Part 2: Listening Log

Listening Log

Debussy – Prelude of the Afternoon Faun (1894) found on Spotify

Based on a painting by Jean- Antione Watteau titled The Embarkation for Cythera, it is clear to see how Debussy has used the inspiration of the painting's ‘story’ to set the scene of travellers landing on this mystical island.  Throughout the composition there are a large number of changes in colour, perhaps to portray the uncertainty of the sea voyage, interspersed with loud, joyous harmonic moments.

Debussy – Le Mer I. De l’aube a midi sur la mer (1903-05) found on Spotify

In my opinion this is a great example of a piece of Impressionist music during that era.  The overlapping melodies and harmonies create the sense of waves, and bursts of bright motifs from the strings paint the picture of fish swimming around the ocean.  Throughout the piece it was clear that we were moving into the depth of the ocean and the timbre of the piece changes to reveal darker tones.  However, at this stage, bright and slight untraditional harmonies begin to appear.

In comparison to more traditional ‘classical’ music, it is clear to see that Debussy has made a huge impact of the movement of music history.  Today, Impressionist styles are commonplace in film scores; creating overlays to the director’s images. 

Stravinsky – Petruska (1911) found on Spotify

At times I found the score for this ballet to be quite difficult to listen to.  Loud bursts of cymbals, teamed with the untraditional time signature and use of unusual scales proved to be quite different to the music that I am used to listening to.  However, as a ballet score it provides a wide range of emotion and texture, which clearly tells the story along with the dancers.  The unusual harmonies throughout seemed to give each instrument its ‘chance to shine’, but I found some of the instrument blends to provide a stark contrast to more traditional methods. 

Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (1913) found on Spotify

Unlike Petruska I very much enjoyed listening to this piece.  The various ‘parts’ provide great drama and intrigue and the usual of more unusual beat systems only help to sustain the tension and drama.   I found that the use of the instruments, notably the string section, was used in such a way as to introduce the use of more ‘untraditional’ scales. 

Debussy – Jeux (1912) found on Spotify

In Debussy’s Impressionist style, this composition takes the listener on a journey of mood, emotion and colour.  The choice of instrument, tempo changes and regularly repeating motifs gives a dramatic and complex feel to the piece, yet the strings contrast in many places by overlaying joyous melodies. 

The beginning of this piece begins with very gentle start, suddenly interrupted by a powerful motif that I have named the ‘home’ motif.  I have done this because this particular pattern seems to appear throughout the piece, giving the impression ‘stepping out’ of the sometimes hectic world, back into the safety of the home motif. 

The regular and rapid changes in tempo help to create a great feeling of tension, and much of this piece left me feeling that an ominous presence was approaching.  However, this tension was broken quite often by burst of elation and ‘dreamy’ states provided by a combination of the woodwind and strings.   

It is clear to see from the instruments that Debussy chose, that this piece was written as a ballet accompaniment.  The strings' long and elegant strokes contrasted by the light and jumpy strokes of the flute provide an excellent portrayal of the movement of the dancers. 

Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (1913) found on Spotify

Due to the unusual rhythm system in this piece, I found this composition to invoke a feeling of uncertainty and excitement.  The human ear seems trained to listen for a regular beat, similar to our own heartbeats, but each ‘part’ of this piece left me wondering what would come next.  I would imagine, due to this, that the style of choreography would have been quite unconventional for its time. 

Despite Stravinsky’s theories on rhythm, it is clear to see from the rich melodies and harmonies that his musical knowledge was deeply rooted in the more traditional techniques.  However, it is the contrast within his rhythmic patterns that create a striking and unusual sound. 

As this composition develops there are some very unusual textures underpinned by a distinct and dramatic drone and large section in which the Timpani seems to ‘halt’ the entire performance.  Throughout the piece I heard a number of Stravinsky’s trademark folk styles bleed through, especially in the spring section. 

