Saturday, June 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Eclectic Analysis - “Adiós Nonino” by Ástor Piazzolla
Adam LeBow
The Performing Arts in Western Civilization
Spring 2009
Dr. MacFarlane
ECLECTIC ANALYSIS
“Adiós Nonino” by Ástor Piazzolla
CLICK HERE to listen to "Adiós Nonino"
Below is a link to images of the score for "Adiós Nonino"
-Bandoneon Score (2 pgs)
- Piano Score (2 pgs)
- Violin Score
http://img2.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=piazzollapiano1.jpg
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Ástor Piazzolla (March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentinian tango composer and bandoneón player. He revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. An excellent bandoneon player, he regularly performed his own compositions with different ensembles. Piazzolla spent most of his childhood with his family in New York City, where he was exposed to both jazz and the music of J.S. Bach at an early age. While there, he acquired fluency in four languages: Spanish, English, French, and Italian. He began to play the bandoneon after his father, nostalgic for his homeland, spotted one in a New York pawnshop.
He returned to Argentina in 1937, where strictly traditional tango still reigned, and played in nightclubs with a series of groups including the orchestra of Anibal Troilo, then considered the top bandoneon player and bandleader in Buenos Aires. The pianist Arthur Rubinstein—then living in Buenos Aires—advised him to study with the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. During this period he was greatly influenced by Stravinsky, Bartók, Ravel, and others. In 1950 he composed the soundtrack to the film Bólidos de acero.
At Ginastera's urging, in 1953 Piazzolla entered his Buenos Aires Symphony in a composition contest, and won a grant from the French government to study in Paris with the legendary French composition teacher Nadia Boulanger. The insightful Boulanger turned his life around in a day, as Piazzolla related in his own words:
“When I met her, I showed her my kilos of symphonies and sonatas. She started to read them…after a long while, she said: ‘Here you are like Stravinsky, like Bartók, like Ravel, but you know what happens? I can't find Piazzolla in this.’ And she began to investigate my private life: what I did, what I did and did not play, if I was single, married, or living with someone, she was like an FBI agent! And I was very ashamed to tell her that I was a tango musician. Finally I said, ‘I play in a nightclub.’ I didn't want to say cabaret. And she answered, ‘Nightclub, mais oui, but that is a cabaret, isn't it?’ ‘Yes,’ I answered…it wasn't easy to lie to her. She kept asking: ‘You say that you are not pianist. What instrument do you play, then?’ And I didn't want to tell her that I was a bandoneon player, because I thought, ‘Then she will throw me from the fourth floor.’ Finally, I confessed and she asked me to play some bars of a tango of my own. She suddenly opened her eyes, took my hand and told me: ‘You idiot, that's Piazzolla!’ And I took all the music I composed, ten years of my life, and sent it to hell in two seconds.”
Upon introducing his new approach to the tango (nuevo tango), he became a controversial figure among Argentines both musically and politically. The Argentine saying "in Argentina everything may change — except the tango" suggests some of the resistance he found in his native land. However, his music gained acceptance in Europe and North America, and his reworking of the tango was embraced by some liberal segments of Argentine society, who were pushing for political changes in parallel to his musical revolution.
SYNTAX
“Adiós Nonino” was composed (it was essentially a modified version of a theme Piazzolla had previously written) in 1959 following the sudden death of Piazzolla’s father, whose grandchildren playfully called him nonino.
The piece is symbolic because it established the standard structural pattern Piazzolla would use in the majority of his compositions: ABABC, usually fast-slow-fast-slow-coda. It is most often performed by a quintet comprised of a bandoneon, violin, piano, electric guitar and double bass; this was Piazzolla’s preferred setup on two extended occasions during his career.
It is written in D minor, which is considered by some to be the “saddest” key. The time signature is 4/8. The A section contains primarily eighth and sixteenth notes paired with accented rhythms, staccato markings and relatively loud dynamics.
Ironically, the very sad B section, appropriately labeled tristement in my score, is in the relative F major. Most of it is labeled piano or pianissimo, with the exception of a few crescendos and climaxes. There are beautiful legato lines paired with long phrase markings and longer note durations – mostly eighth, quarter and half notes (both dotted and regular).
There are seventh chords, some b7 chords and occasional extended ninth harmonies, indicative of his jazz influence, which would later be more apparent in his nuevo tango music. Chromatic motion also appears in the melody, but more so in the inner lines. Overall Piazzolla basically stays within the boundaries of D minor and F major and uses standard tonal harmony.
SOUND-IN-TIME (PHENOMENOLOGY)
0:01-0:16 – The bandoneon enters with the main theme followed by the piano and the low strings – a bit of a question and answer game with very decisive rhythmic figures. This happens four times.
0:17-0:35 – The question and answer pattern continues with variation on the opening music. The bandoneon plays continuously throughout.
0:35-0:41 – The other instruments slowly drop out around the bandoneon
0:41-0:47 – The violin jumps in over the bandoneon’s fade out and prepares the audience for the theme of the B section with a partial scale ascent.
0:47-1:42 – Violin carries the B theme over the reserved yet present accompaniment being played by the rest of the ensemble. The accompaniment is nothing like that of the A section.
