Question 1-
Listen to this song by Franz Schubert, whose music we have been exploring in lecture:
Subtitles are available in this performance. After listening, answer the following questions:
1) How does the music support the text (think of the title and the story it tells)?
2) Is the music strophic (the same tune is applied to new text) or through-composed (brand new music occurs with every stanza of words)? Answer to the best of your ability.
Question 2-
Listen to this piece by American composer, George Gershwin, called “An American In Paris.” While this piece isn’t programmatic, in the sense that there is poetic text, the title should help inform what you hear. This was written in the 1920’s, so imagine yourself in that time period in the busy city.
If mimesis, quotation, and topics are the three main options composers may use in program music (not necessarily all at once), answer these two questions:
1) In the opening minutes, the composer calls for “taxi horns” to be played. Is this an example of mimesis, quotation, or topic? Why?
2) Describe the overall style of the music that might help paint the picture of this title?

Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.