The Mighty Handful: A Movement in Russian Music
The Mighty Handful
Also known as The Five, this group of amateur musicians, each with professions outside of music, formed a movement to elevate Russian music.
Cesar Antonovich Cui (1835-1918)
Considered the group leader, Cui’s music is less known, but he was a significant theorist. His book, La Musique en Russie (Music in Russia), laid the foundation for the movement.
Alekseyevich Mili Balakirev (1836/7-1910)
Imaginative and eccentric, Balakirev founded a music school independent of the St. Petersburg
Read MoreAnalysis of ‘Love Brujo’ and Other Works
Love Brujo
I. – Rhythm:
- a. – Type of rate: Binary
- b. – Compass: 2/4 (two black notes enter each bar)
- c. – Tempo: Moderately fast: “Allegro ma non troppo”
- d. – Other observations:
The rhythm is the most important element of this piece. Increase your force towards the end. Ritual dance has character. Stresses the rhythmic accents of the piano that suggests the beating on the anvil in the forge.
II. – Melody:
- a. – Type of melody: Melody built predominantly with primary grades
- b. – Other comments:
Main melody
Read MoreDebussy, Satie, and Ravel: French Impressionist Music
Claude Debussy’s *Prix de Rome*
Claude Debussy won the *Prix de Rome* with his cantata *L’enfant prodigue*. In Paris, he frequented gatherings with Mallarmé, the symbolist poet whose poems inspired one of his most celebrated works, *Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune*, known for its very original timbre.
Debussy was excited by Maurice Maeterlinck, the chief representative of Symbolist theater, and his drama *Pelléas et Mélisande*, to which he devotedly set music. The action, developed in the
Read MoreSound Technology and Media Evolution
Sound and Technology: Recording and Manipulation
Regarding the recording and reproduction of sounds, two main periods are distinguished:
- Analog Period: (From the early sound recordings). There are three forms of analog recording: mechanical (phonograph discs and vinyl), magnetic (tape), and optical (applied in film). This is almost obsolete.
- Digital Age: (Late twentieth century). In the digitalization of sound, there are two phases: sampling and quantization. Digitalization involves taking measurements
The Renaissance: Music, Humanism, and Cultural Rebirth
At the beginning of the 15th century, Europe experienced significant social, cultural, and religious transformations, paving the way for a new era known as the Renaissance, meaning “rebirth.” During the 15th and 16th centuries, the ideas of ancient Greece and Rome were revived. This period saw the rise of humanism, an intellectual and cultural movement centered on the belief that human beings are the center of the universe. This contrasted sharply with the theological perspectives of the medieval
Read MoreMusic History: From Ancient Greece to the Troubadours
Ancient Greece
Greece: Music was very important for society. The great philosophers spoke of music, and thought it must be part of the education of children and adults. They believed music influenced the character of the person listening. Authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Pythagoras contributed to music theory. Pythagoras linked music to mathematical principles, defining harmonic intervals based on numerical ratios:
- ½: Octave Interval
- 2/3: Perfect Fifth
- ¾: Perfect Fourth
- 4/5: Major Third
- 5/