Hello Jeanette, :)
My response to your comment is quite long so I’ll post it here instead of the small box in the Comments page. Thanks for dropping by!
(Programmatic title – Titles which evoke a scene/image/mood in the mind.)
A few of Babbitt’s music does indeed have programmatic titles, while most have neutral sounding ones which simply describes the form or compositional technique used. Let me give you a few examples:
Programmatic titles:
An Elizabethan Sextette - 1'When I Was Fair And Young' (1979)
An Elizabethan Sextette - 3'Your Face, Your Tongue, Your Wit' (1979)
Lagniappe (1985) (meaning: a small present/gift)
The Widow’s Lament in Springtime (1950)
‘Neutral-sounding’ titles:
Duet (1956)
Partitions (1957)
Preludes, Interludes, And Postlude (1991)
Three Compositions (1947)
Just to add on if you were wondering if the music itself is programmatic, my answer would be ‘no’. This is quite tricky. Take Minute Waltz for example – analysts discovered that Babbitt exploits all possible types of ‘oom-pah’ patterns in this “waltz”. Hence by right the listener should be able to have the waltz feel and perhaps imagine a ballroom where people are waltzing. However when I listen to this piece of music, it does not even remotely resemble a conventional waltz like we know it to be. This – as I understand – is due to the nature of Serial music. Therefore Babbitt’s music is not programmatic even though the descriptions used might seem like it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Hi Joyce,
Thanks for your extended response to Jean.
I'm surprised that you didn't get the waltz feel when listening to Babbitt's Minute Waltz; I certainly felt the dance quality (not in regular triple of course, but in a much stylized manner) when even listening to your Ringtone version!
BTW, I'm very thrilled to discover FileDen from you! What a surprise to find Babbitt's music being used as Ringtones! He must be very flattered should he know. Take about Webern's prediction that people will one day be whistling 12-tone melodies on the street!
well, i guess the Minute Waltz does have a certain waltz feel afterall. but in a very abstract way.
hah! i never noticed the ringtones. yes Babbitt would be pleased to find that out. i wonder if he knows! hmm i've been wondering if there's any way to contact Babbitt. :p email? i'm quite sure he's still alive (92 years old) from the different sources i've came across.
i'll go check out the ringtones. thanks.
Post a Comment