1:45 – Same ascent to the B theme but transposed higher; same melody and accompaniment style and inner lines continue
2:10-2:22 – The piano, violin and bandoneon break free of the B section and begin a rhythmic descent
2:23 – The repeat of the A section begins; the opening question and answer game resumes with faster rhythmic variations
2:37-2:50 – Similar to 0:17-0:35 but with unsettling sonorities and an unclear tonal direction
2:51-3:05 – A seemingly out of place whirlwind of dissonant sound comprising of all the instruments
3:30-4:25 – Return to the B section, but with the bandoneon taking the melody and piano and low strings providing a less present accompaniment
4:29-5:05 (end) – Re-energized entrance of all the instruments, with the piano and bandoneon at the forefront, indicating the start of the coda; intertwining melismatic lines in the piano and bandoneon with sustained accompaniment in the other instruments; abrupt ending and fade out with just the bandoneon
REFERENTIAL MEANING / VIRTUAL FEELING
I get a sense of turmoil right away in the A section. The bouncing, choppiness of the bandoneon indicates that the person is struggling with the hustle and bustle of daily life as the other instruments, representing everyone and everything else in life, swirl around him.
In “the long melodic B section” the sustained notes indicate that a deep, choked and anguished lament underlies. The weeping and mourning of “Nonino’s” death and the pain of a son, at such a distance, is expressed in this passage. It is the soul of the piece – it is actually Piazzolla’s soul speaking through the music. A quote regarding the infamous B section: “The artist, without tears, cried that night, but through his art. And left for the history of Argentine music, one of his most beautiful and everlasting pages.”
The repeat of the A section depicts just how tormented this person really is. He is desperately looking for an escape tunnel but cannot find one. Life is really closing in on him, as is shown by the piano and low strings playing in unison with the bandoneon’s melody and agitated rhythm. In what seems to be a somewhat improvised segment, the bandoneon’s melody clashes with the extremely dissonant accompaniment being played by the rest of the ensemble; for me it conjures up thoughts like: pain, the devil, hell and for some reason it reminds me of the haunting tritone chords in the opening violin part of “Danse Macabre” by Saint-Saëns.
The music in coda (or section C) encompasses all the feelings in the previous sections, with the addition of making peace with the situation and having hope for the future. The struggles from the other sections have unsurprisingly crept into the coda, but the increasingly major sonorities in the melody and accompaniment are the determination to overcome every obstacle. The abrupt ending indicates that all the frustration, anger, and torment, etc. was released and there is currently nothing else that can be done, though this was a significant step in itself.
ONTO-HISTORICAL WORLD
Just before the piece was composed, Piazzolla on a tour of Central and South America. He arrived in New York, having returned from the tour at a time of deep sadness and financial difficulties, due to his trip, which had resulted in failure. To top it all off, he then received news of the sudden death of his father, Vicente Piazzolla, which was the inspiration for the piece.
An Argentinian saying: “In Argentina, everything may change – except the tango.” Indeed his tour resulted in failure because it was his intent to impose a new style of jazz-tango on the public, a genre that would later come to be known as Nuevo Tango. This new style of music gained popularity in Europe and North America but met resistance in Argentina. However, his music was embraced by some liberals in the Argentine society, who were pushing for political changes in parallel to his musical revolution.
OPEN LISTENING
Things I hear:
-melancholy
-struggle
-hysteria
-crying
-reminiscence
-a “deep breath” every time there is an abrupt tempo change
- probably breaking the rules a bit with this one, but I really get a sense that Piazzolla assigned each specific obstacle in his life at the time (not just his father’s death) to a musical idea in the piece
PERFORMANCE GUIDE
I highly doubt I’ll ever perform this piece – I play the piano but consider myself a singer and not an instrumentalist – but studying this piece I definitely came up with some musical and dramatic ideas that would likely be useful to a performer.
The music is the character and the emotion. It is extremely informative on its own. You don’t have to look angry or go wild physically to bring the intensity to life. Think about interpreting the music from one section to another and as a whole and what/how/why the specific changes occur in the repeats. Imagine that every aspect of your life is chaotic; you don’t necessarily have to recall a situation regarding death – if you’ve had bad experiences and felt like you were on an emotional roller coaster then you are well aware of the state of mind.
If you didn’t actually have someone to talk to about your problems and could only speak through the melody, how would you speak the melody? You have the potential to direct the movie that is five minutes in this person’s life.
META-CRITIQUE
First and foremost I have to echo a sentiment that I think is shared by almost everyone in the class: it gets very difficult to delineate between the sections. The potential for one section to bleed into another seems ever-present and it certainly happened to me. Maybe it’s just me but in the end it doesn’t bother me very much. Maybe they are meant to stretch into other sections. My historical context is probably too biographical but I think it is both important and relevant because it shows what helped to shape Piazzolla as a composer. One thing that probably wasn’t so great about how I approached this process was the fact that I didn’t focus on one particular section until it was completed. I bounced around as I found new information and ideas, which probably contributed to the “bleeding over sections” and unfortunately might have caused me to forget some things I might have included in my analysis. I felt that my strongest ideas were in the “Referential Meaning / Virtual Feeling” sections and I hope that I was able to articulate them correctly and well.
The Performing Arts in Western Civilization
Spring 2009
Dr. MacFarlane
ECLECTIC ANALYSIS
“Adiós Nonino” by Ástor Piazzolla
CLICK HERE to listen to "Adiós Nonino"
Below is a link to images of the score for "Adiós Nonino"
-Bandoneon Score (2 pgs)
- Piano Score (2 pgs)
- Violin Score
http://img2.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=piazzollapiano1.jpg
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Ástor Piazzolla (March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentinian tango composer and bandoneón player. He revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. An excellent bandoneon player, he regularly performed his own compositions with different ensembles. Piazzolla spent most of his childhood with his family in New York City, where he was exposed to both jazz and the music of J.S. Bach at an early age. While there, he acquired fluency in four languages: Spanish, English, French, and Italian. He began to play the bandoneon after his father, nostalgic for his homeland, spotted one in a New York pawnshop.
