Topic to Discuss: Are pitches and rhythms necessary elements to make music?
Minimum words : 150 words
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What is Music?
Please read “definitions of music” listed below. Then think about your own definition of music. Note years that each definition is made.
“The art of and science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds or tones in varying melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, esp. so as to form structurally complete and emotionally expressive compositions.” — New World Dictionary (1974)
“The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.” — American Heritage Dictionary (1995)
“The corporealization of the intelligence that is in sound.” — Hoëne Wronsky and Camille Durutte (mid-19th century); quoted by Edgard Varèse in The Liberation of Sound (1939)
“Music, ‘good’ or not ‘good,’ has only two ingredients that might be called God-given: the capacity of a body to vibrate and produce sound and the mechanism of the human ear that registers it. These two ingredients can be studied and analyzed, but they cannot be changed; they are the comparative constants. All else in the art of music, which may also be studied and analyzed, was created by man or is implicit in human acts, and is therefore subject to the fiercest scrutiny— and ultimately to approval, indifference, or contempt. In other words, all else is subject to change.” — Harry Partch, Genesis of a Music (1949)
“Music is form in tonal motion.” — Edward Hanslick, Von Musikalish-Schönen (1854)
“Music is the use of sound to represent biological rhythm.” — John Winsor, Breaking the Sound Barrier (2003)
“Music is everything that one listens to with the intention of listening to music.” — Luciano Berio, Interview With Rossana Dalmonte (1985)
“Music isn’t just what you hear or what you listen to, but everything that happens.” — M. George Brecht, in an interview With Irmeline Lebeer (1973)
Can the noise be music? Think about the sounds you can hear at a train station. You may hear lots of different sounds. Can they be music? I personally like last two definitions.
Have you ever listened to some classical music written in the 20th century? Few are enjoyable, but most of them are not familiar to students and very hard to understand. Some were written entirely with dissonant harmonies and complicated rhythms. Some pieces may be close to noise instead of “music”. Who likes to listen to the modern music that one may not like to hear ever again?
After listening Caballito negro (Little Black Horse) by Crumb (Listening Guide 42, p. 302), please discuss on following subjects.
Can the noise be music? Are pitches and rhythms necessary elements to make music? How can we define the music? Can silence be music? (Please read p.297 regarding John Cage’s 4’33”.) Do composers love to listen to their avant-garde music?
The link shows a performance of John Cage’s 4’33’. The piece is originally written for piano solo. When you watch it, please make sure you have no sound around you in order to maximize the composer’s intention. If the link does not open, please copy the link and paste it in a new window.
The link below shows György Ligeti’s Poeme Symphonique for 100 metronomes. The actual piece starts at 1:35. Please watch it all even though you don’t like noise you hear at the beginning of the piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCp7bL-AWvw&playnext_from=TL&videos=-DOXdFovHC0
As far as avant-garde music, you may enjoy Mysteries of the Macabre by György Ligeti. Please see the link below.
In your thread, you MUST mention one of definitions of music listed above in order to support your opinion and thought.
