Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Playlist of a Classical Musician in New York in 1950 - Playlist III

"Porgy and Bess: Suite," Kurt Masur, Leizpeg Gewandhous Orchestra. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc., Berlin Classics, 8543, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbh1BrDE2ac (04/06/2010).

"Holst: The Planets," Gustav Holst, London Symphony Orchestra. Holst Conducts Holst, Pearl Records, 9417, 1993. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6NopU9K_8M (04/05/2010).

"The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra," Steuart Bedford, London Symphony Orchestra. British Orchestral Collection, Naxos, 8502502, 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR9nDnyIhAU (04/05/2010).

"Gerswhin Concerto in F," Seiji Ozawa, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. A Gershwin Night, Euroarts, 2053098, 2005.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwEnyz7iWGg (04/06/2010).

"Ives: Symphony No. 2," Michael Tilson Thomas, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Ives: Symphonies No. 2 & 3, Sony Classical, 46440, 1991.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbH5ruC-R5E (04/06/2010).

"Barber Violin Concerto, Mvt. 1," Hilary Hahn, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Barber & Meyer Violin Concertos, Sony Classical, 89029, 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCj8Gg4h1Wk (04/05/2010).

"Rhapsody in Blue," George Gershwin, Columbia Jazz Band. Classic Gershwin, CBS Masterworks, 42516, 1990. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc (04/05/2010).

"Barber: Adagio for Strings," Leonard Slatkin, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Barber: Adagio for Strings, EMI Classics, 74287, 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g (04/07/2010).

"Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra," Zubin Mehta, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Euroarts, 2072248, 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9bIoYvdMtE (04/06/2010).

"Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes," Aaron Copland, London Symphony Orchestra. Copland Conducts Copland, Sony Classical, 89041, 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqah1rucyRg (04/06/2010).

"Billy the Kid: Suite," Aaron Copland, London Symphony Orchestra. Copland Conducts Copland, Sony Classical, 89041, 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdfPbHmEY4w (04/05/2010).

"Kreisler: Preludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani," Itzhak Perlman, Samuel Sanders. Gemini - Encores, EMI Classics, 50879, 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeETRRsj1Ek (04/07/2010).

"Shostakovich Symphony No. 5," Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic. Bernstein Century - Shostakovich Symphonies No. 5 & 9, Sony Classical, 61841, 1999.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogJFXqYEYd8 (04/06/2010).

"Ives: Contemplation: The Unanswered Question," Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic. Bernstein Century - Ives: The Unanswered Question, Sony Classical, 60203, 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkFgIMC-Ks (04/07/2010).

"Appalachian Spring," Aaron Copland, London Symphony Orchestra. Copland Conducts Copland, Sony Classical, 89041, 2000. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxDSiVELKk (04/06/2010).


Returning to the United States in 1950 places a musician in an entirely different environment. European music becomes less a part of the classical tradition as phenomenal composers such as George Gershwin emerge from New York City. My playlist opens with a staple of American music, "Porgy and Bess," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbh1BrDE2ac to reacquaint the listener to the sounds of an American composer. However, influences from abroad cannot be easily ignored as the music of Gustav Holst and Benjamin Britten have a powerful influence on the world at this time. Britten's piece, "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR9nDnyIhAU, spurred a wave of education across the world about the orchestral ensemble. It motivated students in America to learn the violin or the flute, and to join a local orchestra to make music. Holst created a piece of music called, "The Planets," that had never had any predecessor of its magnitude before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6NopU9K_8M. This piece activated the minds of young people to think about the supernatural world and to conceptualize the universe through sound. It made the music seem bigger than just the immediate concert hall it filled.

Gershwin continued to pump out catchy tunes such as, "Rhapsody in Blue," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc, to the appeal of audiences worldwide. At the same time however, a man of opposite proportions, Charles Ives, composed his Second Symphony to the dumbfoundedness of American audiences. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbH5ruC-R5E.

To a musician in 1950, new music was exciting because it provided an alternative to the overplayed melodies of Beethoven and Brahms. Even more exciting, was the dawn of true classical American music. Aaron Copland's, "Rodeo," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqah1rucyRg, gave a sound to his listener's that was distinctly American. As did his famous, "Appalachian Spring." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxDSiVELKk.

However, classical music is an all encompassing category that should not strive to distinguish melodies from each other, but should combine the elements that have already been written. As Kun addresses in Audiotopia, there has been a tendency to intially separate American music by racial lines. However, I believe the pure instrumental aspect of classical music has shaped the progress of uniting rather than dividing the American people. "Appalachian Spring," is a melody that anyone can relate to in the US. It does not matter if you are white, Black, or Asian; all that matters is your sense of national identity.

This playlist reflects a America's adaptation of classical music towards a distinct, separate entity from European sound. However, I believe each European melody has heavily influenced the development of American classical music. The combination of my three playlists is designed to exemplify how oceans separate the soundscapes of musicians. Yet, a Brahms concerto can be an equal part of an American's audiotopia, as can a Gershwin rhapsody be part of an Austrian's soundscape. Classical music's adaptations over time has led to more nationalistic or contentinally geared music, but it still enables listeners to embrace all forms of classical music and design for themselves their own playlist.

2 comments:

  1. I am citing this playlist for task 7, #3. Although I have played a lot of classical musical it still does not resonate with me. I find the music to be too slow and sometimes very repetitive with little variation. I like the music to be more upbeat and with changes in music.

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  2. I am citing this playlist for question #3. I grew up playing instruments and enjoy playing classical music, however, I generally do not enjoy listening to it.

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