kholopov ABSTRACT: A small collection of works, including Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 2 (1924), include chords with all twelve pitch classes. Yuri Kholopov, the foremost late-Soviet theorist, considered twelve-tone chords a branch of twelve-tone technique. Taking Prokofiev and Kholopov as a starting point, and building on prior scholarship by Martina Homma, I assemble a history and theory of twelve-tone chords. The central theoretical problem is that of differentiation: as all twelve-tone chords contain the same twelve pitch classes, there is essentially only one twelve-tone chord. Yet twelve-tone chords can be categorized on the basis of their deployment in pitch space. Twelve-tone chords tend to exhibit three common features: they avoid doublings, they have a range of about 3 to 5.5 octaves, and their vertical interval structure follows some sort of pattern. This article contextualizes twelve-tone chords within the broader early-twentieth-century experimentation with aggregate-based composition. Received May 2017 Volume 24, Number 2, July 2018 Copyright © 2018 Society for Music Theory Introduction [1] This paper bases a history and theory of twelve-tone chords around an unlikely starting point: Sergei Prokofiev, whose Symphony no. 2 (1924) features a chord with all twelve pitch classes.(1) Scholars have developed sophisticated models for various aspects of twelve-tone technique—such as tone-row structure, invariance, hexachordal combinatoriality, and rotation—but with isolated exceptions have not to date examined the phenomenon of twelve-tone verticals. -
Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra Gabriel Prokofiev Teacher Pages
SECONDARY 10 PIECES PLUS! CONCERTO FOR TURNTABLES AND ORCHESTRA (5th MOVEMENT) by GABRIEL PROKOFIEV TEACHER PAGES CONCERTO FOR TURNTABLES AND ORCHESTRA (5TH MOVEMENT) BY GABRIEL PROKOFIEV http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p038md89 CONTEXT Gabriel Prokofiev is the grandson of Sergei Prokofiev, the famous Russian composer and contemporary of Shostakovich. Gabriel is a musician who has been involved in hip hop, dance, electro, grime, scratching and turntablism. He has become interested in the fusion of different styles of music and decided to write a Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra where sounds created by the orchestra could be combined with turntable techniques. Turntablism comes from the 1970’s Hip Hop style. The records on the turntables are scratched rhythmically, responding to the music being played: this technique is used in the Prokofiev concerto. The DJ manipulates the sounds on the vinyl records changing tonal and rhythmic patterns. The records used in the piece contain music samples of orchestral phrases. A concerto is an orchestral piece of music which features a soloist, or small group of soloists who are virtuoso performers. The soloist usually has the main ideas and maintains a dialogue with the orchestra throughout the music. As with any instrumentalist, the DJ requires plenty of practice to become skilful in the technique of manipulating sounds. The concerto usually contains a ‘cadenza’, which is a passage where the soloist can show off his or her skills. Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra was written in 2006 and was -
Teacher Notes on Russian Music and Composers Prokofiev Gave up His Popularity and Wrote Music to Please Stalin. He Wrote Music
Teacher Notes on Russian Music and Composers x Prokofiev gave up his popularity and wrote music to please Stalin. He wrote music to please the government. x Stravinsky is known as the great inventor of Russian music. x The 19th century was a time of great musical achievement in Russia. This was the time period in which “The Five” became known. They were: Rimsky-Korsakov (most influential, 1844-1908) Borodin Mussorgsky Cui Balakirev x Tchaikovsky (1840-’93) was not know as one of “The Five”. x Near the end of the Stalinist Period Prokofiev and Shostakovich produced music so peasants could listen to it as they worked. x During the 17th century, Russian music consisted of sacred vocal music or folk type songs. x Peter the Great liked military music (such as the drums). He liked trumpet music, church bells and simple Polish music. He did not like French or Italian music. Nor did Peter the Great like opera. Notes Compiled by Carol Mohrlock 90 Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971) I gor Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882, in Oranienbaum, near St. Petersburg, Russia, he died on April 6, 1971, in New York City H e was Russian-born composer particularly renowned for such ballet scores as The Firebird (performed 1910), Petrushka (1911), The Rite of Spring (1913), and Orpheus (1947). The Russian period S travinsky's father, Fyodor Ignatyevich Stravinsky, was a bass singer of great distinction, who had made a successful operatic career for himself, first at Kiev and later in St. Petersburg. Igor was the third of a family of four boys. -
University of Oklahoma Graduate College A
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE A PEDAGOGICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO PROKOFIEV’S FOUR PIECES, OP. 32 A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By IVAN D. HURD III Norman, Oklahoma 2017 A PEDAGOGICAL AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO PROKOFIEV’S FOUR PIECES, OP. 32 A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY ______________________________ Dr. Jane Magrath, Chair ______________________________ Dr. Barbara Fast ______________________________ Dr. Jeongwon Ham ______________________________ Dr. Paula Conlon ______________________________ Dr. Caleb Fulton Dr. Click here to enter text. © Copyright by IVAN D. HURD III 2017 All Rights Reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The number of people that deserve recognition for their role in completing not only this document, but all of my formal music training and education, are innumerable. Thank you to the faculty members, past and present, who have served on my doctoral committee: Dr. Jane Magrath (chair), Dr. Barbara Fast, Dr. Jeongwon Ham, Dr. Paula Conlon, Dr. Rachel Lumsden, and Dr. Caleb Fulton. Dr. Magrath, thank you for inspiring me, by your example, to find the absolute best possible version of myself as a pianist, educator, collaborator, writer, and scholar. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to study with you on a weekly basis in lessons, to develop and hone my teaching skills through your guidance in pedagogy classes and observed lessons, and for your encouragement throughout every aspect of the degree. Dr. Fast, I especially appreciate long conversations about group teaching, your inspiration to try new things and be creative in the classroom, and for your practical career advice. -
Minimalism: Towards a Definition Adrian Smith
Minimalism: towards a definition Adrian Smith It is somewhat ironic that the Minimalist movement, which has been hailed by many as a welcome return to simplicity, has arguably provoked more terminological confusion than any other musical movement in the twentieth century. What is Minimalism when applied to music? Is it an adequate term to describe this movement or does it have misleading connotations? Does it show parallels with its counterpart in the visual arts? In what context did it arise? These are all frequently asked questions which this chapter will attempt to answer. Many of the attempts to define Minimalism thus far have only focused on obvious surface features without probing deeper into its musical core. The result of all this is that after thirty years of Minimalist scholarship we have a widespread acceptance of a term which is still not fully understood. In order to address this situation comprehensively, this chapter will be divided into two distinct but nonetheless intrinsically linked sections. The first section will focus on the inadequacy of ‘Minimalism' as a descriptive term when applied to music. Ultimately, however, it must be conceded that it is too late for a name change and we must accept what is now a common currency in musicological terms. Since this is the case and we are dealing with an accepted term, an understanding of the generic essence of the music itself and an awareness of the term’s limitations is necessary. This is the argument which will comprise the second half of this chapter. I will examine the nucleus of this music and put forward a definition which will adequately describe the music of La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the four composers most associated with the movement.