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Week 8 Various Musical Pieces Analysis: Short Essays

As the 20^th Century came of age with inventions, music did not fall behind. New composers came up with new musical styles that are now considered part of modern music’s foundational notes. As composers developed different compositions that we have come to love in time, they set a precedent for the growth of music in different ideas shared. This paper focuses on the avant-garde musical composers of the 20^th Century.

John Cage – Sonata V Prepared Piano

While discovering music and intertwining it with his philosophies, John Cage composed the Sonata V, a 20-piece composition of the Sonata and Interludes. Sonata V was composed on a prepared piano as the sole instrument of the musical piece. Born in 1912 through to 1992, John Cage lived his life as a music composer, theorist in music, artists, and philosopher in his native America. As a musical expression of his life, Sonata V is a beautiful composition that shows music enthusiasts how far digital music has progressed through sound and synchrony to produce beautiful melodies such as Sonata V.

George Crumb Caballito Negro Atonal Song

Born in 1929, George Crumb is known for his works in musical compositions, especially with the composition of Caballito Negro. Caballito Negro falls under the modern classical music genre where Crumb blends flutes and percussion instruments to bring out impressionism in the composition. Caballito Negro is an interesting music piece that highlights a contrast of the music piece’s intense nature through the disjunctive chords and a dissonant melody.

Bernstein: West Side Story – Tonight Quintet and Chorus Musical

Leonard Bernstein composed a musical for the West Side Story in 1961 with lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim and Carol J. Oja known as Tonight Quintet. Bernstein, as an American pianist, conductor, composer, and music educator, incorporated a bass drum, woodblock, and triangle, a single tubular bell of the F key, vibraphone, cowbell, finger cymbals, a xylophone, drum kit, triangle, glockenspiel, timpani, bongos, maracas, a whistle, tam-tam, and snare drums as instruments in the musical composition. The composition with the West Side Story group’s inclusion brings a blend to the five parts of the music piece at the end, producing a masterpiece that embraces theatrical performances.

Philip Glass, Einstein on the Beach Knee Play 5 Minimalism

American-born Phillip Glass thrived in the age of avant-garde music, where he developed Einstein on the Beach as an avant-garde opera orchestral piece. Born in 1937, Phillip thrives as a music composer and pianist in his life. Einstein on the Beach is composed with the inclusion of a solo violin, alto chorus, soprano, and electric organ in the final part of the music piece that is Act 4; the Knee 5 Play. The music piece is by far an unbelievable composition in the blend of instruments and voices throughout the piece. Einstein on the Beach is a masterpiece in how Phillip uses the solo violin to tell humans in just melody and voice.

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine Minimalism

As a 1986 orchestral composition by John Adams, A Short Ride in a Fast Machine falls under orchestral symphonies. Born in 1947, Adams is an American musical conductor and composer associated with minimalism and thrives as a classical and orchestral opera music composer. A Short Ride in a Fast Machine incorporates woodwind and percussion instruments, keyboards, strings, and brass instruments. The intensity and appreciation of the musical piece come with the dedication of woodwind instrument players maintaining an arpeggio throughout the musical piece while employing only very few instruments in its composition. Adam’s composition of A Short Ride in a Fast Machine rivals grand orchestral pieces with the minimalism approach as a joyfully high-spirited classic.

Williams: Imperial March Movie Sound Track

The Imperial March, composed by John Williams, is an iconic musical piece representing music incorporated in cinematography. As a film soundtrack musical composition, it is used in the Star Wars movie franchise, marking the dramatically sinister march of Dark Vader entrances and theme music in all Star Wars movies. Of American heritage, John Williams was born in 1932, is an American musical composer, conductor, and musician, regarded as the best music film-soundtrack composer of all times. The electrifying composition that sends shivers down Star Wars enthusiasts employs violins, flutes, brass fanfare sounds, and pizzicato strings as instruments for the musical masterpiece. The blending of music brings to surface the dramatic, sinister marching of Dark Vader, the Star Wars film franchise’s main antagonist, to highlight an electrifying experience that sends any audience member familiar with the movie franchise a recollection of Dark Vader’s imperial march. Truly, The Imperial March is a composition of the ages harmonizing music and film enthusiasts. 

Uematsu: Final Fantasy Video Games

Of incorporated music comes Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy video game theme music. Born in Kochi, Japan, in 1959, Uematsu honed his craft as a Japanese musician and composer through self-teaching as early as when he was twelve. One of his greatest compositions was commissioned for theme and background music in the Final Fantasy video game franchise. In developing the musical piece, Uematsu uses flutes, harps, lutes, horns, piano, and bells to bring out the video game experience. Whether a video game enthusiast or music lover, an individual may be playing Final Fantasy video games, and one can enjoy the music emanating in the background.

Conclusion

As classical music evolved, composers found a niche through minimalism, the art of incorporating as few instruments as possible in musical composition, birthing the art that is celebrated today in orchestral chambers. Minimalism fused with avant-garde composition had seen the rise of ideas that flow freely into presenting musical masterpieces appreciated in today’s culture as much as when it was composed. On the other hand, adaptations of musical composition in movies and video games have harmonized film enthusiasts, video game players, and music lovers into the appreciation of such magnificent art forms, which are musical masterpieces by geniuses.

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