He returned to Argentina in 1937, where strictly traditional tango still reigned, and played in nightclubs with a series of groups including the orchestra of Anibal Troilo, then considered the top bandoneon player and bandleader in Buenos Aires. The pianist Arthur Rubinstein—then living in Buenos Aires—advised him to study with the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. During this period he was greatly influenced by Stravinsky, Bartók, Ravel, and others. In 1950 he composed the soundtrack to the film Bólidos de acero.
At Ginastera's urging, in 1953 Piazzolla entered his Buenos Aires Symphony in a composition contest, and won a grant from the French government to study in Paris with the legendary French composition teacher Nadia Boulanger. The insightful Boulanger turned his life around in a day, as Piazzolla related in his own words:
“When I met her, I showed her my kilos of symphonies and sonatas. She started to read them…after a long while, she said: ‘Here you are like Stravinsky, like Bartók, like Ravel, but you know what happens? I can't find Piazzolla in this.’ And she began to investigate my private life: what I did, what I did and did not play, if I was single, married, or living with someone, she was like an FBI agent! And I was very ashamed to tell her that I was a tango musician. Finally I said, ‘I play in a nightclub.’ I didn't want to say cabaret. And she answered, ‘Nightclub, mais oui, but that is a cabaret, isn't it?’ ‘Yes,’ I answered…it wasn't easy to lie to her. She kept asking: ‘You say that you are not pianist. What instrument do you play, then?’ And I didn't want to tell her that I was a bandoneon player, because I thought, ‘Then she will throw me from the fourth floor.’ Finally, I confessed and she asked me to play some bars of a tango of my own. She suddenly opened her eyes, took my hand and told me: ‘You idiot, that's Piazzolla!’ And I took all the music I composed, ten years of my life, and sent it to hell in two seconds.”
Upon introducing his new approach to the tango (nuevo tango), he became a controversial figure among Argentines both musically and politically. The Argentine saying "in Argentina everything may change — except the tango" suggests some of the resistance he found in his native land. However, his music gained acceptance in Europe and North America, and his reworking of the tango was embraced by some liberal segments of Argentine society, who were pushing for political changes in parallel to his musical revolution.
SYNTAX
“Adiós Nonino” was composed (it was essentially a modified version of a theme Piazzolla had previously written) in 1959 following the sudden death of Piazzolla’s father, whose grandchildren playfully called him nonino.
The piece is symbolic because it established the standard structural pattern Piazzolla would use in the majority of his compositions: ABABC, usually fast-slow-fast-slow-coda. It is most often performed by a quintet comprised of a bandoneon, violin, piano, electric guitar and double bass; this was Piazzolla’s preferred setup on two extended occasions during his career.
It is written in D minor, which is considered by some to be the “saddest” key. The time signature is 4/8. The A section contains primarily eighth and sixteenth notes paired with accented rhythms, staccato markings and relatively loud dynamics.
Ironically, the very sad B section, appropriately labeled tristement in my score, is in the relative F major. Most of it is labeled piano or pianissimo, with the exception of a few crescendos and climaxes. There are beautiful legato lines paired with long phrase markings and longer note durations – mostly eighth, quarter and half notes (both dotted and regular).
There are seventh chords, some b7 chords and occasional extended ninth harmonies, indicative of his jazz influence, which would later be more apparent in his nuevo tango music. Chromatic motion also appears in the melody, but more so in the inner lines. Overall Piazzolla basically stays within the boundaries of D minor and F major and uses standard tonal harmony.
SOUND-IN-TIME (PHENOMENOLOGY)
0:01-0:16 – The bandoneon enters with the main theme followed by the piano and the low strings – a bit of a question and answer game with very decisive rhythmic figures. This happens four times.
0:17-0:35 – The question and answer pattern continues with variation on the opening music. The bandoneon plays continuously throughout.
0:35-0:41 – The other instruments slowly drop out around the bandoneon
0:41-0:47 – The violin jumps in over the bandoneon’s fade out and prepares the audience for the theme of the B section with a partial scale ascent.
0:47-1:42 – Violin carries the B theme over the reserved yet present accompaniment being played by the rest of the ensemble. The accompaniment is nothing like that of the A section.
1:45 – Same ascent to the B theme but transposed higher; same melody and accompaniment style and inner lines continue
2:10-2:22 – The piano, violin and bandoneon break free of the B section and begin a rhythmic descent
2:23 – The repeat of the A section begins; the opening question and answer game resumes with faster rhythmic variations
2:37-2:50 – Similar to 0:17-0:35 but with unsettling sonorities and an unclear tonal direction
2:51-3:05 – A seemingly out of place whirlwind of dissonant sound comprising of all the instruments
3:30-4:25 – Return to the B section, but with the bandoneon taking the melody and piano and low strings providing a less present accompaniment
4:29-5:05 (end) – Re-energized entrance of all the instruments, with the piano and bandoneon at the forefront, indicating the start of the coda; intertwining melismatic lines in the piano and bandoneon with sustained accompaniment in the other instruments; abrupt ending and fade out with just the bandoneon
REFERENTIAL MEANING / VIRTUAL FEELING
I get a sense of turmoil right away in the A section. The bouncing, choppiness of the bandoneon indicates that the person is struggling with the hustle and bustle of daily life as the other instruments, representing everyone and everything else in life, swirl around him.
In “the long melodic B section” the sustained notes indicate that a deep, choked and anguished lament underlies. The weeping and mourning of “Nonino’s” death and the pain of a son, at such a distance, is expressed in this passage. It is the soul of the piece – it is actually Piazzolla’s soul speaking through the music. A quote regarding the infamous B section: “The artist, without tears, cried that night, but through his art. And left for the history of Argentine music, one of his most beautiful and everlasting pages.”