In the first three parts, the choice of instruments produces quite a dull and dark sound, with a feeling of sadness.  However, this feeling is contrasted by short trills motifs, which signify a feeling of hope, with loud and harsh crescendos portraying tension and drama as the piece continues.  By the end, in ‘Ritual of Abduction’ there is a clear tense and frenzied feel with many instrument overlapping short repeating motifs.

Schoenberg – Pierrot Lunaire (1913) found on Spotify

The Sprechstimme style of this piece, teamed with the atonality in parts, gives an almost comical element to some sections of this composition.  The wildly ranging vocal score provided a very disjunct movement, whilst some instruments provided a more traditional flowing motion.

What I found most interesting during this piece was that despite significant similarities, each ‘section’ of this composition provided a stark contrast to the last.  In most cases the instruments used remained the same, but the style of composition and timbre of the piece changed with each movement.

Mahler – Symphony No.9 – I – IV (1908-1909) found on Spotify 

The four sections of this piece each carry a very different feel but are clearly tonally linked.  Whilst looking at the score for this piece, I noticed that this tonality has been achieved by making use of a variety of key signatures throughout.  However, it is the way that the instruments have been layered through the later half of this composition that creates a exciting and light feeling, contrasted with dramatic changes in timbre provided by the strings.

Despite the four distinct section of this piece, it is clear to see themes which run throughout, allowing each instrument to both accompany and solo within the ensemble.

Beethoven – Symphony No.9 – I- IV (1824) found on Spotify

This is another good example of the structure of symphonies.  Once again split into four ‘sections’, each movement provides a different expression, whilst still being linked into the themes of the last.  Each movement, entitled Allegro, Molto Vivace, Adagio and Presto respectively, give a good idea of the tempo and feeling behind each piece.  I found it interesting that Beethoven chose a pattern of fast, faster, slow, fastest on which to base his symphony, but the steady incline in tempo, interrupted by the sharp fall to adagio, helps to further engage the audience within the music. 

The final movement containing the infamous ‘Ode to Joy’ provides a contrast in itself with its use of a vocal score.  As well as being the movement based on the fast tempo marking, this is also the movement containing the most drama and power. 

Although this piece was devised years before Schoenberg developed his twelve-note technique, it is clear to see his experimentation with atonality had already begun.  The piano, most notably, provided a very unusual sound which may have not only incorporated atonality, but also microtones to achieve an ‘out of tune’ feel. 

The flute, violin, piano, clarinet, cello and vocals all play very different roles within this composition, each ‘taking turns’ to play more complex melodies and harmonies.  Dynamics also play a huge role in ensuring that the levels of instruments versus vocals remains balanced. 

Sibelius – Symphony No. 5 in E flat major (1915) found on Spotify

I: Tempo molto moderato

The opening section of Sibelius’ symphony holds a great deal of feeling and emotion and truly paints the picture of its subject.  It begins with a gentle opening from the brass sections, giving the impression of ‘waking’.  The woodwind's lighter tones at this stage help to continue this feeling until the low humming patterns of the bassoon marks a change of colour.  At this stage the strings enter with a rapid and tense motif, which is backed by dramatic rolls of the timpani.  In the middle section of this composition all of the instruments seem to crescendo and the loud tones of the brass section gives a feeling of grandeur and ceremony.  This turns into more of a waltz-like feel before being contrasted with a large falling motion signifying danger and tension.  The rich and textured crescendo at the end gives this section a feeling of symmetry and paves the way for the next movement.

II: Andante mosso

This section holds more of a feeling of ‘flowing’, perhaps mimicking the movement of the tides.  The composition begins with very rich and dark tones underpinned by short light skipping motifs from the strings and woodwind.  I found it interesting that the two sections seem to share, echo and mimic each other's melodies in a playful way.  This airy feel slowly builds to a very joyous middle section, where I detected dissonant tones between the strings and woodwind, somehow blending perfectly with the central theme.  The pattern of moving between a gentle, soft section, to a louder and more dramatic pattern continues throughout this piece, ushering in a feeling of peace and serenity, quickly contrasted with danger and tension.  The ending of this piece was obviously carefully constructed to flow gently into the final section.

