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LeeHighSchool

InspirationofaMusicComposer
RoughDraft

DinoRodas
LeeSchoolSeniorCapstone
Mr.Cahoon


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DinoRodas
Mr.Cahoon
SeniorCapstone
March17,2016
InspirationofaMusicComposer
Acomposerwritesamusicpieceforanorchestra.Theprojectisforafilmthecomposer
isaskedtowritebythedirector.Sincehehasalotofresourcesincludingmoney,thecomposer,
thus,isabletoaffordarealorchestrawithrealinstruments.Hismusicis,inthestyle,inspiredby
wellknownHollywoodmusiccomposers,JohnWilliamsandJamesHorner,whichinturnare
inspiredbytheLateRomanticcomposers.Thecomposerusevariousmoodsandtonestocolor
thefilmscorewithrichharmonies.Then,afterthefilmisdonewithboththepostproductionand
thescoring,thestudiofinallyshowsthefilmintheaters.Itwasagreatsuccess.Themusicserves
asanenhancementtothemoodofthewholefilmtoprovidecontextofeachscene.Music
composerscanbeheardinvariousgenressuchasclassical,jazz,country,andpop.Evenwithin
eachgenre,therearevariousstyleswithinagenredependingonthetimeperiod,inspirationofa
composer,andthedifferentcircumstancesofacomposersuchasforamovie,avideogame,ora
televisionshow.Musiccomposersfindtheirinspirationfrompreviouscomposers,fromsounds
innature,andfromhumanemotions.
Musiccomposersoftenwritemusicthatisofteninspiredbyothercomposersandisa
neverendingcycle.Thisisnormalbecausetheyoftenadmireacomposerforrevolutionizing
musicoracomposerhappenstolikeaparticularcomposersstyle.Forexample,JayGable(Star
Warsmusic:WhatwereJohnWilliams'sclassicalinfluences?)writesthatlegendaryfilm


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composerJohnWilliamscomposedmusicof
StarWars
thatwasinspiredbyoperawriter,
RichardWagner.Wagnersmusichadelementsthatwereradicalduringhistimeinthemid19th
centurywithdissonantchordstogivecolorintheorchestralsound.Williams,likeWagner,used
atechniquethatwasalsointroducedinthe19thcenturycalledaleitmotif.Thisisusedtoseta
melodytoacharacterinanoperaorathemeofanidea.TheleitmotifisbestheardintheDark
Vaderthemewheretrumpetsplayloudly.GablealsowritesthatTchaikovskyisanother
inspirationofWilliamsinwhichorchestralcolorisused.Anotherexampleofanothercomposer
beinginspiredfromanothercomposerwouldbeFranzSchubert.ShanairaUdwadia(2001)
writesthatSchubertwasinaweofLudwigvanBeethovenandthatheprovidedinspirationto
SchubertandhadadmiredhimsomuchthathevisitedBeethovensdeathbed.Thiscanexplain
whylistenershearSchubert'smusictakingmoreadvancedharmoniesandadarkertoneinhis
latermusicthanhisearliestworks.
Anothersourceofinspirationcomposerswriteintheirmusicisfromthesoundsofnature
andthecountryside.OneofthebestexamplesofthisinspirationwasinSymphonyNo.6(The
Pastoral)byBeethoven.ChristopherGibbs(2006)describeseachmovementofthesymphony.In
thefirstmovementstartswithashoutoutofthepastoraltimesinthecountrysidethathasbeena
longtradition.Ithasadroneplayedonanopenfifthinthelowerstrings.Inthesecond
movement,theflute,oboe,andtwoclarinetsrepresentthenightingale,quail,andthecuckoo
respectfullyinamovementrepresentingabrook.Thethirdmovementhedescribesisamerry
danceoftownfolksthatwastheninterruptedbyathunderstorminthefourthmovement.Inthe
Fifthmovementhasthestormcalmeddown.Anotherexampleofmusicinspiredbynaturewould
bethefamous
FourSeasons(Lequattrostagioni)
byAntonioVivaldi.Hecomposedmusicthat


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describeseachofthefourseasons:Spring,Summer,Fall,andWinter.Thecompositionwas
unusualatthetimewhichwas1725thatheinvokedrealisticcapturingofwhattheseasonswere
expressedinmusicsomethingthatwasntachievedinthemainstreamuntilBeethoven'sSixth
Symphonyin1808.
Composersarealsoinspiredbyemotionswhetherbeitsad,glad,angry,heroic,epic,or
tragic.OnenotableexamplewouldbeinBeethoven'sThirdSymphony(Eroica).Thesymphony
wasrevolutionaryforitstimeasnotonlywasitlongerbutitcontainsexplosionsofsoundsfrom
thebrassinstrumentsandincreasingusagesofdissonanceinhismusic.MichaelThomas(2009)
stateshisreactionofthefirstmovementandquote:
Eachnewexperienceofthethemesgetsdarkeranddeeper.Hedevelopsthemovement
asawayofexpressingwhatreallyhappensinlifethewrongturns,theconfusion,thesenseof
helplessnessandentrapment.
Hethenspeaksaboutthesecondmovement,describingasperhapsthebestreflectionof
theseemotionalextremesasBeethovenwroteitwhenhewasabouttobecomedeafbutnot
totallydeafyet.
Inconclusion,inspirationsofcomposershappeninvariousforms,notablyfromsoundof
nature,othercomposers,andemotions.Eachinspirationandreasonofinspirationvariedfrom
composertocomposer.However,onethingiscertain,inspirationisnormalalongwith
borrowingelementsofanothercomposerthismakeseachacomposerabettercomposerasthis
showskillandmasteryofhisownmusic.ThisessaywillendwithtwoquotesfromPlatoand
Beethoven:


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Musicisamorallaw.Itgivessoultotheuniverse,wingstothemind,flighttothe
imagination,andcharmandgaietytolifeandtoeverything.Plato
Musicshouldstrikefirefromtheheartofman,andbringtearsfromtheeyesof
woman.LudwigvanBeethoven


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Gable,Jay."StarWarsmusic:WhatwereJohnWilliams'sclassicalinfluences?."
classicalmpr.org
.MinnesotaPublicRadio,27Oct.2015.Web.27Mar.2016.
Gibbs,ChristopherH."NotesonBeethoven'sSixthSymphony."
N.P.R
.N.P.R.,12June2006.
Web.28Mar.2016.
Thomas,MichaelT."Beethoven'sEroica."
PBS
.PBS,2009.Web.28Mar.2016.
Udwadia,Shanaira."FranzSchubert(17971828)."
ViolinMan
.N.p.,May2001.Web.28Mar.
2016.