The relationship between Composer and Performer Essays

The relationship between Composer and Performer Essays The relationship between Composer and Performer Essay The relationship between Composer and Performer Essay In this essay I would like to discuss notation and its influence on the relationship between composer and performer. In some ways composing can seem a slightly mystical process. How do we imagine musical ideas coming into the mind, what did the compositional process involve and how does the notation of a piece have a relationship to the way it is performed? Beethoven and Chopin, to take two conventional and well-known composers as an example, left a large body of work using conventional pitch-duration notation, involving the twelve notes of the chromatic scale, between them. Yet the notation of their pieces gives few clues as to the compositional process. Rather than the finished works it is Beethovens sketches which give the clearest indication of his mode, generally slow and laborious, of composition. On the other hand Chopins working modes were very different from those of Beethoven, involving a higher degree of improvisation at the keyboard. For Beethoven, the idea had to be down on paper. Yet the notation they used was the same. The most revolutionary developments in notation came in the twentieth century. By the 1950s the relationship between composer and performer had become a coercive one, a sequence of commands constituting the composers control strategy. Notation became flexible, adaptable to and relevant to the playing situation. Conventional notation does not necessarily equal lots of possible interpretations; the way to interpret pieces by Beethoven and Chopin (to take these composers as a further example) has been heartily disputed over the years in spite of the clear simple notation use by the composer. In the same way, an elaborate or complicated notation such as those found in much contemporary music, can permit varied interpretation. A conventional notation, that is notation which covers duration-pitch relationship, is not flexible enough to relate extended compositional requirements. This led to the creation at new, flexible notations that have direct relevance to a playing situation. Even so, many composers are less concerned with the relationship of the score to the performer than to their own concerns with sounds. The idea of a direct relationship between the composer and the performer without the intervention of a middle man became increasingly likely. The accepted norm of relying on the received traditions of the past as to what constitute a reliable or authentic performance was viewed as the uncreative option. Composers like Boulez and Stockhausen pushed the boundaries of notation ever further. In Stockhausens Kontakte (Contacts, 1959-60) for piano percussion and tape, the performers of the acoustic instruments are provided with a complex graphic score which permits them to co-ordinate with the taped electronic sounds. An example from Kontakte by Stockhausen Whole techniques and even ideologies developed around rather straightforward musical notion such as polytonality, atonality, serial music and different modal harmonic process. The growing complexity of notations led to the alienation of the performer; even now only the most conscientious performers feel a responsibility to the composer, and to their own honesty, when dealing with complexity in notation. Over-complexity in notation leads to problems with the realisation of the composer intentions when directives are inevitably contravened through necessity, for example in the music of Brian Ferneyhough which is so complicated and practically unplayable that it is inevitable that the performer will be unable to play every element of the notated piece. This takes the performer to the very edge of what is possible and creates in itself a new performance practice. For example, Ferneyhoughs modernist masterpiece Etudes transcendentales for voice and four instruments (1984) is fearsomely complex, and again requires great dedication on the part of the performer if the composers wishes are to be carried out. However, a performer would really have to be familiar with a composers aesthetic to know that the otherwise unacceptable act of not playing the piece as written (mainly because you cannot! ) is part of the pieces implicit meaning. Therefore in a piece of huge complexity, notated or otherwise, a player who makes the act of commitment to study and attempt to solve it, is likely to have a rightful interest in actually performing the piece. This relates to the general view that the composer is the one who has something to say, reducing the status of the performer is that of a mere interpreter. However, this is not a view that has always existed; as has been stated, composers such as Chopin and Beethoven often improvised to an extent. But is it the case that, harmonically and stylistically, it simply was not as difficult to do this in Mozart time? Here in this way, we have led to the prioritising of the composer, and the score. Traditionally we respect the written word, so one expects to perform music as it is written , which in a way leads to the belief that whatever is not in the score must be wrong. The movement towards to a situation where interpretation is not required began to alienate the performer. Because interpretation has been overtaken by execution, the composer began to use compositional control over every element of a work, that is not only pitch-rhythm relationships but forms of attack, articulation, dynamic shading i. . those elements traditionally left to the musical intelligence of the player. However, in every possible case which involves human input, something is left to the performer. They do not have to be aware of the elements of performance out of the possible control of the composer, for example a players personal style, method of playing their instrument, conception of dynamic level. When viewed in this way, such precision on the part of the composer becomes almost pointless, except in cases where the end result being an approximation is part of the composers aesthetic intention. One of the first artists to react to the primacy of the written score was John Cage. Cage wrote about a larger shift in the relationship between performer and listener. He argued a rotation could no longer be seen as something separate and detached from its listeners and from it context. Rather, creating music was a process that was initiated by the composer or performer, but completed by the audience. The listeners experience of the work was essential to the music itself. He developed notations to reflect this ideology. For example, one of Cages main concerns in producing indeterminate work was the need to free the performers from the authoritarian dictate of a composer, to prevent them being dehumanised cogs in a music-making machine. Ways of doing this included graphic scores, not including fixed time signatures, and definite instructions to improvise. Many other composers searched similar areas, like Stockhausens improvised works, and including Cornelius Cardew. Cardew focused much more on the need to give the performers a say, to make a cooperative social relationship in performance. Cardew was a contemporary British composer who, by the end of the 60s, became disillusioned with the apparent academic role of the same times music and decided to restore the balance in favour of the performer. Cornelius Cardew wrote graphics scores in which performers look at the graphics and respond to and interpret them. In order to represent his intentions he used simple, pictorial ( graphic ) notation, with a sounding end result, which was very unpredictable and experimental. Possibly the best example of this is Treatise, a graphic score which uses ciphers and symbols reminiscent of conventional notation to which performers must respond. The essence pf both Cage and Cardews intention was that everyone could be a composer, a musician- music taking on a social significance. The way a piece is notated allows us to come closer to understanding it, according to Cardew. The musical culture within which notations operate, and of the ways in which our modes of thought function are influenced by the nature of the systems we use (Cardew, 1961).

