• Categories

Vanilla 1.1.4 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

 
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeJan 26th 2010 edited
    I'll just start up this topic to share some thoughts, and to brainstorm a bit with fellow film music fans. I am currently working on my master's thesis, which I have given the working title:

    "Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Problems and virtues of a wunderkind"

    The basic idea is to open the doors to a more approving discussion of Korngold's musical heritage, and his vast output of high quality works, which are so often neglected and infrequently performed. I will be making an attempt to clarify Korngold's place in 20th century music, and present his music as an excellent guide to understanding why and how turn-of-the-century music exploded into so many vastly different directions during the first decades of the previous century. I feel that Korngold's current position in music history and music education should be immensely reconsidered for this reason alone, if nothing else. His music does not only reveal musical problems within itself, but it also quite blatantly reveals and highlights the problems that sparked the rebellious reactions from composers like Schoenberg and Stravinskij in the first place!

    In Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg had been described as "the second Mozart" in 1898 by famed critique Eduard Hanslick. His early opuses were composed in what might be called an extended late-romantic idiom, and the string sextet "Verklarte Nacht" is still widely regarded as one of the great masterpieces from that era. Yet he soon abandoned the romantic idiom altogether after deciding that it was "exhausted" (which bears an interesting resemblance to the problems of modern Hollywood cinema Thor elaborated on in his recent article). This change of direction caused Hanslick to change his mind about the composer before he died in 1904: Schoenberg was not the second Mozart as he previously had predicted, Korngold was!

    It is of great interest that these two composers, Schoenberg and Korngold, who were of similar origins, and from the same academic circles of Vienna, would proceed to compose in such different styles. Part of my thesis is to explain how Korngold's use of extended tonality and chromaticism in his later works, such as the violin concerto and symphony, highly resembles the tonal grammar from Schoenberg's earlier works, such as "Verklarte Nacht". The comparison provides increased insight into the origins of the "tonality crisis" that occurred early in the 20th century, and sheds light on all the "whys" and the "hows" young music students often struggle to comprehend.

    I have also made a point of proving how Korngold sounded like Hollywood even before Hollywood sounded like Hollywood, an attempt to put some rest to that poorly founded critique of his concert music. This also relates to the idea of the "exhausted" idiom. A musical format, style, or infrastructure if you will, that becomes so dominant and intrusive on society that it quickly and suddenly dies away. I wonder what will happen to the Zimmer clones of tomorrow? How long will the Hollywood scoring clichés established over the past couple of decades survive? What can we learn from the past? What can we learn from Korngold's example?

    I would like some feedback on my ideas, and also some tips and hints of books, articles, music, documentaries, or any kind of source information that could be of help to me! Thanks,

    Mark
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeJan 26th 2010
    I'm really not sure how much recorded material you've got both hollywood and classical. I like the preview of what you have to say.
    Thomas
    listen to more classical music!
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 26th 2010 edited
    Funny you should post that now, as DEVOTION is playing in the background. smile

    That said, this looks to be an interesting thesis, mark, in the expository/historical mode.

    I'm sure you're already well on your way in finding reference literature. There are several books and articles on Korngold, and even a few documentaries. And I already recommended Bjørn Morten Christophersen's master thesis (or 'hovedoppgave', as it was called then) on Korngold to you, I believe, named Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Orchestration in Opera and Film. Perhaps you've even been in touch with Bjørn Morten himself, who is now a respected Norwegian composer (even for film and TV).
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeJan 26th 2010
    Thanks Thor. Yes, I remember you mentioning that name and had intended to look it up. Unfortunately, things were too hectic for me in the US during my semester abroad there, so I haven't been able to start thinking about my thesis untill recently. I just sent the composer a mail though, and suggested an interview. Interesting to see what he says.

