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Articles 1 - 30 of 57
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Dilemma Of Empty Halls, Joanna Lauer
The Dilemma Of Empty Halls, Joanna Lauer
Musical Offerings
Today, live classical concert attendance is low, a fact which threatens the careers of professional musicians. This paper examines recent statistics of classical concert attendance, theories as to why attendance rates are low, marketing methods for target audiences, and finally, recommendations to solve the dilemma of empty concert halls. To encourage concert attendance, classical music must be tastefully marketed to present-day audiences through the experience of technically excellent, musical, and interesting live performances. Ultimately, the relationship between art and its audience (the consumer) reveals that the key to the dilemma is the audience.
Singing Planets Don't Sing; They Speak, Joanna R. Lauer
Singing Planets Don't Sing; They Speak, Joanna R. Lauer
Musical Offerings
Ancient Greek philosophers conceived a theory called Music of the Spheres. This ancient theory progressed for almost one thousand years before finally proving itself untrustworthy. However, this examination uncovers an overlooked fact: the large amount of natural order in sound and music existing before the creation of man. Scripture reveals that God is a God of order, and an extensive amount of natural order is found in the universe. Evidence points to God being the creator of the universe. Specific examples of such evidence are the inherent order of sound laid out in pitches, interval ratios, the overtone series, the …
Joyful, Joyful! The Musical Significance Of Beethoven's Ninth, Allison N. Zieg
Joyful, Joyful! The Musical Significance Of Beethoven's Ninth, Allison N. Zieg
Musical Offerings
Almost everyone is familiar with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the famous four note motif that represents fate knocking at the door. His Third Symphony, or “The Heroic Symphony” that was originally written for Napoleon Bonaparte, enjoyed great success and helped shape the future of classical music. However, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which contains the well-known tune “Ode to Joy” most drastically impacted classical music’s future. Beethoven was a master at taking simple ideas and combining them with past musical traditions to create something extravagant and new. This is most evident in his Ninth Symphony. In this work, Beethoven did something that …
Medieval Methods: Guido D’Arezzo’S Innovative Approaches To Music Education, Lydia C. Kee
Medieval Methods: Guido D’Arezzo’S Innovative Approaches To Music Education, Lydia C. Kee
Musical Offerings
Music education has been influenced by many people throughout history, but arguably none of them have done so as much as the monk, Guido D’Arezzo. His teaching methods have been embraced and developed by music educators throughout the centuries. For example, it is recorded that Guido was the first to use the five-line staff as we use it today. This was especially groundbreaking in a world of rote memorization. Today it is used globally in music education. The roots of solfege are also found in Guido’s writings; his syllables have been adapted by Zoltan Kodály. Not only that, but John …
Total Artwork: Wagner's Philosophies On Art And Music In The Ring Cycle, Soraya A. Peront
Total Artwork: Wagner's Philosophies On Art And Music In The Ring Cycle, Soraya A. Peront
Musical Offerings
Richard Wagner is one of the most renowned composers of the Romantic period, due to his intensely emotional music, captivating operatic plots, and his unique idea to combine visual art, vocal music, and instrumental music in an unprecedented way. His music is acclaimed for being highly progressive for its time; Wagner also held unique philosophical beliefs which formed the foundation for his music. Wagner’s pioneering ideas about art, music, and the way they should be paired together led to the composition of many operas that still have a place in the permanent repertoire today, including Der Ring des Nibelungen, or …
Copland And Communism: Mystery And Mayhem, Emilie Schulze
Copland And Communism: Mystery And Mayhem, Emilie Schulze
Musical Offerings
In the midst of the second Red Scare, Aaron Copland, an American composer, came under fire for his communist tendencies. Between the 1930s and 1950s, he joined the left-leaning populist Popular Front, composed a protest song, wrote Lincoln Portrait and Fanfare for the Common Man, traveled to South America, spoke at the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace, and donated to communist leaning organizations such as the American-Soviet Musical Society. Due to Copland’s personal communist leanings, Eisenhower’s Inaugural Concert Committee censored a performance of Copland’s Lincoln Portrait in 1953. HUAC (The House Committee on Un-American Activities) brought Copland to …
The Rise Of Opera In Monteverdi's Orfeo, Allison N. Zieg
