Listening
Nico Muhly – Drones & Violin Part 1
0:00 to 3:03 only: Performed by Pekka Kuusisto & Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective. [Listen on YouTube]
Julia Adolphe – “Footsteps”
Performed by Hila Plitmann, coloratura soprano; Hye Jung Shin, piano. [Listen on Julia Adolphe’s website]
Jessie Montgomery – Coincident Dances
Listen to 0:00–1:49 and 8:35–end, or just listen to the whole piece. Performed by Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra Alexander Shelley, director. [Listen on YouTube]
Tyshawn Sorey – In Memoriam Muhal Richard Abrams
Performed by Carol Fujino, violin, and Joyce To, glockenspiel. [Listen on YouTube]
IN YOUR DISCUSSION POST: In one or two words, describe the mood of each piece. (The same word does not need to apply to the whole work. For example, you might think the one section is “peaceful” and another is “turbulent.”) Then, in a sentence/phrase or two, describe how the composer uses the musical elements to create the mood you have identified.
Reading
Who is Muhly?
Who is Adolphe?
Who is Montgomery?
Who is Sorey?
Wider Context
OPTIONAL: For a wider context, see Oxford Reference for timelines of world history by century
