You should pick two contrasting pieces of music that we have discussed or listened to this semester and write at least 700 words that discuss them as representatives of their unique cultural configurations. After identifying your pieces, you should identify their cultural and historical aspects and compositional techniques in them. Ideally, you will explain how all three of those elements help create a piece of music and help us understand the music (as well as its culture and history).
Your essay should include
historical details & information about the music,
functions and uses of your music (Where would you hear this music? How is it used?),
a discussion of the musical elements that make the piece (things like key, texture, meter, instrumentation, etc.). Be sure to explain how those musical elements and the music function help aid in our understanding of its cultural significance.
In identifying and discussing details about these pieces you are demonstrating your ability to make informed judgments about the cultural and historical significance of music. Also, at least at once in the essay, overtly acknowledge the contrast between the two musical pieces you’ve chosen (remember the assignment criteria that the pieces should be contrasting).
Four questions that your essay should broadly address:
What music elements (dynamics, key, meter, instrumentation, etc.) or compositional techniques (cyclical technique, leitmotifs, underscoring, etc.) are used?
How do historical contexts of these compositions shape the traditions of which they are apart?
How do power structures and worldviews affect music compositions?
How does knowledge of music fundamentals (like elements, form, and genre), of historical contexts, and of cultural dynamics help you better understand this music?
Please don’t just answer these questions but rather make sure your essay engages these questions as you read it through after writing it!
Audience: You should write this like you are writing to a person who is already familiar with the music and musical terms (in other words, you don’t need to provide an entire breakdown of the music and you do not need to define music terms like key, meter, etc. in your writing; the person reading the essay already knows what music you’ll be evaluating and the meaning of musical terms). The reader (me) wants to see how the music connects to culture and history based on what you’ve learned so far in this course.
The two pieces of music are gospel music and Nutcracker music. It is a level one class for music so no need for any outside sources.
