Leonard Bernstein vs Russian Classical Music

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Demographics of Russia❖ Population: 143.5 million

❖ Landmass: 6.602 million mi2

❖ Capital: Moscow

❖ Major Language: Russian

❖ Religions: Christianity, Islam,

Buddhism, Judaism

❖ Ethnicities: Tartars, Ukrainians,

Chuvash, Chenchens

Russia Statistics ➔ Life expectancy: 70.46 years

➔ Population: 144,221,341

➔ Birth Rate: 13.3/1,000

➔ Death Rate: 13.1/10,000

➔ Fertility Rate: 1.7

Geography Influences:❖ Largest country in the world

❖ Many multi-ethnic population

❖ Minerals found in Russia such as gold, silver, zinc

❖ Strengthened the economy

❖ World’s longest boundaries

❖ Typical landscape is steppe (treeless grassy plains)

❖ Consists of mountains such as Ural Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, Altai

mountains

Religious and Historical Influence- Primary religion of Russia

was orthodox christianity- Orthodox Churches are

found throughout Russia- (late 17th/early 18th century)

Russian Orthodox Church expanded greatly due to the offer of numerous financial and political incentives to political leaders

Western Classical Music in Russia★ used in the Byzantine Empire as a tradition of entertainment

★ Russian composers are unique in which they tell stories through their music

★ Neumes were used for music notation (basic element of Western and Eastern systems of musical notation prior

to the invention of five-line staff notation)

★ Late 19th century, synthetical chords were introduced and used often (made-up or

untraditional chords)

Russian Folk Music InstrumentsAccordion

- Garmon- Bayan

String

- Balalaika- Gusli- Dorma- Gudok

Wind instruments

- Rozhok- Zhaleika- Svirel- Kuvikli

Percussion

- Spoons (Lozhki)- Buben- Treshyotka

Bayan- Is a Russian accordion- Developed in the early 20th

century- Chromatic buttons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ32uTyF-GM

Balalaika- Has 3 - 6 strings

- Triangular shape

- Fast strums

- Developed in late 18th/early 19th century

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH

5znHQ9QRY

Peter Ilyich TchaikovskyBiography:

- 1840-1893

- Russian Composer

- Born in Vyatka Russia

- Educated at St. Petersburg

- Taught western style music

Tchaikovsky’s Musical Style- Composed western style

music- Russian Melodies &

Characters- Influenced by Western

Composers- Commonly used 2/4 and ¾

(7:47)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8J8urC_8Jw *Excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker➔ Instruments include

➔ Tempo changes throughout the different Acts and Numbers of the arrangement (Allegro, Presto, Andante)

➔ This music was used in the production of the Nutcracker ballets➔ Ternary Form (ABA Form)➔ Reputation

◆ Flutes ◆ Oboes◆ Clarinets◆ Cor anglais◆ Bass clarinet

◆ Basson ◆ Violins◆ Trumpets◆ Trombones◆ Tubas

◆ Cymbals◆ Bass Drums◆ Timpani◆ Snare Drums◆ Tam-Tam

Excerpts from Ballets

Trepak: https://youtu.be/qiiuN9eAy9Y

The Life of Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein- Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, US

on August 25th 1918- American composer, conductor,

pianist- Learned piano at age 10- Attended Harvard University and

studied music theory- first conductor to give a series of

television lectures on classical music- Died of emphysema at the age of 72

Leonard Bernstein’s Greatest WorksOperas:

● On the Town● Fancy Free● Dybbuk

Ballets:

● Trouble in Tahiti● A Quiet Place

Musicals:● West Side Story● On the town ● Wonderful Town● 1600 Pennsylvania

Avenue

Leonard Bernstein’s studies and influence- Influenced by composers like Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky,

Darius Milhaud, George Gershwin, and Marc Blitzstein- Fused elements such as jazz, jewish, theatre, and works of

previous composers- wrote in many styles encompassing symphonic and orchestral

music, ballet, film and theatre music, choral works, opera, chamber music and pieces for the piano

Leonard Bernstein’s Musical Styles- Used 12 tone elements- Most popular and critical success was the music of West Side

Story (orchestra)- Bridged classical music to popular music- Used an Alternating Meter (consists of two time signatures

before the affected measures, and the tempo alternates between the two)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cilu11QvgWM (3:10-3:39)(From “America”)

Leonard Bernstein’s : “America”➔ Uses the alternating meter (a mixed meter), and switches from 6/8 to ¾ repeatedly

throughout the piece

➔ Tempo indicated is tempo di Huapango (mexican folk tempo)➔ Instruments include

◆ Bass drum◆ Vibraphone◆ Glockenspiel◆ Single tubular bell (F#)◆ Bongos◆ Timpani (two of the four required

are shown)

◆ Cowbell◆ Maracas◆ Tenor drum◆ Triangle◆ Woodblock◆ Three Congas

◆ Guiro◆ Snare drum◆ Timbales

Tambourine◆ finger cymbals

◆ Whistle◆ Suspended and

clash cymbals◆ Xylophone◆ Drum kit◆ Tam-tam

Excerpt from West side story https://youtu.be/YhSKk-cvblc

2:38

Classical Russian - Used 3/4 and 2/4

time signatures- Made up of

synthetical chords

- Both used similar percussion instruments

- Bernstein used his Russian and Jewish roots in his music by merging classical and popular music

- Similar “dance” tempo

- Used the alternating meter, made up of 6/8 and 3/4

- Own unique style different from other composers

Similarities Leonard Bernstein

Secondary Link:

Bernstein’s America and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker used very similar

percussion instruments (timpani, tam tam, bass drum, tambourine…).

Primary Link:

Tchaikovsky and Bernstein’s pieces were written in a dance tempo

because their works were created for a dance. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker

was written for a ballet and Bernstein's America was written for a dance in

the musical, “West Side Story.”

Works Cited:http://www.russia-ic.com/culture_art/music/description/#classical

http://www.favorite-classical-composers.com/tchaikovsky-music.html

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~boris/maha/music/tchaikovsky.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/3w9wf9/what_harmonically_makes_russian_music_sound/

http://www.russianduo.com/instruments.html

http://russiapedia.rt.com/basic-facts-about-russia/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Russia

http://www.biography.com/people/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky-9503375

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pyotr-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky

https://thenanfang.com/russia-welcoming-chinese-tourists-shunned-usa-europe/

http://quotesgram.com/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky-quotes/

Works Cited

https://thenanfang.com/russia-welcoming-chinese-tourists-shunned-usa-europe/

http://quotesgram.com/pyotr-ilyich-tchaikovsky-quotes/

http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.14.20.3/mto.14.20.3.bakulina.html

http://www.leonardbernstein.com/

http://saintpaulsunday.publicradio.org/features/0101_russianmusic/