From the Paper "The piano is a widely-accepted and versatile instrument that has had a long history. It was invented at the end of the seventeenth century and was based on earlier stringed instruments such as the harp and the harpsichord, but it used a different technology to produce its sounds. There are several different types of piano differentiated by shape and size, all using the same basic mechanism to produce music.
The piano is essentially a combination of harp strings and a percussive keyboard system borrowed from the early organ. The early designs utilized a few strings serving a number of notes, much like the guitar with the use of fretting and moveable bridges to change tone. The number of strings was later increased, and the keyboard dulcimer was developed. This instrument was referred to as the clavicymbal or clavecin or..."
This paper will discuss the different types of traditional Japanese music, its origin, musical basis, different types of musical instruments, and Japanese music today. Japanese music is known to be almost 2000 years old (and is probably older), while Western music began with Gregorian chants less than a thousand years ago. The traditional Japanese music was imported from China, and the first record of this importation of music mentions the arrival of musicians from Korea in 453 A.D.. Of course, since that time, traditional music has changed much, and now many musicians performing Japanese "koto" music are now interested in performing "shinkyouku," the "New Music," at the expense of the older forms."
From the Paper " Women Classical Composers: A Sociological Perspective
Women composers throughout the centuries have written prolifically, but they have not been recognized as readily as their male counterparts. Ideally, there would be no need to separate the accomplishments of women from those of men. Judgments of merit should be based only on artistic ability. History shows that women have been composing since the third century, but inequities exist in society's recognition of their talent and creativity (LePage vii).
Women have been music makers for as long as men have, but their work, especially in composition, has gone unnoticed, unpublished, unperformed, and often forgotten. This unfortunate situation is due to the manner in which gender is construed, a process which has profoundly impacted women composers in Europe ..."
From the Paper "Mozart's opera Le Nozze di Figaro ("The Marriage of Figaro") was first performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna in 1786, with Mozart himself conducting the orchestra (Holden, 1990, p. 251). The opera was based on a play by the French playwright Beaumarchais, which was first performed in Paris in 1784 (Angermuller, 1988, p. 133). Beaumarchais' Le Marriage de Figaro was a sequel to his earlier play, Le Barbier de Seville ("The Barber of Seville"). Both of these plays were based on a Spanish character named Figaro. In Le Marriage de Figaro, the barber Figaro has become a servant to Count Almaviva. He is betrothed to marry Susanna, a young woman who is the maid to the Countess Almaviva. The Count has his own desire for Susanna; however, in the end he fails to seduce her and is instead tricked into confessing his indiscretion to his wife, the Countess."
From the Paper "This paper will be concerned with gagaku, or Japanese court music. In the Japanese language, ga means "elegant" and gaku means "music." Thus, the word gagaku refers to "a dignified, highly refined, elegant style of music and dance" (Togi, 1971, p. 34). Many of the characteristics which are unique to gagaku are based on these ideas of elegance and refinement. Thus, for example, the court music of Japan is considered to be a form of "sacred" music as opposed to the "entertainment" music which exists for secular purposes. Regarding this point, Harich.Schneider has claimed that gagaku possesses "a striking solemnity and noble aloofness, two characteristics totally absent from the sensuous and affected entertainment music" (1953, p. 51). Furthermore, Harich.Schneider has pointed out that Japanese court music has a richer instrumentation and uses longer, more..."
From the Paper "Beethoven: His Psychology and Great Works
Neither a great man nor a great work of art may be understood through a single category of analysis. Such greatness is complex and demands a wider point of view. Beethoven's prolific composition included hundreds of works--ballets, concertos, cantatas and oratorios, chamber music, Lieder, masses, operas and incidental music, overtures, sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, trios, and variations for piano. Such musical greatness originated from a genius of complex psychological makeup. It is the purpose of this paper to explore Beethoven's general biographical background, the psychology of his personality, and a select few of his great public achievements--principally the Eroica symphony, the opera Fidelio, and the Symphony No. 5 in C minor."
