Abstract Through an analysis of the music of eight Western classical composers, this paper attempts to understand how their various environments influenced their musical output. The eight composers that this paper studies are: Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Richard Wagner, Peter Iljitch Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and George Crumb. The paper chooses to focus on specific compositions to demonstrate how each artist was affected by the events of his life -- from personal situations such as a family crisis, marriage or the loss of a loved one to broader social/cultural developments in his country or the world.
Outline:
Introduction
Johann Sebastian Bach
Joseph Haydn
Richard Wagner
Peter Iljitch Tchaikovsky
Claude Debussy
Igor Stravinsky
Bela Bartok
George Crumb
Conclusion
From the Paper "In Bach's Christ lag in Todesbanden (Church Cantata No. 4), written for Easter Sunday, the hymn melody and its verses are used exclusively throughout the piece. The opening measure, in the style of Buxtehude, Bach's mentor, is followed by seven verses, each having its own musical signature. In this opening measure, one can hear that the music is touched by the sorrows of death, but in the third verse, there is an outpouring of joy. This cantata was written in 1724 during a period in Bach's life that was full of musical expression. However, in 1720, his first wife, Maria Barbara died, and in 1721, Bach married Anna Magdalena Wuelken who bore him thirteen children. Thus, through the music of Cantata No. 4, Bach's sadness over the death of his first wife can be sensed; however, due to his strict religious upbringing, his joy can be sensed in the third verse which reflects his knowledge that his late wife is now with God in Heaven."
From the Paper "Bela Bartok was a Modernist giant among the musicians of the twentieth century. He was born in a small Transylvanian village in 1881, and he died in America before the world recognized his stature and the value of his music:
He is a linking figure between Schoenberg's atonal and Stravinsky's neoclassic schools. While they invented, he listened and learned and composed in his Hungarian-inflected voice, which remains to this day an exotic strain amidst the pervading German, French, and Italian accents of Western classical music (Swafford 424).
Bartok was an important Hungarian composer who generated controversy because of battles in his native land over the meaning of being Hungarian. There were separatist and proletarian movements in his time that had aims that came into..."
Abstract An examination of the underlying theme of sexuality and sensuality in Vampire movies in American and European cinema. Looks at the historical use of vampires as well as how their portrayal has changed over the years. Older movies are compared to more modern ones. The paper also shows the different depiction of vampires in Hollywood films and in European films.
From the Paper "It has often been stated that if horror films could be considered to have a reigning king, that position would without a doubt go to Count Dracula. While in recent years this position may have been challenged by a new succession of ax welding, hockey masked psychopaths among others, when the entire history is examined, the ?Prince of Darkness still reigns supreme. It is not surprising that vampires are such a popular source of modern entertainment; they have been in legends, folklore and myths for centuries (1). All that has really happened is that they have made the move to the most widely recognized form of story telling in our culture, cinema. If vampires as a whole entertainment then Bram Stoker's "fictional" creation Dracula, who serves as their self appointed monarch, is by far the most recognized and popular of the assemblage."
Abstract This paper explains that Boris Karloff, one of the most notable names in 20th century, cinematic horror, is best known for bringing Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" monster to life in the 1931 black-and-white horror film by Universal Studios. The author points out that Karloff did not consider "type casting" to be a curse and thought himself fortunate that audiences and studios had recognized and appreciated his talent for certain parts. The paper lists other major films: "The Mask of Fu Manchu," which required extensive make-up and heavy dialogue; "The Raven," with Bela Lugosi playing another villain with serious deformities; "The Bride of Frankenstein," considered to be the best of the Frankenstein series; and "Son of Frankenstein," the final Frankenstein film starring Karloff as the Monster, although he would actually make appearances in later Frankenstein films.
From the Paper "Boris Karloff was not the given name of the famous actor. Born in London, England, his given name was actually far more British than stage-friendly; William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887. He was the youngest of eight children, and it was actually his older brothers that would raise him. His father actually died when he was a young infant. Karloff's father had been a public official in India, and the family expected that the child would follow a similar path and take the place of the father in the family. One of his older brothers, the longest surviving Sir John Pratt, was himself a diplomat. For his early school days, he attended Merchant Taylor's School at Uppingham, a prestigious institution. For higher education, he would attend London University, where he specialized in Chinese customs in the Consular Service program."
