My Ten Cents Worth of Music Discussion

"Sound does not mean anything" - John Cage

2009-09-06T02:58:00.001-07:00

In view of a comment posted by my senior on my previous post on the "Symphony of Singapore Sounds" reminds me of a philosophy which John Cage mentioned in an interview that I think it would be nice to share this philosophy in this post.

John Cage mentioned that sound is a sound, it does not need to mean anything. In the convention, people always have the thinking that, a sound is not plainly a sound, it has inner meanings to it, thus is linked to certain contexts. Therefore, when people listen to music, they will think deep (Inner Listening) into the music in order to get what the music mean. Paradoxically, in John Cage's point of view, he is looking at pure listening to the sound (Outer Listening) on the surface and need not think what the sound mean and how it fits into a context.

So you see, listening to sound need not be as complicating as when we listen to Beethoven and Mozart which definately mean something. At the end of the interview, John Cage brought up a quote by German Philosopher Immanuel Kant, that, there are two things in the world which doesn't need to mean anything, one is Music and other one is Laughter. This philosophy is also mentioned in his journal in Musical Quarterly Titled "East and West, New and Old".

Some Quote from the Interview:

"Those people who finally managed to understand that sound is just sound, they replied "You mean a sound is just sound !?"" - John Cage

"People think that sounds are useless, whereas I love sounds, just as they are, I have no need for them to be anything more. I don't want sounds to be psychological, sounds to pretend that they are something else or the sound is in love with other sound" - John Cage

Here are some sound music which I would like to recommend:-

Marcel Duchamp - Sculpture Musicale (can be downloaded @ http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=489129&song=4.+Sculpture+Musicale )

John Cage - Sculpture Musicale (Mesostic by John Cage) ( can be downloaded @ http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=489130&song=2.+Sculpture+Musicale+%28Mesostic+by+John+Cage%29 )

Gyorgy Ligeti - Poem Symphonique for 100 Metronomes ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8v-uDhcDyg )

Happy Listening !!!

The Path to New Music - Anton Webern (part 3)

2009-09-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

After such a long time of stopping, finally i am back again with my final understanding of the book 'The path to new music' by Anton Webern. In this part, I am looking what is Webern's point of view of 'Variations'.

Webern illustrated music variations with plants. A plant, as a whole, is seen as a music in the whole picture. You see plant as a plant, but when you see it closer, do you notice that within the plant, there are roots, leafs, stems, flowers and fruits ? All these features of a plant are described by Webern as the variations of the plant.

In musical sense, you listen the music exist as a whole as if looking at the plant as a whole which consist of variations. However, if you take a look closer, you are able to see that the variations of the music are related to the main motif, just that they are evolved into other forms. Similar to the concept of the roots, leafs, flowers and fruits of a plant, they don't look the same, however they are related to the plant and grow from it.

In view of serial music, Webern explained that there exist a lot of variations, for example, the various inversions, and also the comprehensiveness of having repetitions. Therefore, serial music is still not totally out of the realm of western classical music tradition. In one of the interview of Peirre Boulez, he mentioned that, it was from his understanding from Mahler's music in which he was able to understand Schoenberg, Berg and Webern.

Some recommendation to works by the second vienese school:
1. Arnold Schoberg - Pierrot Lunaire (Ensemble Intercontemporain - Boulez) Label: Deutsch Gramaphone

2. Alban Berg - Lulu (Chicago Symphony - Barenboiem) Label: Deutsch Gramaphone

3. Anton Webern - The Complete Work of Anton Webern (Berlin Philharmonic, Ensemble Intercontemporain - Boulez, Zimmermann (Piano)) Label: Deutsch Gramaphone*

4. Anton Webern - The Complete Work of Anton Webern (London Symphony - Boulez) Label: Sony

*Number 3 is the newer version of Webern's Cycle.

Yoko Ono - The Experimentalist

2009-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

After taking a long break from this blog. I am starting my new post today by introducing an experimentalist who I discovered recently, this composer is non other than John Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono. John Lennon, by the way was a member of the Beatles and also a peace activist.

I come across some compositions by Yoko Ono. Her style of 20th century art music were very unique as she created a fusion by mixing elements of pop music (for example the rock drum rhythms) and indeterminacy. From my point of view, this fusion of Yoko Ono was possible due to her relationship with John Lennon and also her friendship with Ichiyanagi Toshi (Student of John Cage). Ichiyanagi Toshi was the one who brought Yoko Ono into the world of John Cage.