The repeat of the A section depicts just how tormented this person really is. He is desperately looking for an escape tunnel but cannot find one. Life is really closing in on him, as is shown by the piano and low strings playing in unison with the bandoneon’s melody and agitated rhythm. In what seems to be a somewhat improvised segment, the bandoneon’s melody clashes with the extremely dissonant accompaniment being played by the rest of the ensemble; for me it conjures up thoughts like: pain, the devil, hell and for some reason it reminds me of the haunting tritone chords in the opening violin part of “Danse Macabre” by Saint-Saëns.
The music in coda (or section C) encompasses all the feelings in the previous sections, with the addition of making peace with the situation and having hope for the future. The struggles from the other sections have unsurprisingly crept into the coda, but the increasingly major sonorities in the melody and accompaniment are the determination to overcome every obstacle. The abrupt ending indicates that all the frustration, anger, and torment, etc. was released and there is currently nothing else that can be done, though this was a significant step in itself.
ONTO-HISTORICAL WORLD
Just before the piece was composed, Piazzolla on a tour of Central and South America. He arrived in New York, having returned from the tour at a time of deep sadness and financial difficulties, due to his trip, which had resulted in failure. To top it all off, he then received news of the sudden death of his father, Vicente Piazzolla, which was the inspiration for the piece.
An Argentinian saying: “In Argentina, everything may change – except the tango.” Indeed his tour resulted in failure because it was his intent to impose a new style of jazz-tango on the public, a genre that would later come to be known as Nuevo Tango. This new style of music gained popularity in Europe and North America but met resistance in Argentina. However, his music was embraced by some liberals in the Argentine society, who were pushing for political changes in parallel to his musical revolution.
OPEN LISTENING
Things I hear:
-melancholy
-struggle
-hysteria
-crying
-reminiscence
-a “deep breath” every time there is an abrupt tempo change
- probably breaking the rules a bit with this one, but I really get a sense that Piazzolla assigned each specific obstacle in his life at the time (not just his father’s death) to a musical idea in the piece
PERFORMANCE GUIDE
I highly doubt I’ll ever perform this piece – I play the piano but consider myself a singer and not an instrumentalist – but studying this piece I definitely came up with some musical and dramatic ideas that would likely be useful to a performer.
The music is the character and the emotion. It is extremely informative on its own. You don’t have to look angry or go wild physically to bring the intensity to life. Think about interpreting the music from one section to another and as a whole and what/how/why the specific changes occur in the repeats. Imagine that every aspect of your life is chaotic; you don’t necessarily have to recall a situation regarding death – if you’ve had bad experiences and felt like you were on an emotional roller coaster then you are well aware of the state of mind.
If you didn’t actually have someone to talk to about your problems and could only speak through the melody, how would you speak the melody? You have the potential to direct the movie that is five minutes in this person’s life.
META-CRITIQUE
First and foremost I have to echo a sentiment that I think is shared by almost everyone in the class: it gets very difficult to delineate between the sections. The potential for one section to bleed into another seems ever-present and it certainly happened to me. Maybe it’s just me but in the end it doesn’t bother me very much. Maybe they are meant to stretch into other sections. My historical context is probably too biographical but I think it is both important and relevant because it shows what helped to shape Piazzolla as a composer. One thing that probably wasn’t so great about how I approached this process was the fact that I didn’t focus on one particular section until it was completed. I bounced around as I found new information and ideas, which probably contributed to the “bleeding over sections” and unfortunately might have caused me to forget some things I might have included in my analysis. I felt that my strongest ideas were in the “Referential Meaning / Virtual Feeling” sections and I hope that I was able to articulate them correctly and well.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Chapter 7 Ferrara – An Eclectic Method for Sound, Form and Reference
Chapter 7
Ferrara – An Eclectic Method for Sound, Form and Reference
Summary
In this chapter, Ferrara finally consolidates and summarizes the various topics he has discussed in the previous chapters. As he previously did, he cautions readers to expect data/answers based on how questions and methods of analysis are structured, yet also reminds them that there must be discernible boundaries.
The ten steps of the Eclectic Method of Analysis are as follows:
1. Place the piece under study within a framework/historical context
(Ex. Important dates for the composers, historical information, societal issues at the time, etc.)
2. Conduct an “open listening” of the piece
The listener must free himself from all prior knowledge and biases and approach the piece with complete openness
3. A conventional method of analysis is used to examine musical syntax
4. Sound-in-time
The phenomenological aspects of the piece are examined
5. Referential meaning – Level One: Musical Representation
The meaning of the music in and/or based on a text
6. Referential meaning – Expressivity of Human Feeling
The listener must take a stance that is detached from human feeling, but remain grounded in syntax and sound-in-time
7. Referential meaning – Onto-historial world of the composer
Exploring the world, culture, society, etc. of the composer in which the piece the piece was written
8. Return to “open listening”, keeping the prior data collected in mind
9. Performance Guide
A guide presented to the listener to aid him in the overall understanding of the work and in making interpretive decisions for performance
10. Meta-Critique – an overall assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the analysis presented
Reaction
It is SO refreshing to read a simplified version of the culmination of the book and the individual aspects of methods of analysis. Furthermore, it makes it exponentially easier to understand, engage in, and eventually employ. To borrow a line from Ferrara, I now feel like I know the "discernible boundaries" of the Eclectic Method. In it's most basic form (the 10-step list), the method really comes to life and presents itself in a very accessible fashion. Dare I say it even makes a reader interested in approaching the analysis of a work?
