As I carry on my journey into webern's book, I am enlightened by 2 points which Webern mentioned.
" In every music there require space, a Gregorian Chant only occupy one line of the space", "when polyphony was discovered, the space of music were expanded, thus enable composers to express themselves better via music." Usually as a amature musician, I do not look parts of the music as "space extension". This concept which Webern mention not only turned my point of view in music and made me understand why the texture of Western Classical Music become more dense as music evolve through the various music period (Orchestra Sound in Baroque period was much lighter compare to Orchestra in late romantic period).
Webern viewed that all music must be comprehensive, in order for comprehensiveness to happen, there must be repetition, repetition can be things like sequences, Period and etc. Schoenberg's 12 notes techique is a very good example of repetition (comprehensiveness) because the 12 notes sequence keep reoccur forming repetition. Repetition not only occurs in New Music, it can be found in music as early as the gregorian chants, Mozart and Beethoven symphony. Looking at this point, I realised that it is true that almost all music have repetitions, even in pop music. Repetition is really a must in music, it is not quite possible to compose a comprehensive piece of music without writing any repetitions.
So in music comprehensiveness and musical space music be put into consideration.
To Be Continue.....
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Webern's Path To New Music. Part 1
Started to read Webern's Path to New Music today, very inspiring and also opened me up to a new dimension and thinking in music. The book "Path To New Music" is a transcription of Weberns public lectures during the 1930s and the lectures were catered not only for musicians but also for layman.
Webern used a lot of Quotes of Goethe and also adopted Goethe's "Theory of Colour" (I guess Webern was a fan of Goethe). Webern mentioned that music is a natural law like what Goethe mentioned in his "Theory of Colour" that light are the natural law for sight, so music is the natural law for hearing. According to Webern, human are like empty vessels, it is nature which fills in musical elements into the "human vessels".
Webern believes that musical elements like diatonic scales and notes are not invented but discovered, meaning that 12 tones technique was being discovered by schoenberg rather than invented. in Webern point of view, each musical notes are very complex because each notes have their own overtones which are infinite, therefore each notes should be treated as important.
Consonences and dissonances are to be view as similar. Because triads are treated as "Equalibrium" force of the notes (Newton's 3rd law of force and motion: what goes up must come down). Triads exist during primitive times but it was discovered much later.
Webern view music as something which is the same as a languge because music can be used to express and communicate with their audiences as it is a law of nature, something music can express things that even words cannot express. Music should be comprehensive and to get to understand a particular music language, spiritual involvement is essential.
After reading through the first 4 lectures, I did some reflection on my point of view in music. During my music modules, my professors did mentioned about overtone series of a note itself, there was a lesson on schoenberg's 12 tone music, when I learned that schoenberg treated all notes as equally important. So what is the significants of treating all musical notes equal ? Well, finally got the answer today, kind of happy about it. Today is just the beginning of my journey in reading this book, I am sure I will learn more as I go deeper into the book. Great Book!!!
To Be Continue.......
Webern used a lot of Quotes of Goethe and also adopted Goethe's "Theory of Colour" (I guess Webern was a fan of Goethe). Webern mentioned that music is a natural law like what Goethe mentioned in his "Theory of Colour" that light are the natural law for sight, so music is the natural law for hearing. According to Webern, human are like empty vessels, it is nature which fills in musical elements into the "human vessels".
Webern believes that musical elements like diatonic scales and notes are not invented but discovered, meaning that 12 tones technique was being discovered by schoenberg rather than invented. in Webern point of view, each musical notes are very complex because each notes have their own overtones which are infinite, therefore each notes should be treated as important.
Consonences and dissonances are to be view as similar. Because triads are treated as "Equalibrium" force of the notes (Newton's 3rd law of force and motion: what goes up must come down). Triads exist during primitive times but it was discovered much later.
Webern view music as something which is the same as a languge because music can be used to express and communicate with their audiences as it is a law of nature, something music can express things that even words cannot express. Music should be comprehensive and to get to understand a particular music language, spiritual involvement is essential.
After reading through the first 4 lectures, I did some reflection on my point of view in music. During my music modules, my professors did mentioned about overtone series of a note itself, there was a lesson on schoenberg's 12 tone music, when I learned that schoenberg treated all notes as equally important. So what is the significants of treating all musical notes equal ? Well, finally got the answer today, kind of happy about it. Today is just the beginning of my journey in reading this book, I am sure I will learn more as I go deeper into the book. Great Book!!!
To Be Continue.......
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Indeterminacy - Symphony of Sound of Singapore
Do you regard sound of surrounding as music ? If so why?
John Cage in one of his interview in 1991, he mentioned "The sound of traffic are acting, there are sound that are high and low, loud and soft, short and long", "When you listen to Mozart and Beethoven, the music is always the same, but when you listen to traffic, it is always different". The sound of the traffic is the reason why he choose to stay at the corner apartment at the Sixth Avenue, New York.