III: Allegro molto

There is definitely a greater sense of drama in this final section, which builds nicely to a feeling of resolutions at the end of the piece.  Initially I noticed a faster tempo and much more hectic feel, with all sections overlapping with rapid motifs and dark tones.  However, there is certainly a feeling of ‘breaking through the clouds’ as the piece moves to an almost awe-inspiring sound, with a rich blend of motifs from all sections of the orchestra.  This gave me a very vivid impression of the swans in flight, floating elegantly through the air.  This feeling continues through larger parts of the finale, mingled with gentler motions and drops in both volume and tempo.  Towards the end, despite the very large crescendo, there is a definite feeling of a cadence approaching and perhaps the swans ‘slowing down’.   However, it was the ending bars that I found very interesting.  Sibelius chose to end his Fifth symphony with short and loud bursts, mixed with periods of silence.  I couldn’t help but think that the silence may have been the greater feature here as opposed to the ‘bursts’.

I found Sibelius Symphony to be a fantastic representation of the theme of ‘swans in flight’.  Initially I found the brass section's large part quite unusual, given the elegance and fluidity of a swan's nature. However, as the piece progressed I found that it was actually the blend of instruments and the simplistic motifs that created the greatest effect. 

Nielsen – Symphony No. 5 in D (1922) found on Spotify

I: Allegro Giusto

The piece begins with a background of gentle oscillations from the violins, whilst the bassoons play intertwined high range melodies.  At this stage the strings give an impression of fading in and out before great sections of drama interrupt the gentle feeling.  There is a clear feel of the military influence in this piece as the rhythm changes to a march like pattern.  The percussion, notably the drums, plays a huge role in creating a war-like feel.  This marching pattern continues throughout the piece, falling and rising in tension, and this is where the woodwinds give the piece a slightly ‘dreamy’ and surreal feeling before building back to the ominous tension of war.  

II: Adagio non troppo

The final section holds a much brighter and lighter feeling in places, but the military influence remains very much a prominent feature.  This section undoubtedly contains more drama and intrigue and I found the strings to play a much larger role this time.    There seems to be quite a blend of both serenity and tension throughout the composition and I found it interesting to hear how Nielsen has managed to blend the drudgery of military with tension and a sense of serenity.

Whilst there are many differences between the symphonies of both Nielsen and Sibelius, I found that both composers made a good use of the instruments to create a story or picture.  In the case of Sibelius, the ‘swans’, and in particular their flight, was clear throughout the composition, yet with different instruments representing them at different times.  Nielsen’s use of percussion proved very interesting and only served to create a more tense and dangerous military feel.  

Edwin Roxburgh – At the Still Point of the Turn World (1976) found on Spotify

This piece definitely contains a surrealist feeling using a wide and sometimes dissonant range of pitches, teamed with subtle oscillations from the oboe.  The electronic elements of the piece begin very suddenly and at times the solo oboe pales into insignificance.  However, it is the blend of electronic sounds that gives a feeling of ‘movement’ and ‘development’ through different feelings and styles.  The screeching tones and dissonance in some sections prove to provide a feeling of tension, while the horn plays an almost comical role.  I found the introduction of the clicking and tapping motifs to be particularly interesting as they turned the colour of piece, giving a dance feel, perhaps inspired by Spanish music. 

I found that the range of instruments in this piece provides a rollercoaster effect.  At times I felt overwhelmed by the dissonance and highly pitched tones of the electronic sections. However, the oboe seems to provide grounding to the piece, offering rhythm and harmonic stability.

John Cage – 4’33”” (1952) found on Spotify

I must admit I spent a large amount of time checking my computer volume during the course of this piece, as it is essentially silence!  Slight murmurs of the audience create no form of harmonic and rhythmic value and I would struggle to see how Cage could describe this as ‘music’. 

