Leonard Bernstein's Second Symphony: The Age Of Anxiety

In the book, Symphony for the City of the Dead, by M.T. Anderson, the author accentuates the composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, to describe the composer’s devotion for his city and country. The novel was set during 1905-1975 in northern Europe and western Russia. When Shostakovich lived in Leningrad, Russia, during World War 2, he wrote symphonies. He expressed his feelings of horror and hope for Russia's victory against the Nazi power in his symphonies. Although, his seventh symphony was the most significant to all globally in this time of war. It brought allied forces together to defeat the Nazi power. M.T. Anderson argued that Russia's dedication in music and nationalist feelings was prominent in obtaining and battling for its own country during

As one of the most noteworthy performers and musicians of his time, and more specifically of the era of 20th century classical music, Glenn Gould (1932 - 1982) has certainly earned his widespread recognition that has extended across decades since his passing in 1982. While his body of work is extensive, and within that body of work lies several characteristics worthy of discussion, perhaps the most noteworthy of Gould 's performances lie within his interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) 's music. Having been performed throughout his life, Gould influenced the development of classical music in Canada and changed the approach of many musicians towards the Baroque era of music. With his passion for contrapuntal craftmanship, it is clear that that Gould garnered influence from

Soviet and Jewish born composer Alfred Schnittke was born in 1934 to German parents. In addition to composing for concert hall repertory, he also scored for films, more specifically cartoons. Although Schnittke studied and later taught at the Moscow Conservatory, his approach in composing still held influences of his education in Vienna during his adolescent years. Schnittke 's music comprises of a distinctive feature, the polystylistic idiom, which can be found all over his extensive repertory. Towards the latter years of his life, Schnittke suffered a series of strokes, but notwithstanding, his compositional creativity did not falter, rather, it flourishes even more.

With rich historical context and sharp rhetoric, Richard Taruskin argues against a misconception about the impending demise of Classical Music. In doing so, he exemplifies three authors who argue for the ongoing crisis in Classical Music and why in their minds, Classical Music should be preserved at all cost. Taruskin then methodically dismantle their attempts to save Classical Music and instead provide his own view and its place in society. His main thesis is that classical music is undergoing a change that cannot and should not be intervened. Instead, we should allow it, observe it, and be a part of it.

Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place. In John Harrington Edward’s book God and Music, he states, “In simplest definition,

Music helps people communicate how they feel when they just can't find the words to say it. It gives people a way to express who they are inside through many different forms. Music can be found throughout history. In this report I am going to discuss different musical periods in history with two artists or composers works representing that period.

Duke Ellington was a renowned personality in the music industry, as he was a very successful and notable composer and pianist. He also was a band leader of jazz orchestra throughout his professional career of fifty years; he had been the leader of the orchestra from the year 1923. He was born in 1899 and passed away in 1974. He was a notable figure in the music industry and had an active professional career in the field. That is why his personality is worthy of study so that lessons might be drawn from his life. He considered his music part of the category of American Music and he devoted his life to music to give new meaning to the field (Pbs).

Daniel Felsenfeld began his self-proclaimed “uninspiring” musical journey in High School. During this time he labored over musical pieces that left him feeling unfulfilled. His conflict of disinterest in Chopin Preludes and Beethoven’s Sonata led Felsenfeld to move on from professional music lessons to performing at piano bars.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a famous composer of the eighteenth-century classical music and the nineteenth-century romanticism style of music. Beethoven is still remembered for his spectacular pieces in modern times. Beethoven’s music led others to take the art of music as a serious topic. His symphonies and sonatas were revolutionary to the music world, because of this, many people today are not aware of his deafness. His deafness eventually caused him to make sacrifices in his music career.

Edith Borroff was born in New York City, on August 2, 1925. Her father and mother both musicians and very popular at that, were Marie Bergerson and Ramon Borroff. Her parents were very accomplished pianist. Her mother graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelors and also a Masters. She then went on to receive her Ph.D from Yale University. Her mother was the first woman to ever teach in the English Department of Yale. Her father was not very much spoken of. Of course since her parents were musicians, it was only natural that Edith start her career with music at infancy. The music within Borroff definitely came naturally, she was even writing her own pieces of music at the age of six. This skill and dedication for many doesn’t

Life is comprised of highs and lows, memories and friendships, history and culture. To capture the essence of life and vitality in a piece of music is near-impossible. Yet, as the low-brass lays a framework of chords and the strings drive a dynamic, shifting, melody, Antonin Dvorak is able to represent life itself in his piece, Symphony No. 9. When I first heard Symphony No. 9, often described as the New World Symphony, I was looking for a score to play in the background of my studies. It was unbeknownst to me that the score I chose would distract me from my studies due to the shock I experienced at the hands of the orchestra. The emotion exhibited by the performers, the melancholic tone, and the unsettling chords all piqued by interest.

As gruesome war can be, and how beautiful music can be, the two are undoubtedly associated with each other. It is almost as if war and music have been constantly impacting each other, resembling Sir Isaac Newton’s Cradle, for over the past several centuries. Music’s impact on warfare can be seen on and off the battlefield. In both of these instances, it was mainly used for communication purposes and as a psychological weapon. On the other hand, war has impacted music in several different ways. For example, the violence of warfare has molded many of the musical artists’ emotions and attitudes, which has resulted in powerful, upbeat music or dark, depressing music. War has also mixed many different cultures’ music as a result

A musicality is extremely identifiable, regardless of the possibility that the writer changes every one of the notes and the harmonies. Along these lines, Beethoven utilize the cadence of the Fate theme heaps of times all through the fifth orchestra, to entwine everything the main development we can

What modernist about Ives is his music has deep fascination with innovation, progress, and avant-garde impulse. In his Piano Sonata No. 2, and Holiday Symphony, “Washington’s birthday,” Charles Ives combined American and European traditional elements. It is what “musicologist J. Peter Burkholder calls “borrowed tunes.” (The Rest is Noise, p. 143). His music embraces a hallmark of modernism as “it breaks with the past, and substitutes a mythical sense of the past for a historical one” (“Some hallmarks of Modernism”). Charles Ives’s ‘playing with tunes’ is an effective avant-garde innovation. He collected and combined the old and new tunes in his music. He gave audience a sense of music that is different from tradition, but still provokes reminiscing feeling from listeners. It is how Ives communicated with people. He created this connection with the audience, and it is up to them to interpret the meaning of music. “He preferred to imagine a world in which music could somehow circulate without being bought or sold” (The Rest is Noise, p. 142). His music is creative because it was built on traditional tunes but it demonstrates Ives’ “great interest in technique in the broadest sense” (“Some hallmarks of Modernism”). This avant-garde music has a unique style but it is easily accessible to a viable

The Fifth Symphony was in development for a long time. The first sketches are from 1804 following the completion of the third symphony. However, Beethoven interrupted the progress on the 5th symphony repeatedly to prepare other compositions, including the first version of Fidelio, the Appassionata piano sonata, the three Razumovsky string quartets, the Violin Concerto, the Fourth Piano Concerto and the fourth symphony. Beethoven added the final touches to the Fifth Symphony, which took place in 1807–1808, was being written at the same time as the Sixth Symphony, which premiered at the same concert.