From the Paper "Between the years of 1450 and the 1600s, music was profoundly affected by the great upheaval of the Renaissance. For European musicians, the Renaissance marked the "advent of a new spirit, the reaction of man's sensibility, even sensuality, against theoretical abstraction and useless refinements in technique". The Renaissance also marked a new period when composers began to seek more human forms of musical expression, an idea that later inspired the Romantics.
In the 14th Century, the kings and princes of Europe began employing musicians in staffed "chapels," which were an imitation of the Papal Chapel. Chapels became even more fashionable in the 15th century, when every potentate had his own musicians who would accompany him on travels abroad.
Three notable composers from the first Renaissance school of ... "
Abstract This paper discusses that, unlike the Rossini version of the same story, Verdi and Boito's opera "Otello" keeps the plot of the original Shakespeare story intact. This paper presents the opera in detail and denotes that the music and operatic forms are in keeping with the nature of each character. The author believes that the music and the drama are perfectly balanced in "Otello" because Verdi uses the music to further the drama and to create tones for each shift in dramatic emphasis.
From the Paper "Act II begins with an orchestral introduction that mirrors Iago's energy. Iago delivers his famous soliloquy "Credo in un Dio crudel" and expresses his credo of evil. Continuing to find ways to express Iago's shifting energy, Verdi orchestrates the credo in a way that hovers between arioso and aria, "its devious harmonic and formal twists continuing to the last." When Otello arrives, the two sing a duet that continues to the end of the act, lining the action and words of the entire act around this specific confrontation and the way Iago manipulates Otello during it."
Abstract This paper examines how despite the many accounts detailing the death of Elvis Presley in 1977, speculation is still rife about whether "The King" really died. It discusses how many people believe that Elvis Presley faked his own death and lives a considerably quieter, simpler existence today. It explores the evidence proffered by supporters in doubting the plausibility of Elvis Presley's death by looking at circumstances surrounding Elvis's death and burial, the circumstances leading up to his death and the events that occurred immediately after his death. It concludes that if one looks at the events before and after his ?accidental death,? in conjunction with Elvis? strange behavior in the weeks leading up to it, it does seem plausible that Elvis's death is a sham and he continues to walk amongst us.
From the Paper "Then there is the inordinate weight gain. Upon death, Elvis was reported to weigh 250 pounds. But, when the pallbearers carried the coffin, it weighed 900 pounds. The "Wax Body" theory currently circulating posits the possibility that a wax body was made in the likeness of Elvis and put in the coffin. The extra weight of the coffin is a result of an air-conditioning unit installed in the coffin to keep the wax body from melting. This theory does provide an explanation for all the little discrepancies aforementioned. Then there are the discrepancies in the death certificate. A different weight figure is noted on the death certificate. It has Elvis down as 170 pounds instead of the 250 pounds Elvis is known to have weighed. In life, Elvis's vanity was renowned."
Abstract This paper begins by reveiwing literature on the topic of connections between intelligence and exposure to music (and especially exposure to classical music). But beyond simply reviewing the existing literature, this paper also provides an examination of new primary data into the issue through the inclusion of material taken from interviews performed for this paper with teachers of music who specialize in a range of ages of children and have worked both with those studying music intensively and those exposed to music on a more casual basis.
From the Paper "While some teachers introduce music into the classroom because they believe that it helps to improve children's ability to do certain specific intellectual tasks well (usually spatial-intelligence tasks, a point discussed in the next section) others believe that it has an overall beneficial effect of raising students? ability to concentrate."
Tags: exposure, school, rhythm, classical, study, children
Abstract This paper analyzes and examines the multitude of issues related to the independent music industry. Part II gives a brief overview of the music industry. In Part III, factors leading to the development of an independent music industry are discussed. Part IV outlines the incorporation of alternative music industry into the mainstream with the emergence of grunge music is reviewed.
From the Paper "According to Rare Vinyl Network, independent music is defined as ?literally, music released by record labels independent of control by multinational conglomerates; more specifically, bands that descended from the late seventies and eighties college rock.? Currently, there are approximately six major record companies (BMG, CEMA, MCA, Polygram, Sony, and WEA) that are in control of the record market. The economic power of these conglomerates restricts how contemporary music is available and is portrayed to consumers. The mainstream music industry is regulated, whereby popular music has become a business rather than an art."
