Major works of Western classic music - Essay Example

Running Head: Music Composer Major Works of Western ic Music Prepared by Submitted to Introduction In contrast to 18th Century music, 19th century music is of national origin. It can be identified in terms of nationalism, which can be termed as consciousness of the distinctive features of a nation and an intention to reveal, emphasize and glorify the features. Some composers used a combination of romantic writing with nationalistic flavor. In addition to that nineteenth century music involves the nationalistic colors to folk melodies that enabled the folk music to influence melodies, harmonies and rhythms. Hence, even the folk music evoked a nation or at least an ethnic group and thus resulted in several nationalistic movements in 19th Century. Piano played an important role in this nationalistic era of music composers and Charles Ives is an important person who inspired other composers in filling the nationalistic music with folk, march tunes as well as Piano rhythms (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008). The composers of Nineteenth Century composed to nationalistic songs, thus giving rise to nationalistic tones to be famous. Significant among them is Charles Ives, born on 20th October 1874, who has composed music using experimental techniques and ideas. He has been considered as the first true great American Composer, as he composed for American hymns as well as songs and dance tunes. In addition to that he used polyrhythms and poly tonality in his composing that make use of dissonant harmonies and tone clusters. Though his works became famous in 1930 after he ceased to compose music, he received Pulitzer Prize in 1947 for his Symphony No. 3. The use of brass band, march tune, out of tune piano and all of them occurring at same time resulted in a path for a new breed of twentieth Century (Robert Sherrane, 2008). Charles Ives Many young composers in 19th Century had nationalistic ideas regarding composing in contrast to their seniors who concentrated on romantic music. The composing of tunes by pioneers like Charles Ives had the sense of nationalism in them. The radicalism in the music of Europe influenced the composers in United States of America and resulted in a nationalistic era of music composing. Though the musical training of Ives is not much systematic, he learnt from his father, experiments and has become an eclectic musician (Broyles, Michael (Author), 2004). The important fact in the career of Ives is that his tunes caught fame when he ceased composing by finding his fortune in insurance business. The reason might be that he did not have systematic training in music and might have lacked confidence in marketing his own music. That can be assumed from his own words "As a boy I was partially ashamed of my love of music an entirely wrong attitude". He convinced himself later that most of boys in America too felt the same and considered music as emasculated art and that might have forced him to quit music career after composing some tunes and symphonies (Hubbs, Nadine (Author), 2004). The nationalistic tones in his tunes and symphonies is due to his idealistic and democratic views and his quest to represent the unified American voice with the forms and traditions of European Classical Music. The musical sense and his interest in music came from his musician father, who settled in Danburry as a musician after the Civil War. As Charles Ives grew in aftermath of Civil War patriotic feelings that are popular in those days made him attract towards them and he mixed those feelings with his musical caliber to produce a pioneering tunes and symphonies. The nationalistic tone in his tunes came from his radical view of creating tone clusters. As a child he used Piano as a drum and his father sent him to drum classes. As he grew up his radicalism reflected in creation of tone clusters thus reflecting the quest of people for democracy and patriotism. Tone clusters are suitable tunes to represent the patriotic and nationalistic songs. His radical way of representing democracy and nationalistic feelings in combined form formed the basis of his tunes. In the initial days of his career as organist/choirmaster, he used to play recitals in church and formed a church cantata. Later he developed his church music into new pieces known as violin sonatas reflecting the contemporary culture. However, he grew radical in the later days came out when he thought of unifying the separate streams of his music. The separate streams are traditional European genres of Symphony, string quartet, sonata and the like. The expressive ambitions drove him up when they are combined with American Vernacular music and his passion for experiment. The important aspect is that according to cultural perspectives he is half century above his time when he composed a trumpet 'The Unanswered Question', which like 'First Piano' found its premiere only after more than 40 years. The works of Ives about his home town Danbury talks about the chaotic vitality and conveys the surface of the event as well as the emotion behind it. His nationalistic flavor can be seen reflected in the tune he composed when his father's band marched to the town cemetery for