Commercial Analysis and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Commercial Analysis and Planning - Essay Example When aircrafts were invented, continuous monitoring and hands-on by pilots was mandatory if the flight had to be flown successively (Bruseberg, & Johnson, 4). However, with the advancement it aircraft technology, planes that could facilitate long hours of flight were made. As a result, pilots suffered from fatigue and therefore a mechanism had to be invented to minimize this, autopilot: the first step to cockpit automation. In 1912, a corporation by the name Sperry, became the first to develop aircraft with autopilot feature. It was composed of a gyroscopic heading and attitude indicators which were connected to elevators and rudder that were operated by hydraulics. This enable the plane to follow the compass bearing and fly straight without negotiating corners (Damos, 11). Many were inspired by the invention and in the year 1930, Royal Aircraft Establishment, a corporation of England came up with their own autopilot which was referred to as pilots’ assister. It was built from , pneumatically-spun gyroscope, an advancement from the initial hydraulically operated ones. The development grew with the invention and inclusion of instruments that would allow the plane to be flown during the night. Autopilot has undergone computerization in modern planes. Modern level of autopilot are one-axis, two-axis and three-axis. Complex plane uses the three-axial autopilot. The purpose of autopilot is to control the plane when it takes off, during climbing, the smooth level air flight and during landing respectively (Billings, 23). Finally, current autopilot relies heavily on computers rather than the physical compass that was used by earlier aircrafts. Another phase of cockpit automation is in auto-throttle. In initial aircrafts, the pilot used to manually control the flow of fuel to the engine. However, auto-throttle has replaced this thus reducing pilots’

Pricing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pricing - Essay Example In this method, the values of all the inputs applied when developing the product are summed. The other method is the value based method. This focuses on the values of the product. In this method, the value of the product is the extent of the customer's satisfaction and, therefore, forms the criteria for price setting (Smith 145). Value based method would be appropriate for this case since there is no competition in the market. Mark-up approach and the fixed percentage approach would also do for this same reason that there is no competition in the market. Therefore, balancing out on the application of these methods in price setting would be appropriate. Competition based method would not be relevant in this case since there is no competition in the market. Price skimming strategy will fall as one of my consideration. This is mainly because the product is new and does not have a replica of it in the market. For this reason, the market prices must be higher than what other existing prod ucts cost (Smith 289). The new product is of a higher quality with higher demand due to the additional features; this justifies the reason for giving it a higher price. On the other hand, I must consider how the consumers perceive higher prices and what their take on increased prices could be. The bottom line in this consideration is that high prices can be set initially and well accepted, while it may not be easy to hike prices at a later date. Beginning the sales of a new product at a high price is more advantageous. The quality of the product in this case being high would justify the high prices. The new machine is one of its own; hence, the competitors are kept away already for setting new competition on the product. In this case, I would not apply the market penetration pricing since there is no competition. The fact that this product is unique makes it more appropriate for me to set higher market prices since building demand quickly will not be affected because it is not produ ced by any other competitor. It would also be necessary for me to choose tactics that would go well with both the company and the customers. As such, quantity discount would deem necessary for a higher rate of stock flow to be realized. The timing of such high quantity purchases must be put into consideration before I offer such discounts. Having the mind of the customer at the point of price setting would become necessary for me. This will be in terms of how the customers perceive the product and the feeling they may develop over the new products and the set prices (Smith 68). This psychological aspect in price setting may help in developing a notion of how the customers would react to certain prices. Internal and external reference prices would apply in this case. Odd prices will be considered as the customers would most likely perceive the prices to be low. The number 9 at the end is the trick to be applied in this case when pricing. Zone pricing would apply considering the cost of shipping. The product would cost much more for consumers who are located far away from the manufacturing zone. Bundled purchases would be given a discount on purchases. For those who buy the washing machine and other products within the company get a discount. These are aimed at ensuring a high number of purchases of the company products with the help of having the new product in the market. Long-term and short-term pricing tactics would contrast in this case. The short-term strategies would be mostly responsive to the prevailing conditions

