University of the Pacific Scholarly Commons University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 1929 The new in music Alma Lowry Williams University of the Pacific Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Williams, Alma Lowry. (1929). The new in music. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/887 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i ·THE NEW IN r.ms I C A Thesis Presented to the Department of Music College of the Pacific In partial fulfillment of the Requirements• for the Degree of !Ja~-~~r of Music By Alma Lowry Viilliams I {I June 1, 1929 !,' Approved and accepted, June, 1929. i f ; ' \ ,,________ _ Dean of the Conservatory, College ot the Pacific. Librarian, College of the Pacific. Gratefully inscribed and dedicated To r:y MOTHJ~R ~:ihoae enduring love has encompassed me with a golden circle of understanding, whose faith has strengthened me and inspired me to labor and to achieve • .. _/ 0 '-' ;~· iii CONTm:TS Chapter Page Int ro duct ion I. The Nature and Es sene e of Huai c •••., , •• , •••••••••••••••••••• , 1 1-Definitions, a-physical phenomena •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2 b-psycho-physical react.ions ••••••••••••••••••••••• 3 a-speculative and intuitive •••••••••••••••••••••• 3 2-Conclusions on the above,,,, •• ,., •••••• ,., •••••••. ,... 4 II, 1.'/hat may be new in Muaio, ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ~··~···• 4 1-The idea to he expressed, ie,, absolute muaiQ 2-The thing to be represented, ie,, programme music 3- The forms of presentation of musical materia.l 4- The method of presenting musical material 5- The method of performance, ie,, vocal, instrumental, etc 6- The musical matedE'.l used, a-rhythmic b-melodic c-harmonic 7-Attitude toward music ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 5 8-Bducation in ~~usic ••..•..... , ....• , ....•. •.•••.•.••.. , . 6 a-theoretical b-applied 9-Scientific approaches to music,, •••••••••••••••••••••• 6 a-psychological research b-physical research 10-Applications of music •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 a-Cult J,'ruaic 1'-types of creed or cult 2'-methods of worship 3'-types of music used 4'-uses made of music 5'-spiritual music, ie,, for worship b-Secular Music, ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 1"-socie.l aspects of music 2"-types of music used 3"-uses made of music 4"-physical muaic,ie., for dancing, etc, 1 iv CONTENTS (continued) III. New Ideas ib the Music of the Past••••••••••••••••••••••••···· 7 1-J~rtin Luther {1483-1546) a-the Lutheran Chorale b-hymna in the vernacular a-congregational singing 2-0pera and Oratorio ( 1600 et seq.)....................... 9 a-"dramma per la musica'' 3-Claudio Monteverde (1567-1643 ), •• , •••••••••••••• • ••••••• 10 a-orchestral technique b-pizzicato and tremulando 4-Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 -1750)., ••••••••••• !.••••••• 11 a-equal temperament b.. free modulation in instrumental musio 5-Richard Wagner (1813-1!!83:) ••• , •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 13 a-neitmotiv" for dramatic coherence b-the folk legend as operatic material a-recitative versus aria d-exaltation of orchestra a-Wagner his own librettist 6-Claude Achille Debussy (1862-1918), ••••••••••••••••••••• 14 a-the whole-tone scale b-new dissonances and sonorities a-Impressionism d-inatrumental tone color a-skill in selecting names IV. Mental and Critical Attitude toward the New in Music ............ 18 !-Professionally among, a-composers b-performers a-teachers d-instrument makers a-school administrators f-ori tics g-historians 2-Non~profassionally among, ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ~ 20 a-listeners b-producars and impressarios a-music publishers d-musio dealers a-makers of records and piano rolls t; . ' . ' ·.I v GON'J.'ENTS (continued) v. The New in 1Jusic ••.. ~•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2l 1-0rigina,., .. , ............ , ......................•........... 22 a-desire for fuller and freer expression b-protest against convention c"reault of friction between musical systems d~maturing of dormant ideas e~expression of present idea-systems or soul-states f-developmont of music of the past g... dependent on total a.vr.d.lahle knowledge 2-lJtility 1 t ~ 1 1 1 t 1 1 1 1 1 t ~ 11 1 t 1 e t,. f 1 t t 0 t 1 t f 11 111 t I Itt 1 ~1ft f 1 t t 1 t 22 a-combats stagnation and fixation b-inducea change c-atimulatea thought and research d-promotes progress VI, New Movements in the Modern Period,,,,,,,, •••••••••••••• , •• ,.,,,.22 1-National Phases •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o, ••••••••••• ,,,22 a-proletarian movement in Russia, ••..•••••••••••••••••••• ,23 b-"post-impressionism" in France, •••••••••••••••••••••• ,,,23 c-opera and chamber music in Germany •••••••••••••••••••• ,,24 d-musical renaissance in F.ngland, ••••••••••••••••••••••• ,.~4 a-theoretical research among the Czechs, •••••••••••••••• ,,25 f-jazz in the Uni·ted States, •••••••••••• , •• , •• ••• , ••••• , ,,25 2-}lew J\,fateriala ••....