Cage – Number Pieces – Five (1988) found on Spotify

This composition seems to be another attempt at Cage trying to ‘simplify’ musical systems by writing a piece for unspecified instruments, using a rudimentary 5-line system, divided by time brackets instead of bars.  Once again, whilst I can appreciate Cage’s ideas surrounding simplicity, to me this piece provides yet another insight into his lack of musical integrity.  Five provides a seemingly random and dissonant collection of pitches, entirely lacking any theme or tonal centre. 

Cage – Music of Changes (1951) found on Spotify

Reportedly composed on the toss of a coin, this solo piano piece provides a ‘jumbled’ mess of tones, giving the piece a very ‘plonky’ and amateur feel.  However, at times, the trilled sections contrasted with the dissonant chords in the bass provide an interesting texture.  However, I question whether it is the piano’s ability to create a harmonic sound that gives this piece a sense of depth. 

Holst – Suite in E Flat (1909) found on Spotify

This composition is a great example of the ensemble's ability to create the diverse range of moods traditionally heard by a full orchestra.  Throughout these works, the blend of wind, brass and percussion takes the listener through joy, tension, ceremony and grandeur, using the full potential of each instrument.  In a more traditional orchestra the string sections would normally take the lead on ‘tension’ with the violins and violas playing high long notes, backed by the lower range of the cello and bass.  However, this composition creates the same feeling of danger and tension with the lower range wood instruments and drums, contrasted with higher tones of the percussion and brass.   The triangle is clearly a feature within this piece too, playing during both deep moments of tension, and joyous ‘runs’.

Stravinsky – Concerto for Piano and Winds (1923) found on Spotify

Written in three parts with each section containing a very different ‘feel’, this composition was clearly a feat of musical knowledge with its complex blends of wind, brass, percussion and piano.  I found the first part of this composition to contain quite an ominous feeling with the mood changing between tension and joy quite rapidly.  There was definitely a sense that the ‘wind ensemble’ plays the ‘solo’ in this part.  However, the second part shows a different side, focusing more on the piano.  This section seems to indicate a more melancholic and melodic side to the piano, whilst still adopting quite complex rhythms.  The closing section of this piece seems to amalgamate the wind and piano with the two instruments clearly intertwining melodies in order to create a sense of growth and development.  The end of the piece has a ‘fading’ effect as opposed to the more traditional crescendo, which seems to lack a feeling of ‘resolution’ to the whole piece.

Nigel Hess – The Winds of Power (1992) found on Spotify

This relatively modern composition demonstrates Hess’ talent and experience of writing scores for film and TV.  Throughout this ten-minute composition Hess’ uses the winds to move through a variety of moods and emotions, seamlessly changing between tempo and dynamics.  Although I would consider the blend of the instruments to be more ‘traditional’ than other contemporary composers, the classical blend of tones creates a powerful effect throughout, easily painting a picture of the story behind the music. 

Part 2 References

References

Andras Varga, B (1996). Conversations with Iannis Xenakis. London: Faber and Faber Limited Bartolozzi, B (1969). New Sounds for Woodwinds. 2nd ed. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. Battisti, F (2002). The Winds of Change. 1st ed. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications. Bergstroem-Nielsen, C (1993). Graphic Notation as a Tool in Describing and Analyzing Music Therapy Improvisations. Music Therapy (official publication of the American Association for Music Therapy, AAMT). Vol. 12, pp.40. Britten-Pears Foundation (n.d.). The Turn of the Screw [online]. Available at: http://www.brittenpears.org/page.php?page id=645. [Accessed 13 August 2013]. Classical Music Journal (2006). Aleatoric Music - John Cage and The Random in Music [online]. Available at: http://www.classicalmusicjournal.com.au/john-cage-aleatoric-music. [Accessed 16 August 2013]. Cook, N. and Pople, A. (2004). The Cambridge history of twentieth-century music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dictionary.com: definition - music [online]. (n.d.). Available at: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/music. [Accessed 16th August 2013]. Feisst, S (2002). New Music Box: Losing Control: Indeterminacy and Improvisation in Music Since 1950 [online]. Available at: http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/Losing-Control-Indeterminacy-and-Improvisation- in-Music-Since-1950. [Accessed 15 August 2013].