mourning the war dead. The 'Taps' on trumpet of George (Ives father) inspired Ives to shape 'Decoration Day', which is known as unprecedented musical stream of consciousness with revolutionary musical techniques. The more nationalistic and democratic sense in his composing can be seen in orchestral piece 'From Hanover Square North', 'at the end of a tragic day', 'the voice of the people again arose', which conclude the three movement came directly from the personal experience of Ives. His climatic proclamation can be seen in the hymns that gradually coalesce to say 'In the Sweet By and By'. The radical nature as well as the spirit and nationalism in his music comes from the fact that the does not consider music as a mere sounds but the spirit of human and divine that can express the playing and singing of amateurs. He even tries to reflect the conception of life in his composing and a sense of democracy, which necessitates the nationalistic feelings. The radical and nationalistic feelings of Ives were reflected in his works while and after the first world war but are not accepted by contemporary musicians, which resulted in his failure of health (Jan Swafford, 1998). Multi Faceted Ives Even in the rejection of contemporary musicians Ives continued to compose serious music that has roots in European culture and nationalistic fervor. After 1930 every generation of American composers has reimagined Ives as ultra modernist, nationalist, amateur and primitive as well atavist composer. The neurotic, sly fabricator of his own myth also earned Ives fame a little later. His music not only embedded American as well as European culture but also revolutionized the contemporary music composing styles thus making recognition to Ives in the later stages of his life. The works of Ives will reveal a mutation of his myth and his second symphony Bernstein's favorite revealed Ives as nostalgic nationalist and his music resulted in a notion that he is lovable bad boy due to composing some sort of serious music. The Vanguard nature of Ives resulted in nationalist as well as romantic music that is not compatible with contemporary thought and culture. However, it has been recognized as profound and creative in his later ages of life. The Bard Music Festival in New York presented a rediscovery of Ives as a innovator in music as well as in Insurance Business. His serious music has been termed as dissonances by his contemporaries and got recognition after his success in insurance business, thus prompting analysts to term that his thoughts are 50 years forward than his contemporaries. Another important aspect in his music is that his works reflect the obsession with manliness and yet can be termed as romantic as well as nationalistic, which is a little bit difficult for his contemporary musicians. Hence, it took a while to get recognition but after that, his music has become the culture of United States of America and he has been termed as father of American Music. The nationalistic sense in his works and writings may be due the fact that he witnessed the aftermath of civil war and the effects of I world war in his life. Hence, the earlier works are romantic and radical but his later works are radical as well as nationalistic. Analysts feel that the place of Ives will be in musical as well as psychological mainstream as even his serious music can arose passions in the listeners. Thus his music is not part of contemporary culture but a creation of culture or foundation for the future culture. However, the analysis is that Ives music is not so quite as it seems to be. He does not want to be so also. He reworked on his first Piano Sonata and even abandoned it. So one can find difference in the tones between first piano sonata and his later works. David Schiff (1997) quotes Burkholder who tied Ives pieces to European and American traditions, yet being classical as well as radical and eccentric. Ives deliberately followed aesthetic strategy to express the diversity of American society and that is the reason for the opposition of contemporary musicians but the acceptance from the public. Hence, Ives music can be termed as the one that indicated the future culture as well as laying a foundation for the tomorrow thoughts (David Schiff, 1997). References: Robert Sherrane, 2008, Nationalist Composers, The Internet Public Library, Vol 14, Retrieved on 20th January 2009 from Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008, Nationalistic Music, Retrieved on 20th January 2009 from < http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/405615/nationalistic-music> Broyles, Michael (Author). (2004). Mavericks and Other Traditions in American Music, New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press. Hubbs, Nadine (Author). (2004). Queer Composition of America's Sound: Gay Modernists, American Music, and National Identity. Ewing, NJ, USA: University of California Press. Jan Swafford, 1998, Charles Edwards Ives, Charlesives.org, Retrieved on 21St January 2009 from < http://www.charlesives.org/02bio.htm> David Schiff, 1997, The Many Faces of Ives, The Atlantic Online, vol279, edition 1, Retrieved on 21st January 2009 from http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97jan/ives/ives.htm Read More