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The String Quartet
A LIFE Institute CourseSession Six
Bob Fabianhttp://LIFEcourses.ca/Quartet
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Approachable 20th Century
● Arnold Schoenberg 1878-1951● Benjamin Britten 1913-1976● Bela Bartók 1881-1945● William Schuman 1910-1992● Dmitri Shostakovitch 1906-1975● What comes next?
● Final bon-bon ...
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“Modern” Classical Music!
● Death of tonality● Music doesn't need to be in a key● Can use less pleasing intervals● The patterns don't fit expectations
● Art for art's sake● Aim should not be to please community● Aim of artist should be to please himself● Appeals to smaller and smaller audience
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Why?
● The world is no longer a well-structured place● Children don't follow in the footsteps of their parents● “Everything” doesn't automatically have its place● We have no option but to live with uncertainty
● Today's art should reflect today's reality● Reality is often uncomfortable● Today's art is also uncomfortable
● Both comfort from the past and challenge in the present are important, … and valuable
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Course compromise
● Modern music is an acquired taste– I still don't like oysters; I never acquired the taste
● We'll sample early works – the composer is still finding his (her) way forward
– And more approachable composers have been selected
● Sample 20th century musical examples, not possible to survey
– Not enough time; Not enough good YouTube material
● Let's start
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Arnold Schoenberg 1874-1951
● Born into lower middle-class Jewish family in Vienna
● Largely self-taught● In his 20's, employed to orchestrate
operettas ● Led German musical avant-garde
until the Nazis took over● In 1933 fled Europe, settled in
California Self-portrait
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Film by Larry Weinstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMyhx336i9Y
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Transfigured Night, Op. 4
Emerson Quartet, extendedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3x8siY2yKw
Transfigured Night (poem)
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Benjamin Britten 1913-1976
● The leading English post-WW II composer● Studied at Royal College of Music, and
with Frank Bridge● In 1945, opera Peter Grimes won
international recognition● Successful pianist and conductor● Many works for the tenor Peter Pears● Pacifist, spent 1939-42 in the US● String quartets always important
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The Life of Benjamin Britten
● Britten's life with Peter Pears● Provides life insight, does not attempt a balance view of his music
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S31OGrGkL4
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String Quartet No. 2, Op. 36
Amadeus Quartet (1977)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXUH-qTIGkA
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Bela Bartók 1881-1945
● Father was a lesser Hungarian nobility; mother was Serbian (but spoke Hungarian)
● Began study of piano at age 4● Father died when he was 7; family
moved around● At 18, entered Royal Academy of
Music in Budapest; met Zoltan Kodaly – explored folk music
● Fled Nazi in 1940; died in NYC
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Short Video Biography
Philharmonia Orchestra - Londonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isU-rq6p8ws
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Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Op. 7
Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RL2GwK1lUw
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William Schuman 1910-1992
● Born to a Jewish family in NYC● At 18 entered NYU's School of
Commerce● In 1930 attended his first Carnegie Hall
concert● "I was astounded at seeing the sea of stringed
instruments, and everybody bowing together. The visual thing alone was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I had never heard anything like it. The very next day, I decided to become a composer."
● Approachable, successful composer; senior arts administration
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An Echo from the Past
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ20S10LWqo
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Schuman: String Quartet No. 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRza749-mR8
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Dmitri Shostakovich 1906-1975
● Born before the revolution; middle class family supported revolutionary aims
● At 13, he entered Petrograd Conservatory
● At 19, graduated with First Symphony as graduation piece
● The arts exploded in Russia during the 1920s
● First denunciation came in 1936● Was the leading WW II composer● Second denunciation came in 1948
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life and times of Shostakovich
Director: Oliver Beckerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRJdd7VMyUU
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Lecture/Demo
Jon Jeffrey Grier and the Athena Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hlewkOFmss
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Great Performance of 8th Quartet
Borodin Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tby5aMrMu6Q
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Sorry I missed ...
● Max Reger 1873-1916● Strong link to Bach; Schoenberg respected him
● George Enescu 1881-1955● Famed violinist; under-appreciated composer
● Robert Simpson 1921-1991● BBC music executive; prolific composer
● Mieczysław Weinberg 1919-1996● Fled Nazi invasion of Poland; friend of Shostakovich
● Heitor Villa-Lobos 1887-1959● Famed Brazilian composer; wrote 17 quartets
Limited time; limited knowledge; limited YouTube
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Samples
● Reger – String Trio No. 2● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ox5GlIslI
● Enescu – String Octet in C● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugv_o2XsJoE
● Simpson – String Quartet No. 2 & 5● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbr11VpB2Bs
● Weinberg – String Quartet No. 3● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQRjOmZA50
● Villa-Lobos – String Quartet No. 1● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugGiGkr41Aw
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What comes next?
● Subscribe to chamber music series● Music in the Afternoon - $165/5 concerts
● Explore string quartet possibilities1)Start with Wikipedia on String Quartets
2)Identify an “interesting” composer 1)For example: Villa-Lobos
3)Search YouTube for his string quartets1)Dozens of Villa-Lobos quartet performances
● Let musically interesting quartets lead you to other interesting music
● Don't just settle for the familiar!
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Final bon-bon ...
“I dig classical music!”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjRKurqZ6g