Compositional Style Research Articles

Hammer mechanism instruments and their role in shaping the composition style of pieces written for keyboard instruments in the period of 1730-1780, part 3 – Keyboard instruments in concert halls and in the high society

The present text is the third and last part of the cycle of articles devoted to keyboard instruments with hammer mechanism in the 18th century published in subsequent issues of the magazine “Notes Muzyczny”. The first two parts primarily touched on the history of keyboard instrument making in the 18th century: first pianos and other original inventions. The third part is in turn devoted to the changing position of the piano in the musical life of that period, namely – concerts, publications and compositions. The crowning of this part is the chronological and topic-related list (in a form of a reference chart) of the most significant phenomena and events discussed in the whole cycle of articles. The first mentions of a wider presence of keyboard instruments with hammer mechanism on the music market and concert life date back to the 1760s. In the 1770s there was a fast growth in the popularity of these instruments in the life of the high society, first of all in England and France (table instruments), as well as in Germany, even though there it took slightly more time because of the domination of the traditional clavichord. Due to the imprecise nomenclature used as long as until the 1780s and 1790s, it is often hard to decide which keyboard instrument was meant in a given case, hence it is impossible to assess how popular a specific instrument was. Some academics suggest that the presence of instruments with hammer mechanism in the musical life of that period was much greater than in might seem. Probably both hammer and tangent pianos and their other variants were not opposed to harpsichords but were treated as a special type within the same group of instruments. In the 1780s musical pieces written for both keyboard instruments, i.e., “for harpsichord or piano”, became the norm. Despite the increase in popularity of pianos (as compared to harpsichords) in the 1790s, such designation would remain on title pages of compositions until the end of that century. The period between the 1780s and 1790s was also the time when the first piano playing textbooks appeared. Expanding expressive capacities of keyboard instruments was the response to the changing needs of the galant and Empfindsamkeit styles. On the other hand, the presence of pianos had a significant influence on the styles of specific compositions. In order to illustrate these processes, the annex presents the analyses of two representative cycles of works from the 1760s written for the new instrument: Sonatas op. 1 by Johann Gottfried Eckard and Sonatas op. 5 by Johann Christian Bach.

A pilot study investigating preferred background sounds during mindfulness meditation: What would you like to hear?

Music and meditation have affirmative effects on the parasympathetic nervous system. To investigate individual preferences for background sounds during meditation, using a series of paired, forced-choice comparisons. Interventions included music with a distinct melody (one sample) and without a distinct melody (MWDM) (three samples), nature sounds with embedded alpha brainwave pulses (one sample), alpha brainwave pulses alone (one sample), and silence. Participants rated how much they liked hearing a sample during meditation and whether they felt they could meditate deeply while listening to it. Heart rhythm coherence scores were recorded using HeartMath emWavePro software and hardware. Participants were ranked as novice or adept meditators (NM vs AM) based on coherence scores. Rankings were based on preference selections, rating scales, and coherence scores. Rankings were highest for silence and MWDM. AMs preferred silence, followed by MWDM. NMs preferred listening to MWDM during meditation. Those with greater experience preferred meditating in silence. A preference was also seen for a composition style that incorporated altering arrhythmic and rhythmic patterns, and alternating asynchronous and synchronous patterns. These results indicate a compelling case for further research investigating meditation, music, and the potential interactive effect of the two on mind, body, and personal performance.

INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE ON A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BASIS: THE FOUNDATION OF THE CONSERVATION PROJECT AND POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS IN THE BIM AREA THE CASE OF THE PORTRAIT ROOM OF PALAZZO BOREA D'OLMO IN SANREMO

