Russian and Eastern European

Igor Stravinsky Rite of Spring

One of the things I enjoyed the most of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was his dynamic use of rhythmic elements. The music undergoes frequent meter changes with the use of unconventional meters. He switches between triple and duple meters and sometimes uses them over each other. Stravinsky also employs a good amount of polyphony and polyrhythms however, there are notable sections of homophony in the piece. The rhythmic flow throughout the entire piece is varied dynamic yet cohesive. The piece has a very percussive feel to it.

Henry Gorecki Symphony of Sorrowful Songs Movement 2

This movement was very slow and lyrical. Gorecki’s use of minimalism was notable throughout the piece and gave the music a sorrowful setting. The orchestration of the piece was mostly strings with a soprano. The harmonic progressions were fairly simple, and the melodic aspects in the soprano part highlighted the use of minimalism. The addition of the soprano gave the piece a forward direction as opposed to the static string parts. I felt the overall sound of the piece portrayed the text very well, and I really appreciated the simplistic use of harmony.

Sofia Gubaidulina Ten Cello Preludes

Gubaidulina’s extensive use of extended techniques for the cello was the most notable element in the preludes. Each prelude featured a specific type of extended technique. I thought her use of the techniques were very creative, but they were not disruptive of the flow of music. Another element I like in the music washer percussive rhythms especially in the sections that utilized pizzicato and ricochet.