1010f11 11-14

Classical music inspired by popular

William Grant Still (1895-1978)

--first symphony by an African-American performed by a major orchestra

--first African-American to conduct a major US orchestra

--first opera by an African-American performed by a major US opera company

Afro-American Symphony, third movement “Humor” (1931)

introduction

syncopated, ragtime main theme

Strings soar

Solo oboe takes theme, passes it around

Trombones & horns take it up

Derivative motive in strings passed around

Hints of main theme also present

New theme, bluesy

First theme comes back

Rousing conclusion

minimalism

• 1) soothing

• 2) unnerving

• 3) interesting

• 4) boring

• 5) other

How does this music strike you?

Stella,EccentricPolygons:

Moultonville(1974)

Mondrian,Composition

no. 10(1939-42)

Stella,Color Maze

(1966)

Judd, Untitled (1990)

Terry Riley: "I think I was noticing that things didn't sound the same when you heard them more than once. And the more you heard them, the more different they did sound.

Even though something was staying the same, it was changing...In those days the first psychedelic experiences

were starting to happen in America, and that was changing our concept of how time passes..."

Minimalism seems to favor

• 1) complex structures and harmonies

• 2) intentional simplification

Philip Glass (1937- )

• 10 Operas

• Vocal & Instrumental Music

• 94 Film scores

Einstein on the Beach (1976)

• Opera

• Little singing, no plot

• “Knee Plays”

• small orchestra, chorus, speakers

• simple harmony

• bass repetition

• Bass ostinato

• Singers counting

• Voices divide

• Spoken voices enter

• Illusionist

• Truman Show

• Candyman

• Secret Window

• The Hours

Glass music in Film

Darius Milhaud (

The Creation of the World

• Ragtime-style introduction

• Bass with Jazzy melody

• Trombone, saxophone play melody

• Somewhat more chaotic section

Michael Daugherty (b. 1954)

Dead Elvis (1993)