Abstract. This involved a sort of preventive diagnostics based on the historical knowledge of the building, on the construction techniques and on the compositional style, on the other hand on diagnostic imaging using photographic techniques developed from the early 1800s.The preliminary cognitive approach, the stylistic identification, the classification of method, the historical reading, the critical analysis of the historical and compositional genesis of the building, the careful reading of the pathogenesis in progress, mark, from the mid-800 in then, the evolution of the concept of restoration that will take shape from time to time from what was "before" and only secondarily from what "is now". This perhaps unconscious diagnostic reading of the artifact (first artistic, then monumental and finally as a cultural testimony) has, in fact, involved generations of restorers painting the landscape of the restoration sometimes in different way, with results that well we know.In fact, almost never the fathers of restoration (or anti-restoration) explicitly touch the issues of preventive diagnosis, but certainly base their theories and their "restoration" on the observation of the factory, on the knowledge of construction techniques and historical period of belonging.The things begin to change starting from the first Charter of Restoration of 1883 with the enlargement of the diagnostic project (which finds paternity starting from the 1972 Italian Charter, which embraces many disciplines: from photography to relief, from chemistry to physics, from the historical reading to the knowledge of the materials, from the identification of the material pathogenesis to the reading of the static and structural framework of the buildings.With the passing of time and the explosion of science and technology in the field of cultural heritage all aspects related to preliminary knowledge aimed at their conservation evolve exponentially especially with the advent of electronics. Starting from the 60s of the 1900s, equipment with great calculation capacity and small dimensions was born, a real springboard for the new techniques of surveying by means of a laser scanner, photographic socket and photogrammetric restitution.Tools and techniques of restitution settle and even more solidly base the knowledge base linked to the project of conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage.Base of support and extraction of selected data and / or dedicated to the project continuously interface with the disciplines of knowledge that are now more and more "forced" to the table of confrontation to reveal information hidden in the folds of time.A recent work on an eighteenth-century Sanremese building it gives us information on the complexity of the construction of a process of knowledge articulated, composed of several activities to be correlated and integrated continuously, one in the other to try to give answers on evident problems of degradation never fully documented.The study, performed in a rather limited time frame, focused on the Hall of family portraits seriously degraded by "accidents of various kinds". The work was based on the three-dimensional conception of the acquired data, allowing to investigate the hall as an articulated organism, supporting the technicians in the three-dimensional understanding of the asset, constituting a complete database of the actual state, becoming support of the results of the various surveys conducted for the knowledge of the asset.In this cognitive path, the BIM method is understood as the possibility of constructing the "as built" model, complete not only of the dimensional graphic data of the asset, but also of those that contribute to the determination of the actual state. The graphic aspect of the model must be connected with historical, material, degradation, contextual information, with the results of any specialized investigations conducted.Only then will the BIM model of a historic building be the complete database, the "medical record" of its state of health, complete with diagnosis, care, indications of maintenance that can be shared and questioned over time.

Middleground Structure in the Cadenza to Boulez’s Éclat

Through a transformational analysis of Boulez’s Éclat, this article extends previous understanding of Boulez’s compositional techniques by addressing issues of middleground structure and perception. Presenting a new perspective on this pivotal work, it also sheds light on the development of Boulez’s compositional style.

Kirchner and Time – An Analysis of Linear and Nonlinear Time in Leon Kirchner's Interlude I

This article aims to analyze temporality in Leon Kirchner's Interlude I for solo piano, in light of Jonathon Kramer's book The Time of Music. The first section serves as an introduction to the composer – his biography, influences, and compositional style. The following section introduces Jonathon Kramer's book and his concepts of linear and nonlinear time in music. Thereafter an analysis of aspects of the Interlude's linear time, as defined by Kramer, is presented, including linearity manifest through developing variation, step-wise motion, tonal references, changes in tempo, flexion count changes, and transpositions. The next section seeks to examine manifestations of nonlinear time in the Interlude, such as balance and recapitulation, and discusses the implications of Kramer's nonlinear moment time. The conclusion summarizes interactions between linearity and nonlinearity in the Interlude.

Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven: A Film Score Guide by Mariana Whitmer

