| Class 25 | ETR: Thursday, May 03 at 2:30 FTR: Thursday, May 03 at 4:10 |
Class Notes for Session 25
Concerts
I've got two new items up for this week on our concerts blog, including performances of Don Giovanni happening right here at Baruch.
Quiz Four News
The last quiz will be on Thursday, May 10. It is mostly about jazz with a little bit on modern classical music.
The Quiz 4 Study Guide is now up.
Jazz playlist: Youtube / Spotify / Youtube for Phones
Modern Classical playlist: YouTube / Spotify / Youtube for Phones
Assignment #17: Roots of African-American Music
The very beginning of our unit African-American music is covered in another online lesson, and Assignment #17 asks you questions about it.
Due before this class.
Assignment #18: Avant-Garde Classical Music
This used to be our very last lecture in class, and I've spun it off into cyberspace. It works pretty well as an online unit because (by definition) avant-garde music doesn't really rely on what came before. Thus, you can do this at any time, no need to wait.
First, read the online coverage of Avant-Garde music, and then our homework exercise asks you questions.
Due before the Class 27 (Quiz Day, May 10). I would recommend budgeting some time for this - remember that it really is a full session's worth of stuff.
Assignment #19: Quiz Four Preview
All notes and blogs are up, so you can do Assignment 19: Quiz Four Preview.
Due on quiz day, Thurs May 10.
Modern Classical Music I
This session is devoted to some relatively "mainstream" Modern composers who remained somewhat connected to the past as they worked on their own unique styles. I've spun off some more radical, avant-garde composers in an online unit with accompanying homework exercise.
You can read about the Modern period in general on pp. 352-355 in the eighth edition, 331-335 in the seventh.
Claude Debussy
First, though, we have to backtrack a bit and talk about "Impressionism." You could read about this on pp. 337-345 in the 8th edition, 319-325 in the 7th.
Our quiz piece will be this Debussy Prélude. Here's a live youtube:
...and a studio recording by the great Maurizio Pollini
Track Links: Spotify YouTube
Album Links: Spotify Amazon CD Amazon Mp3 iTunes Google Play
Igor Stravinsky
Craig Wright discusses Stravinsky on pp. 355-362 in the eighth edition, 337-343 in the seventh.
We started our discussion of Stravinsky by peeking at The Firebird, his first work with the Ballets Russes. This production by the Bolshoi Ballet is kind of silly and fun.
For the quiz, however, we are going to focus on The Rite of Spring, specifically the first 10 minutes or so. (Even more specifically, we will cover the same parts that Craig Wright discusses in the book.)
Here is video of the part I want you to study:
Using Spotify etc is a bit awkward because the part we want spans three different tracks. I would suggest you use the Modern Classical Playlist to get the specific tracks we need, or you can follow these album links to get the whole thing:
Spotify iTunes Google Play Amazon Mp3
Finally, I played a bit of the Dumbarton Oaks Concerto to show the more mellow, "Neoclassical" Stravinsky that emerged later.
Track Links: YouTube Spotify Naxos
Album Links: MusicBrainz Spotify iTunes Amazon Mp3 Naxos Google Play
Béla Bartók
Bartók is a Hungarian composer who intregrated the traditional music of his homeland into modernist music. I'm not sure exactly how much of his stuff I'm going to do in class.
We'll probably watch the twisty, high-energy finale to his Fourth String Quartet
Album Links: Spotify Amazon Mp3 iTunes Google Play
Aaron Copland
Finally, we'll turn to the dean of American composers, Aaron Copland.
He is discussed on pp. 375-379 in the eighth edition, 362-366 in the seventh.
First we'll sample his Concerto for Clarinet, Strings and Harp, to show him blending a Stravinsky-like Modernist style with a jazz influence.
And here is his "American" style, in Appalachian Spring. Quiz piece!
Track Links: YouTube Spotify
Album Links: YouTube Spotify iTunes Amazon Mp3
Charles Ives
We always run out of time in this session, but you really could stand to know about Charles Ives. You could read pp. 370-1 in the eighth edition, pp. 360-361 in the seventh. He's not on the quiz but he's great.
Here's one of his wild collages of American music, from Three Places in New England.
And here is the hauntingly beautiful Unanswered Question.