How Composers have Influenced Each Other
Igor Stravinsky once suggested, “A good composer does not imitate, he steals.”
Since the early development of composition as a field of study, composers have observed and commented on each other’s work. Child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was arguably the most well known composer of the European Classical Period. He often copied the work of his mentors, as well as fellow composers he admired. Specifically, Johann Sebastian Bach greatly influenced Mozart’s style of counterpoint, of which Bach was a master. Joseph Haydn acted as a mentor figure for young Mozart, as the two would complement and pay tribute to each other’s work. In 1772, Mozart composed a series of six Quartets, dedicated to and in the style of the older composer. In Mozart: a life, author Peter Gay explains, “Mozart’s admiration for Haydn was perfectly genuine: just as Haydn esteemed Mozart above all other composers, so Mozart returned the compliment in full”(77). Borrowed ideas in musical compositions are not as uncommon as one might suggest. Since Mozart’s day, many successful composers have, and continue to borrow ideas from each other; whether that be copying entire melodies, or merely writing in the style of a specific composer in order to pay tribute to their work.
This song, “Brotherhood of Man”, is a perfect representation of Loesser’s ability to capture the classic broadway feel in his music. With witty verses and a catchy chorus, his lyrics help the actors characterize the music. With the support and expertise of Loesser, Ross and Adler's composition "Rags to Riches", performed by Tony Bennet, soared to the top of the charts in 1953. Soon after this, Loesser closely tutored Ross and Adler during the writing of their first full length musical, The Pajama Game. Some argue that Loesser’s influence on the musical was too great, as he ended up writing two songs from the show himself; although he never took credit for them(Jasen, Tin Pan Alley). The Pajama Game quickly became a huge hit after it opened on Broadway in 1954, winning the Tony award for Best Musical. Listen for the influence of Loesser’s style in Ross and Adler’s iconic song choreographed by Bob Fosse, “Steam Heat” from The Pajama Game.
As demonstrated in the video, Ross and Adler were greatly inspired by Loesser’s style while still incorporating their own flair, such as unique percussive sounds. After the success of The Pajama Game, the pair went on to write Damn Yankees, another broadway hit. Ross and Adler attributed their success to Loesser, who gave them the critical connections required, in addition to influencing their compositional style.
The saxophonist Charlie Parker, whose career spanned from the 1920s to the 1950s, was one of the most innovative improvisers and composers to ever live. His compositional style was inspired by musicians such as Duke Ellington and Lester Young, both of whom were avid figures in the world of jazz and blues. Parker took the simple 12 bar blues form used by Ellington and Young, and added chromatic alterations to it. He called it the Bird Blues, which is illustrated in the baseline of his composition, “Blues for Alice”.
These visuals illustrate how Charlie Parker transformed the simple blues form used by Duke Ellington into this Bird Blues form.
Blues (Simple)
| C
|
| C
|
| C
|
| C
|
|
| ||||
| F
|
| F
|
| C
|
| C
|
|
| ||||
| G
|
| F
|
| C
|
| C
|
|
|
Blues (Bird)
| CM7
|
| Bm7♭5
|
E7
|
| Am7
|
D7
|
| Gm7
|
C7
|
|
| |
| F7
|
| Fm7
|
B♭7
|
| Em7
|
A7
|
| E♭m7
|
A♭7
|
|
| |
| Dm7
|
| G7
|
| CM7
|
A7
|
| Dm7
|
G7
|
|
|
In addition, Charlie Parker honored previous composers by taking chord changes from other composer’s works, then applying them to his own melodies. This application is known as a contrafact, and is evident in Parker's “Anthropology”. He used specific chord changes from Gershwin's “I Got Rhythm”, which was written years before Parker’s “Anthropology”.
Just as Charlie Parker drew inspiration from previous composers, many modern jazz composers and musicians are influenced by Parker's compositional style. Parker’s works exemplify the tradition of musicians analyzing and copying works of composers that have come before them.
Most composers’ inspiration from prior musical masterminds tends to be detectable, yet their final products are still recognized as original pieces of music. John Williams takes this to a whole new level and occasionally “borrows” motives from prior composers. Selections from Tchaikovsky and Erich Korngold are present. John Williams famously composed the scores for the films Star Wars, E.T, and Harry Potter. Many, if not all have a firm foundation in orchestral and classical music. On countless occasions, he has almost plagiarized classical works, making minimal changes in order to claim them as his own. One of the most infamous of William’s “borrowings” was taken from Erich Korngold’s theme for the film King’s Row. In Jay Gabler’s article “Star Wars Music: What were John Williams’ Classical Influences?” he notes the resemblance between the Star Wars theme and Korngold’s theme for King’s Row bore “more than a passing resemblance” (Jay Gabler).
Tchaikovsky’s influence on Williams's work is just slightly less apparent than that of his inspiration from Erich Korngold. Gabler suggests, “Tchaikovsky was a master of orchestral color, and when you listen to his score for the ‘coffee’ interlude next to Williams's Jawa score, you're reminded that Clara's magical sojourn was the original trip to a galaxy far, far away” (Gabler). As Gabler explains, John Williams’ “Jawa” score from Star Wars is virtually a replicate of the “Coffee” interlude in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.
The similarities between Williams’ scores and that of earlier classical composers become evident when compared audibly with the works that influenced Williams. The video below emphasizes the similarities in rhythm, key, accent patterns, and instrumentation by playing songs from Williams’ film scores followed by the musical works that are thought to have influenced Williams.
Whether it be copying literal melodies, or merely writing in the style of a specific artist, composers have a history of learning from each other’s work to better their own craft. From long before Mozart’s time to current day, artists continue to borrow musical ideas from one another. This practice allows the current art of composition to constantly change in style and form, as composers become more and more aware of other musical traditions.
Intro/Conclusion/Bibliography: Anika Hille
Adler & Ross: Mackenzie Taylor
Charlie Parker: Frank Saxton
John Williams: Emilia Soot
Works Cited:
Author The 5th Avenue Theatre. “Adler & Ross: The New Boys in Town.” The Musical Theater Factory Blog, 19 Apr. 2017, 5thavenuetheatreblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/alder-ross-the-new-boys-in-town/
“Bird Changes.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Oct. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_changes.
“Blues for Alice by Charlie Parker.” YouTube, 10 Aug. 2010, youtu.be/4s5FZBisaf8.
BroadwayJLM. “The Pajama Game - Steam Heat.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Mar. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdyDlSie0Q.
“Charlie Parker - Anthropology.” YouTube, 6 June 2009, youtu.be/AMuItUv9xZc.
Gabler, Jay. “Star Wars Music: What Were John Williams's Classical Influences?” Classical MPR, 27 Oct. 2015, www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/10/20/star-wars-john-williams-influences.
GuilbeauxFan. “How to Succeed in Business Tony Performance.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 June 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=69WpCBLrdSQ.
Jasen, David A. (2003). Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song. New York and London: Routledge. p. 3.
“List of Jazz Contrafacts.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_jazz_contrafacts.
KevinHammill1. “John Williams Rip Offs!” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Sept. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMFNABbqWCw.
“Richard Adler and Jerry Ross.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/richard-adler-and-jerry-ross/.
Comments
Post a Comment