Ferrara – An Eclectic Method for Sound, Form and Reference
Summary
In this chapter, Ferrara finally consolidates and summarizes the various topics he has discussed in the previous chapters. As he previously did, he cautions readers to expect data/answers based on how questions and methods of analysis are structured, yet also reminds them that there must be discernible boundaries.
The ten steps of the Eclectic Method of Analysis are as follows:
1. Place the piece under study within a framework/historical context
(Ex. Important dates for the composers, historical information, societal issues at the time, etc.)
2. Conduct an “open listening” of the piece
The listener must free himself from all prior knowledge and biases and approach the piece with complete openness
3. A conventional method of analysis is used to examine musical syntax
4. Sound-in-time
The phenomenological aspects of the piece are examined
5. Referential meaning – Level One: Musical Representation
The meaning of the music in and/or based on a text
6. Referential meaning – Expressivity of Human Feeling
The listener must take a stance that is detached from human feeling, but remain grounded in syntax and sound-in-time
7. Referential meaning – Onto-historial world of the composer
Exploring the world, culture, society, etc. of the composer in which the piece the piece was written
8. Return to “open listening”, keeping the prior data collected in mind
9. Performance Guide
A guide presented to the listener to aid him in the overall understanding of the work and in making interpretive decisions for performance
10. Meta-Critique – an overall assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the analysis presented
Reaction
It is SO refreshing to read a simplified version of the culmination of the book and the individual aspects of methods of analysis. Furthermore, it makes it exponentially easier to understand, engage in, and eventually employ. To borrow a line from Ferrara, I now feel like I know the "discernible boundaries" of the Eclectic Method. In it's most basic form (the 10-step list), the method really comes to life and presents itself in a very accessible fashion. Dare I say it even makes a reader interested in approaching the analysis of a work?
Assignment 16 - Referential Critique of a live or recorded performance
Assignment 16
Referential Critique of a live or recorded performance
“The lord is my shepherd” – John Rutter, Requiem
The other day I was listening to music on my computer and “The lord is my shepherd” from John Rutter’s Requiem came on. I had the pleasure of performing this work on the main stage at Carnegie Hall under the baton of noted choral conductor Anton Armstrong on Easter Sunday in 2006.
I will include the text since it provides the basis and the inspiration for the music:
The lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture:
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul:
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness,
for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them
that trouble me:
thou hast anointed my head with oil,
and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
The music begins with beautiful, light strings that accompany an oboe solo with intertwining harp lines that continues throughout; right away the music has an ethereal quality to it and remains in a heavenly or vast expanse-like state. Upon reading the first three lines of text, there seems to be not a care in the world. The music is structured accordingly as well – absolutely tonality, harmony, and purity in the vocal part sung by the soprano section. As the piece continues, it is evident that John Rutter is employing the “word painting” technique. To say that he succeeds is an understatement; he brings each line and phrase to life through colors and harmonics. Just as the listener starts to relax into this comfortable state, the accompaniment drops out and the choir sings in the relative minor. The immediate effect of the modulation to paint “the valley of the shadow of death” is felt. He begins to use stepwise, chromatic motion to paint the next few lines. There is a holy yet somewhat unsettled feeling with his alternating use of A Major and E7 half-diminished. Out of nowhere, on “my cup shall be full”, the tiniest chromatic steps form a B7 chord and it seems as if the Heavens open and God himself can be heard. It is one of the most striking yet subtle moments in the whole piece and it manages to capture the essence of the text perfectly. There is a quick modulation back to C Major where the sense of absolute purity and harmony is renewed. A climactic C Major moment on “in the house of the Lord” occurs followed by inner vocal and orchestral lines that are suspended and resolve to lull us back into a complete state of peace by the end.
Meta-Critique
It is somewhat difficult to write a meta-critique because of the fact that I don’t know how good my referential analysis is in the first place. I’ve included a YouTube video I found with the audio and images of the score to help the reader listen and follow along. As cliché as it may seem, this piece really is one that is extremely difficult to put into words. Word painting is an accurate term I used in my analysis, but it doesn’t come close to accurately portraying how the music facilitates the text and how it speaks to a listener. In most cases, however, I do tend to feel like I pick up on referential meaning in music and am able to articulate my thoughts accordingly.
Referential Critique of a live or recorded performance
“The lord is my shepherd” – John Rutter, Requiem
The other day I was listening to music on my computer and “The lord is my shepherd” from John Rutter’s Requiem came on. I had the pleasure of performing this work on the main stage at Carnegie Hall under the baton of noted choral conductor Anton Armstrong on Easter Sunday in 2006.
I will include the text since it provides the basis and the inspiration for the music:
The lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture:
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul:
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness,
for his Name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them
that trouble me:
thou hast anointed my head with oil,
and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
The music begins with beautiful, light strings that accompany an oboe solo with intertwining harp lines that continues throughout; right away the music has an ethereal quality to it and remains in a heavenly or vast expanse-like state. Upon reading the first three lines of text, there seems to be not a care in the world. The music is structured accordingly as well – absolutely tonality, harmony, and purity in the vocal part sung by the soprano section. As the piece continues, it is evident that John Rutter is employing the “word painting” technique. To say that he succeeds is an understatement; he brings each line and phrase to life through colors and harmonics. Just as the listener starts to relax into this comfortable state, the accompaniment drops out and the choir sings in the relative minor. The immediate effect of the modulation to paint “the valley of the shadow of death” is felt. He begins to use stepwise, chromatic motion to paint the next few lines. There is a holy yet somewhat unsettled feeling with his alternating use of A Major and E7 half-diminished. Out of nowhere, on “my cup shall be full”, the tiniest chromatic steps form a B7 chord and it seems as if the Heavens open and God himself can be heard. It is one of the most striking yet subtle moments in the whole piece and it manages to capture the essence of the text perfectly. There is a quick modulation back to C Major where the sense of absolute purity and harmony is renewed. A climactic C Major moment on “in the house of the Lord” occurs followed by inner vocal and orchestral lines that are suspended and resolve to lull us back into a complete state of peace by the end.
