More Post-Modernism

Late 20^th Century (and current) music often crosses lines and joins disparate styles and idioms.

· Third Stream Music: a term coined by Gunther Schuller (b. 1925) for some of his music that combined “cool” jazz and a pointillist serial style (like Anton Webern’s). Schuller’s best-known piece in this style is Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee (1959). The “themes” are paintings by Klee; Klee’s works are pictorial representations of musical principles such as variations and fugues. Each of the Seven Studies is based on a painting; Schuller believed that since the art works were based on music, it was logical to use them as inspiration for works of music

· Collage: some would argue that much of 20th Century Music could be explained in these terms: taking apart what came before this century (or earlier in it) and re-assembling it in a collage or pastiche (defined as a work assembled from bits of other works, by implication lacking in coherence)

· Lukas Foss’ Baroque Variations (1967). Piece takes the instruments and repertoire from past but re-reads old material. Piece has 3 mvts, each based on a piece by different Baroque composer. 3rd mvt (on listening CD) is based on Bach’s Partita in E Major.

· Luciano Berio’s Sinfinia (1968). He quotes entire 3rd mvt of Mahler Sym 2, with another layer on top with verbal text, quotes of other works, and serial materials.

· Peter Maxwell Davies’ (b. 1934) Eight Songs for a Mad King. Based on ravings of King George III. Two movements on listening tape, 6th and 7th songs.