The Rise Of Opera In Monteverdi's Orfeo, Allison N. Zieg
Musical Offerings
Late Renaissance composer Claudio Monteverdi is known by scholars as the father of opera. While Monteverdi did not directly invent the production, we honor him as the first to successfully produce three major operas that have survived to this day. His works set the stage for future opera composers, and he drastically influenced the rise of such a large scale production. He is most known for his opera "Orfeo," which has continued to be adapted to the modern stage, and performed frequently in several opera houses. What led to the creation of such an extravagant production and never before heard …
Re-Forming Music: Martin Luther’S Impact On Church Music Through The Lutheran Reformation, Soraya Peront
Re-Forming Music: Martin Luther’S Impact On Church Music Through The Lutheran Reformation, Soraya Peront
Musical Offerings
Martin Luther is regarded as a seminal figure in 16th-century Europe, having a profound impact on the development of the Protestant Church as it separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Though Luther is most commonly known for his theological influences during the time, his upbringing and musical education strongly influenced his theological beliefs. Not only did this result in a development of a new Christian denomination, but Luther permanently changed the way music was written and performed in the church. How is it, though, that we can credit this musical change to Luther? Through an examination of Luther’s musical understanding …
Hildegard: A Trailblazer?, Emilie Schulze
Hildegard: A Trailblazer?, Emilie Schulze
Musical Offerings
Hildegard von Bingen, a Christian mystic, influenced theology, philosophy, and music during the Middle Ages. Some people today claim her as a forerunner for women’s rights because her works gained such prominence people assume she had the authority to teach men in the church. However, this assertion places unnecessary strain on Hildegard, misreading her works and her place within the structure of the medieval Catholic church. Hildegard’s writings did not seek to equalize men and women. Rather, in her life and in her works, she appealed to her humility, virginity, and close relationship with the Holy Spirit to minister. This …
Johannes Brahms’S Horn Trio And Its Unique Place In The Chamber Music Repertoire, Chloë A. Sodonis
Johannes Brahms’S Horn Trio And Its Unique Place In The Chamber Music Repertoire, Chloë A. Sodonis
Musical Offerings
The purpose of this research is to explore the elements in Brahms’s Trio for Piano, Violin, and Horn in E-flat Major, op. 40, that contribute to its unique position in the vast and revered library of chamber music. These include Brahms's use of folksong, five-measure phrases, a variation on sonata form, developing variation, emotional elements, and unique instrumentation. The German folk song, Es soll sich ja keiner mit der Liebe abgeben is almost identical to the opening fourth movement theme of the horn trio. Brahms incorporates portions of this melody throughout all four movements of his horn trio which demonstrates …
Fighting The Philistines: Robert Schumann And The Davidsbündler, Stephen J. White
Fighting The Philistines: Robert Schumann And The Davidsbündler, Stephen J. White
Musical Offerings
Robert Schumann was an eccentric composer and musical critic who influenced the Romantic-era musical community through the formation of the Davidsbündler. This “league of David” was Schumann’s idea of a musical society which exemplified a distinctly pure style of modern musical composition. The style of the Davidsbündler was based on the idea that music must reflect the personal life experiences of its composer. Needing a journal to publish musical writings of Davidsbündler, Schumann created the New Journal for Music. Having himself suffered from mental instability throughout his life, Schumann’s music often displayed unique levels of polarity and passion …
Henriette Renié: A Threefold Legacy, Jacy A. Stahlhut
Henriette Renié: A Threefold Legacy, Jacy A. Stahlhut
Musical Offerings
In 1810, Sébastien Érard patented a double-action mechanism that would dramatically alter the trajectory of the pedal harp. While this invention granted the harp a newfound voice in orchestral music, the harp still struggled to gain ground as a solo instrument. The harp’s increased complexity necessitated that harpists themselves explore the instrument’s abilities and demonstrate these to the musical world. It is to one such harpist, Henriette Renié, that the harp owes much of its credibility as an instrument worthy of the solo stage. From her prodigious beginnings at Paris Conservatoire, Renié’s concerts captivated musicians and the public alike. Her …
Gesualdo's Late Madrigal Style: Renaissance Or Baroque?, Landon K. Cina
Gesualdo's Late Madrigal Style: Renaissance Or Baroque?, Landon K. Cina
Musical Offerings