Ford, C & Ross, CW (n.d.). Aleatoric Music [online]. Available at: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/aleatoric-music. [Accessed 16 August 2013].

Horton, A (1999). Soviet Composers Crushed by Stalin [online]. Available at: http://www.ce-review.org/99/1/music1_horton.html. [Accessed 13 August 2013].

Kahn, J & Kahn, E (n.d.). Shostakovich: Symphony No.5 [online]. Available at: http://www.amarillosymphony.org/program-notes-shostakovich-symphony5. [Accessed 13 August 2013].

Kennedy, K (2007). Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music. 5th. ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

LA Philharmonic Association (2013). Maurice Ravel [online]. Available at: http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/maurice-ravel. [Accessed 12 August 2013].

Marshall, S (n.d.). John Cage’s I Ching chance operations [online]. Available at: http://www.biroco.com/yijing/cage.htm. [Accessed 15 August 2013].

Pritchett, J (1993). The Music of John Cage. Music in the 20th Century. Cambridge, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Pritchett, J (2009). What silence taught John Cage: The story of 4'33"" [online]. Available at: http://www.rosewhitemusic.com/cage/texts/WhatSilenceTaughtCage.html. [Accessed 16 August 2013].

Roberto Zamarin (1966). Berberian's Stripsody Score (plate IV, image cutout) [online]. Available at: http://musicomix.wordpress.com/stripsody. [Accessed 14 August 2013].

Smith Brindle, R (1975). The New Music: The Avant Garde since 1945. London: Oxford University Press.

Solomon, L (2002). The Sounds of Silence: John Cage and 4'33"" [online]. Available at: http://solomonsmusic.net/4min33se.htm. [Accessed 16 August 2013].

Sweetwater (2004). Aleatoric Music (Composition) [online]. Available at: http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/aleatoric-music-composition. [Accessed 15 August 2013].

The Guardian. 2007. The silence of Sibelius. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/sep/20/classicalmusicandopera1. [Accessed: 12 August 2013].

Weaver, E (n.d.).  Indeterminacy [online].  Avaliable at: http://ems.music.illinois.edu/courses/tipei/M202/Notes/cage1.html. [Accessed 15 August 2013)

Wendt, R (2012). WANTED: a labyrinth, an abstraction, an escape from the spiritual void in the post-empire age [online]. Available at: http://robwendt.wordpress.com/tag/pierre-boulez. [Accessed 16 August 2013].

Xenakis, I (1970). Oresteia page 1 [online]. Available at: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/01/gallery_of_musi.html. [Accessed 15 August 2013].

Reflective Commentary

I have found Part Two of this course to be an extremely intense, but enjoyable part of my work so far.  Whilst at times I found it difficult to absorb all of the information, I discovered a vast array of information surrounding both the composition and practical application of music in the 20^th century.

It is clear from my research that the 20^th century was a time of revolution and experimentation in terms of music.  Largely dictated by traditional music values, modern composers were keen to discover new boundaries of music in order to create new forms of expression.

Whilst studying movements such as Impressionism, Folk, Neo-classicism and Electronic I discovered the works of numerous composers such as Debussy and Schoenberg and took particular interest in the life and works of Ravel.  However, it was the Indeterminacy movement that really sparked an interest for me, mainly due to my distaste for this ‘music’!  With this forming the basis of my essay, I gained an insight into the techniques and ideas behind this experimental composition.  In addition I was able to look at how this movement has developed through time, and to consider composers such as Cage and Boulez who played such a crucial role in the development of Aleatoric music.

My studies into the parts of the orchestra enabled me to further develop my knowledge of the wind and percussion sections, and gain a valuable insight into the string and brass sections.  I found learning about the capabilities of more ‘limited’ ensembles such as the wind or percussion orchestra particularly interesting.   Despite losing large sections from the ‘traditional’ orchestra, I can see how both examples of a ‘family’ ensemble have the ability to create a very effective range of sounds, capable of matching any emotions or mood that the full orchestra can.

