Listen to me.

A few things that have caught my ear.

The Original Muppet Show Theme Song:

And a nifty arrangement of the same theme by OK GO:

There and Bach again...

Next week, you will be asked to complete the harmonization of a Bach Chorale... 

with that in mind, please enjoy the following:

(Beginning to 1:22 is what you should be expecting as far as length)

A suggestion of how to compose a Bach Chorale... but certainly not the only way!

Another bad one...

I know he was one of the Beatles... which makes it even worse...



The Worst Christmas Song Ever...

If you can think of one, please let me know... here is my candidate:

BRR!!!

It is SOOO cold outside!  Enjoy a classic brought to you by Glee!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For" by Irving Berlin

So much great Holiday music... I can't wait til Friday! (Part II)

Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable...

Barbra...

... and Josh Groban.

So much great Holiday music... I can't wait til Friday!

If you haven't seen Handel's Messiah, please do yourself a service, and get thee to a perfomance.

Comfort Ye - Tenor Aria

Rejoice Greatly - Soprano Aria

But Who May Abide - Alto Solo

The Trumpet Shall Sound - Bass Aria

Musical Hexagon Example - Atonality

Musical Example #1

String Quarter, Op. 28

                                                                  Anton Webern

Musical Example #6                                                                               Musical Example #2

Little House I Used to Live In                                                                 Pierrot Lunaire (First Part)

Frank Zappa                                                                                          Arnold Schoenberg

ATONALITY

 - music that lacks a tonal center

                                                                                                         

Musical Example #5                                                                               Musical Example #3

Octandre'                                                                                               Bagatelle sans tonalite

Edgar Varese                                                                                         Franz Liszt

Musical Example #4

Wozzeck, Act 1, Scene 1 (Opera)

Alban Berg

The reason this example was not handed out, is that Atonality is a 20^th century convention… making the rubric impossible to achieve.

A quick note about atonality, though –

As you listen to the examples, please be aware that it is NOT music by people who simply don’t care.  Truth be told, this is simply another link in musical evolution.  These composers saw the conventions of typical classical music, and threw them out the window, creating their own rules, conventions, and soundscapes to fit the reality they saw around them.

Examples 1 through 5 are complete examples of atonality.

Example number 6 is an example that last for the piano introduction, the first 1:41 of the piece.

Great Music Thursday

In keeping up with Great Music Thursdays, here are two great pieces.

The first piece was composed by a man named Franz Biebl - his choral interpretation of the text "Ave Maria".

The next piece is by Johannes Brahms  a selection from his German Requiem titled "Wie lieblich sind Deine Wohnungen" (How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place).  It is considered a staple in western literature.

Melody Composition

For all you MYP folks out there completing a melody - here is a good guide.

At the end of the day, I want you to remember to use the guide you were given in class... but for those of you looking to go the next step, here's your guy.

In case you are online right now...

University of North Texas A Cappella Choir Concert

A fantastic school of music presents an incredible choir, live, right now!!!

It's almost that time of year!!!

A delayed entry for Veteran's Day

Some music to salute our veterans...

"They Are There" by Charles Ives

 

"Battle Hymn of the Republic"

 

"Star Spangled Banner" (Whitney Houston - arguably one of the best performances of this song)

"Star Spangled Banner" (Marvin Gay - arguably my favorite performance)

Finally, if you have never read the text of this piece, please do so now...  Why?

1) The poem is amazing.

2) This choir's diction is lacking.

Regardless, it is an amazing arrangement of a great piece.

Great Music Thursday

Here is a piece you need to hear.  One of my closest friends considers it one of the greatest pieces ever written.  Do you agree?

Get ready for a big SURPRISE....

Hopefully you enjoy knowing that even classical composers had a sense of humor, too.

Otherwise, let me just say that identifying forms will only get easier the more you listen to music with which you are not accustomed.  Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the IB threw some curveballs your way regarding instrumentation, but you can't let that throw you off.

SO... in that spirit, here are some of the weirder pieces I have ever heard.

"Black Angels" by George Crumb

Performed on Electric String Instruments

Javanese Gamelan Music

(The gamelan is the instrument that looks like a gong.)

"Mondestrunken" from Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg

This piece features "sprech stimme", which literally means "speak voice".  You'll notice that the singer doesn't really "sing", but creates a vocal contour with her voice to create a mood.

Something to Ponder...

Sometimes it's kind of crazy to think that music started with a couple of troglodytes yelling and hitting things, and evolved into what we have now.  But maybe it's not so crazy... maybe our brains have known the answers all along, and we're just trying to unlock what's inside...

A pentatonic scale is a musical scale made up of five pitches (strict definition).  In this video, Bobby McFerrin (Don't Worry, Be Happy singer) shows us how we are all designed to sing pentatonic scales... whether we know it or not.  (Keep in mind that he is experimenting with a room filled with scientists, with no formal music practice.)

Binary Form

Binary Form (AB) - some videos for your viewing pleasure.

Video #1: Music for Muggles - Binary Form.  Kind of nerdy, but good stuff.

Next, a much more concise explanation.  I believe there are more videos, but I will only post this one, as it covers what we need to know.  :)

R.I.P. Heavy D

Dwight Arrington Meyers, aka "Heavy D" (May 24, 1967 - November 8, 2011)

 Jamaican-American Rapper and Producer

Here was his first hit, "Mr. Big Stuff" from Living Large.

 

Non Chord Tones

And, imagine that.  A YouTube video on NCT's (Non-Chord Tones) has appeared.

Would you recognize beauty if you saw it in the subway station?

A few weeks ago in TOK you discussed this occasion, and here it is again for you viewing pleasure.

Pearls Before Breakfast - Joshua Bell serenades the subway

*It is important to not that Joshua Bell does not wish to be identified as a genius... only an interpreter of works by geniuses who have come before him.*

Figured Bass

Here are some great videos on Figured Bass:

Figured Bass 1

Figured Bass 2

Figured Bass 3

Music Hexagon (part 2)

Here are the other three songs I am placing around my Musical Element Hexagon.  Remember, if you can guess the element that connects them all, you'll be receiving extra credit.

"The Entertainer"

"Hungarian Dance No. 5"

The name of this song escapes me... but if you don't know Antonio Carlos Jobim, then you're welcome.

Remember - if you can tell me a musical element that all 6 of these pieces share, you'll receive extra credit.

Music Hexagon

The following 6 songs all have something in common.  If you can guess what it is, I'll give you extra credit.

"It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"

"Fascinatin' Rhythm"

"Symphony no. 25 in g minor"

I'll post the other three later.  :)

A great blog...

Found this while looking around... seems like a solid blog that may help answer your music theory questions.

http://musictheoryblog.blogspot.com/

Prescribed Works

Here are the Prescribed Works.

Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, Movement 1.

Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, Movement 2.

Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, Movement 3

Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony, Movement 4.

Aaron Copland's "El Salon Mexico".

Enjoy!

Thursday, November 3rd

Since we're currently talking about melody, here are some great ones I thought you should hear.

Luciano Pavarotti performing "Nessun Dorma."

Hildegard von Bingen's "O frondens virga"

 

Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition"

First Post...

As a part of an IB DP workshop I am currently, it was suggested that blogs are a great way to keep the conversation rolling about music... and since it is an interest we all share, I agree.  :)

You are welcomed to comment on any of this, but please keep it PG-13.