Meta-Critique
It is somewhat difficult to write a meta-critique because of the fact that I don’t know how good my referential analysis is in the first place. I’ve included a YouTube video I found with the audio and images of the score to help the reader listen and follow along. As cliché as it may seem, this piece really is one that is extremely difficult to put into words. Word painting is an accurate term I used in my analysis, but it doesn’t come close to accurately portraying how the music facilitates the text and how it speaks to a listener. In most cases, however, I do tend to feel like I pick up on referential meaning in music and am able to articulate my thoughts accordingly.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The ending of "Being There"
So...apparently in the book there is no funeral scene and Chance does not walk on water. What were the advantages or disadvantages of putting that spin on the film? Did it further the seriousness and profundity of the film or do the complete opposite?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ferrara, Chapter 4 - "Heidegger's Hermeneutic Phenomenology"
Ferrara, Chapter 4 – “Heidegger’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology”
Summary - Ferrara, Chapter 4 – “Heidegger’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology”
At the heart of this chapter is Being and Phenomenology. Heidegger claims that the question of Being (“what Being is”), arguably the greatest question in Western Philosophy, has been forgotten. Ferrara continues to elaborate on this topic, stating that in this case, “being” should have a verbal syntactical role as well as a noun use, as in the German language (ex. “One is” vs. “One bees”).
Next, Ferrara talks about Heidegger’s views on Phenomenology. The word originally comes from two Greek words: phainomenon and logos. The first word signifies “to show itself”, or, “that which is manifest in the light of day.” The second refers to the “ability in man to communicate through discourse.” To Heidegger, logos “allows phenomena to appear simply as they are.” He believes that man originally used logos to communicate things exactly as they were with no presupposed notions, and eventually drifted towards conceptual thinking, which ultimately “removed the immediacy” from the connection between phenomena and man.
Ferrara uses Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to put Heidegger’s views into perspective for readers. According to Heidegger, the things outside passing by the cave opening are not actual things; they are simply the “forms” or ideas of things. An example: “If one wants to judge what kind of father a particular man is, he does not go directly to that father (as the early Greeks might do) and let him show himself as he is.” There is apparently a preconceived perfect form of a father, and it is based on this notion that the actual instance is measured. Ferrara writes, “This early stage of a correspondence theory of truth…sets Western man forth, according to Heidegger, on his journey away from the openness and immediacy of things toward logical thinking.” To use one final quote to summarize the chapter, “One no longer engages things directly and in their immediacy. In this newer form…the actual thing is “re-presented”…first by use of a logical, concept or in the form of a proposition.
Response - Ferrara, Chapter 4 – “Heidegger’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology”
One again we find ourselves right back at one idea – “bias.” The overall message here is that bias has crept into all of our minds and ruined the purity and naturalness of “being” and simply noting what “is.” As I read Ferrara’s summary of “The Allegory of the Cave”, I really saw how Plato foreshadowed (perhaps unintentionally) how cynical society would become. It is very hard to just see things “the way they are” today; we always expect some kind of catch or hidden trick, probably because we have a hard time giving with no expectation of receiving. Similarly, there is a longstanding argument regarding how science has tainted religion, or vice versa. It is difficult for some to have faith in things that haven’t been proven to exist or actually be possible, and others feel there should be no inquiry into these arguably mythical ideas.
Whatever the case may be, attribute it to the innate, inevitable curiosity of mankind. Heidegger may have been upset that conceptual thinking replaced man’s ability to comment on things “as they are”, but the truth is civilization has shifted from “What is (blank)?” questions to “Why is/are (blank) questions?” in an attempt to satisfy curiosity.
Summary - Ferrara, Chapter 4 – “Heidegger’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology”
At the heart of this chapter is Being and Phenomenology. Heidegger claims that the question of Being (“what Being is”), arguably the greatest question in Western Philosophy, has been forgotten. Ferrara continues to elaborate on this topic, stating that in this case, “being” should have a verbal syntactical role as well as a noun use, as in the German language (ex. “One is” vs. “One bees”).
Next, Ferrara talks about Heidegger’s views on Phenomenology. The word originally comes from two Greek words: phainomenon and logos. The first word signifies “to show itself”, or, “that which is manifest in the light of day.” The second refers to the “ability in man to communicate through discourse.” To Heidegger, logos “allows phenomena to appear simply as they are.” He believes that man originally used logos to communicate things exactly as they were with no presupposed notions, and eventually drifted towards conceptual thinking, which ultimately “removed the immediacy” from the connection between phenomena and man.
Ferrara uses Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to put Heidegger’s views into perspective for readers. According to Heidegger, the things outside passing by the cave opening are not actual things; they are simply the “forms” or ideas of things. An example: “If one wants to judge what kind of father a particular man is, he does not go directly to that father (as the early Greeks might do) and let him show himself as he is.” There is apparently a preconceived perfect form of a father, and it is based on this notion that the actual instance is measured. Ferrara writes, “This early stage of a correspondence theory of truth…sets Western man forth, according to Heidegger, on his journey away from the openness and immediacy of things toward logical thinking.” To use one final quote to summarize the chapter, “One no longer engages things directly and in their immediacy. In this newer form…the actual thing is “re-presented”…first by use of a logical, concept or in the form of a proposition.
