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Full-Text Articles in Musicology
Altered But Not Silenced: How Shostakovich Retained His Voice As An Artist Despite The Demands Of A Dictator, Hope R. Strayer
Altered But Not Silenced: How Shostakovich Retained His Voice As An Artist Despite The Demands Of A Dictator, Hope R. Strayer
Musical Offerings
Can music that is regulated and restrained by a dictator still be inspired? This question reveals ideology concerning how music should be created and valued. Does outside control restrict artistic integrity and autonomy? Not all composers have been free to write whatever their soul demands. People in authority have held power and control over artistic processes. Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer whose work was subjected to the tastes of a tyrannical ruler and Communist party. Though Shostakovich did not compose in an environment that fostered musical exploration, his work should not be mourned but celebrated. Shostakovich was not a …
Three Kings And The Bright Star Of Fame, Emalyn J. Bullis
Three Kings And The Bright Star Of Fame, Emalyn J. Bullis
Musical Offerings
Many phenomena in music history as well as in American history have helped develop and shape the types of music listened to today, but none have been so fresh as looking back to twentieth-century popular music and the several key individuals that “ruled” in this area. These “rulers” were hailed as “kings” firstly as a media ploy, but the American public did nothing but encourage the titles. This is somewhat confusing considering American’s pride in their democratic political system but history shows that in several key American cultural changes the “Kings” crowned in the music sphere are representative of these …
A Bridge Over Troubled Water: Le Tombeau De Couperin, Anne Morris
A Bridge Over Troubled Water: Le Tombeau De Couperin, Anne Morris
Musical Offerings
Le tombeau de Couperin was composed during a turbulent time in the life of Ravel, a time when he had been emotionally scarred from the effects of war and had lost both his mother and many of his close friends. This composition may have served as the only friend whom Ravel felt comfortable enough to share with his innermost feelings. Autobiographical in nature, this piece follows the transition from Ravel’s carefully nurtured childhood and youth to serious maturity in his post-war adult life. There is personal emotional depth found in this piece, although at first it may appear somewhat hidden …
On The Power Of Music: Using 'Cosmos' And 'Anthropos' To Articulate A Holistic Approach To Discussing The Power Of Music, Brian R. Cates
On The Power Of Music: Using 'Cosmos' And 'Anthropos' To Articulate A Holistic Approach To Discussing The Power Of Music, Brian R. Cates
Musical Offerings
Music is an experience that is universal to all of mankind, no matter one’s race, gender, culture, or socioeconomic status. Whether it’s beholding one of Mahler’s symphonies in Carnegie Hall or listening to the “No. 1 Top Single” on iTunes using headphones, one truth is evident: music moves. The statement “music moves” inherently possesses an implication of the 'cosmic' and the 'anthropic’ nature of music – a holistic union of both mystery and humanity. This one truth has been the subject of an ongoing 2,000 year-old discussion that attempts to articulate the powerful reaction that results from experiencing music in …
From Neumes To Notes: The Evolution Of Music Notation, Hope R. Strayer
From Neumes To Notes: The Evolution Of Music Notation, Hope R. Strayer
Musical Offerings
New things are often viewed as being better and more advanced than older counterparts; however, new does not denote superior. Music notation serves as one example of an innovation that is both lauded and derided. Early forms of music notation appear vague and ambiguous according to modern standards. But when combined with oral traditions, early music notation contained all the information required for a successful performance. Most facts pertaining to the notation of each period are clear, but multiple interpretations of early notation exist. The objective of this research is to critically analyze key periods of Western music notation to …
Instruction, Devotion, And Affection: Three Roles Of Bach’S Well-Tempered Clavier, Rachel A. Lowrance
Instruction, Devotion, And Affection: Three Roles Of Bach’S Well-Tempered Clavier, Rachel A. Lowrance
Musical Offerings
Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier has been analyzed from almost every angle imaginable, yet it has not often been studied from the position of discovering what forces influenced Bach while he was writing it. For example, Bach was a keyboard teacher for most of his professional years, and this influenced many of the styles and genres in which he chose to write his preludes and fugues. This also influenced his desire to gather the preludes and fugues into a unified collection. Additionally, Bach was a devout Lutheran who never discarded his religion when he sat down at the keyboard to compose. No …