Diatonic scale

My essay today will focus on the history of Igor Stravinsky with my main concept and interest being on his early work “The Rite of Spring”. “The Rite of Spring” was a piece which caused Igor Stravinsky to go down in history as someone who challenged the norms of music and who changed music traditions forever. As you will see further on in my essay Stravinsky's innovative ideas were not initially loved and respected but instead frowned upon and hated. I can personally relate to some concepts…

Jazz, a genre of music that originated in African American, is one of the most influential music style in the world. It is the production of a blend of influences from different countries and different cultures, giving rise to many distinct styles. As the Jazz musician Ahmad Alaadeen once said, “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world.” Among the early music styles, Ragtime and Blues are two contributors which largely influenced the emergence…

The Beatles were one of the most popular and influential rock and roll groups of all time. This iconic band blazed new trails for popular music through their relentless imaginative and experimental songs that caught attention on an international scale. The Beatles gained the hearts of millions in 1963, the start of Beatlemania, and continued to captivate their fans for the next seven years. Their total domination over the music industry remains unrivaled to this day due to their ability to…

The Lute The lute, the most prolific instrument during the 16th century, was “in almost universal use in western Europe” because it was treasured for its ability to arouse emotions through its “expressive and finely shaded tone”. Since the lute was so abundant during the Renaissance period “it is one of the first instruments for which we find any large quantity of written music” in which polyphonic singing and secular songs as well as dances were merged together. The lute, because it was so…

Throughout the history of our world, there are certain people who have made such an impact that their legacies will live on forever. Whether they are inventors, presidents, activists, athletes, actors or musicians only a few are able to stand the test of time. It takes special and unique individuals who are willing to take a stand against the norm, go against the grain and carve their own way. Four men who have done just that are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.…

” Theodore Levin expresses a different situation from the Soviet Union. He discusses how Marxist-Leninist state ideology transformed music culture in Uzbekistan. According to Levin, the diatonic melodies, chromatic harmonies, and regular intervals of Russian songs were fused with the embellished modal scales, homophonic textures, and microtonal intervals of Uzbeck music, keeping it “nationalist in form, socialist in context” (190). Levin argues that through the creation of the position of…

Musical Analysis of “The Beatles”, the self-entitled White Album The first song of the album, “Back in the USSR”, written by Paul McCartney, directly parodies and references the Beach Boys, with subtler allusions to Chuck Berry and Ray Charles. It is set in the key of A major and has a 4/4 meter. Song form consists of an intro, four verse sections, each followed by a refrain, a bridge that follows only the second and third refrains, and an outro. The melody is undoubtedly bluesy, but…