MuL 135 Journal Entry 3 - Indie Is Not Indie Anymore (The Feeling That You Don't Belong)

(reposted from UVLe) 


Space

Stravinsky found his niche (a part of it, to be particular) by collaborating with Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe with his critically-acclaimed works such as Firebird, Petrushka and Rite of Spring. Early influence of Russian folk music was evident on his output, most of them are colorful and of varying complexities. The Parisians enjoyed them, his fellow Russians didn’t.

Bartok further concentrated more on the influence of Hungarian peasant music, along with occasional departures from tonality, on his compositions, as opposed to Gypsy music that was largely urban and largely commercial in terms of distribution. This also had a significant contribution in the field of ethnomusicology.

Time

Rachmaninov had a few influence, if any, of Skryabin and Stravinsky before him. Most of his output anchored firmly with Romanticism and the tonal system, to which he extended the application to some extent. He is basically traditional in terms of his work, he even remarked: “Perhaps I feel that kind of music I care to write is not acceptable today.”

Roslavets’ outputs have similarities with that of Skryabin and the Second Viennese School. However, advanced technical aspects applied in his music eventually resulted to displeasure of those in political power, causing him to be heavily censured.

The Futurists thought of “throwing out all previous conceptions of art in order  to develop a new kind, suitable for an age based upon technology,” as quoted from Marinetti. Russolo, in particular came up with intonarumori  (“noise intoners”), categorized into 6 timbral types such as booms, whistles, whispers, screams, percussive sounds and vocal sounds, both human and animal, in order to came up with his own music. Unfortunately, neither his scores with “graphic” notations nor hisintonarumori survived because the movement has lost its momentum.

Janacek was also influenced folk music. He developed the theory of “speech-melody,” which was employed mainly on his opera work. Unfortunately, his work was overshadowed by Bartok in terms of progressive styles used. At the same time, opera, which is his concentration, is already losing its audience because of shifting interests.

Kodaly introduced Hungarian folk music to Bartok. He also focused on it along with developmental music for children and amateurs (“Kodaly method”) while taking less of contemporary Western Europe styles.

Ravel’s music parallels that of Debussy, adhering closely to traditional tonal system. Most of his work echoes elements from foreign sources (particularly Swiss, Spanish, German and even American).  Although a Romanticist and highly technical, he shifted a bit with simple and clear compositions, in anticipation to neo-classical developments that would occur later on.