Carlo Gesualdo Prince of Venosa’s sixth and final book of Italian madrigals has puzzled scholars since its resurgence in the early twentieth century. Written during a transition between the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Gesualdo’s late madrigals present a musical style that seems to deny any attempt at precise classification with a stylistic movement. So where does Gesualdo’s astonishing style fit within its historical context? And what about his music has drawn the attention of so many scholars? By analyzing representative madrigals of the Mannerist style, a stylistic movement of the Late Renaissance, and the emerging Baroque style, one can understand …
The Compositions Of Thomas Tallis: How The English Reformation Informed His Style, Joshua L. Gore
The Compositions Of Thomas Tallis: How The English Reformation Informed His Style, Joshua L. Gore
Musical Offerings
Thomas Tallis, known by some as the "Father of English Church Music," accomplished one of the most impressive feats in the history of musical service: surviving in the Chapel Royal through the reigns of vastly different monarchs during one of the most volatile political climates in the country's history. A clear streak of pragmatism shines through this stability and success, but exactly how did that pragmatism demonstrate itself within his compositional style? Through exploration and analysis of Tallis's musical style in different political and religious periods, one discovers the answer to how he managed to navigate the winds of change …
Music As A Means To Spread Martin Luther’S Message, Emily A. Brubaker
Music As A Means To Spread Martin Luther’S Message, Emily A. Brubaker
Musical Offerings
While Martin Luther’s message of the Reformation was circulated through a variety of sources, music was highly regarded by Luther and had an undeniably crucial role in spreading his ideas. Luther’s theological stance determined his purpose for music. He emphasized the value of God’s Word and saw music as a means to share truth from the Bible. Luther even compared the importance of music to that of theology. He claimed that music was a gift from God, capable of fighting evil and promoting good. This research traces the effects of music on the transmission of Luther’s message by considering Luther’s …
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: A Composer On The Fault Line Of Ideological Change, Stephen J. White
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: A Composer On The Fault Line Of Ideological Change, Stephen J. White
Musical Offerings
While there has been a renewed interest in recent years on Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and his place as a transitional figure in Western music history, little academic thought is given to his musical philosophy. Emanuel’s father, Johann Sebastian Bach, taught him the German-Protestant view that the primary purpose of music was to highlight scripture. Through his education, Emanuel gained an appreciation for the secular philosophies of humanism and the Enlightenment. In contrast to J. S. Bach’s Protestant views, the philosophies of the Enlightenment asserted that the primary purpose of music was to highlight the essence of humanity through emotions …
Nuper Rosarum Flores: The Cathedral Conundrum, Jacy A. Stahlhut
Nuper Rosarum Flores: The Cathedral Conundrum, Jacy A. Stahlhut
Musical Offerings
In 1436, Pope Eugenius IV consecrated the newly-completed Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly known as Florence Cathedral. The completion of the cathedral’s dome was an incredible feat of great significance to the city of Florence, whose cathedral had remained unfinished for over one hundred years, and the splendor of the dedication ceremony reflected this reality. Franco-Flemish composer Guillaume Dufay was commissioned to write a motet for the occasion, and the resulting work, Nuper rosarum flores, has sparked a great deal of controversy in the musicological realm. In 1973, musicologist Charles Warren claimed that the isorhythmic proportions of …
Is La Bohѐme A Verismo Opera?, Leah P. Bartlam
Is La Bohѐme A Verismo Opera?, Leah P. Bartlam
Musical Offerings
Verismo is an Italian term that came to be used in reference to literature, theatre, and opera during the end of the nineteenth century. According to William Berger, “verismo is often translated as ‘realism’ but the word is closer to ‘truth’ in Italian.” The term was applied to literature beginning in the 1870s, and began to be applied to opera during the 1890s. However, it has never been particularly well understood. Evaluating it today is especially difficult because the modern perceptions of the term are not quite the same as the original meaning. La bohѐme was composed by Giacomo …
Gustav Mahler The Protomodernist, Austin M. Doub
Gustav Mahler The Protomodernist, Austin M. Doub
Musical Offerings
