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Stravinsky Wider listening - Coggle Diagram
Stravinsky Wider listening
Copland- 'Appalachian Spring Suite'
1944
scored for a thirteen-member chamber orchestra
Martha Graham and Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge commissioned Copland to write a ballet with "an American theme"
Diaghalev commissioned Stravinsky due to his Russian influence on his compositions as this was popular in Paris at the time
the ballet is a journey to meet springtime
Similar to Stravinsky with the theme of spring, but Stravinsky is a little darker as a dancer must be sacrificed to bring spring to life
spring celebration of the American pioneers of the 19th century, after building a new Pennsylvania farmhouse. Among the central characters are a bride, a groom, a pioneer woman, a preacher, and his congregation.
Nationalistic
Stravinsky also has elements of Nationalism with the use of Russian folk melodies in the ballet
Copland used a Shaker song, "Simple Gifts", composed in 1848 and usually attributed to Elder Joseph Brackett
The original ballet version is divided into 14 movements
American composer
Stravinsky spent his later life in LA
opening- sleepy oscillations in the clarinet and other woodwinds murmur over wide-open intervals that, consonant and clear, seem to reach for the horizon
Sunrise feeling
Stravinsky creates this with the bassoon
Avoids a tonal centre
Unlike Stravinsky- Neoclassicism
Use of syncopation
Stravinsky also utilises
folk influenced melody- modal
sense of rubato at beginning
begins contrapuntal, becomes more polyphonic as texture thickens later on
inspired by elements of jazz music and wrote film music also
sequences
suspensions
Webern- 'String quartet op. 28'
1938
explores and plays with the 12 tones
Stravinsky is more classical and sticks to the 12 tone convention
music related to nature and history
Rite of spring written about the spring time
only work by Webern to be premiered in the United States
Stravinsky's connections to the USA
Written for 2 violins, viola, cello
standard string quartet
Stravinsky uses a large symphony orchestra
Atonal
Schoenberg- ' Verklarte nacht, op.4 sehr iangsam'
string sextet
1 movement
1899
inspired by Richard Dehmel's poem
describes a man and woman walking through a dark forest on a moonlit night. The woman shares a dark secret with her new lover: she bears the child of another man
both explore dark concepts
showcases Schoenberg's strong feelings upon meeting Mathilde von Zemlinsky (who he later marries)
premiered in Vienna
influenced by both Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner
reminiscent of german romantic style
rich chromaticism
similar to Stravinsky
the piece is one of the earliest examples of program music written for a chamber ensemble
Stravinsky also wrote program music
controversial when premiered due to unconventional harmony and glorification of pre marital sex
contemporary of Stravinsky
interrupted cadence
constant dynamic extremes, moments of sfftz
wide tessitura
use of ornamentation- trills, acciacaturas, mordents
non functional, diatonic harmony
sense of rubato
tremolando
con sord
pizz, arco
starts with a long pedal note
syncopated quintuplets
changes of tempo
Berg- "violin concerto"
Context
written in 1935
The piece stemmed from a commission from the violinist Louis Krasner
Structure
2 movements divided into 2 sections
The Andante section is in classical sonata form
1st 2 sections represent life, and other 2 represent death and transfiguration
Rhythm, tempo metre
The allegro is based on a single reoccurring rhythmic cell- cadenza like
sycopation
cross rhythms
tempo and metre changes
range of rhythm
triplets
Sonority
The allegro is virtuosic
orchestration is violent at climax of allegro
open strings in opening
symphony orchestra
wide tessitura
vibrato
down bow
sul ponticello
pizzicato
extreme dynamics
Harmony and tonality
12 tone technique - typical of serialism
influenced by Schonberg
use of whole tone scale
dissonant sounding
chromatic
inverted pedal
Melody
often disjunct
sometimes scalic passages
use of arpeggios
Texture
varied
moments of polyphony, homophony, monophony
Prokofiev- "Romeo and Juliet op.64, act 1- "Dance of the knights"
Context
main themes relate to death
introduction to the aftermath of a fatal duel between Mercutio and Tybalt
programatic
contemporary of Stravinsky
1st performed in 1938
melody
dramatic string theme
brass takes up a soaring counter theme
conjunct
repeating themes
sequences
string theme developed into a countermelody
trumpet solo uses disjunct ascending leaps similar to rite of spring
harmony and tonality
dissonant harmonies provoke a dark and foreboding mood
chromaticism
extended and added note chords
functional and diatonic
sonority
In the B section the violas and flutes repeat a glissando throughout
celesta
oboe solo accompanied by pizzicato strings
tenor saxophone solo in the 2nd A section
dramatic and extreme dynamics which are mirrored by the texture
wide tessitura
senza sordini
brass section featured greatly
heavily accented chords
rhythm, tempo, metre
The A section begins with a strong pulsating beat from the brass section
A motoric rhythm is used, one of Prokofiev's signatures
B section is adagio
syncopation
dotted rhythms
tempo changes
constant strong pulse
brass countertheme is on the beat and has longer note values than main theme
metre changes between 3/4 and 4/4
texture
varied throughout
begins melody dominated homophony
polyphonic texture is created by countermelodies
pedal notes
moments of homophony
solos
Structure
loose ternary form
abridged da capo section
contrasting sections- calm and serene with doom and darkness
Carter- "cello concerto, no.3"
Melody
disjunct
folk influenced melodies
Rhythm, tempo, metre
sense of free timelessness and rubato
syncopated
cross rhythms
texture
piece starts with a monophonic line
sonority
Extreme dynamics
percussive like stab chords
wide tessitura of cello solo
conflict between sections of the orchestra
structure
Harmony and tonality
Atonal
cluster chords
context
written in 2001
Bartok- "string quartet, no. 1"
melody
folk inspired melodies
sonority
double stopping
texture
moments of homorhythmia
rhythm, tempo, metre
common time
free timelesness
no clear pulse
harmony and tonality
non functional harmony
Bitonal
chromatic
diminished chords
extended chords
context
Hungarian composer
studied folk music