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Introduction
Johann Sebastian Bach became famous because of his dazzling organ performances. Even though he was a renowned church musician, he was also consistent in terms of how many new pieces he released. This consistency has made Bach one of the biggest figures in the field of musical compositions. On the one hand, Bach’s Joy of Man’s Desiring is an intellectually rigorous composition that is transcendent in terms of how it unfolds the beauty of music through Bach’s signature style. On the other hand, Igor Stravinsky was a rather diverse modern composer since he composed concertos, symphonies, and ballets. The Rite of Spring is one of the masterpieces that brought Stravinsky international acclaim. He revolutionized the structure of musical performances, rhythms, and harmonies that could be utilized to highlight the score. Even though the ballet contradicted Stravinsky’s music just as Bach’s prelude interfered with the choral section, their innovative approaches still generated a perfect response from the audience.
The Joy of Man’s Desiring by Johann Sebastian Bach
The signature style employed by Bach can be heard from the first chords. The prelude includes a G Major and a D Major-to-G Major toward the end. The unique feeling is also created by means of four different voices included in the composition: alto, bass, soprano, and tenor (Rogers 23). Occasional harmonies develop the effect of ornamentation that is also maintained by a relatively slower pace and half-notes. The distinct melodies included in each of the three sections of the prelude represent musical voices intended to counter the vocal composition. The top melody is the leading one since it features the principal theme of the musical piece and creates the overall mood. To my mind, the middle and bottom melodies are also necessary because they highlight quarter notes and measures over the course of all top-melody triplets.
Another element of the composition that has to be covered when talking about The Joy of Man’s Desiring is the lyrics. The characteristics of Jesus are praised throughout the composition, highlighting the incredible significance of this figure to the singers. The choral goes along with the prelude for the first half of the composition and then remains hushed all the way to the end of the musical piece. Not only did this allow Bach to create a dramatic scenery, but it also helped him develop an accompaniment that did not interfere with the lyrics and the harmonic power. I feel like The Joy of Man’s Desiring is a lasting masterpiece that features a magnificent melody and a counterpointing choral part that goes perfectly with the music.
Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
The initial element that becomes evident is the unique orchestration picked by Stravinsky. The high-register bassoon solo sets the tone for the upcoming ballet from the beginning. Even though the sound is somewhat rough, it invokes a memorable melody and brings sophistication to the musical piece. The Rite of Spring is also seriously moved by a bass clarinet that adds depth to the musical piece and colorizes the orchestra. All the incredible shifts between instrument combinations (clarinets, flutes, oboes, etc.) allowed Stravinsky to conjure the audience and make the best use of techniques that composers of his era had not used. For instance, Stravinsky came up with harmonic glissandi for the strings section and the flutter-tongue technique for the winds (Solomon 245). From my point of view, this multi-layered structure of The Rite of Spring became the signature element of Stravinsky’s musical compositions because it was both classical and exotic at the same time.
Speaking of the notable influences that affected The Rite of Spring, Russian folk art is the first element to be highlighted. From music to dancing, it allowed Stravinsky to create unique rhythmic components that unified simpler fragments into complex compositions. For example, lower harmonies established by the composer generated scalar connections where pitches could be reordered for a better melodic response (Healey 59). In Rehearsal 28, one can witness melodic fragments described above between measures 5 and 11, where shorter fragments are repeated several times but in a different order. In Rite of Spring, I witnessed how the internal disorder created by Stravinsky turned into a larger melodic composition on the exterior.
Conclusion
Overall, it may be stated that Bach’s Joy of Man’s Desiring is one of the most enduring formations of all time in the music industry. Even though it is not advertised often, the signature style employed by Bach creates premises for even more renditions of this classical masterpiece. When comparing Joy of Man’s Desiring to any other Bach work, it can be claimed that it is one of the backbones of the famous musician’s contribution to the field. As for Stravinsky and The Rite of Spring, the main idea is to celebrate the innovative approach to melody and how the same instrument could be utilized to produce a variety of phrases. From the rhythmic patterns to ostinato, Stravinsky was an innovator, and The Rite of Spring allowed him to incorporate extreme musical inventions without being blamed for it by the general audience. Therefore, The Rite of Spring is one of the most celebrated musical pieces of the 20th century.
Works Cited
Healey, Gareth. Messiaen’s Musical Techniques. Routledge, 2016.
Rogers, Sam. What’s so Great about Bach? Golgotha Press, Inc., 2014.
Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion Composition. Oxford University Press, 2016.
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