Reviewed by: Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven: A Film Score Guide by Mariana Whitmer Paula Musegades Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven: A Film Score Guide. By Mariana Whitmer. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. [xiii, 159 p. ISBN 9781442281790 (paperback), $35; ISBN 9781442281806 (e-book), $33.] Music examples, bibliography, index. The culminating volume of the Film Score Guide series, Elmer Bernstein's "The Magnificent Seven," by Mariana Whitmer, explores one of Bernstein's most celebrated film scores. Using historical, cultural, and musical lenses, Whitmer reveals there is much more to John Sturges's well-loved 1960 Western than the classic battle of good versus evil. Indeed, Whitmer provides the reader with an understanding of the score's role in the film, its impact on the Western genre, and its influence on the American audience's understanding of national identity. Presented in a concise and accessible writing style, Whitmer's close study of the score, narrative, and surrounding historical context of The Magnificent Seven will make an engaging text for students studying film music and is a captivating read for music and film scholars alike. Chapter 1, "Elmer Bernstein and 'Authentic American Music,'" begins with Bernstein's early years. Given the scarce information on Bernstein's biography, this valuable section helps fill in the gaps, providing details about both his background and training. Whitmer reveals the early influences on Bernstein's compositional style: the music of American composer Aaron Copland; Bernstein's studies with Israel Citkowitz, Roger Sessions, and Stefan Wolpe; and his longtime fascination with American folk music. Filled with direct quotations from Bernstein, who saw American music as "part of [his] musical heritage" (p. 4) and credited Aaron Copland for having "created … a sensibility based upon American folk music" (p. 3), chapter 1 highlights the many formative people and experiences that helped shape Bernstein's career and compositional style. As Whitmer explains, however, it was Bernstein's first film scores in the Western genre, as well as his early work in television, where he fully established his own "Americana" sound. In chapter 2, "Bernstein's Westerns," Whitmer investigates the movies Battles of Chief Pontiac (1952), Drango (1957), The Tin Star (1957), and Saddle the Wind (1958), as well as the television series Riverboat (1959–60). She traces Bernstein's stylistic development from one consisting primarily of industry convention, filled with "modal sonorities for the Indians [and] triplet rhythms for galloping horses" (p. 17), to the more recognizably Bernstein "Americana," as discussed in chapter 5. With Bernstein scholarship in its early stages, chapter 2, in addition to providing background for Whitmer's close analysis of The Magnificent Seven, also delivers necessary insight into the composer's early career as he developed his now-familiar Western sound. On reaching chapter 3, "The Critical/Historical Context of The Magnificent Seven," the reader better understands how the film fits within an increasingly globalized society. The Magnificent Seven was adapted from the popular Japanese film Seven Samurai (1954) by director Akira Kurosawa. Whitmer offers a behind-the-scenes look at the adaptation process, the challenges and benefits of filming in [End Page 495] Mexico, battles with the production code, and the postproduction process. Such a background provides essential information regarding the film's place within early 1960s American culture. Whitmer carefully maps out the film's commentary on the United States' shifting relationships with other countries, which critics, too, had noticed. As one reviewer observed, Sturges "eloquently gets across the themes that man must take a strong stand against evil" (p. 54). Indeed, one of the most compelling moments within this rich chapter is Whitmer's discussion of The Magnificent Seven's critical reception both inside and outside of the United States. Noting the significant disparity between its popularity overseas and the general lack of interest in America, Whitmer explains how The Magnificent Seven fell into the category of "the new 'adult' Western, which was perceived to be too introspective and philosophical, while lacking in action" (p. 52). Despite disinterest from the critics, however, nearly everyone celebrated Bernstein's music. Drawing connections to Jerome Moross's score for The Big Country (1958) and the strength and force of Aaron Copland's music generally...

"I Love Yahweh and I Believe in Him - Therefore I Shall Proclaim His Name": How Psalm 116 Integrated and Reinterpreted Its Constituent Parts

In studies on the biblical Psalms it is customary to ask why and for what purpose these poems came into existence. The present study departs from the observation that Psalm 116 can be regarded as an anthology which incorporated material from various other sources in the Hebrew Bible. The study aims to investigate the relationship between the various contributing constituents to the final form of Psalm 116. Therefore, it is necessary to add another question to those that are usually posed in studies on the Psalter, namely the “how?” question: How did the author/editors(s) use and incorporate different sources to come to the Psalm 116 as we know it in the Masoretic Text? The study argues that Psalm 116 is a prime example of the tendency in late post-exilic Psalmography to compile new poems by using existing material from the Hebrew Bible. Other examples of this style of writing are found inter alia in Pss 1; 19; 25; 34; 37; 86; and 119. This has been described in the past as an “anthological” style of composition. Very often in these psalms one can also detect a marked attempt to produce a symmetric pattern and also a marked influence from wisdom. All these tendencies are apparent in Ps 116. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2019/v32n2a8

Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky by Kevin Bartig

Reviewed by: Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky by Kevin Bartig Terry L. Dean Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. By Kevin Bartig. (Oxford Keynotes.) New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. [161 p. ISBN 9780190269562 (hardcover), $74; ISBN 9780190269579 (paperback), $14.95.] Music examples, illustrations, bibliography, index, companion website. A product of collaboration between Sergei Eisenstein and Sergey Prokofiev, the film Alexander Nevsky [Aleksandr Nevskĭ] (1938) boasts a rich sociopolitical and cultural history. Those acquainted with the film are likely familiar with its status as an artifact of Soviet propaganda. With regard to Eisenstein, discussions of Nevsky, which was his first film in nearly a decade and his first contribution to the medium of sound film, often recount creative challenges experienced by the director that led to his complicity in propagating Party ideology as well as his role in helping to foster Joseph Stalin's association with heroic figures of Russia's distant past. Similarly, the discourse surrounding Prokofiev's role in the project frequently focuses on his efforts to cultivate a nationalist style appropriately accessible for Soviet audiences. Consequently, it is easy to perpetuate an overly simplified understanding of Alexander Nevsky founded on stereotypical images of the Soviet artist working under the burden of socialist realism. Fortunately, however, Kevin Bartig's Sergei Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky," which appears as part of the publisher's new Oxford Keynotes series, offers a more nuanced understanding of Prokofiev's music for the film in a multitude of new contexts. Having written previously about Nevsky in Composing for the Red Screen: Prokofiev and Soviet Film (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), Bartig returns to and expands upon a number of topics in his new monograph. Among these are Prokofiev's concerns about the legitimacy of film music as serious art as well as its role in establishing a type of "light-serious" music (p. 18) [End Page 657] that would resonate with broad audiences. As a newly repatriated Soviet composer, Prokofiev was bound by the aesthetic demands of socialist realism, at the heart of which was a call for accessibility. Although his music had already undergone a process of simplification during the 1920s, ultimately yielding what he referred to as his "new simplicities," Prokofiev continued to weigh questions about whether he wanted to be identified with such music well into the next decade. Bartig underscores the fact that the lucrative potential offered by film indeed motivated the composer's continued interest in such projects as well. Eventually, Prokofiev came to terms with the idea of a "light-serious" style and carefully shaped the narrative surrounding his simplified musical style. Bartig reveals, however, that Prokofiev's concerns were consistent with and shared by other composers of the time. Citing the writings of Kurt Weill, Carlos Chávez, and Aaron Copland in particular, Bartig contextualizes the simplification of Prokofiev's compositional style as part of a greater trend among composers of the time. While individual motivations varied, he asserts that efforts of composers to cultivate an "accessible musical style was a common concern" during the period leading up to Alexander Nevsky and as such contributed to the work's "broad international resonance" (p. 20). In doing so, Bartig effectively redresses our understanding of Nevsky (and Prokofiev's Soviet works in general) as something other than political pandering. Bartig also revisits Prokofiev's creation of a sonic backdrop for Alexander Nevsky. Throughout much of the film, the composer employs a sound palette that evokes various nineteenth-century Russian classics, in particular works by Mikhail Glinka, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, and Aleksandr Borodin. Such a strategy is easily understood as a response to the expectations of socialist realism, especially when considered in conjunction with the ideological conservatism that followed the infamous admonishment of Dmitrĭ Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District [Ledi Makbet uezda] in Pravda in January 1936. Bartig demonstrates, however, that rather than surrendering to the precepts of socialist realism, Prokofiev's music for Alexander Nevsky is consistent with Eisenstein's intentions. A patriotic film such as Nevsky requires music of a correspondingly patriotic nature. In the absence of historically appropriate models, Bartig points out that "as images of the thirteenth century flashed on...

Regional Pride in Music Composition Evoking Gamelan Sounds in Puteri Gunung Ledang

Regionalism is a demarcation of a definite area in terms of its topographical, economic, social relationships, government, and organisation. Inevitably, the concept of regionalism also extends into cultural and artistic phenomena, which includes music and music composition. By the 20th century up until now when global travel and communication is easy, does regionalism in music still exist? There is a misconception that regionalism is thought to have declined by globalisation when in fact, as a reaction, regional identity becomes stronger due to enhanced regional pride. In this article, I discuss the constructive and valuable importance of the emergence of regional pride in contemporary classical music compositions, and justify my approach through a composition for solo piano, Puteri Gunung Ledang, which includes active references towards gamelan musical nuances juxtaposed with Western compositional styles, thus demonstrating two contrasting regional musical influences colliding and collaborating into a single work of art, including an analysis of how my composition corresponds and supports the broader artistic phenomenon.

