MSC3044: The History of Music from Classicism to Modern Times

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/02/10/146687324/who-says-classical-music-cant-be-sexy?sc=fb&cc=fp

The traits usually associated with classical music are those of intelligence, relaxation, form composition, or European cultures. But one characteristic that people may never think of immediately when considering classical music is eroticism. Tom Huizenga, a blogger at NPR Music, claims that even though it is difficult to portray something as simple as a kiss in such a vague medium, there are pieces that are able to depict the intimate tension. One such piece that does this is Scriabin’s “Le Poème de l’extase,” or “Poem of Ecstacy.”

In the article “Who Says Classical Music Can’t Be Sexy?” Huizenga writes about how the work is basically the musical portrayal of the act of lovemaking. He gives a general overview of what can be observed from the colorfulness of the instruments to the subtle expressions that the piece exudes. And after being listened to, it definitely gives off a deep, sexual vibe from the beginning to the end.

The piece starts off with the strings and the woodwinds interacting with each other in a gentle manner. The are playing in high pitches so as to keep the mood and the level of intimacy at a high level. Then as the tension grows and the dynamics crescendo, the horns take over accenting the climax that is about to take place. After the rush felt from the high point, the instruments get softer in volume and the feel of the piece relaxes as if the lovers that the music depicts are taking a break. Then the process of what had happened repeats in variations until the final climactic moment, when the instruments finish by lengthening out one last note in forte.

In the article, Huizenga gives a minor sample of the piece consisting of the beginning and the ending. He probably put up only those parts because if his analysis of the music is like what mine is, then those parts were the only ones worth discussing. Everything else in between is essentially the music with that same intimate feeling being repeated; it is lovers copulating over and over again until the end.

In conclusion, Huizenga’s observations have made me more open-minded as to what music can do or represent. Using the right technique can help evoke the right emotions and responses. I now have a new word to describe certain works of classical music: erotic.

Classical music has most of the times been heard as boring or depressing. But if one takes the time to actually listen deeply and carefully, once might change that set of mind. For instance, from one of the examples from the article: Jessye Norman’s luxurious rendition can easily transport ones mind to fantasy island. It is a beautiful, peaceful, and sensual piece. Even untrained ears might agree on the fact that this piece evokes romance. But the one masterpiece that takes the cake is the performance by Maria Joao Pires. Those rich keyboard sounds could make the perfect background for a romantic dinner. Moreover, most of us just listen to the song but rarely pay attention to the lyrics. Most of the times the melody might not have that sensual touch but the words being expressed might add a whole different meaning to the entire piece. Such is the case of the motet Osculetur me by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The melody might sound religious but the lyrics are saying something else. The text is base from the Song of Song which were a collection of poems by King Solomon. The text has some sort of rated X content not appropriate for children. But, it is interesting to know how back in the days composers will express their feeling through the music. It is impressive how they manage to get away with this type of music since they were living in a strongly religious culture. Only geniuses would have though of disguising secular music with sacred music. Other piece would dramatize romantic scenes through the performance until the performer was completely naked. Such is the case of the vanned opera by Strauss. As we have seen a few of many examples, classical music can be sexy if not erotic at some point.

Tom Huizenga at NPR Music blog lists 5 pieces of classical music that attempted to be “sexy.”

He brings up a good point: we can find plenty of sex in other forms of fine art such as literature, films, painting, and sculpture, but not “in the classical concert hall.” Especially since classical music does not have lyrics that we can depend on, we usually have to guess the mood of the music with just our emotion and perception. If you don’t have much experience with classical music like myself, you are usually wrong too.

Among the examples that Huizenga shows on the post, I have chosen and done research on Thomas Ades’  “Come Here” which is the fourth scene of the first act of his opera, Power Her Face. The opera is based on Margaret Whigham, also known as “Duchess of Argyll” who was a notorious socialite and best remembered by her famous divorce in 1963 with her second husband. This particular scene describes Duchess seducing a waiter from the hotel she is staying at with her husband.

I picked this piece because this was the only piece that has words to it. (again, I’m not too good with the classical music) If the piece didn’t have any words, I probably would have thought this was a sneaky scene, like a robber sneaking around an empty house.

Anyways, She clearly seduces the waiter at the start of the scene by saying, “come here.” Although the waiter, who rejects her and says that he “has a wife at home,” and he “would like to keep my job,” Duchess insists, and says “no one will find out. You don’t need to worry.” She even says tells him that “her husband has no idea where I am” multiple times, trying to change the waiter’s mind.

In this scene, it seems that all she really care about having an affair with this waiter because she stops him when she was about find out his name. She quotes, “I never asked for your name. It doesn’t matter who you are and it doesn’t matter who I am.” She is indeed very seductive.

Even then, Powder Her Face did not really sound all that sexy in my opinion. Of course that is a subjective matter, but it probably has to do something with the fact that she is singing this in operatic style. The traditional style of opera kills the emotion that the dialogue is meant to project in my opinion. If she were to sing the song the same way but have different lyrics, I would not know the difference.

Popular music does way better jobs at least in being sexy. However at the end, that is just my perspective. Much improved technology, lighting, and even make up skills can cover up just about anything today. On top of that, music video brought “sexy” to a whole another level.

You can listen to the scene here as well as the other classical music pieces that Huizenga suggests on the post.