Unit 9: Music and Cultural Identity

Ch.

North Indian Classical Music

Centuries old performance tradition linked to Hinduism

music passed down via oral tradition

apprenticeships

master players- pandits or ustad

repertories of motives and themes- not a piece of music

all memorized, no notation

Music System

Raga: series of pitches, projects mood, time of day

pitches for the organized melody

ascent sequences- aroha

descent sequences- avaroha

other

vadi- most important note

samavadi- 2nd most important note

pakad- essence of musical phrase

played on sitar

long neck plucked string instrument

Tala: complex rhythmic cycle; translation- clap

accompaniment to raga

hand drums

Drone: form of harmony; striking strings that sustain pitches

long necked, plucked string instrument

shruti box: bellows drone; electronic today

swarmandal- indian harp

Ravi Shankar(1920-2012)

one of the best known sitar players and teachers

apprenticeship system

taught his daughter and George Harrison

Raga Rock

influenced indian music in 1960 and 70s pop music

LG 33: Raga Bhimpalasi

improvised melodic elaborations

ascending and descending raga

form

introduction- alap (slow, unmetered, sitar alone)

2nd section- Gat (tabla enters, rhythmic cycle)

Ch.

Chinese Opera

leading form of entertainment in China for centuries

Beijing Opera

most prestigious

blend- music/mime/dance/costumes

themes- novels and politics

the story of the red lantern

based on 1958 novel- will be followers of revolution

heard on radio, film, live

singing styles and accompanying instruments very different from western opera

Ch.

Japanese Music

little contact with the West until 1854

US navy ended isolation

Japan adopted western elements

Echigo Jishi

1811

kabuki play

dance-drama

much style- costumes, makeup

story

kakubei- entertainer steals things while performing lion dance

2 versions presented

simple tune played on the shamisen

dance performance with drum and shamisen variations

LG

49:

52:

53:

Ch. 60

Mexican Modernism

Marachi ensembles a strong nationalist voice

Silvestre Revueltas

born in Durango

Studied composition in Mexico City

Love for mexican provincial music

highly flavored with folk elements, especially mariachi
band traditions

Homage to Frederico Garcia Lorca

1937

executed by a Facist firing squad

movement 3, Son

shifting meters moving between simple triple 3/4 and compound 6/8

evocative of mariachi ensembles

folk like melodies

prominent piano part and wind instrument focus

Ch 57 & 59

Modern American Nationalism

non convert traditions played a vital role in North American musical life in the late 1800s

patriotism is a part of national identity

compelling american sounds from attempts to integrate vernacular and serious music traditions

music from various parts of the country

Harlem Renaissance

1920s and 30s

harlem, NYC

growing sense of new black identity

looking to Africa for inspiration

seeking racial equality and black cultural pride

famous artists

sculptor richmond barthe

poet langston hughes

imitated rhythms of jazz

poet zora neale hurston

musicians duke ellington and william grant still

William Grant Still

grew up in Little Rock Arkansas

studied violin

arranger for radio and musical theater

studied composition with Varese

search for a modern American sound

1st symphony Afro American symphony, 1st symphony by african american composer to be performed by major American orchestra

1934- moved to LA, film and television scores

1949 opera- troubled island, 1st opera to be premiered by african american composer

Grant Stills suite for violin and piano

1943

established practices to evoke images of black americas artistic efforts

each movement based on a different artwork by african american artists

1, barthes african dancer

2, johnsons mother and child

3, savages gamin

all movements use modal harmonies and blues style melodies

last movement flashy

Charles Ives

born in CT

former Civil War bandleader

51:

Country Band March

1903

march for a wind band

complex mesh of tunes, mostly well known musical quotations from ives childhood

stimulates an amateur bands skills

out of tune notes

bad entrances

wrong notes

harshly dissonant

sense of humor

Aaron Copeland

born in Brooklyn

studied in paris

changed directions to populist style

popular beliefs and film score

investigated in the 1950s as communist

wide appeal and music useful in a variety of contexts

rooted primarily in appalachian and other anglo-american folk melodies

Appalachian spring

ballet suite in 7 sections

collaboration with martha graham

portrays a pioneer celebration

section 1- opening section of the suite evokes daybreak

slow and tranquil

polychordal- gentle dissonance

section 7

set of variations on the song simple gifts

shaker song

lots of changing tone colors