Making Musical Decisions Chapter 7

What You Will Learn Identify the musical elements composers use to create Describe the distinction between composers and arrangers Explain the musical form of theme and variations List the responsibilities of the conductor

Musician Profiles Bright Sheng Marin Alsop

Music Compositions: Integrating Musical Elements Composing music involves making decisions Decisions involve the base building blocks of music Form Structure and design of a composition Melody Intentionally organized succession of musical tones Timbre Distinct tonal quality Rhythm Combinations of long and short sounds

Musical decisions about form The structure and design of a composition, incorporating repetition, contrast, unity, and variety It gives shape and direction Does not control the emotional expression of the music Binary (AB), Ternary (ABA), Rondo

Musicals decisions about melody Melodies may be flowing or angular, short or long Melodies are almost always built on a musical scale Minor scale: A sequence of eight pitches built on the pattern of WHWWHWW. W= whole step & H= half step CDEFGABCDEFGA

Musical decisions about timbre Composers choose from a palette of colors(tone color) or timbre Some composers use conventional instruments in unconventional ways Tuned differently Played differently Manipulated sound Using timbres from non-Western cultures Some composers use unconventional instruments – found instruments

Bright Sheng (b. 1955) Born in Shanghai, China Studied piano Was discovered by Chairman Mao’s wife and allowed to continue studying Moved to New York and studied with Leonard Bernstein In 2001 he won the MacArthur foundation Fellowship (genius grant) Under the grant he composed his opera Madame Mao – the story of Chairman Mao’s wife, who was one of the leaders of China’s cultural revolution

Musical decisions about rhythm Felt time: An aspect of music that controls the listener’s sense of how much time has passed Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber Badinerie – J.S. Bach Which piece of music feels longer? Why?

Checking For Understanding Form Melody Rhythm Timbre Create a list of decisions that composers have to make about the assigned musical element.

The decision making skills of the arranger Composers arrange all the elements of music when creating a work Arranger: A musician who reworks existing musical material Adapts a composition written for one performing medium to another Recomposes a work to suit different circumstances

Arranging jazz instrumentals Jazz songs written to be sung with lyrics are commonly arranged as purely instrumental tunes Sometimes the lyrics are dropped and the part is assigned to an instrument Arrangers make artistic choices and can be just as creative as composers

Transcribing music The artistic involvement of the arranger can vary The exact notes of the composer are rescored for any combination of instruments or voices Transcriptions: Arrangements of music transferred from medium to another

Theme and Variations A musical form in which a melodic idea is stated then varied in a succession of statements Composers extend a musical idea through subtle and obvious changes Sometimes it is hard to recognize the theme(melody) The theme can be original or borrowed

The theme can be Ornamented Tempo altered Harmony changed Theme and variations The theme can be Ornamented Tempo altered Harmony changed Texture transformed Rhythm altered Played backwards

Using harmony to create variations Vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously Primary chords: Harmony built on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees of the scale The root is the tone on which the chord is built All notes in the scale can be harmonized by one of these chords Most song begin on the I chord or tonic The V7 chord likes to move to the I chord

Finding Inspiration in the Classics Many great composers use earlier works when writing later works Eric Carmen’s song, “All by Myself” uses the main theme of Sergi Rachmaninoff’s 1901 Second Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (opus 18)

Musical Decisions in Performing for Others Conductor: The director of an orchestra, choir, or other performing group The roles and skills of a conductor Must know the music well enough to detect an error by a single musician Select the music Rehearse the musicians Maintain the beat

Roles of a conductor cont... Facilitate the performers interpretation of the music Make musical decisions regarding expressive matters Give visual cues to the performers Conducting requires technique and an excellent sense of rhythm They indicate the beat and meter with specific conducting patterns Rubato: The free treatment of tempo within a musical phrase

Marin alsop (b. 1956) Female Conductor Conducting has been dominated by men Born and raised in New York City Parents were professional musicians Main instrument in violin Was inspired by Leonard Bernstein Won the Barrier Breaker Award First female conductor of a major American orchestra Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Review - terms Arranger Conductor “Felt”time Harmony Minor scale A musician who reworks existing musical material Conductor The director of an orchestra, choir, or other performing group “Felt”time An aspect of music that controls the listener’s sense of how much time has passed Harmony Vertical blocks of different tones that sound simultaneously Minor scale A sequence of 8 pitches built on the pattern of one whole step, one half step, two whole steps, one half step and two whole steps

More terms Primary chords Rubato Theme and variations Transcriptions Harmonies built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees of the scale Rubato The free treatment of tempo within a musical phrase Theme and variations A musical form in which a melodic idea is stated then varied in a succession of statements Transcriptions Arrangements of music transferred from one medium to another

Who is who? Marin Alsop Bright Sheng Prominent female conductor Won the Barrier Breaker Award Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Bright Sheng Chinese composer Undergrad at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Studied with Berstein

What are some ways a composer can change a theme into a variation? The key Tempo Rhythm Meter Texture Timbre Melody Harmony Style

Know the difference among composing, arranging, and transcribing A composer creates a totally new piece Arranging An arranger manipulates notes, harmonies, rhythms, and other musical elements in a n existing composition Transcribing A transcriber assigns the music to a different set of players or singers, changing the medium of the music, but not the arrangement of the material