Morton Feldman: Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety The most salient aspect of Feldmans composition, Madame

Press Died Last Week at Ninety, is a repetitive figure played by the flute, and briefly by the trumpet. Each reiteration of this figure is accompanied by a different chordal harmonization, resulting in a texture which is primarily homophonic. One might expect Feldmans shifting harmonies, which avoid the typical resolutions of functional harmony, to sound completely disjointed, but each reharmonization relates to the flute motif, giving the work consistency. The rhythm is consistent and the pulse is evident, however they do not demand the listeners attention. Feldmans composition seems to disregard dynamic contrast, opting for dynamic consistency, momentarily punctuated by sparse instrumentation and silence at the beginning, middle and end. This piece effectively demonstrates Feldmans ingenious approach to composition, expanding upon a simple concept, in this case the flute motif, to create appealing music. Ligeti: Lontano In Lontano, an ingenious orchestral work, Ligeti concerns himself with creating evocative timbres, achieved through the layering of many parts. Throughout the piece, Ligeti consistently uses long overlapping notes to create vibrant homophonic textures, augmented by ostinatos, which briefly surface before being swallowed by the surrounding atmosphere. For the most part, this work remains tonally ambiguous, occasionally reaching points on the brink of harmonic discernibility, only to lapse back into imperceptibility. Lontano has no discernible pulse, instead focusing on smooth dynamic and tonal transitions which move the piece forward. There are no evident leaps in individual instrumental lines. Each line seems to either move in stepwise motion or not at all. Ligetis decision not to use a melody as as the focal point allows the listener to experience the convergence of many tones, creating massive soundscapes. Charles Ives: Three Places in New England Ives orchestral suite, Three Places in New England, consists of three movements, each of which juxtapose chromaticism and tonality to create tasteful sonic landscapes. Both the first and final movement unfold slowly, in direct opposition to the energetic second movement, which is full of horn blasts and patriotic themes. The St. Gaudens in Boston Common, the first movement, builds progressively until reaching a thunderous climax featuring a resolution to a consonant major chord. This movement exemplifies Ives unique blend of chromatic and tonal harmony. The accompaniment is largely atonal, which supports a diatonic melody, resulting in a work which is simultaneously accessible and inventive. In regards to rhythm, the pulse is fairly evident throughout the piece. The work is largely homophonic, however moments of polyphony and monophony are present as well.

Pierre Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maitre Le Marteau Sans Maitre, an atonal work by Boulez, is comprised of nine movements, inspired by three poems by Rene Char (Radice, 284). As evidenced by their titles, Movements I, III and VII are inspired by Rene Chars poem Lartisanat furiex. The first movement of this work alternates between monophonic and polyphonic textures, while the third and seventh movements are largely polyphonic. Often, there is no discernible pulse, exemplified in the first movement, where long notes are often suddenly interrupted by the rapid succession of a few notes. Throughout these three movements, instrumental and vocal lines feature many large intervallic leaps and sudden shifts in dynamic level. In the third and seventh movements, Boulezs juxtaposition of contrasting timbres, creating fluctuant multi-timbrel textures, seems to have been influenced by Weberns pointillistic compositional technique. Interestingly, Boulezs composition does not include any low frequency range instruments. Le Marteau Sans Maitre clearly abandons the principles of functional harmony, resorting to shifts in texture to create a sense of movement. Radice, Mark A. Chamber Music: An Essential History. Michigan: University of Michigan, ! 2011. Subotnick: A Sky of Cloudless Sulfur Subotnicks electro-acoustic composition, A Sky of Cloudless Sulfur, focuses on the creative arrangement of percussive sounds. A pulsing rhythmic ostinato underpins the majority of this work, providing the listener with a point of reference amidst dense, seemingly polyrhythmic, sections. Subotnicks intentional use of silence as a compositional tool, polarizes moments of sparse instrumentation and moments of cacophonous density. In addition, this work exploits the large dynamic range possible with electro-acoustic sound production, featuring both barely audible and forcefully loud sections. At various points throughout the piece, the percussive sounds seem to take on tonal qualities, informed by diatonic harmony. At times, the piece has an inconsistent and sporadic rhythm, in direct opposition to the structured rhythms which can be found in other places.