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The concept of neoclassicism in music through the works of satie and stravinsky. Neoclassicism emerged as a response to world war i, characterized by a 'suppression of expressionism' and a declaration of order. The historical context, influences, and techniques of neoclassical music, with a focus on the use of classical forms, fugues, and octatonic scales. It also touches upon the works 'parade' by satie and 'symphony of psalms' by stravinsky.
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Music 421, Fall 2007: Materials of Contemporary Music Class 4: September 26, 2007 - neoclassicism: Satie, Stravinsky neoclassicism as a response to World War I: “straightening up”, nostalgia, and the declaration of order (as opposed to a prewar expressionism now perceived as anarchic) Arnold Whitall describes neoclassicism as the “suppression of expressionism” ”the term ‘neo-classical is unlikely to become a useful analytical concept but will doubtless survive as a conveniently adaptable literary formula” so this is not a return to business as usual (or composition as history) the “neoclassic” tends to be a historical surface covering new forms/approaches and in the case of Stravinsky in particular, history is a vast resource for plunder Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, Gesualdo, etc. are all fair play for mining and revision Whittall suggests that we consider looking for “classical” notions of balanced form and perceptible thematic process (symmetryand simplicity are also often cited) but Stravinsky in particular oftens presents his own kinds of distortions Louis Andriessen / Elmer Schönberger The Apollonian Clockwork ”A Motto”: investigating the fugue theme from the Symphony of Psalms second movement ”a paradigm for the neoclassical Stravinsky” since the historical reference is much more a matter of seeming than being though there are Bach codings for the connoisseur: reference to the theme of the Musical Offering with its chromatic descent reference to Art of the Fugue through ‘HCAB’ pitch cells reference to generic Bach fugue: implied counterpoint, step progression, tonic and dominant functions encapsulated (except that Andriessen/Schönberger will argue that the dominant function doesn’t) ”a paradigm for Stravinky’s improvising “ pointing in the direction of jazz rather than classical fantasia and quasi-improvisational since Stravinsky’s aesthetic is ultimately about control beginning again and again... “the tacking together of breathless motifs according to:” additive construction montage principle melodic cells rhythmically varied in pairs variable ostinato (“the whole is understood in terms of the detail”) harmonic stasis in particular the registral fixing of the pitch “B” in the theme blocks tonal function the fugue theme isn’t heard as a theme until repeated transposed by a fifth ”Octotony” octotonic scale is the regular alternation of semitones and whole-tones only three such scales (plus transpositions) are possible in equal temperament Stravinsky’s usages: combining tonal and linear understandings.... or four major triads related by minor thirds.... or combinations of dominant seventh chords related by minor thirds.... Stravinsky’s particular interest in major triads with an added minor third dominant minor ninth with an added tritone: the Petrushka chord ”not a harmonic function but an objet sonore avant le lettre “ ”enhemitonic” refers to the pentatonic scale CDFGA pushing octotony backwards in history: Debussy, Scriabin, Rimsky, Glinka, Chopin
”The Utopian Unison”: Stravinsky’s voice-leading practice parallel counterpoint ( Orpheus , Ebony Concerto ) how do we determine which is the primary voice and which the (mostly) octave doubling? single-part wrting which tends to fragment into two parts ( Symphony in C ) through doubling metric slippages as well as emphasis on canonic technique: “catch” and the achieved unison which doesn’t sound consonant ”wrong notes become so prevalent that they become the norm” ”Monsieur, le pauvre Satie” ”being novel appertains not only to being unknown, but to being able to change one’s views” Satie’s innovations: impressionism, open form, neoclassicism, the Augenmusik of Sports et Divertissements influence on both Debussy and Stravinsky (esp. Pelleas and L’Histoire ) Dada/surrealism, minimalism, a theatrical relation to musique concrete Satie Parade Parade : ballet collaboration between Cocteau, Picasso, and Satie ”Prelude of the Red Curtain” as a musical homage to one of Picasso’s important scenic elements carnival barkers trying to attract an audience for their performers first - “the Chinese magician” second - “the little American girl” (dramatic scenario) third - acrobats/tumblers quasi-rondo or symmetrical structure ”Prelude” returns in the form of the “Suite du ‘Prelude’” Satie’s typically sly and conceptual humor is in play here.... carnival barker material also returns several times (in increasingly panicked variations....) neoclassicism as surface the rather turgid opening “Choral” (note the absence of violins in the orchestration) the fugato of the “Prelude du Rideau Rouge” slowed-down harmonic rhythm seemingly limited harmonic palette (lots of alternations between two chords) innovative and/or idiosyncratic techniques underneath ostinato manipulations (“carnival barkers” material) highly theatrical use of jumpcut (even relative to Le Sacre ) nonfunctional tonality: in the “Choral” C major “cadence” in m. 7 approached from B, G, D-flat, F leading tone rises, D-flat falls, G fixed, F to E melodic tritones on pp. 2- G+A pedal on pp. 2- hollowed-out octaves at “cadences” first “cadence” on E (implying E minor), second on D (implying G major) third on B (which is equivocating between the two) diatonicism yes, but not in a functional manner rocking chordal motions are typically a veneer above static harmony sound effects (typewriter, gunshot) as Duchamp’s “readymades”: importing nonmusical sound
instrumental fugue theme begins octatonic but mutates from there (note D-flats) formal process: gradual compression of vocal entrances first vocal entrance as fugal (reh. 5) second as stretto (reh. 10) third as unison (reh. 14) playing on fugal conventions but not adopting them third movement as perhaps the most jumpcut-oriented of the three movements: “alleluia” refrain reh. 28: ascending chords over repeating bassline as extremely characteristic Stravinsky (and another piano chord as the final event of the piece) Stravinsky Octet Bach (and why is Bach “classicism,” anyway) but also jazz and ragtime.... variation structure in second movement: ABACDAE preview: scale and mode reading from Kostka on scalar/modal techniques, Schwartz/Godfrey on nonwestern influences listening/score study: Bartok, Britten, Vivier (a non-historical-period week) quiz I next week: listening ID, score ID, brief analysis