However, it was my exploration into Graphic scores that proved most interesting to me.  With a background in Graphic Design, I am always interested in visual interpretations and found the varying examples of this technique both bewildering and intriguing.  Whilst I can begin to understand the more ‘simplistic’ graphic systems of Xenakis or Berberian, some of the more ‘impressionist’ styles left me scratching my head wondering how I would interpret this piece!

Overall, I feel that this section, more than my other studies into music, has given me a wider and deeper knowledge of 20^th century sounds.  Whilst I may not personally appreciate the more ‘abstract’ works of Cage and his counterparts, I was fascinated to listen to a range of music that has appeared during the last century.

Assignment 2: Indeterminacy

It could be said that the desire to break away from traditional musical conventions of structure and tonality led to a ‘melting-pot’ of ideas, methods and modern thinking throughout the twentieth century, with a vast number of ‘experimental’ compositions emerging (Cook and Pople 2004).  Styles such as minimalism, serialism and neo-classicism were suggesting a new-found freedom from convention.  However, it was composers such as Cage and Boulez whose ideas surrounding ‘indeterminacy’ created a whole new wave in terms of musical possibility and expression.

Indeterminacy in music was a phrase coined by the composer John Cage in the 1950’s, who stated that the term “refers to the ability of a piece to be performed in substantially different ways.” Pritchett (1993:108).  More specifically, Weaver (n.d.) describes a number of different techniques that Cage used when composing indeterminate or ‘chance’ music.   He writes that Cage categorised ‘indeterminacy’ in two forms; 1) in relation to performance, and 2) in relation to composition.  Techniques in relation to a performance would include freedom for musicians to interpret their parts, including the variation of duration, pitch or dynamics.  In contrast, techinques relating to indeterminacy at a compositional level require some elements of chance being applied to the writing stage.  Texts such as I-Ching (n.d.); an ancient Chinese text detailing a divination system designed to distinguish certain 'changes' using a system of 'hexagrams' and three coins, and musical dice; a twelve-sided dice with each face containing one of the 12 notes in the western scale, have been known to form the basis of a composer's ‘indeterminate’ compositions.  Inspired by Schoenberg’s techniques of arranging the twelve tones equally, modern composers such as Iannis Xenakis have adopted computer programmes to generate their compositions.

However, when considering the pioneers of ‘indeterminacy’, many European composers such as Boulez and Stockhausen also adopted their own methods of ‘chance’ during the 1950’s.  Terms such as ‘Aleatoric Music’ began to appear across the Atlantic, holding a very similar definition to Cage’s.  Sweetwater (2004) provides the follwoing definition of Aleatoric Music:

“Aleatoric Music or Aleatoric Composition is music where some element of the composition is left to chance.”

Despite the differences in terminology between indeterminacy and aleatory, it seems that composers such as Stockhausen and Cage worked along similar lines of thinking, but adopted very different methods.  Marshall (n.d.) describes Cage’s use of the ancient Chinese book of I-Ching to ‘lead’ the direction of his composition, whilst Boulez and Stockhausen were noted to give their performers more choices in the actual playing of the piece.  In the case of Cage’s 4’33"” (1952), ‘environmental’ noises play a key role in a composition which requires no input from musicians, but just ‘listens’ to the reactions of the audience and environmental noises during the silence, e.g. coughing or rain falling.

Despite the ‘pioneering’ indeterminacy movement from the 1950’s onwards, ideas of the application of chance to music have been present throughout history.  Musical dice games were invented during the nineteenth century and it is suggested that composers such as Mozart used these methods during composition.  Both Henry Cowell’s Mosiac Quartet (1934) and Marcel Duchamp in Erratum Musical (1913), which appeared before the work of Cage, demonstrate techniques using applications of chance.