Comparative Analysis Paper Essay Example for Free

Comparative Analysis Paper Essay For this assignment I have selected three poems to analyze the relationship between language and content in poetry. I want toattempt toanalyze the writting styles of three authors, whose work can be found from the book, The Art of Work. The three poems that I have selected are Share Croppers written by Langston Hughes, Factory Worker, written by Jim Daniels, and The Rope, written by Patricia Dobler. These are three poems that caught my eye and I became very interested in. The first poem I read for this assignment was Share-Croppers. This paticular poem seemed to have been written from the viewpoint of a slave who is captioning the hard work that had to be done as a sharecropper. Although this was a very short poem the expression by this author said a lot to capture any readers attention. For example the author gives you a picture as to how the sharecropper was left hungry and ragged afterr plowing away in fields. See more: analytical writing By reading this poem you are able to identify that Langston Hughes was very concerned about African American life through the use of certain dialect and terms. As you continue to read this poem over and over you are able to come to a conclusion that the era in which this poem was written goes back to a time after emancipation, when many blacks were forced to work as share croppers not being paid a dime,and where under the authority of white farm tenants. In this poem one starts to get a feelof what it was like to be a black share cropper unable to show any remores because this was a daily routine that took a toll over ever sharecropperss daily life. My next poem Factory Jungle seems to have been written from the viewpoint of a factory worker who is trying to enlighten the fact of being a determined ambitious worker, but also as one who is ready to end a long day at work. Just like many other authors. The author Jim Daniels has written a poem that uses many metaphors to paint a picture of a factory that gives off the idea of being a jungle. For example the author say, Id like to climb one of those ropes of light swing around the presses, welders etc. The language used by this author shows us a picture of a factory swinging freely amongst his work not having a care what so ever. These paticular terms of language enables us to get a physical picture of exactly what the factory worker is doing in the factory to change it into a jungle. Everyone  understand that there is no way you are able to climb rope of light or even fly out of factory gates. This only catches the readers attention just the poem sharecroppers did. Keeping the same theme and indentifying the factroy as being a jungle, the author also uses a made elephant to represent the largest presses in the plant and allows us to paint another picture showing us the harm that this big machine could cause if fallen on your hand. In this part of the poem we find that the mad elephant allows us to think about how heavy and dangerous things could be when working around heavy machinery in this paticular factory. The author is being very creative throughout this poem, careful not to bore the reader. Jim Daniels used the correlation of swinging through the plant, then rippping off his coveralls, safety glasses, and ear plugs then pounding his chest and yelling like Tarzan. This again gives us that feeling showing us that this factory worker is feeling very free. Yet and still another picture has beenpainted for us. In my final poem that I have selected, I became silightly thrown off as to what this poem was trying to generate to the reader. Unlike the other two poems I used, this poem hardly used any language and dialect to allow the readers attention to be caught at once. As I read over this poem I figured that the viewpoint of this poem had to be written by a man who was dwelling on things that he could not make of life for him or a loved one and those things were haunting him. I came to this conclusion because the author says, Their vocies still wake me as I woke for years with a rise and fall. The author is not specific as to what she wants or doesnt want us to know. This poem does not paint a picture for me letting me feel and realize what exactly is going on. So by reading these three amazing poem we find many authors use some of the same styles, literary techniques and genres to help relate to readers. While other authors may leave you slightly wondering, and can often open your mind to wonder which can be a very positive matter. I personally relate better to readings that paint a picture allowing me to be side by side to what the author has written. Also while reading Ive found that not  all poetic techniques were used but all three authors used something to help you understand the readings.