Steeped in a cultivated European tradition and burdened by several personal tragedies, Gustav Mahler undeniably shaped the course of classical music leading into the twentieth century. Holding fast to late Romantic stylistic conventions including complex rhythmic concepts, emotional and expansive melodies, and a strict adherence to form allowed the forward-thinking composer to seamlessly introduce modern elements into his symphonies. Through Mahler’s commanding symphonic output, the composer successfully maintained strong Austro-German stylistic principles while propelling the genre forward. In these symphonic writings, modern techniques of tonal decentralization, chromaticism, quotation, and paraphrasing are met with cohesive and compelling narratives to create balanced …
Music Next To Theology: The Impact And Influence Of Martin Luther's Reformation On Johann Sebastian Bach, James H. Ryan
Music Next To Theology: The Impact And Influence Of Martin Luther's Reformation On Johann Sebastian Bach, James H. Ryan
Musical Offerings
The artistic figure and music of Johann Sebastian Bach looms large in the history of Western arts and culture. His influences were many, but one strong influence in his life's work was that of the Protestant Reformation and the theology of the Lutheran church. Through this research, it is evident that Bach strongly held to the doctrines and theology of the Lutheran church and that his employment in the Lutheran church was not merely a vocation for him, but an outward expression of his inward religious and theological conviction. This position is evidenced by the writings and teachings of Martin …
The Effects Of Music Therapy On Individuals Suffering From Psychiatric Disorders: A Literature Review And Look Into Future Prospects, Zachary J. Krauss
The Effects Of Music Therapy On Individuals Suffering From Psychiatric Disorders: A Literature Review And Look Into Future Prospects, Zachary J. Krauss
Musical Offerings
Music therapy is a field of psychology and psychotherapy that exists under the broad field of study known as expressive arts therapy. This form of therapy is experiential in nature, and it gives participants vehicles through which they can tell their stories and share their emotions while actively exploring their thoughts. Music therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for a myriad of psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and schizophrenia. In order to grant a base level of understanding, research was conducted examining the methods and approaches used in music therapy, along with the psychological and …
The Basel Museum Of Music: Instrumental History, Elaina V. Hutton
The Basel Museum Of Music: Instrumental History, Elaina V. Hutton
Musical Offerings
Basel, Switzerland thrives with a rich musical culture and history, and the Museum of Music at the Basel Historical Museum is truly a rare gem demonstrating the influence of instruments in Swiss cultural development. The museum houses an exquisite collection of instruments which beautifully encompasses an extensive timeline of musical and instrumental diversity. Unique beauty of the uncommon and the experimental is showcased in a manner that educates and inspires. The span of genre and style demonstrated by the array of composers and instrument builders recognized imparts just how important a role music plays in Basel. For one museum to …
Understanding The Cultural And Nationalistic Impacts Of The Moguchaya Kuchka, Austin M. Doub
Understanding The Cultural And Nationalistic Impacts Of The Moguchaya Kuchka, Austin M. Doub
Musical Offerings
This paper explores Russian culture beginning in the mid nineteenth-century as the leading group of composers and musicians known as the moguchaya kuchka, or The Mighty Five, sought to influence Russian culture and develop a "pure" school of Russian music amid rampant westernization. Comprised of César Cui, Alexander Borodin, Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, this group of inspired musicians opposed westernization and supported Official Nationalism by the incorporation of folklore, local village traditions, and promotion of their Tsar as a supreme political leader. In particular, the works of Balakirev, Cui, and Mussorgsky established cultural pride and contributed …
Shostakovich And The Memoirs, Hanna Bahorik
Shostakovich And The Memoirs, Hanna Bahorik
Musical Offerings
The life, politics, and music of Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich have been subjects of extreme controversy. Despite the turmoil of his dealings with Stalin, many people thought of him as a loyal servant of Russia and a masterful composer. It was not until the publication in 1979 of a book called Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich surfaced that debates began to take form that would eventually charge into the realm of violent disputes from many sides. This book, written by Solomon Volkov, portrayed Shostakovich as a bitter dissident. One year later, an American researcher and specialist in Russian and Soviet …
Emanuel Bach: A Composer Ahead Of His Time, Tyler Dellaperute
Emanuel Bach: A Composer Ahead Of His Time, Tyler Dellaperute
Musical Offerings
