MUSIC 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Dear Sarah (Film), Music Complete
The codification of Western Music
● Gregorian Chant=origin of codification of western music
● Plainchant choirs
○ Soprano: high range for girls
○ Tenor: high range for boys
○ Alto: low range for girls
○ Bass: low range for boys
● Immortal Bach- J.S. Bach/Knut Nysted
○ Sung in German, the language of the Lutheran church
■ “Come forward sweet death”, describing Lutheran’s positive association
towards death
■ 2nd part has no meter: aleatoric “chance music”
● Timing of music up to the performers
● Requiem-Gilkyson/Hella-Johnson
○ “Requiem” is latin for remembering, esp. Remembering of the dead
○ Original song recorded same singer two voices, rearranged by Hella-Johnson to
accommodate a 45 person choir
■ Incredibly successful--song 35k+ copies
■ The bigger the ensemble the more difficult to sing to a precision
● More coordination involved
■ Difference in style! Notes are same and voices too but articulation is
different (ex: pop, country, classical)
● Jauchzet Dem Herm-Felix Mendelssohn
○ Motets (about drinking and partying?) and madrigals (religion and scripture)
■ Formal structure is exactly the same
■ Rule is every new line of text=a completely new line of music
■ Complete opposite of strophic music (ex: Amazing Grace)
■ At times changes the number of singers to double down on text (full choir
vs. 8 people)
● Dear Sarah- James Syler
○ Very emotional, especially if reading the lyrics while listening
○ Repeating small/large elements: minimalism!
■ Fractals: similarities to snowflakes (symmetry in nature)
■ Soft, intimate, tender and flexible
● Ironic, because the piece is composed by mathematical
symmetry, geometry
● Combining expression and math? Words bridge the gap
● The Lamb- John Tavener
○ Constructed with shape in mind; use of palindromes and inversions
● 150th Psalm-Howard Nelson
● Peace of Wild Things-Jake Runestad
● Flight Song- Kim Amessen
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Gregorian chant=origin of codification of western music. Sung in german, the language of the lutheran church. Come forward sweet death , describing lutheran"s positive association towards death. 2nd part has no meter: aleatoric chance music . Timing of music up to the performers. Original song recorded same singer two voices, rearranged by hella-johnson to accommodate a 45 person choir. The bigger the ensemble the more difficult to sing to a precision. Notes are same and voices too but articulation is. Jauchzet dem herm-felix mendelssohn different (ex: pop, country, classical) Motets (about drinking and partying?) and madrigals (religion and scripture) Rule is every new line of text=a completely new line of music. Complete opposite of strophic music (ex: amazing grace) At times changes the number of singers to double down on text (full choir. Dear sarah- james syler vs. 8 people) Very emotional, especially if reading the lyrics while listening. Fractals: similarities to snowflakes (symmetry in nature)
