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.