Among many of Yoko Ono's works, the work titled "Why!!!" amazed me the most. This work was composed after the assassination of John Lennon in December 1980 by one of his crazy fan outside his Apartment building in New York. Basically, the work consisted of standard rock music accompaniment with a series of female voice shouting "Why!!" and female sound effect that sounded like "lead guitar lick". Some people may think that it is kind of like a mad woman shouting without any sense, however, I find that the voice is the part that give the soul to the music, without it, the music will not sound as unique anymore.

Another interesting work by Yoko Ono was titled "Fly" for solo female voice . The female voice imitates the sound of a fly, it is to be performed with a live fly being put on the performer's feet to enhanced the performance of the music.

The sound world of Yoko Ono is really unique and I hope from this discussion I am able to introduce this "hidden" great artist to more people. Happy Listening!!!

You can have a listen to works by Yoko Ono here:
Why!!! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4EVj76htYs
Fly - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NANDNspWDJc&feature=related

Webern's Path To New Music - Part 2

2009-06-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

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.....

Webern's Path To New Music. Part 1

2009-06-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

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.......

Indeterminacy - Symphony of Sound of Singapore

2009-06-23T03:42:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-06-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Recommended Recordings:

1) Turandot - Vienna Philharmonic (Karajan) (Audio CD)
2) Turandot at The Forbidden City - Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Zubin Mehta) (Zhang Yimou) (DVD)

Both materials are avaliable at Esplanade library (Singapore)

Puccini's Turandot

2009-06-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

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.

AAI 104 Blogging Assignment 1

2008-02-08T06:09:00.004-08:00

MISTY
Comp: Erroll Garner, Lyric: Johnny Burke.

This video which I would like to share with you is a clip taken during a rehearsal session of a jazz piece call "Misty" by a Brass Quintet which consist of Solo Flugal Horn played by Ze Yu, Trumpet played by Mervin, French Horn played by Jeremy, Trombone played by Guo Sheng and Tuba played by me (JinXing). There are some mistakes and mispitching, however, this is the best sample for me to show you how the piece sound like.

A brief Background of Misty

Erroll Garner (1921 - 1977)

Sarah Vaughan (1940 - 1990)

A Jazz Piece composed by Self Taught Jazz Pianist Erroll Garner in the mid 1950s. It was originally composed as a instrumental piece, later Johnny Burke wrote the lyrics turning this piece in to a vocal piece which was made famous by Jazz Singer Sarah Vaughan who can sing a range from Soprano to Baritone.

Analysis

The form of the whole pieces is in Tenary form which is II: A :II II: B A :II

This piece has a good mixture of accompaniment style, the composer used Arppegio (1, 5, 3), octave displacement and triples. Blue chords and blue notes were used.

The composer of this piece used mainly the circle of fifths progression decorated with blues notes and chords.

Reflection of Analysis

I feel that in jazz music, the overall chords and structure are similar to the classical music, it just that in jazz music, the simple chords are decorated with blues notes like for example, a Bb major chord can be decorated with a flat 9 (b9) to make it have the jazz effect. It also seems to me that Jazz composers like to use chords with leading notes quite often in the progression for their music. As jazz music are meant to be improvised, this score which I analyze is not necessary be the only way to perform this music. The phrasing of verses and chord progression will vary from different performers based on their creativity.

Music Analysis 2

2007-10-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

This is a very famous song from Jacky Chang's Musical "Snow, Wolf, Lake" 雪狼湖. It was composed by our local pop composer Dick Lee. This excerpt of the music score is the cantonese version.I will like to share with you my favourite part of this song, which is the very well known chorus. The chorus is very simple and straight forward with a few Passing Tone (PT), however, it seems that Dick Lee uses a lot of Neighbouring Notes (NN). I think that it is very interesting that he make use of multiple Neighbouring Notes to form a Melody. The whole chorus I think ends with Preparation (P), Suspension (S) and Resolution (R).

The progression which I worked out is

: I - vi - IV - V - iii - vi - ii - V - I (continued to P2)(Phrase 1)

: I - vi - IV - vii - III - vi - IV - V - I (Phrase 2)

The Harmonic Function which I worked out is

: T - PD - PD - D - PD - PD - D (Phrase 1)

: T - PD - PD - PD - PD - PD - D - T (Phrase 2)

Music Analysis Exercise 1

2007-09-03T12:12:00.000-07:00