Tchaikovsky v. Beethoven – Page 3 – The Arts of New York City

Part I: Tchaikovsky v. Beethoven

When listening to both of these great composers, I attempted to listen through all three planes. As a musician myself, I am more inclined to listen through the musical and emotional aspects, however I do not separate these from each other. I try to see both the technical and emotional aspects of the music. The way I see it, the music is taking me on a journey, not the other way around. I listen to the music as a narrative, with no specific protagonist, but rather with multiple voices speaking about a certain feeling at once or expressing an idea that simply cannot be expressed in words.

In Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, I will agree with Copeland that the music is more predictable since it follows a musically logical format where the music is always resolved with the corresponding chord/notes. This does not mean that the music itself is less enjoyable, but it is simply a difference of style.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, on the other hand, is far less predictable since the music is always transitioning into something you do not expect. For example, from 11:13-13:24 the music starts off high, gets lower, but then gets higher again. The notes begin to go down the scale and it is logical to assume that the piece would be nearing its end, especially with the long note the strings hold at the end of this small section. However, Beethoven prolongs this section and at 14:12, the music begins to pick back up and it goes on a course that no one expected. Throughout the entire symphony, Beethoven defies what we expect and creates a very unpredictable yet moving piece.

Part 1: The Classical Expressive Plane

Listening to either of the two compositions incites images and possible storylines in which the auditory support would flow with upon the expressive plane. On the sensuous plane neither of the two contained the auditory stimuli I search for or find engaging enough to listen more than once. Honestly, I don’t gravitate much towards most music in this genre, and felt slightly awkward entertaining the melodies; there is something missing or not quite captured.

Swan Lake- Tchaikovskey

There was a tragic event that is being lamented, and referred to such that it happened in the distant past and warrants remembrance in the current state of things. The anticipation is evident as to whether the sentiment is embraced or ignored. Heed is not taken, and events once again descend into tragedy.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony First Movement

I feel the beginnings of a journey. There is an expectation of what is to come, but resignation to its process. Various situations of peril and escape ensue. The end is in sight, as usual on the metaphorical mountaintop, but reality conflicts with desired brevity. Resign to the task at hand, and be rewarded with further instances of actionable progress. The end is near finally, and one last task looms ahead, as daunting as one can imagine. Succeed ye must, ushering yourself to fruition, you realize your fate extends from your own hand as you look back upon that which you have accomplished as an indication of what is to come. Do not stand idly by, plunge into the fray!!

Tchaikovskey’s piece has many crescendos with enumerated extravagance; very hard to keep up with. Beethoven’s piece has a more grounded and structured story, leading you along the adventure.

What to Listen to in Music

Aaron Copland November was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and a conductor of his personal and other American songs. He was known by the world as “the Dean of American Composers.” The exposed, gradually shifting melodies in a lot of his works are standard in what many think to be the sound of American music. He is identified for the works he wrote in the 30s and 40s in a purposely accessible style known as “populist”. Works in this manner include the ballets Billy the Kid, Appalachian, and Rodeo. In addition to ballet and orchestral works, he created music in other categories including vocals, opera, and chamber music.

To me, the meaning of music lies in one’s experience with it. With this interpretation in mind, there is no set definition. The meaning changes with new experiences in music. As Copland stated in What to Listen to in Music, the opportunities for listening to music increases as well as the quality of it. However, just because you have access to it, it doesn’t mean you fully grasp what it means to be musical. Copland believes “that all music has an expressive power…but that all music has a certain meaning behind the notes and that the meanings behind the notes constitute, after all, what the piece is saying, what the piece is about”. Copland believes that there is a meaning to music, but the meaning cannot be answered in words. People, all of whom have different experiences and come from different backgrounds, interpret these pieces differently. There is no concrete definition for music for the simple reason that people identify to different things.

I think Beethoven is easier to pin down than Tchaikovsky. In watching the video, I was able to notice a pattern in his symphony. I noticed a lot of high points followed by a lot of lows. The song, however, can be more easily interpreted than Tchaikovsky’s (or can be defined differently). In listening to Beethoven, the mood of the music often changed with how I felt and that was most notable toward the end. Because Swan Lake is played so frequently during the holiday season, it takes the essence and practically embodies a “jolly spirit”. The common experience with Swan Lake is that of joy and happiness while Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony 1^st movement isn’t really tied down to any time or event.

T vs B

I don’t really listen to music like this, the closest being when I heard Seven Nation Army (Battlefield 1) performed by my marching band at every single one of my high schools assemblies even though it did sound cool. Hearing the Beethoven piece I still have no idea if there even is a message to understand but Tchaikovsky is a lot more easy to comprehend. T’s music from Swan Lake is more upbeat in a sense where it gives me a feeling of joy but at the very beginning it doesn’t feel that way but it picks up a bit later. B’s piece however doesn’t really give me an exact emotion. The best I could think of was that it made me feel grand but that might just be because I associate music like this with rich people because they’re always going to operas and such. B’s music seems to be more abstract while T’s music is a lot more clear cut and focused on more of a pattern like thing.