Response - Ferrara, Chapter 4 – “Heidegger’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology”
One again we find ourselves right back at one idea – “bias.” The overall message here is that bias has crept into all of our minds and ruined the purity and naturalness of “being” and simply noting what “is.” As I read Ferrara’s summary of “The Allegory of the Cave”, I really saw how Plato foreshadowed (perhaps unintentionally) how cynical society would become. It is very hard to just see things “the way they are” today; we always expect some kind of catch or hidden trick, probably because we have a hard time giving with no expectation of receiving. Similarly, there is a longstanding argument regarding how science has tainted religion, or vice versa. It is difficult for some to have faith in things that haven’t been proven to exist or actually be possible, and others feel there should be no inquiry into these arguably mythical ideas.
Whatever the case may be, attribute it to the innate, inevitable curiosity of mankind. Heidegger may have been upset that conceptual thinking replaced man’s ability to comment on things “as they are”, but the truth is civilization has shifted from “What is (blank)?” questions to “Why is/are (blank) questions?” in an attempt to satisfy curiosity.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Ferrara, Chapter 2: "Should the method define the tasks?"
Summary – Ferrara, Chapter 2: "Should the method define the tasks?"
The second chapter of Ferrara’s book, titled “Should the method define the tasks?”, makes interesting points and comparisons. However, there are a bunch of instances of redundancy and unnecessary reiteration and clarification, which to a certain extent seems to be the status quo of the writing style. This assignment focuses mainly on the first half of the chapter.
The main point is as follows: any method of analysis aims to result in a specific answer or set of findings based on the topic. Unsurprisingly, the tasks required to complete the analysis are structured to facilitate getting that specific answer. Ferrara eludes to the fact that one who completes an analysis in this fashion does not engage in “pure listening”, and, depending on how you look at it, does or does not include “prejudice”, to use Hans-Georg Gadamer’s terms.
Next, Ferrara distinguishes between art objects and aesthetic objects. He creates a scenario of a millionaire who purchases a Rembrandt as a financial investment and has no real interest in the artistic value. He gets an expensive alarm system to protect the painting but aside from that it just sits in the room. In this case, it would simply be an art object because it is indeed that by classification. If a visitor were to come into the room and acknowledge the painting for its artistic qualities and artistic value (as opposed to monetary value), only then would it be considered an aesthetic object. Though the painting (as well as any other object in question) can be correctly identified as both, it is the viewer’s perception that determines the classification.
Lastly, there is “isness.” Ferrara uses the example of a modern-day person analyzing the music of Mozart; he would not be able to comment on the music from a Baroque/Renaissance perspective or from that of a man from the 23rd century because he is neither of those. Therefore, the analysis will inevitably will be subject to current historical context as opposed to the context of the period in which it was written. Though it is an interesting and elaborate point, it is merely a reiteration of the “prejudice” that is previously mentioned.
Reaction - Ferrara, Chapter 2: "Should the method define the tasks?"
As I wrote the bit about “the viewer’s perception determining the classification of an art object vs. an aesthetic object”, the first thing that came to mind for my personal reaction was a quote from Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” I can’t apply the quote to its fullest extent (or else I could argue that nothing we say in class or nothing Dr. Ferrara argues is good or bad!) but I can’t help but play devil’s advocate – so what if the millionaire bought the Rembrandt because of the monetary value? In the overall scheme of things, didn’t he do a good thing by paying some person or institution millions of dollars for it? At least he is smart enough to recognize that the painting is worth that amount, regardless of whether or not he is able to (or cares to) notice the artistic qualities and value.
Now that the RembRANT (get it? rant?) is over, I did want to acknowledge Ferrara’s main point. I realize the underlying theme. The typical method of analysis is geared towards a certain answer and the tasks are as well…so what does that mean? It means that there is a type of analysis that strives for findings based on various topics but not one specific or correct answer – the “Eclectic Analysis.”
The second chapter of Ferrara’s book, titled “Should the method define the tasks?”, makes interesting points and comparisons. However, there are a bunch of instances of redundancy and unnecessary reiteration and clarification, which to a certain extent seems to be the status quo of the writing style. This assignment focuses mainly on the first half of the chapter.
The main point is as follows: any method of analysis aims to result in a specific answer or set of findings based on the topic. Unsurprisingly, the tasks required to complete the analysis are structured to facilitate getting that specific answer. Ferrara eludes to the fact that one who completes an analysis in this fashion does not engage in “pure listening”, and, depending on how you look at it, does or does not include “prejudice”, to use Hans-Georg Gadamer’s terms.
Next, Ferrara distinguishes between art objects and aesthetic objects. He creates a scenario of a millionaire who purchases a Rembrandt as a financial investment and has no real interest in the artistic value. He gets an expensive alarm system to protect the painting but aside from that it just sits in the room. In this case, it would simply be an art object because it is indeed that by classification. If a visitor were to come into the room and acknowledge the painting for its artistic qualities and artistic value (as opposed to monetary value), only then would it be considered an aesthetic object. Though the painting (as well as any other object in question) can be correctly identified as both, it is the viewer’s perception that determines the classification.
Lastly, there is “isness.” Ferrara uses the example of a modern-day person analyzing the music of Mozart; he would not be able to comment on the music from a Baroque/Renaissance perspective or from that of a man from the 23rd century because he is neither of those. Therefore, the analysis will inevitably will be subject to current historical context as opposed to the context of the period in which it was written. Though it is an interesting and elaborate point, it is merely a reiteration of the “prejudice” that is previously mentioned.
Reaction - Ferrara, Chapter 2: "Should the method define the tasks?"