Abstract This paper outlines the life story of the entertainer Frank Sinatra also known affectionately as Ol? Blue Eyes and respectfully Chairman of the Board. It discusses how, for a first-generation Italian-American, Frank Sinatra surpassed all expectations he or his family ever had. He literally climbed to the top of the mountain of success and stayed there and even after death, he is revered. It examines some of the stories surrounding his connections to the Mafia and how he palled around with Presidents, slept with their wives, bedded practically every female star in Hollywood, had a recording career that fills a book, won an Oscar, fought for civil rights before it was a popular cause ,and helped countless people financially. It describes how he's been known as an angel of mercy, rescuing people from life and death situations and also as a brute as well, sending guys to beat up someone who fell in his disfavor. It's difficult at times to tell truth from fiction regarding Frank Sinatra. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, an absolute fact, Sinatra is a legend.
From the Paper "Born Francis Albert Sinatra on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey, he was the only child of Dolly and Anthony Martin Sinatra. He worked for the Jersey Observer unloading trucks during his teenage years (Sinatra pg). He soon became of copy boy and had aspirations of becoming a journalist. When the editor told him that copy boys "don"t know enough to be reporters,? Sinatra promptly enrolled in secretarial school, studying English, typing and shorthand (Sinatra pg). "
Tags: blue, eyes, italian, american, mafia, hollywood, oscar
Abstract The paper explains and illustrates that each composer supplied the musical paradigms for their distinctive eras. This paper discusses that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is considered as the culminating influence of the Baroque period. The author believes that Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) is the supreme pianist of the Classical period. The paper states that Frederic Francois Chopin (1810-1849) is one of the most original and influential musicians of the nineteenth century.
From the Paper "As early as 1831, Chopin expressed his wish to create a new musical world characterized by musical poetry of an extraordinary elegant nature, mostly represented by his piano pieces, such as his Polonaises (Adante spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante Op. 22 and Polonaise in Ab Heroic Op. 53). Chopin's harmonic language was also completely original, symbolized by complex chromatic harmonies mingled with the drones of fifths and modal scales of traditional Polish folk music. His fifty-five Mazurkas displayed all the intricacies of his style. It has often been compared to the virtuosity of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier."
Abstract This paper presents an examination of the life and times of the American choral composer Randall Thompson. It documents his life story and discusses how Thompson composed many types of music including symphonies, instrumental works and many songs. He also was well known for his composition of various operas, but he was best known for his choral compositions. It shows how he was a lover of learning, a lover of teaching but most of all he was a lover of music, the universal language.
From the Paper "When he first began to compose music his style was varied and not something that had its own voice. By 1922 however he had begun to study at the American Academy located in Rome. It was here that he began to develop his personal musical style. The musical style eventually led him along the path of success until he became one of the famed composers of the world. At the forefront of the American choral composers his name is always listed as one of the best, and it was about his steady study and practice that took him to that position."
Abstract This paper focuses on the theme of seduction in the play "Madame Butterfly". The writer concentrates on the complicated relationship between Gallimard and Song. The author indicates that while it appears to be the story of a man being tricked by a woman, it later becomes known that Song is actually a man trying to save himself from the new Chinese communist government. The paper concludes by highlighting how the themes of seduction could be accentuated in a production of the play, through the set, lighting and music.
From the Paper "In the play the character Gallimard, is seduced by both Song and by his own idea of Song. The seduction of Gallimard is a seduction perpetrated by his own stereotyped ideal of what an Asian woman is and can be for a white man mainly, submissive and by his actual seduction by Song the actor. In the very beginning of the interaction between Gallimard and Song there is the hint of a deception. Song laughs at him when he tells her that she made a convincing butterfly. "Convincing as a Japanese Women"? she says. (Hwang, 1988 17) Yet, Gallimard must have given her some real indication that he believed that she was a woman, or she was just desperate to win the favor of someone who could give her the information that she needed to save herself".