Bearing what John Cage said in his interview in my mind, I started to listen to sounds of my surrounding more cautiously. It is amazing to hear the beauty of the sounds from my surrounding, for example when i walk through a market place with shops at both sides of the path, I could hear hawkers cooking their food, CD shops playing their featured CD, fruit hawkers shouting their deals and also music played from different shops. All these sound from radio and sound from human join force to form a "symphony of sound" which is the most natural and most beautiful music i ever heard.
Another interesting things about "Symphony of Sound" is that I can get to hear lots of improvisation being carried out like for example the sound of people talking, sound of hawkers stir frying "Mee Goreng"(Malay Style Fried Noodles). John Cage said that "Sounds does not mean anything" which i totally agree but from my point of view, i feel that although sounds does not mean anything but if you put the sounds together it does means something. Like the "Symphony Of Sound" at the market place serves like a "quotation and collage" piece of music which tell the story of a typical singaporean market place. It is these sounds that made the "Symphony Of Sound" very singapore which is so significant to me.
I have friends who are studying abroad, they always tell me they miss the singaporean food like char kway tiao (Stir Fried Rice Noodle with Black Sauces), Satay (Sticked Meat) and etc. Other than food, what i think makes more significance are the beautiful sound which can only be found in singapore, I am sure the sound of singapore can't be found in another other countries. For example you can't find any other sound like "Liew Lian, Liew Lian !!! "Bao jia" (meaning sure good quality in hokkien), 3 for $10" and the sound of stir frying Mee Goreng at any other countries.
Its a joy for me to always take a detour to the market place whenever I go to school (although there is a short cut) as like what John Cage said "Listening to traffic is always different" to me listen to sounds of singapore is always different too and it is not possible to find any recordings of this any where.
John Cage in one of his interview in 1991, he mentioned "The sound of traffic are acting, there are sound that are high and low, loud and soft, short and long", "When you listen to Mozart and Beethoven, the music is always the same, but when you listen to traffic, it is always different". The sound of the traffic is the reason why he choose to stay at the corner apartment at the Sixth Avenue, New York.
Bearing what John Cage said in his interview in my mind, I started to listen to sounds of my surrounding more cautiously. It is amazing to hear the beauty of the sounds from my surrounding, for example when i walk through a market place with shops at both sides of the path, I could hear hawkers cooking their food, CD shops playing their featured CD, fruit hawkers shouting their deals and also music played from different shops. All these sound from radio and sound from human join force to form a "symphony of sound" which is the most natural and most beautiful music i ever heard.
Another interesting things about "Symphony of Sound" is that I can get to hear lots of improvisation being carried out like for example the sound of people talking, sound of hawkers stir frying "Mee Goreng"(Malay Style Fried Noodles). John Cage said that "Sounds does not mean anything" which i totally agree but from my point of view, i feel that although sounds does not mean anything but if you put the sounds together it does means something. Like the "Symphony Of Sound" at the market place serves like a "quotation and collage" piece of music which tell the story of a typical singaporean market place. It is these sounds that made the "Symphony Of Sound" very singapore which is so significant to me.
I have friends who are studying abroad, they always tell me they miss the singaporean food like char kway tiao (Stir Fried Rice Noodle with Black Sauces), Satay (Sticked Meat) and etc. Other than food, what i think makes more significance are the beautiful sound which can only be found in singapore, I am sure the sound of singapore can't be found in another other countries. For example you can't find any other sound like "Liew Lian, Liew Lian !!! "Bao jia" (meaning sure good quality in hokkien), 3 for $10" and the sound of stir frying Mee Goreng at any other countries.
Its a joy for me to always take a detour to the market place whenever I go to school (although there is a short cut) as like what John Cage said "Listening to traffic is always different" to me listen to sounds of singapore is always different too and it is not possible to find any recordings of this any where.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Puccini's Turandot
Its been a year since i last done this blog. Now its time to revive it.
For the head start, I will discuss about Turandot, an opera composed by one of the greatest Opera composer Giacomo Puccini. My journey with Puccini's music started when I bought a DVD (produced by BBC) about the composer's life, from this DVD learned quite a lot of his works, for example, Manon Lescaut, Madam Butterfly and Tosca.
Among all his operas, Turandot and his later operas (Madam Butterfly) strikes me the most. Puccini compositional style took on a new direction due to the influences by Debussy and Schoenberg. If you happen to listen to Madam Butterfly, you could hear lots of elements of whole tone scales which creates a typical Debussy's impressionist effect. The impressionist effect did not stop in Madam Butterfly, it occurs even in Turandot, starting of act 3 the section before the very famous "Nessun Dorma". During that section, it started with a night scene, Puccini made used of the whole tone scale (descending and ascending 3rds) at the clarinet part to give a impressionistic and enhanced night settings.
The premiere of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (1912) in Italy in the early part of the 20th century made a great impact on Puccini's perspective in musical style of Atonal Music. Due to this influcence, Puccini attempted to put in atonal elements into the new opera which he was working on. The effect of atonal elements can be found at the very beginning of Turandot by the tutti orchestra and also the mandarino's Part "Popolo Di Pekino" (People of Pekin), the atonal elements reoccurs through out Act 1.