    Tom, thanks for the response. I have quite some recordings by Korngold, basically the most significant ones. I also have scores, lots and lots of scores - including scans of original handwritten manuscripts from several of his films. The Korngold documentary on "Arthaus" is also a valuable resource. And I suppose I'll have to get hold of the Brendan Carroll biography as well, as he seems to be the leading musicologist on the subject.
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    So interesting reading my early thoughts about the project... I later changed the theme from Korngold to "The role of contemporary music in instrumental education". After postponing my studies for a year, I decided I had over-prepared the subject of Korngold and didn't feel inspired to pursue the work. Instead, I participated in an orchestra project where I assisted a Norwegian composer in performing the tape-recorder part of a contemporary work he was premiering. I got to know him, and eventually ended up with an entire new project that derived from the impulses I recieved from him and the inspirational novelty of the actual experience of performing the piece.

    Anyway, my advisor called today and let me know I recieved an A on both the thesis and an A on the 30 miunute cd-recording I prepared as an appendix. Wow, such shock and joy! The only criticism was that the chapter about Korngold (which is like a mini-version of the thesis I described in my initial post) was too long and diverted the focus of the text too much... :p
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Congratulations, mark! Well done. smile
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    biggrin Excellent!!!
    Nice one Mark! Most hearty congrats!
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Is this where I say:

    Great mark for a great Mark?




    *coat*
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Clearly Mark went for Korngold.



    Shall we share a coat, Thor?
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    markrayen wrote
    So interesting reading my early thoughts about the project... I later changed the theme from Korngold to "The role of contemporary music in instrumental education". After postponing my studies for a year, I decided I had over-prepared the subject of Korngold and didn't feel inspired to pursue the work. Instead, I participated in an orchestra project where I assisted a Norwegian composer in performing the tape-recorder part of a contemporary work he was premiering. I got to know him, and eventually ended up with an entire new project that derived from the impulses I recieved from him and the inspirational novelty of the actual experience of performing the piece.

    Anyway, my advisor called today and let me know I recieved an A on both the thesis and an A on the 30 miunute cd-recording I prepared as an appendix. Wow, such shock and joy! The only criticism was that the chapter about Korngold (which is like a mini-version of the thesis I described in my initial post) was too long and diverted the focus of the text too much... :p


    I for one would like to read it.
    Tom
    listen to more classical music!
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Well done Mark beer
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Congrats, great news!
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Wow, thank you so much everyone. Don't know quite how to say it, but I appreciate it! Tom, I'll upload it for you to take a look. smile
    •  
      CommentAuthorBregt
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Great! Congratulations.
    Kazoo
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
    Thank you, Bregt!

    I uploaded track 10 from my cd-appendix, a little trio (piano/trumpet/clarinet) I wrote for a film student last August. Its a small "dessert piece" with strong jazz elements. Link expires in a week. Thought I'd just like to share it smile

    https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1338675194/b … f3dc0c49d1
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2012
    For anyone interested, my thesis has been published here: http://brage.bibsys.no/hia/handle/URN:N … rage_27655

    smile
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 1st 2012
    markrayen wrote
    For anyone interested, my thesis has been published here: http://brage.bibsys.no/hia/handle/URN:N … rage_27655

    smile


    Cool! I'll look into when things have calmed a bit here.
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeMar 1st 2012
    Interesting!
    I'll go and have a look!
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeMar 1st 2012
  1. I had a read of the sections that featured a discussion of Korngold and his work. I was particularly interested to read the section "early modernist or late romantic" but I got completely lost with the musical theory used in the discussion.

    But it was an interesting read the bits I could understand! Thanks for sharing.
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeMar 2nd 2012
    Thanks for checking it out, Alan! smile

    My brother read 11 pages before he gave up and realized he didn't understand any of it. My mother didn't even try, but a friend who is a psychologist read it from start to finish and was able to relate it to other subjects. She actually said it was universal in some ways, and recognized certain philosophical aspects which she related to other things she was interested in. Of course, she has that empathetic sensitivity that helps make her so good at her profession. But I was surprised to hear that, since it is obviously written for peers and not for mainstream readers.

    Personally, whenever I read something by someone who has a close relationship with the material discussed - and that I struggle to grasp, I find myself nevertheless coming from it having learned something, or, feeling inclined to try and learn more about the subject elsewhere. smile
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 4th 2012
    I found it stimulating. A well done paper
    listen to more classical music!