Hammer mechanism instruments and their role in shaping the composition style of pieces written for keyboard instruments in the period of 1730-1780, part 2 – The making of stringed keyboard instruments in the 18th century

The article is the continuation of the cycle of texts devoted to hammer mechanism instruments from the 18th century, which was initiated in the previous issue of the magazine “Notes Muzyczny”. This instalment presents an overview of the phenomena related to keyboard instrument making in the described period – classification of instruments in terms of terminology, structure and sound (cf. classification of instruments in table 1). A general tendency of the development of keyboard instruments in the 18th century seems to be the search for original construction-related solutions of individual instrument makers, assuming, however, that there was a paramount pursuit of expanding expressive capacities. A greater diversification of sound was an answer to the changing musical language of the galant and Empfindsamkeit styles, which were aimed at touching audiences, referring to their sensitivity and not just their intellect. Subsequent subchapters present a review of the most important inventions of that vivid period. A special emphasis was placed on new forms of instruments, some of which only became part of history as experiments – unfinished projects or singular copies – whereas others functioned in the musical life of the 18th century for a longer time. The described instruments are, respectively: Hebenstreit’s pantalon, French hammer mechanism projects by Jean Marius, tangent pianos, instruments for home use – table pianos and other miniature forms, and also the development of the Vienna-type mechanism as presented by the instrument maker Andreas Stein, and hybrid instruments combining different types of mechanisms in one body.

Nadia Boulanger: "In the midst of the stars"

Nadia Boulanger is the French performer/teacher who changed the landscape of American music. Under the mentorship of her father, Ernest Boulanger, and the tutelage of musical genius, Gabriel Fauré at the Paris Conservatory, Nadia Boulanger had an excellent education and earned high honors as a student of organ and composition. However, early in her life Boulanger decided to turn her full focus to teaching. Among her most outstanding American composition students are Aaron Copland, Walter Piston, Roy Harris, Philip Glass, and Virgil Thomson. Student testimonials and class notebooks shed light on her teaching. Nadia Boulanger taught with a combination of rigor and passion, successfully mentoring a generation of aspiring composers and performers. Her profound imprint on American music is recognizable in the fact that almost all American composers of note in the 20th century studied with Nadia Boulanger either in Paris or during her residency in Boston. It is possible to trace parallels between her education and compositional style, and her teaching of composition. This paper investigates how Nadia Boulanger taught, why she was successful, and how her early education affected her future as a composition teacher.

Finding pedagogical value in Australian contemporary popular music: A comparative case study of electric guitar compositional styles

Abstract How do educators ascertain the pedagogical value of a musical composition for inclusion as curriculum exemplars? A number of factors contribute, including: canonic status, historical and cultural significance, popularity and aesthetic values. This comparative case study examines a number of Australian compositions from within the scope of contemporary popular music (CPM) looking for musical richness as a factor of pedagogical value in modern guitar curricula. Using The Beatles’ song ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as a comparative basis, musicological methodologies of theoretical analysis are applied to six Australian CPM compositions to evaluate their pedagogical value. Discussion of the musical richness discovered in each composition leads to conclusions regarding their value within a guitar programme of an Australian CPM school curriculum.

Poe and the Idea of Music: Failure, Transcendence, and Dark Romanticism

Poe and the Idea of Music: Failure, Transcendence, and Dark Romanticism

Climatic and tectonic controls on source-to-sink processes in the tropical, ultramafic catchment of Lake Towuti, Indonesia

Humid tropical landscapes are subject to intense weathering and erosion, which strongly influence sediment mobilisation and deposition. In this setting, we aimed to understand how geomorphology and hydroclimate altered the style and intensity of erosion and sediment composition in a tropical lake and its tectonically active catchment. Lake Towuti (2.75°S, 121.5°E) is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Indonesia, with uninterrupted lacustrine sedimentation over several glacial–interglacial cycles. Here we present results from a novel set of Lake Towuti surface sediment, bedrock and soil samples from the catchment, and two existing sediment cores that extend to 30,000 and 60,000 years before present. We studied the catchment morphology, soil properties, geochemistry, and clay and bulk mineralogy. Results from several river long profiles show clear signs of tectonic activity, which enhances river incision, favours mass movement processes, and together with remobilisation of fluvial deposits, strongly influences modern sedimentation in the lake. Material from the Mahalona River, the lake’s largest inflow, dominates modern sediment composition in Towuti’s northern basin. The river transports Al-poor and Mg-rich sediments (mainly serpentines) to the lake, indicating river incision into the Mg-rich serpentinised peridotite bedrock. Relatively small, but important additional contributions of material, come from direct laterite-derived input and the Loeha River, which both provide Al-rich and Mg-poor sediment to the lake. Over time, the Al/Mg and kaolinite-to-serpentine ratios varied strongly, primarily in response to lake-level fluctuations driven by hydroclimatic changes. In the past 60,000 years, both the Al/Mg and kaolinite-to-serpentine ratios showed variations sensitive to changes in climate boundary conditions across glacial-interglacial cycles, while tectonic activity had less influence on changes in sediment composition on these short time-scales.

