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SUGGESTED LISTENING
Notes
from a friend – A few suggestions on how to
use the suggested listening list
1. Try
to always listen attentively, at a quiet time, and when
you are not distracted by other activities. Be disciplined about this as listening is an integral part
of your IB Music preparation.
Think of listening as reading, and like reading,
most people have to learn to listen.
The better prepared you are for discussion, the better
you will score on the IB exam.
2.
Listening with a good pair of headphones is suggested. Good
headphones usually provide better sound quality than home
speaker systems, and they cut out other distracting noises.
3.
I would suggest no more than one hour spent listening at
a time. Take breaks between movements or after the end of
a piece. Try to create some quiet time allowing for thought
and reflection related to the music just listened to.
4. The
following listening survey is arranged chronologically.
For the purposes of this project I suggest that you listen
chronologically as well.
Once you are pretty familiar with each period, add
some variety and jump ahead to a different period or a different
composer for comparison.
5.
Read the CD liner notes before you listen to the
work selected, not during. Liner notes are often excellent
introductions to the music on the recording. Take advantage
of these introductions to increase your knowledge of the
music. Don’t
read while the music is on.
Remember that most of us can’t read and listen attentively
to music at the same time.
The study of music in this regard is not a background
activity. Also
read each appropriate chapter of the Roger Kamien text:
Music, An Appreciation.
6.
I have also grouped the composers on this list by period.
Instead of listening to all the suggested works by a single
composer before moving on to the next, listen to one work
and then move on to another composer within the same period.
This will allow you to grasp not only the unique stylistic
features of a particular composer, but will help you understand
the stylistic characteristics of the period.
7.
Try to listen to at least one composition on your list every
night or two. This will help you maintain continuity and
help you compare and contrast different composers. If
too much time passes between listening sessions it will
be harder to remember what was heard last.
Don’t cram!! Your thoughtful investment in time throughout the course will
allow for concepts to sink in more deeply.
A word of warning though – don’t get behind. Follow the course outline and stay current with the discussions
in class.
8.
If you are having trouble understanding a particular composition,
listen to it again. This may be the hardest guideline to
follow. Our natural tendency is to simply avoid things we
don't understand or can't enjoy at first hearing. What appears
unclear at first becomes more comprehensible upon repeated
hearings. Remember that a well-educated musician, who heard
the first performance of Beethoven's seventh symphony, is
reported to have commented that "it sounded like it
had been composed by a drunk." Of course, we now know
the work to be a masterpiece loved by millions. Keep that
story in mind when you run into "difficult" compositions.
9.
When I list a specific work it usually means the piece is
an important masterpiece that should be studied. Sometimes
I will suggest a selection. In that case the composer wrote
a number of pieces in a particular genre that are important
contributions to the repertory, but no one piece in the
group is of greater importance.
In these cases I suggest that you simply select several
examples to listen to.
10.
A note about CD selection. As a general rule I don't think
that any one conductor or ensemble has a special monopoly
on understanding the works of any composer, so I don't generally
suggest particular recordings.
Almost any reputable orchestra or musician will probably
present an acceptable introduction to the music under consideration.
But if you would like to enhance your overview, it is always
a good idea to listen to a couple of interpretations of
a given composition. This will certainly bring an added
dimension to your understanding of the music.
In
most cases, the music on this list is available on-line,
or at the City Library.
If you prefer to purchase your own CDs, my only suggestion
is to consider the Naxos label. Naxos is one of the least
expensive labels on the market today and the quality is
almost always remarkably high. The label covers music of
almost every category and period. One could easily build
a first class library from just Naxos CDs.
One last
suggestion regarding CD selection. It is best to avoid recordings
that advertise themselves as "The Best of the Baroque",
or "The Best of Mozart", or any recording that
has only excerpts. These recordings are usually low quality.
Always make sure that you are listening to the entire
work.
Since
it will understandably take time to develop your music library,
I suggest that you get started right away.
Set your radio dial to the local classical music
stations found in the Media section of this web site.
Also, remember that non-western or World Music, as
well as music from pop culture will also appear on the IB
Music exam. Download
the Listening Log form, and use it as a guide on your musical
journey. Remember that listening to music is a joy, not a chore.
Enjoy the experience.
Resource:
The downloadble Naxos Music
Library
•
Access over 80,000 tracks (5,500 CDs) - the entire Naxos,
Marco Polo and Da Capo catalogs, plus other licensed independent
labels
•
Listen to Classical music as well as other genres including
Jazz, Blues, World and Chinese music
•
Listen to whole CDs or individual tracks - you decide
To
become a subscriber of Naxos Music Library, go to:
www.naxosmusiclibrary.com
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