Baroque. If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it.
Classical. Classical music. But from 1750-1830, when forms such as the symphony, concerto and sonata were developed, someone decided it needed a name. Stalin would have called it formalism. People were executed for practicing it.
Romantic. Generally thought of as everything after 1804 — when Beethoven’s Third Symphony (“Eroica”) came into our universe.
Late Romantic. Schmaltz (Except for Mahler) …
20th century. Richard Strauss died in 1949. Show me some of his “20th century music”!
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Of course, I know we need words to describe things — but music is universal and often refuses to shoehorn into labels.
Wikipedia:
Minimal music (also called minimalism) is a form of art music or other compositional practice that employs limited or minimal musical materials. Prominent features of minimalist music include repetitive patterns or pulses, steady drones, consonant harmony, and reiteration of musical phrases or smaller units. It may include features such as phase shifting, resulting in what is termed phase music, or process techniques that follow strict rules, usually described as process music. The approach is marked by a non-narrative, non-teleological, and non-representational approach, and calls attention to the activity of listening by focusing on the internal processes of the music.
employs limited or minimal musical materials
In the first movement Beethoven’s Fifth, he breaks down that famous four-note theme (or motif) into a single note. Minimalism.
repetitive patterns or pulses, steady drones, consonant harmony, and reiteration of musical phrases or smaller units
process techniques
So, today let’s listen to two very different works by the composer Terry Riley (b. 1935) — each written between 1968 and 1969.
A pulse is activated by playing the highest octave of C‘s on a piano. Any group of instruments, then begins playing each numbered phrase — maintaining the rhythm of the pulse.
It is up to each player to decide when to move on to the next section. This result is an amazing mélange of aleatoric glorious sound.
The back of the LP contained a poem Riley wrote which you should read before listening:
Arms of every kind were outlawed and the masses gladly contributed them to giant foundries in which they were melted down and the metal poured back into the earth
All boundaries were dissolved
The slaughter of animals was forbidden
The whole of Lower Manhattan became a meadow in which unfortunates from the Bowery were allowed to live out their fantasies in the sunshine and were cured
People swam in the sparkling rivers under blue skies streaked only with incense pouring from the new factories
The energy from dismantled nuclear weapons provided free heat and light
World health was restored
An abundance of organic vegetables, fruits and grains was growing wild along the discarded highways
National flags were sewn together into brightly colored circus tents under which politicians were allowed to perform harmless theatrical games
The concept of work was forgotten
Go to Source
Author: Lewis Saul
