New Directions

1
Lecture 24

• New Directions

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New Directions

• The New Music - 1950 to present
• A Greater Freedom in Music
• Elements
• Melody - improvisation and microtonality (Harry
  Partch) exoticism - non-western scales (Henry
  Cowell)
• Harmony - tone clusters (Henry Cowell) to
  neo-tonality
• Rhythm - ultra complexity to simplicity
• Form - Aleatoric (John Cage) chance music
• Texture - polyphonic
• Dynamics and tempo - total serialism (Pierre
  Boulez)
• Instruments - electronic instruments and
  computers
• Concert for Piano and Orchestra John Cage
  (1957-58)

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Contemporary Composers and Non-Western styles

• John Cage (1912 - 1992)
• Strong influence of Asian music and philosophy.
• Prepared Piano, Indeterminacy, performance art
• Sonatas and Interludes (1946-48)
• "4' 33'' (1952)

4
Contemporary Composers and Non-Western styles

• George Crumb (b.1929)
• University Professor, Influenced by Asian music.
• Federico García Lorca - Spanish poet
• Ancient Voices of Children, First Movement

5
Contemporary Composers and Non-Western styles

• György Ligeti (b.1923)
• Influenced by African music (Additive meters)
• Disorder (Désordre), from Etudes for Piano, Book
  1(1985)
• Tone clusters
• Lux aeterna (1966)

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Assignment

• Read Chapters 74 75