Music 116
entering the era known as Twentieth Century Modernism. In this era, artists and composers strive to move away from the ideals and goals of the Romantic period. The focus moves towards making art that is new and modern, with a new set of ideals. discuss and compare two different composers: Igor Stravinsky and William Grant Still. Each composer comes from a vastly different background with vastly different influences. Like the era before, nationalism continues in the this new era, and both of these composers embrace this ideology. Stravinsky hails from Russia, and Still hails from the USA. In each of these pieces, each composer brings in elements from their home countries. There are folk elemerls, rhythmic elements, and new orchestration ideas. I would like for all of you to discuss each piece in regards to the elements that come from the countries that these composers hail from. What elements of the Stravinsky piece represent Russia? What elements from the Still piece represent America? What kinds of folk traditions do each composer utilize? How is the instrumentation different from each other.
The Stravinsky piece brings in new elements that may not reflect Russia, but are definitely worth mentioning. What are they? How does the Still piece show which part of American culture that he comes from? These are all questions that are useful for your essay. It is also a good idea to mention the form of each piece, and to discuss the prominent instruments being displayed for the important themes.