Up until recently, many musicologists perceived music history through the lens of what is known as the “linear view.” This is the idea that one “musical period” seamlessly gave way to another, with brief transitionary periods to bridge the gaps. As a result, composers were expected to fall neatly into categories depending on their chronological placement. For this reason, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the eldest son of J. S. Bach, was (and still is) regarded as merely the bridge between the late Baroque style and that of the Viennese Classicists. In the past half-century, however, scholars have begun to study …
The Battle Between Impeccable Intonation And Maximized Modulation, Timothy M. True
The Battle Between Impeccable Intonation And Maximized Modulation, Timothy M. True
Musical Offerings
Equal temperament represents a way of completing the musical circle, and systematically compensating for the Pythagorean comma. Pythagoras discovered this acoustical problem around 550 B.C., and since that time music theorists have debated how to deal with it. The problem is that no perfect solution exists—something must be compromised. As musical styles developed, specific factors and harmonic tendencies led to the gradual adoption of equal temperament. Early in music history, theorists preferred systems which kept acoustical purity relatively intact. Pythagorean intonation and just intonation serve as two examples. However, the move from modality to tonality decentralized the melody as the …
The Federal Music Project: An American Voice In Depression-Era Music, Audrey S. Rutt
The Federal Music Project: An American Voice In Depression-Era Music, Audrey S. Rutt
Musical Offerings
After World War I, America was musically transformed from an outsider in the European classical tradition into a country of musical vibrance and maturity. These great advances, however, were deeply threatened by the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the consequent Great Depression. The nation that, for the first time, was developing an international reputation in the arts now faced a crisis of how to support them. Government sponsorship of the arts through the New Deal Federal One projects allowed struggling artists to survive economically during this era. In the realm of music, however, the Federal Music Project (FMP) had …
The Unifying Strands: Formalism And Gestalt Theory In The Musical Philosophies Of Aristoxenus, Descartes, And Meyer, Amanda N. Staufer
The Unifying Strands: Formalism And Gestalt Theory In The Musical Philosophies Of Aristoxenus, Descartes, And Meyer, Amanda N. Staufer
Musical Offerings
In every age, philosophers deal with inquiries concerning musical meaning and the effect of music on the listener. Instead of answering the formidable question of musical meaning, this essay demonstrates the parallel aspects of three musical theories from ancient, Enlightenment, and modern times. Using the two criteria of musical formalism and Gestalt Theory, this essay systematically connects the philosophies of Aristoxenus of Tarentum, René Descartes, and Leonard Meyer. Musical formalism holds that music’s nature is innate, self-evident, able to be systematically deduced, and rational. According to formalism, musical meaning is defined by things objectively ‘there’ in the music, musical experience …
The Personal Tragedy In Paul Hindemith's Mathis Der Maler, Sharri K. Hall
The Personal Tragedy In Paul Hindemith's Mathis Der Maler, Sharri K. Hall
Musical Offerings
Paul Hindemith is hardly remembered for his music prior to the 1940s. During the Nazi occupation of Germany in the early 20th century, Paul Hindemith, reviled for his modernistic styles and relation to his Jewish wife, was forced to emigrate out of the Third Reich for his safety. Hindemith was known for his connections to New Objectivity, Gebrachsmusik, and tonality instability placed him in the wrong realm of composition in the Nazi’s minds. As Hitler rose to power in 1933, Hindemith knew he would need a composition to prove his worth amongst the Nazis. As such, Hindemith attempted …
French Society Abroad: The Popularization Of French Dance Throughout Europe, 1600-1750, Adam Paul Rinehart
French Society Abroad: The Popularization Of French Dance Throughout Europe, 1600-1750, Adam Paul Rinehart
Musical Offerings
This paper explores the dissemination of French dance, dance notation, and dance music throughout Europe, and it explains the reasons why French culture had such an influence on other European societies from 1600-1750. First, the paper seeks to prove that King Louis XIV played a significant role in the outpour of French dance and the arts. Next, the paper discusses prominent French writers of dance notation who influenced the spread of French dance literature and training throughout Europe. Finally, the paper delineates European composers and their involvement in the development and production of French dance music. Using academic, peer-reviewed journal …