During my very privileged tenure at Butler University, I was fortunate to have been in class with two very masterful musicologists. Dr. Wayne Wetzel focused on the evolution of music in history. His class involved the "nuts and bolts" if you will, of when and how certain musical structures evolved. Dr. James Briscoe's class focused more on the composer as a person, and what life events led to their compositional technique and style. Taking both classes, although difficult, gave me a strong grasp on the connection between art and artistic creation through a span of time.
An easy way to look at this would be to look at Beethoven. Beethoven is a gruff character who moves us from the Classical to the Romantic periods in music history (roughly 1751- about 1830). As an adult, Beethoven became interested in the Napoleonic Conquests in Europe. As he came into his own he began to distance himself from Franz J. Haydn, who was instructing him at the time. Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, Eroica, captures the spirit and the majesty of Napoleon's fight for freedom from tyranny in a musical snapshot that is the beginning of the Romantic period in music history. The music broke the conventional "classical" mold that Haydn taught and offered man a new idea: freedom.
That age of man was constructing a new society. Napoleon was rallying thousands to his cause by promising them freedom from tyrants. This was not lost on Beethoven and he was inspired, in his own way - to break the conventions; to become free the only way he knew how, to add his voice of support. Of course, I make this trivial - but I think you see the point.
The 1960's. Obviously a volatile time in the United States. Issues of Feminism, Civil Rights, and the Vietnam War were causing our country to really consider who we were and where we were going. The time inspired art, but also pushed it forward. Studying Jimi Hendrix through 60's - following him from Little Richard's rhythm player to the one stealing the show at Woodstock - is a great way to capture that time. He's just one voice of several worth looking at.
There are artists and musicians that have brought to life every period of history. It's just a matter of looking at your subject saying, "Who caught this?" You will find them following these simple steps:
- Look for composers and artists that match up with the dates your unit is working in.
- Find out what these people were up too during that time. Who were they learning from? Where were they? What were they working on? (Beethoven was specifically working on the 3rd symphony when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in Italy.) Find the connections.
- You'll come across many fascinating people and their stories deserve to be told as much as the leaders at the forefront of the nations, making decisions.
In many ways Napoleon's Conquest failed. When he crowned himself emperor he betrayed his own cause. Not Beethoven, though. He never looked back, and his music set the tone for the more radical and expressive music of the Hyper-Romantics. His presence can still be felt, even in modern Rock n' Roll. It is this rebellious nature in Beethoven's music that makes him immortal. He captured the very essence of Napoleon's dream and put it in a form that everyone could understand. It's that form that will help your student's grasp and remember the concept 250 years later.
If you have a specific time or place you would like to focus on, please let me know and I'd be happy to help or refer you to someone else who knows more than I.
Until next week!
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