Classical Music 

1. Classical Music  *cheat sheet about some stuff*

2. Composers in the US were intrigued by MEXICAN CULTURE (vacationed/ held cultural exchanges) • -SOCIALIST, encouraged composers to be active/vital participants to culture, NATIONALISM • -native arts+modern culture -history of revolutions & politically motivated work (i.e. D.Rivera’s murals) • -examples of populist (folk-like toned) music… memorable melodies w/ wide appeal

3. *Aaron Copland’s EL SALON MEXICO (‘36) [AND HIS CIRCLE] • [select.myxer.com/mp3:7609295/] • (1933) was influenced by Mex. Carlos Chavez… Silvestre Revuelta & his OCHO POR RADIO • (S.Revuelta = classically trained composer&violinist educated in MEX/US) • POR RADIO: Machines/Tech. = “broadcasting” intersecting with Humans and Art = (8 musicians)

4. 3part form: ABA (A= 1½min + quick tempo, festive mood. B=2min + slower languid) • 1st A- cymbal crash, trumpet call, MEX melody (solo clarinet/trumpet)(harmonized 3rds:MARIACHI) • *Revueltas teases, changes accompaniment, makes it POLYTONAL… meter.. duple?triple? • *AS IF background instruments wander into private fiestas... doors open to music from others • B- pause.. light Indian drum.. slow/blues motive… bassoon.. • 2nd A- picks up party... adds more contrapuntal lines, rhythmic layers and solo maracas, end trumpet

5. Ocho por Radio • Considered NEOCLASSICAL • (famous by Igor Stravinsky/adopted by N.American composers in the 20’s replacing GermanRomantic tradition) •  hello avantegarde’s radical rejection to past… emphasized playfulness, balance, clarity of form… • dynamic levels change suddenly w/out cres./dim. steady underlying pulse obscured by meters… • texture= OSATINATI, • distinct contrapuntal lines&short repeated melodic fragments. melodies= bitonality, 2 diff keys @same time. Abrupt changes in tonal center/texture/mood = little translation)

6. MCARTHY (led) ERA. WWII - USSR threat to U.S. - Cold War – Committee on Un-American Activities (House of Reps) • investigated “communist infiltration” of the US gov. by those who followed Soviet Union orders • FBI= files of info on composers suspected, put on a “blacklist” to be imprisoned if war was declared. • Private hearings were reported (i.e. Marc Blitztein and Aaron Copland; AC’s film career died)

7. MASS MEDIA had LESS of an effect on CLASSICAL (western art “good”) MUSIC. • ~wealthy,powerful • (notated score > live) • Significant impact: sound recording & radio- broadened the audience • *‘10s- PHONOGRAPH credited w/ making “good music” accessible - its grooved disks held 3 min. • (~4 discs= 1 movement) (operas ~ 4hrs) • *RADIO. 1st live network broadcast, orchestra concert (1926 NBC, Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony) 1931 bought rights to broadcast Metropolitan Opera @$100,000 • >2nd popular daytime radio show *1938 Fortune mag. poll= 62% liked opera/classical on radio

8. Which classical music did listeners hear?? • *ORCHESTRA<3 • *Opposite to Euro: dominated by performers playing past masterpieces • *‘the cult of the virtuoso’ – (good @ fine arts stuff) • conductors= highly paid & admired

9. Names to Know >> • -Arturo TOSCANINI – NY Philharmonic, NBC Orchestra (classical & romantic works) • -Serge KOUSSEVITZKY (championed American composers) (French & Russian music) • -Leopold STOKOWSKI – Philadelphia Orchestra (early capitalized on technology) (NEW euro & U.S.)

10. Favorite composers  • Classical - Haydn, Mozart, Rossini, early Beethoven • Romantic - later Beet., Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Verdi • Later Romantic - Mahler, Strauss, Puccini, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff …STRAVINSKY= most POPULAR

11. WILLIAM GRANT STILL “Dean of African-American Composers” (1895-1978) • born in MS (played the violin, cello, oboe) • *further ed. Under W.C. HANDY, EDGARD VARESE • *wrote concert hall, 8 operas, 5 symphonies. • `31, Afro-American Symphony = 1st by a black composer to be performed by major orchestra • -- used blues elements, unlike many spirituals. each movement has a verse by poet Laurence Dunbar, 1st= sonata-allegro form • --2 musical ideas, 12-bar blues harmonic progression, overlaid with blues standard AAB melodic pattern, repeated with diff. instrumentation THEN a spiritual that starts and ends w/ a lyrical plaintative melody (reversed). • --After “development” (violin) = “recapitulation” (brings back ideas) –3rd movement: vibraphone, banjo (alludes to jazz)

12. ’36, first African American to conduct a major symphony orchestra (Los Angeles Philharmonic) INFLUENCED BY >> • HARLEM RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT – led by W.E.B DUBOIS, ALAIN LOCKE, JAMES W JOHNSON, etc. • =produce art of highest quality, to demonstrate doubters that AfricanAmericans=same potential for cultural achievement • Specicifically, art, music, & lit. that conveyed aspects of heritage using mainstream (white) valued forms. • But what kind of music? Jazz? (gave artists widespread recognition but it wasn’t accepted as western art) Spirituals?? • -Zora N Hurston argued - true authenticity lay in individual spontaneity, informal group performances, free expression of emotion.