After a prospective student played Maurice Ravel's "Alborada del gracioso," I asked the not-so-simple question: "What's the melody? Ravel: "Alborada del gracioso," (1905) from Miroirs The student did not have a ready answer; after a moment suggesting the opening melody might be the music played by the pianist's left hand: It seems to me that "Alborada" utilizes the technique (seen in Franz Liszt's piano music) of dividing a musical line between … [Read more...]
Luigi Beethoven — postmodernist
Before, I've speculated that many of Beethoven's texts read as parody -- a mockery of 18th-century styles and practices. In some postmodern music -- John Zorn or Rzewski's People United -- musical styles, harmonic behaviors, or keyboard textures come on and off like readymade shirts in a fitting room. Though now it may be harder to discern (our subtle reception of old stylistic distinctions may be dulled), Beethoven does something … [Read more...]