Because music is a form of art, people can express the same theme or idea in divergent ways. One can first see references to music in religious texts dating back thousands of years ago. A Kyrie is a musical depiction of a prayer and means "Lord have mercy". They are very simple and often have the same words repeated at a slightly different pitch. These female composers lived very different lives and yet have both contributed to the growth of female artist. When analyzing Hildegard von Bingen 's Kyrie which was written in the early 1,000s and Libby Larsen 's Kyrie which was written from 1991-1992, one can see many similarities considering they were written hundreds of years apart.
Hildegard von Bingen was born in 1098 and was one of ten children, thus tithing her to the church at the age of eight (Dunbar, 2016, p. 30). During this period, women were disregarded and only men were educated both academically and musically. Bingen was never given the proper materials to compose music and yet today her work is considered by many to be brilliant. Although there are many theories as to why Bingen was able to compose such remarkable work, she claims that her work was "marked by the inspiration of God to give 'musical forms to divine mysteries '" (Dunbar, 2016, p. 31). Hildegard von Bingen received many visions that came directly from God and she turned those visions into art. Her musical output consisted of chant that differed greatly from any other male composer of her time. She
As a young child she learned to yodel, play organ, guitar, and violin. At the age of fourteen, she received her first musical employment. She often performed many at her church on Sundays. She enjoyed singing many different kinds of gospel music.(James Manheim)
Jubilee, a book centered around the life of a slave named Vyry (Also known as Elvira Dutton). Vyry who was born a slave had to work her life at a plantation owned by the negro loving master, John Dutton. It is also told that Vyry was the illegitimate child born from the miscegenation John did with a young slave named Hetta. The young slave died after giving birth to a huge number of children for years. The story revolves around the struggle of living a life as a slave, the so dreaded civil war, and how Vyry managed to live a peaceful life in the end.
Throughout Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, music is a driving omnipresent force, revealing hidden truths about Milkman, Macon, and Pilate. If we were to apply a Freudian framework to Milkman’s familial life, Macon would be his ego – eternally in need of material possessions in order to create an image of himself he can admire – and Pilate would be his id – buried emotions and subconscious desires, overshadowed by his unforgivingly-egotistical Macon Dead exterior. Over the course of Milkman’s journey, music acts as a God-like omniscient presence, ultimately guiding him back to where he started, but flipped: instead of Pilate singing to Milkman as he is born, Milkman sings to Pilate as she dies. And the song itself plays into this reversal: Pilate sings “O Sugarman done fly away” at the birth of Milkman, and when Pilate has no words left to sing at the end of the novel, Milkman sings the
In addition, another reason why she is such a significant historical figure is because of how her works present a physical representation on how women were able to pass down their knowledge and teachings to others, mainly women, since women were not able to teach at that time in history. Hildegard’s work The Scivias was one of two majorly remarkable religious works ever done by a woman in Western history. Three major things that made Hildegard significant was obviously, one, her book, The Scivias, two, she produced major works of theology and visionary writings, and three, thanks to the illustrations in The Scivias, she was one of the few identifiable women artist of the Middle Ages. In addition she was also famous for writing sacred music, and she wrote about natural history and medicine. Hildegard also wrote and composed music for a play called Ordo Virtutum.
In the novel My Absolute Darling, Turtle Alveston is a character readers can love and hate at the same time. Turtle’s level of complexity as a character makes readers view her as a true breathing and living individual in the real world. Turtle experiences the worst type of abuse a person can go through while still remaining resilient and determined to overcome her difficult obstacles. The characterization of Turtle may not be easy to understand; however, readers cannot blame her actions as it is her only manner of survival since all the odds are against her when she verbally attacks a fellow classmate. Turtle’s hatred and indifference towards the exterior world manifests in a manner which she views as her only protection in an environment created by her father.
Many people admired her for her creative idea of adding other cultures in her music, so that she can connect with diverse
that “The coming into being of the notion of the ‘author’ constitutes the privileged moment of individualization in the history of ideas (157). Appropriation of a work then, may perhaps be rooted in a system of property that allows an impossible notion of authorship to exist. This notion is impossible because an idea, any idea, is not original or owned. If the “newness” of music is based on influence from the past, influence that constantly enters our thoughts through the radio, music we hear at social events, etc, how are we to craft anything
Often referred to as "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most popular female jazz singers in the United States. Throughout her career, Ella was awarded thirteen Grammys and sold over 40 million albums. With a voice that not only encompassed a large range, but a dynamic and powerful sound, Ella could sing almost anything from scatting to the popular tunes of her day. She performed in the top venues all around the world to packed houses, with audiences as diverse as the music she created. Ella came from a small town and impoverished family, but through her talent and determination, skyrocketed to fame creating a legacy that has withstood the sands of time.
She was a trailblazer, being a successful woman performer in an industry that had been triumphed by men. She performed with then-mainstream superstars like Cab Calloway. She also gained a lot of creative control as to what she wanted to sing where she didn’t have prior. She sang gospel songs in night clubs in her own upbeat way and had exposed gospel music to secular crowds. Amidst of her performance, scantily-clad women danced along with her songs.
All genres of music have someone who is well known for their talents and contributions towards their genre. Duke Ellington was a big hit during his time and continues to inspire people in the jazz industry. His career lasted about 50 years allowing him to move the souls of many with his ear for wonderful music. During this time he wrote many songs and even a contemporary songbook. Ellington was an amazing composer, pianist, and conductor.
He was beloved of God- truly befitting the name ‘Amadeus’” (Brown 50). Mozart did not make the wisest decisions, and he certainly acted immature at times in his adult life. All of this faded away, though, when Mozart composed. His music was divine, exceptionally beautiful, as if it was inspired by God.
‘Be Music, Night’ by Kenneth Patchen is an intriguing piece of literary art. A picture is painted of human interaction with Earth immediately. The manner in which humans fall into her beauty and vastness is apparent in even the first lines of Patchen’s poem, but why is this important? “Be music, night, That her sleep may go Where angels have their pale tall choirs” This choir is brought on by our musical mother nature.
Music Appreciation Essay Music today is something we can easily take for granted. Through class I have learned several important influences in music. The most significant composer in my opinion was Ludwig van Beethoven. I feel his works broadened music and took it to a whole new level.
Ludwig van Beethoven was a famous composer of the eighteenth-century classical music and the nineteenth-century romanticism style of music. Beethoven is still remembered for his spectacular pieces in modern times. Beethoven’s music led others to take the art of music as a serious topic. His symphonies and sonatas were revolutionary to the music world, because of this, many people today are not aware of his deafness. His deafness eventually caused him to make sacrifices in his music career.
Some have coined music as a universal language. Perhaps, the complexity of the notes, the consistency of the beat, the array of instruments, or the flow of lyricism offers this universal appeal. Nevertheless, the unique composition of each song enables it to sustain its own magnetic aura, much like the musical implication in Lewis Nordans Music of the Swamp. Though, many argue Nordans piece suggests merely a collection of short stories rather than a novel, Nordan uses his singsong methodology- a novel-in-stories- to incorporate an anthology of his transformative memory- an autobiography of the way it was.