The Determined Victor Jimmy Connors :: Essays Papers

The Determined Victor Jimmy Connors The Determined Victor What is a hero? A hero is someone who has achieved many goals in their life; someone admired for his impressive exploits; or someone who shows tremendous courage. A hero controls a great deal of power of authority, or strong influence over others. When people envision a hero, they usually think of a champion, a paragon, a conqueror, or a celebrity. Jimmy Connors represented all these qualities. He displayed power when he was on the tennis court, and he asserted his force off the court. Mr. Connors is a dominant, influential powerhouse. A champion was born unknowingly on September 2, 1952. A child was born to rise above his comrades. He was born James Scott Connors after his father. From the time he was barely three years old, no one could tell that little Jimmy was going to be a champion. Destined for glory his mother and grandmother knew that for Jimmy to be great he would have to work extremely hard. So everyday until Jimmy was a teenager his mother and grandmother would drill him with tennis balls, seeing early that he had tremendous talent. Small for his age, Jimmy had to make up for it somehow. So while other children his age played with toys or watched T.V., Jimmy would be out on the tennis court working on his game. Jimmy wanted to be the best. He knew that his success depended on his speed and his technique. Jimmy worked like a demon to make up for the difference. By age 8, Jimmy was skillful enough to enter into tournaments, and he made a good showing in them. Jimmy did not win his first tournament until he was in the ten-year-old competition. The losses only gave him determination and the wins only gave humbleness. Jimmy Connors, a paragon of all sorts, had an unconquerable spirit. Jimmy knew that he had to be himself out on the tennis courts if he wanted to succeed. At times in Jimmy’s career, he was known as a spoiled brat for his cocky attitude. He was often called â€Å"mouth†. He had this spirit ever since he was a young boy. Being the smaller kid of his age group, he had to have something to hold onto.

Mister Pip of Lloyd Jones Essay

The narrator of Mister Pip is Matilda, a young girl growing up on an island in the south Pacific. As the story unfolds it becomes gradually more apparent that this island is in the grip of a brutal war. Matilda is deflected from the impact of the threatening violence by her fascination with Mr. Watts the only white man on the island and the person who has the task of teaching the island’s children. His only text is Great Expectations and he manages to cast a strange spell over the children and their parents using Dickens’s story in various ways. The book has the quality of a fantasy where the characters achieve moments of liberation through storytelling. The central character Matilda asserts, â€Å"stories can help you find happiness and truth.† This belief is borne out as the story unfolds and Matilda triumphs in spite of horrendous suffering. I found the character of Matilda’s mother to be the most convincing. She makes an amazing journey from religious fundamentalism to heartbreaking heroism culminating in the perfect climactic line; â€Å"I am here as God’s witness.† The whole book is a witness to the power of fiction; Matilda claims that Great Expectations is the â€Å"one book that supplied me with another world at a time when it was desperately needed.† As I read it I came to accept that this could be true and that Mister Pip might very well turn out to be a classic piece of fiction that stands the test of time. If there is a flaw it is in the last twenty pages which deal with Matilda’s life outside her island home. The adult Matilda is not as convincing as the child narrator who observes the wonderful and strange things that happen in Mr Watts’ classroom. It is nevertheless a delightful and searing book which might well send you back to Dickens as a kind of bonus.

Essay on Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care

Running Heading: Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care: Kenisha Wilkerson Walden University Socioeconomic conditions of persons and the places where they live and work do strongly influence their health. In the United States, as elsewhere, the risk for mortality, morbidity, unhealthy behaviors, reduced access to health care and poor quality of care increases with decreasing socioeconomic circumstances (CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, 2011). Bias in the health care situation is most often indirect and universal (Halwani, 2011). Indirect discrimination occurs when exactly the same services are provided to everybody, but when cultural, religious,†¦show more content†¦Aversive racism can also be addressed with techniques aimed at its roots at both the individual and collective levels. At the individual level, strategies to combat aversive racism can be directed at unconscious attitudes. For example, extensive training to create new, counter-stereotypic associations with social categories (e.g., blacks) can reduce the insensible foundation of stere otypes, a factor of aversive racists’ negative attitudes. In addition, aversive racists’ conscious attitudes, which are already egalitarian, can be instrumental in motivating change (Aversive Racism - SUBTLE BIAS, COMBATING, 2011). In conclusion being in the know about racial or ethnic inequality in health care and aversive racism can help eliminate problems. Raising public and provider awareness of racial/ethnic disparities in care, expanding health insurance coverage (Obama Care), improving the capacity and number of providers in underserved communities, increasing the knowledge base on causes and interventions to reduce disparities, examining your own behavior, and techniques aimed at its roots at both the individual and collective levels. Bibliography Aversive Racism - SUBTLE BIAS, COMBATING. (2011). Retrieved April 11, 2011, from Net Industries: http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5976/Aversive-Racism.html Cannon, L. (2011). Aversive Racism: The Hidden Racism of Open Minded Americans. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from Hubpages:Show MoreRelatedDiversity within the Criminal Justice System Essay2168 Words   |  9 Pagesproposes that as minority groups grow in numbers within the dominant group they will experience greater equality. However, rate of incarceration among minority males remains alarmingly high and as compared to their White counterparts. As with health care there are racial disparities that will influence outcomes when an individual is brought before the criminal courts. Additionally, there is significant correlation between a person’s level of education and the likelihood of his involvement in criminal