As human life undergoes change, so too does art develop according to the flow of history. Music in the twentieth century has been more about trying to bring about a contribution to the development of new styles of music by innovating, finding new form...
As human life undergoes change, so too does art develop according to the flow of history. Music in the twentieth century has been more about trying to bring about a contribution to the development of new styles of music by innovating, finding new forms of musical application, and incorporating diversity rather than simple musical purity. What, then, is musical beauty? How can we evaluate the artistic value of musical works? These are questions people have asked throughout the ages.
Up until the present day, if we may posit that beauty experienced through music has been beautiful, has had a sweet tune, struck an emotional cord in human listeners, and otherwise been able to move human emotions, then twentieth-century composers have not been bound up by the traditional meaning of emotions and have pursued it from a variety of different aesthetic angles.
This thesis will approach and examine the aesthetics of applying changes through new musical forms and musical styles, within certain aesthetic boundaries, instead of the fundamental concepts of aesthetics.
Within those boundaries of traditional meaning, a new dimension in musical time, know as "contingent music," can enable us to see the beauty in a time-limited and 'momentary' piece of art.
In contrast to John Cage, the structure, style, tonal system, rhythm and emotional and psychological aspects of Symphony No. 2 by Witold Lutoslawski, who invented 'Limited Tychism,' can be examined from an aesthetic angle.
This composition can be performed in under thirty minutes and is composed of two movements. Lead by the short Introductory Movement, it is followed by the extremely spread out Main Movement.
Although the two musical acts are quite clearly separated, the end of the first movement is connected via an attacca that may be seen as one expression of musical beauty. Using cords and tunes, it is composed of two steps, complete four steps, and even complete five step tunes. A twelve-note harmony constituted this way includes one, two, or even three notes in separate and distinct units that are bound and divided into parts.
If the general change in speed and tempo is examined, the rapid and diverse tempo changes in the first act create a sense of expectation for a new tempo, while the second act hints at a sense of adherence for a new speed.
As far as rhythm is concerned, the first act contains a slow and irregular rhythm which changes into a fast and regular rhythm in the second act that highlights the contrast between the two.
The two acts have different musical structure as well. The first act is a monody while the second act is polyphonic.
In addition, the two acts differ in tone. While the first act induces a homogenous tone via a strongly affinitive vertical arrangement of musical instruments, the second act emphasizes a strong contract in musical tone by arranging the instruments both vertically and horizontally.
As this symphony was composed using revolutionary techniques and structure, it is very different from traditional symphonies. In spite of its hugh scale and extreme spread, it does not feel carelessly put together. It creates an expectation for a different result compared to a traditional symphony by using the techniques of 'ad libitum' and 'limited contingency.' The incorporation of rhythm derived from 'Limited Tychism' ensures that it is played differently every time it is performed.
This enables listeners to hear the beauty related to time-limited art within the multiple scopes of twentieth-century aesthetics.
This type of composition by Lutoslawski is not at first familiar to the listener, and the psychological, philosophical, and aesthetic factors cannot be heard or seen superficially, but can inform us of the existence of another artistic and aesthetic dimension that we cannot be told to listen for.
As an inquiry into a work of composition from the viewpoint of the aesthetics of structure and harmony, this thesis creates a deep appreciation of Lutoslawski that will raise his status within the world of music and also advance the new creation of composition techniques and help in the research of the aesthetics of music.