The 20th centurys 3 greatest composers Essay - 2358 Words

The 20th centurys 3 Greatest Composers The 20th century has watched many musicians break through their generations bounds of normalcy to creat a completely new music. Musicians who initiated revolutions so grandiose that the impact—like an earthquake’s aftershocks—would reverberate for decades and influence scores of musicians to come. Such influences can be traced back to three specific composers. Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, and Nadia Boulanger: the triumvirate of 20th century music. Igor Stravinsky, remains the century’s most shocking and versatile composer. Born in Russia in 1882, Stravinsky enjoyed a musically wealthy childhood. He was the son of a famous opera singer and well-educated in piano performance and†¦show more content†¦The opening of Dance of the Adolescent Girls is a prime example of Stravinsky’s dizzying rhythmic trickery. Lower strings play an ostinato E major triad, while upper strings play a first inversion 7th chord on Eb. All instruments play 4 quarter notes per measure. However, Stravinsky’s placement of accents causes listeners to hear the notes in groups of 9, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5, and 3 (Hanning 483-4). Such rhythmic manipulations were a very radical theory in Stravinskys day. Add to that the fact that this music was intended as dance accompaniment, and one can clearly see how Stravinsky broke the mold as a composer. Unfortunately, audiences were not always receptive to his efforts. During Rite’s May 28, 1913 evening premiere at Theatre des Champs-Elysees, the prelude’s opening measures â€Å"evoked derisive laughter† from the audience (Harrington). Composer, Camille Saint-Saens stormed out immediately, appalled by Stravinsky’s audacious writing for bassoon. Fights erupted between audience members. Stravinsky fled to the wings where choreographer, Nijinsky, frantically shouted counts to the dancers. The choreographer was so enraged, Stravinsky literally had to hold his shirt to prevent Nijinskys attacking of the irreverent crowd (Glass). Members of that evenings audience could hardly fathom the ballet would later be hailed as one of the centurys greatest works. Above image shows Stravinsky (left) posing with Nijinsky (right).Show MoreRelatedMaster Filmaker Akira Kurosawa1250 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluence that very few directors can challenge. What seemed to most invigorate him were his plans for the next film. He also expected the same level of dedication and energy from his cast and crew. Kurosawa was a director to be compared to the greatest writers of any century, a true master of storytelling. Throughout Akiras career he pursued filmmaking in an exploratory manor. Using film techniques that were equally controlled and experimental. His use of slow motion photography during battleRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages(electronic) 1. History, Modern—20th century. 2. Twentieth century. 3. Social history—20th century. 4. World politics—20th century. I. Adas, Michael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 Printed in the United States of America 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 C ONTENTS Introduction