Music since 1945 Listening Journals Now Up

The years since 1945 have witnessed an explosion of music, from radical alterations to jazz and "classical" music to the rise of popular genres from rock to hip-hop. Recording technology has changed how we experience that music and, in many ways, fundamentally shaped it as well. For this last listening journal, the class looked at some of the more off-the-beaten path works and I think you'll find their findings and impressions intriguing. As always, these blogs can be found by clicking the links on the right-hand side of the page.

Derek Jenkins: Harry Partch’s The Bewitched and Shulamit Ran's Excursions

Edgar Palacios: Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach

Jacque Conover: Ben Johnston’s Fourth String Quartet (Amazing Grace) and Meredith Monk’s Dolmen Music

Karen Anton: Libby Larsen'Deep Summer Music and Harry Partch’s The Bewitched

Katie Kalinowski: Ben Johnston’s Fourth String Quartet (Amazing Grace) and Arnold Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw

Marcus Wiggins: Arnold Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw and John Zorn’s Cat O’ Nine Tails

Mary Ann Lucas: La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano

Mike Herrera: Pauline Oliveros's Sound Patterns and Ben Johnston’s Fourth String Quartet (Amazing Grace)

Paul Shinn: Ben Johnston’s Fourth String Quartet (Amazing Grace) and John Zorn’s Cat O’ Nine Tails

Peter Lawless: John Oswald's Plunderphonics and Alvin Lucier's I Am Sitting In A Room

Richard Gibson: Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach

Tom Marks: Meredith Monk's Dolmen Music and Mikel Rouse's Dennis Cleveland

Music from 1900-1945 Listening Journals Now Up

In the early 20th century, many composers reacted against Romanticism in their compositions. They looked for ways to advance music while not replicating what had come before. This set of listening journals shows that listeners today react just as strongly to those reactions as the original composers reacted to Romanticism. Reactionary reactions? Persuasive reading in any event:

Derek Jenkins: William Walton's Facade and Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony

Edgar Palacios: Mexican Orchestral Music and works by Carlos Chavez

Jacque Conover: Lucille Field singing songs by American women composers and William Walton's Facade

Karen Anton: William Walton's Facade and Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony

Katie Kalinowski: Zoltán Kodály's Psalmus Hungaricus and Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto

Kevin Sweet: Selections from Heitor Villa Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras and Vivaldiana by Gian Francesco Malipiero

Marcus Wiggins: Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony and Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto

Mary Ann Lucas: Selected works of Marion Bauer and Vivaldiana by Gian Francesco Malipiero

Mike Herrera: Selected works of Marion Bauer and Vivaldiana by Gian Francesco Malipiero

Paul Shinn: The Hall Johnson Songbook and selected works of Marion Bauer

Peter Lawless: Mexican Orchestral Music and slected works of Marion Bauer

Richard Gibson: Selections from Heitor Villa Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras and Vivaldiana by Gian Francesco Malipiero

Tom Marks: Karol Szymanowski's King Roger

Romantic Listening Journals Now Up

It is slowly beginning to turn into spring, and as spring comes, a young man's thoughts to to Romantic music. Or something along those lines.

Continuing our walk through history, the students of 352WI have posted their latest batch of listening journals, this time focused on music from the Romantic Era. Follow a few of the links to the left, see what they have to say, comment if you feel so led, and enjoy discovering new music.

Derek Jenkins: Stanislaw Moniuszko’s Halka

Edgar Palacios: Anthony Heinrich’s The Ornithological Combat of Kings and selected works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Jacque Conover: Luigi Cherubini’s Medea

Karen Anton: Louis Spohr's Symphony no.6, the “Historical,” and Maria Szymanowska's Etudes and Nocturnes

Katie Kalinowski: Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Espanola nos. 1 and 2, and selections from the music of music of Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Louise Farrenc, and Marie Grandval

Kevin Sweet: Selected works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Espanola nos. 1 and 2

Marcus Wiggins: Selections from the music of music of Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Louise Farrenc, and Marie Grandval and Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Espanola nos. 1 and 2

Mary Ann Lucas: Selected works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Louis Spohr's Symphony no.6, the “Historical”

Mike Herrera: Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Espanola nos. 1 and 2

Paul Shinn: Felix Mendelssohn's Paulus

Peter Lawless: Chamber music by selected German women composers and selected works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Tom Marks: Felix Mendelssohn's Paulus

Classical Listening Posts Up For Your Enjoyment

It's a cold and snow day here in Kansas City, the Conservatory has closed its doors against the cold and against faculty and students, and you're wondering what to do with your day.

We say open your ears, listen, and then see what we have to say about that music. The students in 352WI have completed their first set of listening journals after listening to music from the Classical Period that is off the beaten track a bit. I've listed the pieces they each covered; you can find their blogs in the blogroll on the right. Find a few that strike your fancy, follow the links, enjoy their their thoughts, comment, and join our online community.

Derek Jenkins: Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299 and Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, “Die 4 Weltalter” (The 4 Ages of Man)

Edgar Palacios: John Bray’s The Indian Princess and Make a Joyful Noise, a collection of sacred hymns

Jacque Conover: Padre Anotonio Soler’s Works for Harpsichord and American Psalmody, Make a Joyful Noise

Karen Anton: John Bray’s The Indian Princess and Four Regimental Marches by Amalie, Princess of Prussia

Katie Kalinowski: William Billings’s The Continental Harmonist and a recording of Orchestral Music from the Mannheim School

Kevin Sweet: Padre Anotonio Soler’s Works for Harpsichord and John Bray’s The Indian Princess

Marcus Wiggins: William Billings’s The Continental Harmonist and Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299

Mary Ann Lucas: Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen’s Concerto No. 5 in B-Flat for Violin and Orchestra and Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299

Mike Herrera: John Bray’s The Indian Princess and Make a Joyful Noise, a collection of sacred hymns

Paul Shinn: Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299 and American Psalmody, Make a Joyful Noise

Peter Lawless: Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299 and Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, “Die 4 Weltalter” (The 4 Ages of Man)

Tom Marks: Salieri’s (yes, that Salieri) Falstaff

Welcome

We live in a world that takes music for granted. Music bombards us in stores, waiting rooms, on TV and the internet, surrounding and enveloping us - yet we rarely hear it. Instead of listening, we talk over music, using it as the soundtrack of our lives, letting it slip by almost unnoticed except in its absence. Instead of listening, we use music to define ourselves, dividing the world into people who like certain genres and forms of music and comfortably settling into our niche, rarely venturing outside it.

This blog is a gateway to a group of students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Conservatory of Music and Dance who are dedicated to listening. They are exploring music often overlooked or even unheard and engaging it. They are writing their impressions, their reactions to this music on their own blogs and creating a community of listeners who hear with their ears, their minds, and their hearts.

Under the list on the right, you'll see the list of these students. Go to their blogs, read their thoughts, listen to the music with them, comment on their ideas, and join their community. Begin to listen to your world.