Columbia University Music Department
20th Century Music Styles and Techniques
Composer’s Works/Composer’s Words
Marcelo Toledo
20th Century Music Styles and Techniques
Composer’s Works/Composer’s Words
Marcelo Toledo
Course description: Study of the most important contributions to the music of the second half of the 20th century to the present through the works and writings of composers.
The course focuses on the aesthetic ideas, techniques and methods suggested by composers on their own writings. Composer’s ideas on other composers are also part of the reading materials. Texts, interviews, and written documents are confronted with their works in order to evaluate the significance of their conceptions and the way they are manifested in the compositional process through the analysis/reflection and discussion of selected compositions.
The course focuses on the aesthetic ideas, techniques and methods suggested by composers on their own writings. Composer’s ideas on other composers are also part of the reading materials. Texts, interviews, and written documents are confronted with their works in order to evaluate the significance of their conceptions and the way they are manifested in the compositional process through the analysis/reflection and discussion of selected compositions.
COURSE SAMPLE
Week 7 New sounds New Worlds: Europe, Musique Concrete
Pierre Schaeffer Etude aux chemins de fer, Etudes de bruits
Traité des Objets Musicaux
Pierre Schaeffer & Pierre Henry Symphonie pour un homme seul
Edgar Varese Déserts
The Electronic Medium
K Stockhausen Konkrete Etude
Iannis Xenakis Diamorphoses, Concret PH
Markovian Stochastic Music Theory (Formalized Music)
Conversations with Iannis Xenakis
Luciano Berio Thema: Omaggio a Joyce
Interview with Berio
Pierre Schaeffer Etude aux chemins de fer, Etudes de bruits
Traité des Objets Musicaux
Pierre Schaeffer & Pierre Henry Symphonie pour un homme seul
Edgar Varese Déserts
The Electronic Medium
K Stockhausen Konkrete Etude
Iannis Xenakis Diamorphoses, Concret PH
Markovian Stochastic Music Theory (Formalized Music)
Conversations with Iannis Xenakis
Luciano Berio Thema: Omaggio a Joyce
Interview with Berio
Seminar
A Map of Noise in the Music of
the 20th Century
The focus of this seminar is the exploration of 20th century music repertoire by composers that have explored new possibilities of musical materials and compositional strategies. The specific goal of the course is to awaken and encourage the appreciation of new sound materials produced on traditional western musical instruments as well as in the electroacoustic media.
Students should listen selected compositions, read scores, analysis of specific examples focusing on the exploration of new complex sounds and instrumental techniques considering the historical and cultural contexts of the compositions.
The historical evolution of new musical materials is summarized by grouping the different expressions and uses into seven noise paradigms:
1) Percussion instruments
2) New acoustic instruments
3) Musique Concrete
4) Electronic music
5) Tone-clusters
6) New instrumental techniques
7) The voice
Students should listen selected compositions, read scores, analysis of specific examples focusing on the exploration of new complex sounds and instrumental techniques considering the historical and cultural contexts of the compositions.
The historical evolution of new musical materials is summarized by grouping the different expressions and uses into seven noise paradigms:
1) Percussion instruments
2) New acoustic instruments
3) Musique Concrete
4) Electronic music
5) Tone-clusters
6) New instrumental techniques
7) The voice
Workshop for composers & performers
New instrumental techniques in traditional instruments
This workshop is designed to give student composers and performers the possibility of exploring together the new repertoire of compositions that have expanded the use of traditional instrumental techniques in the last 30 years. Participants will be exposed to new solo pieces and chamber ensemble pieces through a series of activities that include listening, score reading, analysis, performance and short composition exercises based on the sound materials and instrumental techniques of the works.
The interaction composer/performer is an essential aspect of this workshop.
The presentation of the compositions will be organized by instrumental families following both, an increasing level of difficulty and if necessary a chronological sequence in order to appreciate the different explorations in terms of sound and techniques. Special interest will be given to musical notation.
The interaction composer/performer is an essential aspect of this workshop.
The presentation of the compositions will be organized by instrumental families following both, an increasing level of difficulty and if necessary a chronological sequence in order to appreciate the different explorations in terms of sound and techniques. Special interest will be given to musical notation.
2005-2006 ISCM Global Interplay
a New Music transmission project for young musicians from five cultures
CHINA - EGYPT - GERMANY - GHANA - USA
GRENZENLOS – ISCM World New Music Festival
New York Artistic Supervision: Marcelo Toledo
a New Music transmission project for young musicians from five cultures
CHINA - EGYPT - GERMANY - GHANA - USA
GRENZENLOS – ISCM World New Music Festival
New York Artistic Supervision: Marcelo Toledo
The World New Music Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, from July 14th to July 30th. The festival will be hosted by the Stuttgart-based organization “Musik der Jahrhunderte” (“Music of the Centuries”). The festival, held annually in one of the fifty member nations of the ISCM, is a forum for innovation and a world-wide-observed podium for contemporary music. In addition to the presentation of the newest artistic projects and technologies, the Festival focuses on the intercultural co-operation of artists from the most varied of nations. The festival theme “Grenzenlos” (“Without Borders”) evokes the questions, but also the chances, with which young artists on all continents and in all cultures find themselves confronted in today’s globalised world. Various aesthetic viewpoints will interact with one another at the festival, provoking new artistic designs. As an international event of the highest quality, the festival will underscore the meaning that artistic reflection has for the future of our society. Thus, it emphasizes the important task imposed on art and those who create it in this age of globalization and societal change. In advance of the festival, Musik der Jahrhunderte wishes to inspire composers and musicians from all over the world to a dynamic exchange of their differing artistic realities.
GLOBAL INTERPLAY as part of the World New Music Festival
An important component of this exchange is the project GLOBAL INTERPLAY. It focuses on young composers from five cultures – European, American, West African, Arabian and Chinese - having different musical traditions. The goal of GLOBAL INTERPLAY is to challenge artists to take a conscious position within their culture and society, and to inspire a lively discourse on contemporary artistic production and composition between various cultures of the world. Through GLOBAL INTERPLAY, the ISCM World New Music Festival will be extensively confronted with numerous musical cultures that have no direct relation to European aesthetics. In this way, a balanced interplay of cultures can be considered in the sense of a “healthily” global world.
GLOBAL INTERPLAY takes places in Accra (Ghana), Beijing and Shanghai (China), Berlin (Germany), Cairo (Egypt) and New York (USA). Musik der Jahrhunderte is grateful for the support of the School of Performing Arts in Accra, the Central Conservatory in Beijing, the Institute for New Music in Berlin, the Cairo Opera and the Columbia University in New York as well as for the co-operation with the local Goethe-Instituts.
Teams and teamleaders
There will be a team in each city for up to eight young artists to participate. The teams will be formed by prospective students of composition or creative musicians.
Each teams has a mentor:
Prof Walter Zimmermann (Germany) in Berlin
Marcelo Toledo (Argentina/USA) in New York
Prof Walter Zimmermann (Germany) in Berlin
Marcelo Toledo (Argentina/USA) in New York
Nkeiru Okoye (Nigeria/USA) in Accra
Prof Wenchen Qin (China/Germany) in Beijing
Prof Shirui Zhu (China/Germany) in Shanghai
Prof Shirui Zhu (China/Germany) in Shanghai
Amr Okba (Austria/Egypt) in Cairo
