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Postmodernism. Postmodernism. During the latter part of the 20 th century, artists began to question the continued viability of the Modernist movement. The Modernist movement of innovation and experimentation had lasted from 1900-1960
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Postmodernism • During the latter part of the 20th century, artists began to question the continued viability of the Modernist movement. • The Modernist movement of innovation and experimentation had lasted from 1900-1960 • The meaning of art itself was no longer certain. Was a can of point dropped on the floor art? Graffiti on the subway? • People were becoming more alienated from modern classical music and concert organizations turned to presenting classics of the past. • Young people turned to rock because the music of the 12-tone system and its later refinements was “unfriendly” • Postmodernism describes the period from 1960-today. It is a style that juxtaposes many varied elements, especially familiar ones, in new and interesting ways.
Postmodernism: continued • A deliberate return to the past. • In music, the return to the language of tonality, a tendency to quote from earlier historical styles and a deliberate cross-fertilization of the European-American tradition. There is also a deliberate attempt to incorporate styles from other parts of the world. • It reaches out across the traditional barrier between classical and popular music. (Classical music has moved closer to rock and even rap). The dividing line between operas and musical is narrowing sharply. • The late 20th century seemed to be a period open to all influences, past and present, local and foreign, popular and refined.
Postmodern Music • Postmodernism first began by using quotation. In one composition, Nach Bach (After Bach) by George Rochberg, fragments of Bach’s harpsichord music is heard amongst dissonance and abrupt silences. • LucianoBerio’sSinfoniahas a movement-length quotation from Mahler’s Second Symphony, overlaid with readings of modern poetry, shouts, and tiny fragments of quotations from many other composers. • The third movement of Lucas Foss’s Renaissance Concerto is based on the music of Orfeo’s lament from Monteverdi’sOrfeo • Also, returns to tonality
LISTEN • Lukas Foss (b 1922) • Third Movement (Recitative – After Monteverdi) from Renaissance Concerto for Flute and Orchestra • Composed in 1986 for Solo flute and strings (plus “distant” small group of strings and flute) • Based on several themes and snippets from earlier eras, most from the Baroque Era. • Perhaps the composer titled the piece Renaissance not to quote the music from the period, but to suggest that it is a rebirth that brings to life many works from the past. • Third movement based on the lament of Orfeo for Euridice from Monteverdi’s opera Orfeo, 1607. • Many repeated pitches in the solo flute evoke Monteverdi’s recitative style. • The opening phrase, with its distinctive falling interval of a diminished fourth, is taken directly from the opening of Monteverdi’s lament. • The mournful, quality of the music and the “distant” flute and strings suggest another world-the other world that Orpheus vows to visit to rescue Euridice from death.
Minimalism • A merging of popular and “serious” music that began in the 1960s, but grew stronger in the 1970’s and 80’s • This term came from artists, who began to reduce their paintings to the bare minimum, with flat surfaces, thin lines, simple shapes, and primary colors. • Minimalist music borrows from rock and has the idea of harmonic simplicity and repetitive rhythm. • It uses very limited materials and remains at an almost constant tempo and dynamic. • The resulting music is hypnotic and almost induces a trancelike state amongst its listeners. • Minimalist music often involves very slow shifts over a period of time
Philip Glass (b. 1937) & John Adams • Composed operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber music and film scores. • Composes in a minimalist style, but also includes rock, electronic music, ambient music and world music, all of which are combined with traditional concert forms. • John Adams was the most successful minimalist composer. Composed Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer
Fusion • Perhaps the most important aspect of the Postmodern era is the narrowing of gaps between all types of music. • Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and others created a mixture of jazz and rock that was called fusion.
