San Diego [UCSD] Lectures

1 San Diego lectures I position in history. Idea of progress II involvement in public affairs (operas) biographical twice III sociol. & economic implications IV serialism and what next? "Figur" v. "Textur"

I first period: no historical consciousness. Main purpose to live up to the standards of the teacher. The art seen as a self-sufficient objective entity with a law unto itself. Describe situation: Vienna 1910-20. Characterize Schreker - Schoenberg. Idea of progress - avantgarde. Main thing - what you do must be special, not "banal". Force of convention. Ontward success a self-evident criterion. Uncritical attitude. how did the conventions come about? second period: Berlin. Anti-conventional. Ontward success declared unimportant. Idea of "objective" music. First stirring of historical consciousness. First change of style. As to history: seeking the opposite of the given. Hints at absurdity. Third period: turning 180°. Not as sudden as it seems, for there were always residues of the past. But now total emphasis on past features: Schubert. Historical orientation toward period before last (early, not late Romanticism) External motivation: Erdmann - incidental. More obvious: neo-classical: Stravinsky, Milhaud. Travels, Paris. Fourth period: crisis. Return to point of origin. New standard: modernism - most advanced type 12 Ton T. Describe situation: Berg, Webern. Isolation.

Intro: plan of the four lectures: a self portrait folded into a panorama of the world of music. The sights through the windows of the self. Discuss the meaning of history. Tell it "like it was". Actually you tell it as what you remember looks to you today.

from Manuscript Box A panorama of this century's A composer viewing this century's music. I. Historically oriented: to be or... II. Politically involved engaged: to be or not to be III. Sociological and economic aspects IV. Serialism, and where do we stand now? for end of I: coming together of 12 tone & neoclass. in coolness (anti-emotional) and fragmentation. Webern - Stravinsky also: style not so far apart, if seen from a distance. (Gluck - Puccini, Wagner - Brahms) a historial attitude. Compare with earlier periods that did not hesitate the remnants of earlier styles to put something new, stronger in the place. Today doubtful whether the new is stronger, Parallel: in new periods always primitivism (see Mannheim school) Question remains open. 2

Again trying to achieve objective perfection. Not critical. Sideline: Monteverdi Fifth period: America. Necessity of teaching - con- fronted with history. Also tempted: Not for justification, but to prove continuity and identity. Opposite of radicalism Compare Schoenberg's attitude - also not radical, but dedicated to idea of progress and development. Interest in Greg. Chant, 14th century Ars Nova (isorhythmic), 15th cent. (Cantus firmus). Okeghem - Tinctoris Sixth period: Interest in history weakened. Standards become questiorable. Discovery of serialism. Seemingly "total" objectivity leads to creation controlled by instinct.

III In the twenties awakening of sociological interest. Endless discussion to this day. The work of art not any longer seen as self-sufficient, not as product of the history of the art independently from other things, but as a function and result of societal conditions. Economic foundation of music. Copyright introduced around 1800. Idea of compensation. It gains significance when succes of a work results in many repeated performances. In the old days outright fee. Function of perf. right societies. Therefore interest of the composer focussed on performance, not only for communication und fame, but also materially. Attitude of "Zukunftsmusik". Lack of present success compensated by future fame. Influence of mechanical means. Diminishing returns from sheet music. Wagner "Parcifal" 125000 copies. Opera: big business. "Jonny spielt auf". In the 20s modern, or "new" music not popular. Festivals, ISCM.

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Situation in America: Commercialism. Radio Great change after 1945. New music never had it so good - at least partly... Foundations, festivals. Societal split: a sort of "elite" group for new music, subsidized. Who wants to go to concerts? (Babbitt) Again single fee more interesting than "rights". story of Minneapolis 2nd Symph. subsidy in Ruhrgebiet (432 to 1) continuity: what is the predicament? Numbers have changed. Commercial exploitation. New society - bourgeois. Status symbol. Composers ahead, anticipating more change of mentality. "Zukunftsmusik". Not understood in his own time. Blame on publisher New ways.

New music problematical, later becomes popular when it is accepted by more and more composers as a common style. for IV. "figure" & "texture" coming together of 12 T. & neo-class.; 12T. becomes cool (Webern) and fragmented (punktuell) music and language for II. reception in USA. fired from Vassar Coll. Allen's article 4

IV short explanation of serialism. Motivation: 1) expanding 12 T. idea 2) getting away from "structure" Webern as the originator result: away from language & logic no theme, no development. away from "figure", more texture. relationship to impressionism, also to neo-classicism, being anti-romantic here Stravinsky came in. element of chance. through total determination. Improvisation as principle. Dangers and limits. peculiar regressivness - nostalgia? Examples conclusions: post-serial infatuation with sound. to some extent inspired by electronics. this originally because of precision possibility. Now changed. Primitive tendency (like Mannheim school).

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1958 Quaestio temporis all-inteval row with 11 interv. Piece has 11 sections, in length proportional to the sizes of the intervals in half-tones. 6 speed zones (20, 30, 50, 80, 130, 210) 6 dyn. levels. 11 percussion, distributed within each section according to time pattern. computation of time. density: 6 levels. 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 layers rotation: either 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sestina rot. 6 1 5 2 4 3 or 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 1 4 3 6 5 2 4 1 6 3 5 4 2 6 1 5 3

1960 3x7. 1967 Horizon