Xenakis’ Pithoprakta (1956) demonstrates experimentation with unusual intervals and chord-progression, ‘tweaked’ dodecaphonic techniques and complex mathematical theory.  This piece, written for brass, percussion and a large string section, blends dissonance with a feeling of an unstable rhythmic pattern, resulting in a rapid changing ‘mood’ to the composition.  Similarly, Cage’s Concerto for prepared piano and chamber orchestra (1950-51) adopts elements of ‘chance’ within the composition process.   Pritchett (2009) describes Cage’s methodology, stating that Cage composed 115 individual ‘musical events’ and used the ancient Chinese book of I-Ching to decide the order in which to mix these ‘events’ with periods of silence.  This method provides a wildly ranging, but very disjointed feeling to the piece, offering the idea of small ‘bites’ of music, lacking the traditional ‘flow’.

Stockhausen’s Klavierstucke XI (1956), was also composed in ‘musical events’, but this composition relied on the performer choosing the order of the 19 events, spontaneously during the performance.   This method results in a ‘clumsy’ feel, but offers great variety between the live and recorded performances.   Wendt (2012) suggests that Boulez adopted similar techniques although, “a more tightly-controlled variety than that composed by John Cage”, using a series of 8 musical ‘events’ which the pianist controls the order of.   However, unlike Klavierstucke XI, the ‘events’ in Boulez’s Piano Sonata No.3 (1958) seemed to offer a more purposeful and fluid performance.

In order to communicate these sometimes complex ‘variations’ to musicians, it was necessary to update the traditional form of notation to include their modernist sounds.  These ‘graphic scores’ were specifically designed using pictures, shapes, symbols, drawings or colour to represent each musician's part.  The performers would then ‘interpret’ the image and create their music accordingly.  The extract below from Cathy Berberian’s Stripsody (1966), demonstrates the use of a graphic score based upon the ‘stave’ system, contrasted by the more artistic interpretations of Xenakis’ Oersteia (1970) score.

Zamarin (1966)

Xenakis (1970)

When analysing graphic scores, Bergstroen-Nielsen (1993:40) argues that these ‘graphics’ made it easier to understand the score, even to those musicians who do not read music.  However, due to the complexities of some of these scores, glossaries began to appear to enable musicians to clearly understand the directions.

Like many forms of music which experiment with rhythm and atonality, Indeterminate Music has received a very mixed reception.   When considering public reactions to this experimental movement, specifically Cage’s 4’33”” Solomon, L. (2002) writes:

“Some people assume that Cage did it to shock. Others have regarded it as a deliberate affront or insult, either to the audience or as an attack on music as an art form. Still others thought it was the act of a fool, a charlatan, or that it was too easy.”

However, Classical Music Journal (2006) writes that Cage’s and other Indeterminate works of the time “changed the nature of music and composition by removing the necessity of intention from composition”.

In conclusion, the Indeterminate Music movement created a great source of inspiration for composers to free themselves from the constraints of conventional diatonic music.  However, when considering the definition of music, it is hard to draw a comparison of some of the more alternative Indeterminate Compositions such as 4’33””.  Dictionary.com (n.d.) describes music as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color”.   However, many pieces composed in this Indeterminate style seem to lack a formal tonal or rhythmic centering.

However, it is clear that pieces such as Stockhausen’s Klavierstucke XI are deeply rooted in traditional musical values and composers such has Xenakis and Cage seem to have drawn upon a wide range of influences from the serialism, minimalism and impressionism to create pieces with a more melodic form.  Due to the vast array of techniques and methodology involved with indereminacy, Feisst (2002) suggests that perhaps the term would be better referred to as ‘improvisation’ writing that:

“Due to misconceptions in regard to improvisation and due to varying new artistic approaches, many composers came up with new terms such as indeterminacy, aleatory, open form, experimental, and meditative music and provided their own new definition of improvisation.”

This opinion offers an entirely different way of perceiving indeterminate music, offering a ‘solution’ for the sometimes-indecipherable musical messages portrayed.

However, although arguments continue as to whether Indeterminacy can be considered a serious contribution to musical history, I feel that if nothing else, there is clear evidence that this movement inspired composers and musicians to challenge the limitations of music and explore the more ‘unknown’ side of tonality.