Define the following terms, linking it to a work/composer/movement we studied
Avant-garde
This term, first used by the French military, describes ideas that deviate from convention. The term describes art that is contrary, irrelevant, and antagonistic; it describes art that targets to overthrow the existing aesthetics with fresh beginnings. Avant-garde, as a term, can be used to describe Erik Satie's musical works that strayed away from conventional ideas. The artist broke away from the entire classical tradition through his set of three Gymnopedies (1888) for piano that questioned the Romantic notion of expressivity and individuality.
Tone Poem
An orchestral, instrumental works that tell any story, including a story from a poem. A tone poem or a symphonic poem can showcase the content of various arts, including poems, short stories, novels, painting, and other non-musical contents. An example of a tone poem is Richard Strauss's, Don Quixote, Op. 35., for cello, viola, and orchestra. The tone poem is based on the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. Another example is Alexander Scriabin's Vers la flamme, Op. 72.
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Gesamtkunstwerk
This term refers to total artwork that unifies different forms. According to Wagner, drama and music are organically intertwined expressions of a single dramatic idea. Various art forms, including poetry, scenic design, staging, action, and music, can be combined to form a total or collective artwork. Richard's work is a composer that perceived an artwork of the future, where instrumental music is combined with other artworks. Richard Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde, an opera in three acts, is a good example of Gesamtkunstwerk.
Response Questions
#1
The tendency to stage operas that were already successful in the past became popular in the late nineteenth century. Improving communication and the increasing intercity commerce led to the rise of the operatic repertory and a more educated audience that quickly learned about operas that premiered elsewhere. As a result, theatre managers repeatedly produced popular operas across Europe and the Americas, as audiences were eager to listen to their favorite operas over and over again, with their favorite singers in specific roles. Composers started producing a few operas, hoping to achieve a global audience, which was more appreciating financially. Other changes, such as the increased size of the performing space, writing melodies in syllabic, and creating collective artwork by Richard Wagner, contributed to the improved appreciation of musical past through the repeated performances.
#2
Between 19 th -20 th centuries, there was a trend where composers incorporated nationalistic elements in their music from the country. The dominance of Austro-German instrumental music and Italian operas could be envisaged in most European countries. Such dominance was perceived to be a threat to homegrown musical creativity. Therefore, composition in an obvious national style was viewed to be more authentic. Moreover, cultural nationalism and arts mutually affected each other. Factors such as the teaching of national languages in schools, creating national newspapers, and the cultivation of national identity through art contributed to art's impact in compositional style. Although musical nationalism started in Germany, Russian composers were keen to create their independent native voice. Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov is an example of Russian nationalism. This piece has blocks of material and some surprises with tonal harmony. Mussorgsky came from the mighty 5, a group of composers dedicated to writing a different Russian music style.
#3
The music thought process transformed between the 18 th and the 19 th centuries, with classical music manifesting more syllables, contrasted consonances and dissonances, and variety in major and minor harmonies. Modernist composers looked at rhythm, form, instrumentation, and tone color more differently. A good example is Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag . Contrary to the 18 th -century classical music, Maple Leaf Rag , which falls under the ragtime genre, featured syncopated rhythm against a regular marchlike base. A combination of offbeats in one layer with steady beats in the other shows the complex cross-rhythms absent in traditional classical music. The significant transformations are also evident in Scriabin's Vers la flamme , a piano composition written in 1914. The huge contrast created through the many descending half steps results in unusual harmonies and difficult tremolos that creates a feeling of fierce splendor.
