Posted: January 15th, 2015

Write a 5,000 word essay about a classical contemporary composition written after 1960 (ask me if you are unsure if a particular piece falls into this tradition). Your essay should discuss ONLY ONE of the following:

Write a 5,000 word essay about a classical contemporary composition written after 1960 (ask me if you are unsure if a particular piece falls into this tradition). Your

essay should discuss ONLY ONE of the following:

1, Analyze the work in terms of its thematic material. Discuss how the composer’s notion of theme deviates from a traditional definition. Include example passages

from the score.

2, Discuss the work in terms of how it can be seen as a reaction to European avant-garde Modernism. Include example passages from the score.

3, Discuss aspects of the work that make it a good example of a particular musical movement – Minimalism, Postmodernism, Spectralism, Aleatoric music, or Theatrical

music. Include example passages from the score.

Your essay should be typed and should properly cite several academic sources.

You must analyse only one piece. Certainly disucss the history/context of the work, but make sure to devote a significant portion of the essay to answering one or

more on the prompts listed on the assignment sheet.

Here are some example pieces. If you’d like to see more from a particular composer, please let me know and I’ll see what else I have from them.

Steve Reich