Igor Stravinsky Essay Example for Free

Igor Stravinsky Essay Igor Stravinsky was among the most influential and versatile composers of the last century. His overwhelming commitment to music and remarkable musical career, â€Å"†¦which spanned the convulsive final years of the Imperial Russia and the social ferment of 1960s America, served to establish Stravinsky not only as the most celebrated composer of his time, but also as one of the defining forces of twentieth-century culture† (Wenborn, 1999, p. 10). Born in 1882 to the family of Fyodor Stravinsky, a famous Russian actor and opera singer, Stravinsky grew up in the atmosphere of conservatism and discipline. As his father was a member of Russian cultural elite and had close personal relationships with Turgenev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and other talented artists of that epoch, the young Stravinsky and his siblings were surrounded with the music of the most progressive Russian composers, such as Borodin, Glinka, Mussorgsky and Dargomizhsky, since their early childhood. When he was 9, the young Stravinsky started his piano lessons followed by studying harmony, music theory and composition. However, his enthusiasm for developing a career in music was somewhat frustrated by the parents who insisted on Stravinsky’s becoming a lawyer. In 1901 he entered the University of St. Petersburg to study law. A year later, Stravinsky took an opportunity to present his compositions to Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, a leading Russian composer of those times, who lately became Stravinsky’s spiritual parent. Rimsky played an important role in musical development of Stravinsky, and till his death in 1908, he was influencing Stravinsky’s creative style. In 1907, inspired by the works of Rimsky, Stravinsky wrote First Symphony in E Flat Major which was dominated by nationalistic motifs. Along with other compositions (such as Fireworks and The Faun and the Shepherdess), the Symphony attracted the attention of Sergei Diaghilev, a Russian ballet impresario who worked for the Ballets Russes in France. On his request, Stravinsky created his first ballets: The Firebird (1910), Petroushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913). The Russian period in the career evolution of Stravinsky can be characterized by a tendency to use ritual personages, motifs and harmonic formulas of Russian folklore, blended with a lot of dissonances and irregular rhythms. Those years were very important for the formation of musical aesthetics of Stravinsky, which can be defined by vivid imagination and various semantic elements, rhythmic freedom, abundance of variations and ostinati, etc. The next, neoclassic period started in the early 1920s, when Stravinsky moved to France. Together with his wife Ekaterina and their four children, Stravinsky settled down in Nice. He continued composing and traveling with the Ballets Russes, looking for new ideas and themes for his works. In this period, Stravinsky was under the influence of French impressionism of the eighteenth century. In his masterpieces, the composer used to refer to various stylistic models: he mastered the styles of the European baroque (Oedipus Rex, 1927), the techniques of old polyphony (the Symphony of Psalms, 1930), and so on. During the 1930s, Stravinsky’s success as a composer was boosted by his increasing popularity as a brilliant pianist and conductor of his own compositions. In 1934 he became a citizen of France, and a year later he had a series of great performances in the United States crowned by a remarkable concert in the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where Stravinsky conducted his newly created ballet The Card Party. The late 1930s were darkened for Stravinsky by the loss of his wife, mother and elder daughter who died of tuberculosis one after another. In 1939 he moved to the U. S. together with his mistress Vera de Bosset, a dancer at the Ballets Russes. Stravinsky’s compositions of the 1940s (including the Symphony in Three Movements (1945), the Ebony Concerto (1946) and other works) can be characterized by a great stylistic diversity. However, his ballet Orpheus completed in 1947 marked the composer’s return to neoclassical traditions. The opera The Rakes Progress (1951), created in collaboration with W. H. Auden and C. Kallman, is considered to be the apex of Stravinsky’s neoclassical period. The libretto was based on a series of engravings of William Hogarth. Musical context of the opera is based on classic harmonies and a wide palette of tone colors, enriched with surprising rhythmic changes and dissonances. The premiere of the opera took place at the famous La Venice in Italy, and in 1997 this opera was restaged by the Metropolitan Opera. In the early 1950s, being under the influence of such artists as A.  Schoenberg and R. Craft, Stravinsky embarked on using the techniques of Serialism in his compositions. During this final period of his career, the composer was experimenting with the twelve-tone methods (dodecaphony) developed by Schoenberg, as well as working on a great number of songs, cantatas and other small chamber works and pieces of vocal music. Many important compositions of this period are dominated by biblical motifs (Canticum Sacrum (1955), A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (1961), Abraham and Isaac (1963), etc. ) During the last decade of his life, Stravinsky continued performing and conducting his pieces in the most prestigious concert halls of the U. S. and Europe. He visited the Soviet Union and developed friendly relationships with Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev. Stravinsky was a devoted Orthodox Christian and a great father for his children. The composer died in 1971 and was buried on the cemetery of San Michele, next to the grave of his close friend, Sergei Diaghilev. For his achievements and musical innovations, in 1987 Stravinsky was granted the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement (posthumously). Despite great stylistic contrasts, all the works of Stravinsky retain a certain distinctive identity rooted in his Russian origin and the tendency to use his trademark musical elements (such as ostinati, off-rhythms, etc. ) in the majority of his compositions. Stravinsky was a person of an inexhaustible enthusiasm and eagerness to explore new musical horizons and styles. He was a composer of a phenomenal talent and matchless creative originality, who â€Å"†¦revitalized the rhythms of European music and achieved entirely new sonorities and blends of orchestral colors† (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2007, p. 46141)

Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action Essay -- Educati

Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action The United States is expecting drastic changes in the diversity of its population over the next 50 years. Minorities will become a larger portion of the country’s population. Changes will need to be made to the way our country operates, especially in education. New, innovative and inclusive ways of teaching will replace traditional methods. For these new changes to go smoothly, steps will be taken to implement diverse populations in schools, helping students benefit from the values of other cultures while learning to live along side each other. The competitive and biased curriculums will take back seat to new ones that cater to all members of the population, leaving behind disruptive and antisocial behaviors. And finally, the teacher population will become as diverse as the student counterpart, creating more chances for students to identify with their leaders. This research paper will identify problematic situations for educational diversity as well as examine the effec tiveness of diverse populations in classroom settings with respect to the development of student's world skills and understanding, openness and tolerance of diversity. What do we mean when we say diversity in the classroom? Diversity in the classroom is the different cultural make-up of a student body. Right now, it is estimated that by 2050, the non-Hispanic White portion of the U.S. population is projected to decrease from approximately 72% to less than 53%. The African American population is expected to increase from under 13% to over 15% and the Hispanic population is expected to increase from 11% to 24%. As well, the Asian and Pacific Islander population is expected to increase from 4% to ... ...ool and high school. I have overcome these in my own personal and professional endeavors, but it can be hard to do for young students. Not only was my school majority white students, but the schools it fed into were quite the opposite, creating drastic contrast. Montgomery Blair High School, not 20 minutes, prides itself in being one the most diverse schools in the nation (Hadidi, A.24). My school was made up of kids that were all exactly or mostly the same. When it comes down to it, although I had the most caring teachers in the world, I learned very little about life and our nation’s great diversity as a student there. The nation is changing and the school systems throughout the country need to adapt their curriculums to handle it. Through new strategies and responsive teaching, teachers will pave the way for a heterogenous, successful and peaceful society. Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action Essay -- Educati Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action The United States is expecting drastic changes in the diversity of its population over the next 50 years. Minorities will become a larger portion of the country’s population. Changes will need to be made to the way our country operates, especially in education. New, innovative and inclusive ways of teaching will replace traditional methods. For these new changes to go smoothly, steps will be taken to implement diverse populations in schools, helping students benefit from the values of other cultures while learning to live along side each other. The competitive and biased curriculums will take back seat to new ones that cater to all members of the population, leaving behind disruptive and antisocial behaviors. And finally, the teacher population will become as diverse as the student counterpart, creating more chances for students to identify with their leaders. This research paper will identify problematic situations for educational diversity as well as examine the effec tiveness of diverse populations in classroom settings with respect to the development of student's world skills and understanding, openness and tolerance of diversity. What do we mean when we say diversity in the classroom? Diversity in the classroom is the different cultural make-up of a student body. Right now, it is estimated that by 2050, the non-Hispanic White portion of the U.S. population is projected to decrease from approximately 72% to less than 53%. The African American population is expected to increase from under 13% to over 15% and the Hispanic population is expected to increase from 11% to 24%. As well, the Asian and Pacific Islander population is expected to increase from 4% to ... ...ool and high school. I have overcome these in my own personal and professional endeavors, but it can be hard to do for young students. Not only was my school majority white students, but the schools it fed into were quite the opposite, creating drastic contrast. Montgomery Blair High School, not 20 minutes, prides itself in being one the most diverse schools in the nation (Hadidi, A.24). My school was made up of kids that were all exactly or mostly the same. When it comes down to it, although I had the most caring teachers in the world, I learned very little about life and our nation’s great diversity as a student there. The nation is changing and the school systems throughout the country need to adapt their curriculums to handle it. Through new strategies and responsive teaching, teachers will pave the way for a heterogenous, successful and peaceful society.