Puccini has never been to china but he managed to compose many motifs which sounds very china and also integrated the famous song of the Lily Flowers "Moh Li Hua" into the opera. All these are due to the chinese music box which his friend brought back from china. Puccini studied the tune of the music box (Moh Li Hua) and picked up the style of composing chinese music.
I believe that Nessum Dorma is the most famous tune in Turandot (Act 3). However a lot of people which I come across said that Nessun Dorma is a "love song". Here I would like to explain and give a little insight about Nessun Dorma, hopefully can give a clearer picture about the famous Tenor Aria. Bascially, at the start of Act 3 of Turandot, people in pekin were ordered not to sleep until they find out the name of young man (Calaf) who had answered all 3 questions posted by Turandot, so "Nessun Dorma" means "No one shall sleep". The tenor aria is (to me) a aria of pride, as calaf sings that "No One Shall Know My Name", "At the daybreak, I shall win, I shall win".
The most interesting part of this famous opera lies at the final part. While Puccini was composing till the duet of liu and calaf, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, he stop working on the work and concentrated in recapulating his disease, unfortunately Puccini died after going through an experimental radiation therapy treatment in brussel, leaving the work unfinished. Puccini had assignment Riccardo Zandonai to complete turandot but was rejected by his son Tonio Puccini. Some italian opera composers like Pietro Masgcani (composer of "Cavalleria Rustricana") and Vincenzo Tammasini attempted to complete turandot but were also rejected. Finally, Franco Alfrano was chosen to complete the opera, Alfrano's version is the one that is much performed today, however there are critics who criticise Alfrano's ending to be a "Cheap work". Up to today, there are composers who stepped out to composer their own version of Turandot's ending, one of them was the famous Luciano Berio. Trurandot (Alfrano's Ending) was premiered on Sunday April 26, 1926 at La Scala, Milan under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.
For the head start, I will discuss about Turandot, an opera composed by one of the greatest Opera composer Giacomo Puccini. My journey with Puccini's music started when I bought a DVD (produced by BBC) about the composer's life, from this DVD learned quite a lot of his works, for example, Manon Lescaut, Madam Butterfly and Tosca.
Among all his operas, Turandot and his later operas (Madam Butterfly) strikes me the most. Puccini compositional style took on a new direction due to the influences by Debussy and Schoenberg. If you happen to listen to Madam Butterfly, you could hear lots of elements of whole tone scales which creates a typical Debussy's impressionist effect. The impressionist effect did not stop in Madam Butterfly, it occurs even in Turandot, starting of act 3 the section before the very famous "Nessun Dorma". During that section, it started with a night scene, Puccini made used of the whole tone scale (descending and ascending 3rds) at the clarinet part to give a impressionistic and enhanced night settings.
The premiere of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (1912) in Italy in the early part of the 20th century made a great impact on Puccini's perspective in musical style of Atonal Music. Due to this influcence, Puccini attempted to put in atonal elements into the new opera which he was working on. The effect of atonal elements can be found at the very beginning of Turandot by the tutti orchestra and also the mandarino's Part "Popolo Di Pekino" (People of Pekin), the atonal elements reoccurs through out Act 1.
Puccini has never been to china but he managed to compose many motifs which sounds very china and also integrated the famous song of the Lily Flowers "Moh Li Hua" into the opera. All these are due to the chinese music box which his friend brought back from china. Puccini studied the tune of the music box (Moh Li Hua) and picked up the style of composing chinese music.
I believe that Nessum Dorma is the most famous tune in Turandot (Act 3). However a lot of people which I come across said that Nessun Dorma is a "love song". Here I would like to explain and give a little insight about Nessun Dorma, hopefully can give a clearer picture about the famous Tenor Aria. Bascially, at the start of Act 3 of Turandot, people in pekin were ordered not to sleep until they find out the name of young man (Calaf) who had answered all 3 questions posted by Turandot, so "Nessun Dorma" means "No one shall sleep". The tenor aria is (to me) a aria of pride, as calaf sings that "No One Shall Know My Name", "At the daybreak, I shall win, I shall win".
The most interesting part of this famous opera lies at the final part. While Puccini was composing till the duet of liu and calaf, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, he stop working on the work and concentrated in recapulating his disease, unfortunately Puccini died after going through an experimental radiation therapy treatment in brussel, leaving the work unfinished. Puccini had assignment Riccardo Zandonai to complete turandot but was rejected by his son Tonio Puccini. Some italian opera composers like Pietro Masgcani (composer of "Cavalleria Rustricana") and Vincenzo Tammasini attempted to complete turandot but were also rejected. Finally, Franco Alfrano was chosen to complete the opera, Alfrano's version is the one that is much performed today, however there are critics who criticise Alfrano's ending to be a "Cheap work". Up to today, there are composers who stepped out to composer their own version of Turandot's ending, one of them was the famous Luciano Berio. Trurandot (Alfrano's Ending) was premiered on Sunday April 26, 1926 at La Scala, Milan under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.
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