Music - MYP 4 and 5 - Samuel Wright - Hodder 2020

What is a canon
or prolation?
in the form of social upheaval, World Wars
change
new movements of art such as minimalism and
and
Additionally, artists from around the
expressionism.
began to incorporate exotic aspects of other
globe
into their music or bring it with them into the
cultures
European art tradition (such as Igor Stravinsky
Western
Eastern European folksong). As we have also seen,
using
composers ‘time travelled’ and brought older
some
Pärt (b. 1935) is an Estonian minimalist composer
Arvo
ideas have been inspired by Medieval and
whose
music. In 1977 he wrote a piece for a string
Renaissance
and tubular bells ‘Cantus In Memoriam of
orchestra
Britten’ as an elegy to his friend. You can view
Benjamin
preview score at Universal Edition:
a
Tintinnabuli style (like a bell ringing). Most of the playing
one descending A minor scale, started in the
involves
and repeated throughout the work in the ratio
violins
1:2:4:8:16. This means that the violins are playing the
of
at the ‘normal’ speed, the next part is twice as
melody
then 4 times as long to 16 times as long in the basses.
long,
is using a Renaissance technique called a prolation
Pärt
and
,
of this work. Share your new and initial thinking.
analogy
3–2–1 BRIDGE
www.universaledition.com/arvo-part-534/works/cantusin-memory-of-benjamin-britten-1465
with
In the 20th Century, composers were
presented
As you listen to the piece on the playlist, write down three
two questions one analogy
, and of this work.
thoughts
This piece is built around something Pärt called his
techniques such as canons into the future.
canon where the same melody is used but in different
lengths or ratios, layered at the same time.
Armed with this knowledge, in your portfolio write
one
down another three thoughts two questions
Figure 3.12 Opening melody of ‘Cantus in Memoriam of Benjamin Britten’
■
Figure 3.13 Prolation ratios using A minor descending melody
■
Music for the IB MYP 4&5: by Concept
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