Significance of Plastics

Significance * Plastic bags are not renewable, which means they cannot be easily recycled like paper bags. They are made of petrochemicals, which is what makes them non-renewable and a risk to the health of the planet. They last for hundreds of years, all the while doing damage to natural habitats and killing animals that mistake them for food. The more plastic bags people use, the greater the chances of environmental damage. Effects * If not carefully disposed of, plastic bags can be devastating to animal life. DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) reported that 1,678,900 tons of plastic packaging was in the UK waste stream in 2001. Because plastic bags do not decay quickly, they stay in environments longer, causing more build-up on the natural landscape than a more degradable material like paper would. The Marrickville Council reports that over 100,000 whales, turtles and birds die every year as a result of plastic in their environment. Suffocation * Infants and young children have died as a result of playing with plastic bags. Every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission receives about 25 reports of plastic bag-related infant death. Because of the thin, airtight material, infants can easily block their mouths and nostrils with the plastic bag and suffocate. Prevention/Solution * Abstaining from plastic bag use as much as possible will reduce the chances of accidental infant death, and it will reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. A plastic bag is also reusable, though. It does not necessarily have to be thrown away after a single use. Try to use each plastic bag for as long as possible. This will help reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation. Expert Insight * Some experts want to ban the use of plastic bags entirely. Los Angeles has passed recommendations that will make them illegal in supermarkets by 2012. The British government sees plastic bags as a symbol for a throwaway society. They claim, â€Å"[Plastic bags] are a significant cause of litter†¦. Most of the rest of the 13 billion bags used each year end up in landfills. † Alternatives to Plastic Bags * Canvas bags are a smart alternative to plastic. Canvas can be washed and reused, and lasts up to 10 years on average. Bringing a few canvas bags with you to the store will greatly reduce the number of plastic bags in the environment. Paper bags are not as beneficial for the environment as canvas bags, but they are recyclable. Infants cannot suffocate on paper bags either. If you're creative, you can make an old plastic bag into an arts-and-crafts project (see Resources). Read more: Disadvantages of Plastic Bags | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/about_5072695_disadvantages-plastic-bags. html#ixzz1iCJusfTm

Julius Caesar And Napoleon Bonaparte - 1431 Words

History holds many great and inspiring leaders, some being remembered by many as kings of their time. Two of these incredible individuals are Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte, both legends and incredible rulers of their time. These men represented what a leader should be, and exactly what made leaders so powerful. Although these two men lived in completely different time periods there are similarities and differences that connect the two. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. He came from a respected family, the family strayed away from being involved with the military. Napoleon joined the military, and developed a skill as a leader. He continued to rise through the ranks, eventually gaining†¦show more content†¦He held a grudge for being exiled and strove to once again become powerful, even more so than before. Even though he returned to France a few years after to better constitutionalize France, he failed and returned to exile. Napoleon w as a magnificent leader, even though he became over zealous and power hungry, Napoleon was a driven man, never secure, never satisfied. â€Å"Power is my mistress,† he said. He demonstrated the charisma and intelligence necessary to lead a nation. He was a well respected leader that set the stage for many others to come, and that is revered by many.† Julius Caesar was the roman emperor from 49-44 BCE and was regarded as a great and powerful leader. His family was very well respected and helped him attain the tools necessary to lead. He was a supporter of the Populares, who were a political group that worked towards a better life for the middle and lower class. He had an amazing amount of energy, physical and mental, and held good health for most of his life. He inspired the public to follow him; thus, they named him emperor of Rome. This led him to challenge authority in Rome and create the First Triumvirate, or dominated by three powers. Caesar was a ruthless man, w ho did whatever he had to do in order to maintain power. Caesar often did things that were seen as vile and even illegal, yet he did them to maintain authority and lead, So blatant, however, were the