••..••.••..••.•••••••••••.•••••••• ,, •••• 32 a-quarter- and siateenth-tone systems ••••••••••••••••••••• 33 b-rhythmic intricacy •••••••••• ,, .•••••• , ••••••••••• , ••• ,, .36 c-harmonic theories d-instrumental development •••.•••••••••••••.•••.••••• , .••• 38 a-data from scientific research ••••••••••.••••••••••••• , •• 41 3-Educational Activities ••• , ••••••••••••••••••••••• , •••• , •••• 43 a-music in the schools b-recent musical publications c-ecientific studies in music 1'-acoustical 2'-psychological 3'-anthropological d-applications on new pedagogy to music instruction a-radio contests and scholarships f-muaic scholarships for travel and study vi CONTENTS (concluded) VI. 4-Social Movements •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 44 a-the radio b-cinema music and movie-tone c-phonograph and player piano d-community activities 1'-bands 2'-glee clubs 3'-orchestras 4'-community festivals -T.- ,. ~w·<· l ,. ! vii l ~ Introduction. ~- The selection of the sub,ject, "The New in Music, 11 was prompted by if - nn interest in the frequent appearance of nevr aspects in the art of mu- ' fu sic. The following critique is the result of an e.ttempt to uncover ' forces which wol·k toward for1ning tho new, .to evaluate essen·binl factors r_._· of nevmess, and ·to conside1· the renotion of the public to new musical i . f trends. ~. Although thQ accent of the work is placed on the music of the la.te I llineteenth and ear;J.y 'l'wenti,q·bh Centut•ies, consideration is e.lso given to i essentially new !lE!pects o.f music duri:op,; the earlier period si:p.ce the Four .. i' toenth Century. Complexities of' modern composition become more easily Ift understood when viewed in the light of previous attainment, The listener vrho wishes to hear modern music intelligently must needs be learned, for Ifit ~~-- i'i: the entire world is included in the scope of modern music, not only the - realm of emotion, but also the actual and the transcendental, One must; )!,';~ .. (5 () be able to follow the common thread of thou~~ht and inspiration which runs -~ l: through the works of Monteverde, Bach, Do'\)ussy, and--Irving Berlin. In pursuance of this shining, golden thread the writer presents facta concerning the development of music in the pest, the stA-tus of music at present, and possible trends of the future, The ree.der will find ultra nnd bizerre theories introduced which may seem incredible as fact and im- possible of achievement. These are, hovrever, cited from the works of re- r~n~;>lble authorities and should be given credence. They contain within ther:1selves evidence of modern tendencies and the desire to grapple with " problem and bring it to a satisfactory solution. They also presage a ·/•.. more rich and vital music for tomorrow. Our common experience proves ' I.' chily that the most inconceivable facts of yesterday are the "eternal . 11 . v·wities of today. And todey so soon becomes yesterday: .. I. •'. 1: 1 -I- At every period there hns been, and there will continue to be new music. Each succeeding epoch has been prone to boast of the superiority of its own particul~J.r type of music. We tenaciously hold the same belief that chf:lracterized our predecessors. Like them also, we believe that we have at our disposal a larger fund of knowledge and greater facility in making music. ~his fact of greater kn~fledge is perhaps the only, or at ~: least the best, gb.:l.m that we Cfln make to superiority. Ferrucl Busoni has learned from tho music of the past that "the spirit 1 of an art work, the measure of emotion, of humanity that ia in it" retain their value unchanged through the yenrs. We have here e. const!'tnt value-... a point of contact between the works of those anonymous craftsmen of the Middle Ages and the compositions of Schonberg or Hindemith--o. nexus based on a vital component of music, namely the ou~nard-moving (e-motion) of ex- pression. For despite the vaunted wisdom and judgment displayed by the critic in his musical co~nents on composers and performers alike, none of the critical fraternity has yet given a satisfactory definition of music. A ~;., modern composer states, "The history of musical criticism is that of a 2 series of phoenixes arising from the ashes of analytic disaster. 11 Neither critic nor composer can definitely or intelligibly analyze or explain mu- sic to any group of people. Though we may read widely a~d attend lec~tres on so-called Music Appreciation, we still remain in the durk e.s to the real essence of music itself. We can ascertain the forms it takes, the 1 Ferrucio Busoni, A Nmv Esthetic of Music, 4. 2 E. B. Hill, "Maurice Ravel, 11 Musical Qw.'lrterly, XIII, 130-146, (Jan., 1927) ---·---- 2 rhythms, melodies, and tonal combinations it assumes. But these ere only vesunents that clothe e. mystic entity whose presence we realize but do not know. Beethoven, the acute s•.;udent, may have intentionally defined music when he wrot(;l of his own spiritual self, 11 I run that I exn, no man has left- od my veil".