Music Compare and contrast

You may find the listening this week a bit of a challenge to your ear……..some of the selections, anyway.  So, we are going to challenge your ears and your ability to find the value in any piece of music! 

You are still working with 6 selections here, one pair must include either the Varese, Glass or Cage piece.  Think about the style of these works and make an argument for their value and the characteristics of 20th century music.  Think about when they were written.  Do you think there is direct link to perhaps architecture or visual art of the time?

Then choose 4 more selections from the week’s listening assignments and make your contrast or comparison. You will have 3 pairs again, with one pair including one of the composers listed above.  If it helps to watch a video on youtube, please do.  Sometimes the visual will help. 

Make sure you correctly write the titles.  These should be treated like a book title.  Capitalize, etc. as expected.  Your log should be one typed page using Times 12pt. font and single-spaced. You will want to give the composer name and era (Baroque, Classical, Rock, etc.) based on what we are studying for the week.  You will need to include at least one interesting fact you learned along the way about this piece of music…even if that is something you read about in regard to the composer or some major historical event, etc.  This is your choice.  You should discuss some of the instruments used and this may be one way to make a contrast/comparison between works as well.  Here are other ideas:  Tempo of the choices?  Instruments vs. Voice?  Male vs. Female? Consonant/Dissonant?  Describe the music and its effect on you using Aaron Copland's three planes of music listening (sensuous, expressive, purely musical elements).  These are all ideas you may use.  I should not just read a description of the music…….you MUST compare and/or contrast the work(s) against each other in some way.