The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle

Name: Jacob Gramit Main Subject: Early Music Singing Research Supervisor: Kathryn Cok Title of Research: The Music of Johann Rudolph Ahle: Editorial and Performance Issues Surrounding the 1658 Neu-Gepflanzter Thüringischer Lustgarten Research Question: How can creating a critical-performance edition of the music of Johann Rudolph Ahle impact my performance of his music? Summary of Results: Having always been drawn to German Music of the seventeenth century, I found a collection of music from Johann Rudolph Ahle (1623-1673) that was largely unknown and unperformed. This enabled me to start from nothing when creating an edition and researching Ahle's life and music; meaning I could see what effect the process would have on my performance. By doing detailed research into a specific collection, looking at both his compositional style and his use of pre-existing texts and music, I discovered Ahle's seeming fascination with personal spirituality, leading to new ideas for the performance of his music. Biography: Originally from Edmonton Canada, Jacob Gramit is currently living in the Netherlands, pursuing a Master’s Degree in The Hague, studying with Pascal Bertin, Peter Kooij, Dorothee Mields, Robin Blaze, and Lenie van den Heuvel. Recently, he both prepared the edition and performed in Michael Chance’s production of Cavalli’s Giasone, and upcoming projects include Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Holland Baroque and Cappella Amsterdam. Before moving abroad, Jacob lived in Vancouver, where he still performs - most recently he performed in the 2017 Vancouver Bach Festival, and coordinated the Summer Festival of Sacred Music at Christ Church Cathedral, which he will return to run in 2018. He attended the University of British Columbia (BMus, 2012), and sang for three seasons with musica intima, a professional and self-directed vocal ensemble.

Writing for CBC Wartime Radio Drama: John Weinzweig, Socialism, and the Twelve-Tone Dilemma

Radio drama was a quintessential source of entertainment for Canadian audiences during the Second World War, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) used the art form to distribute propaganda and garner support for the Canadian war effort. Similarly, CBC radio drama became an essential artistic outlet for artists and composers to articulate their political beliefs to a national audience. This article frames Canadian composer John Weinzweig’s works for the CBC radio drama series New Homes for Old (1941) within the socio-political climate of the 1930s and 1940s and suggests that radio drama provided Weinzweig with a national soapbox for his radical socialist ideals during a time of political upheaval. My research draws on archival materials from Library and Archives Canada, the CBC Music Library Archives, and Concordia’s Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism Studies to build upon the biographical work of Elaine Keillor and Brian Cherney. I establish Weinzweig’s socialist ties and argue that his political leanings prompted him to simplify his serial language in favour of a simplified modernist aesthetic, which appealed to Canada’s conservative wartime audiences. This study of Weinzweig’s radio works reveals how the composer desired to make serial compositions accessible and palatable, and shows how he incorporated vernacular idioms such as folk songs and national anthems as foils to the elitist European serial aesthetic. In doing so, I show how Weinzweig uses a powerful and pervasive medium to promote his unique compositional style and also to reflect the cultural, political, and aesthetic ideals of leftist socialism.

The Theoretical Background for the Chinese Composers Piano Music Genre Peculiarities Research

The Theoretical Background for the Chinese Composers Piano Music Genre Peculiarities Research

Texture and harmony parameter of the vocal and performance style (a case study of G. Sviridov’s works)

Texture and harmony parameter of the vocal and performance style (a case study of G. Sviridov’s works)

Texture and harmony parameter of the vocal and performance style (a case study of G. Sviridov’s works)

Texture and harmony parameter of the vocal and performance style (a case study of G. Sviridov’s works)

New Findings of Sicilian Folk Songs in Luciano Berio´s Naturale

This paper gathers and analyzes information concerning Naturale, a work written by Luciano Berio in 1985 for viola, percussion and recorded voice, based on Sicilian folk songs. Several aspects surrounding Naturale's creation are taken into consideration in this study: Berio's compositional style and traits, the manner in which he relates his works one to another, what he sees in folk music and his own personal desire to intertwine art music and folk music. For Berio, Naturale is not an isolated venture into the realm of mixing folk music and his own avant-garde style; it is instead one of many works resulting from his long-standing relationship with folk music. Another essential aspect in this case is the study of the sources used by Berio to find the folk songs by which he was inspired. An interview with Maestro Aldo Bennici, the Sicilian violist for whom Naturale was composed, helped in the discovery of the usage of two more folk songs in a section of the piece, being their identification suggested in this paper.