As I wrote the bit about “the viewer’s perception determining the classification of an art object vs. an aesthetic object”, the first thing that came to mind for my personal reaction was a quote from Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” I can’t apply the quote to its fullest extent (or else I could argue that nothing we say in class or nothing Dr. Ferrara argues is good or bad!) but I can’t help but play devil’s advocate – so what if the millionaire bought the Rembrandt because of the monetary value? In the overall scheme of things, didn’t he do a good thing by paying some person or institution millions of dollars for it? At least he is smart enough to recognize that the painting is worth that amount, regardless of whether or not he is able to (or cares to) notice the artistic qualities and value.
Now that the RembRANT (get it? rant?) is over, I did want to acknowledge Ferrara’s main point. I realize the underlying theme. The typical method of analysis is geared towards a certain answer and the tasks are as well…so what does that mean? It means that there is a type of analysis that strives for findings based on various topics but not one specific or correct answer – the “Eclectic Analysis.”
Friday, January 23, 2009
Assignment #1 - Ferrara, "Introduction"
Summary – Ferrara, “Introduction”
Philosophy and the Analysis of Music by Lawrence Ferrara attempts to tackle and put into a formulaic method one of the most difficult subjects related to music and art in general – personal reactions and feelings based on what is given and what each individual interprets. Though it’s not written for the average Joe (Joe the Plumber?), Ferrara introduces readers to the system he has devised, as well as a long-standing argument between music analysts vs. music referentialists.
His “three broad classifications” for methods of musical analysis are as follows: 1)Phenomenological methods (used to describe sound-in-time), 2)Conventional methods that provide explanations of musical form (a.k.a. syntax), and 3)Hermeneutic methods (the interpretation of musical reference). These classifications will eventually be used with several others in a culminating method known as an “eclectic analysis.”
One of the more interesting points, to me at least, was the connection that theorists have made between referential meanings and psychological associations. Ferrara quotes, “if these musical references are psychological (…in the mind of the listener and not really in the music), then, they maintain, musical reference is irrelevant to the study of musical understanding.” A somewhat decent argument, but I disagree with it and will be discussing it in my reaction below. Ultimately Ferrara makes a point that is rarely heard in such a simple form: music, and art in general, is an experience that includes a variety of sources.
Reaction – Ferrara, “Introduction”
In response to the aforementioned quote comparing referential meanings and psychological associations, it is impossible to separate what is said from how it is said. In a way, I feel like I’m being stripped of my personal opinion if I can’t react to something that isn’t contextually existent (i.e., the notes on the score or the colors in the painting, etc.). Art is created for specific purposes and it has its meanings and references both on the surface and underneath it. John Philip Sousa wrote patriotic marches to invoke that emotion and spirit in people, not to show off his mastery of the duple meter. A random composer could write a twenty minute piece that consists solely of I-V7-I and that modulates through every key – it most likely wouldn’t be to demonstrate that his fundamentals in harmony and music theory are there. Perhaps prior to hearing that performance I had read an article about the ongoing wars and deaths of young soldiers in various parts of the world. After hearing this, I might feel like the composer wanted to bash me over the head and force me to believe that harmony (in every sense of the word) and purity still exists. Maybe I’d be 100% wrong for feeling that way or maybe the composer would completely agree with me. An artist will predominantly control how he says what he wants to say and will control what he is saying to a certain extent, but will likely leave the latter for the audience to grasp for themselves.
Philosophy and the Analysis of Music by Lawrence Ferrara attempts to tackle and put into a formulaic method one of the most difficult subjects related to music and art in general – personal reactions and feelings based on what is given and what each individual interprets. Though it’s not written for the average Joe (Joe the Plumber?), Ferrara introduces readers to the system he has devised, as well as a long-standing argument between music analysts vs. music referentialists.
His “three broad classifications” for methods of musical analysis are as follows: 1)Phenomenological methods (used to describe sound-in-time), 2)Conventional methods that provide explanations of musical form (a.k.a. syntax), and 3)Hermeneutic methods (the interpretation of musical reference). These classifications will eventually be used with several others in a culminating method known as an “eclectic analysis.”
One of the more interesting points, to me at least, was the connection that theorists have made between referential meanings and psychological associations. Ferrara quotes, “if these musical references are psychological (…in the mind of the listener and not really in the music), then, they maintain, musical reference is irrelevant to the study of musical understanding.” A somewhat decent argument, but I disagree with it and will be discussing it in my reaction below. Ultimately Ferrara makes a point that is rarely heard in such a simple form: music, and art in general, is an experience that includes a variety of sources.
Reaction – Ferrara, “Introduction”
In response to the aforementioned quote comparing referential meanings and psychological associations, it is impossible to separate what is said from how it is said. In a way, I feel like I’m being stripped of my personal opinion if I can’t react to something that isn’t contextually existent (i.e., the notes on the score or the colors in the painting, etc.). Art is created for specific purposes and it has its meanings and references both on the surface and underneath it. John Philip Sousa wrote patriotic marches to invoke that emotion and spirit in people, not to show off his mastery of the duple meter. A random composer could write a twenty minute piece that consists solely of I-V7-I and that modulates through every key – it most likely wouldn’t be to demonstrate that his fundamentals in harmony and music theory are there. Perhaps prior to hearing that performance I had read an article about the ongoing wars and deaths of young soldiers in various parts of the world. After hearing this, I might feel like the composer wanted to bash me over the head and force me to believe that harmony (in every sense of the word) and purity still exists. Maybe I’d be 100% wrong for feeling that way or maybe the composer would completely agree with me. An artist will predominantly control how he says what he wants to say and will control what he is saying to a certain extent, but will likely leave the latter for the audience to grasp for themselves.
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