Over the course of the last few weeks, we have had a lot of experiences with notation and music from past centuries. Some of the most valuable experiences, I think, have involved comparing variants of the same pieces and interpreting different editors intentions. I think we have all been forced to question why certain musical choices have been made in these editions and the purpose of each variant. It is definitely a different approach than I usually take when looking at a piece of music for the first time!
I chose to focus of the composers that are included in the Helm manuscript for several reasons. I was originally interested in them simply because I enjoy music history, but soon realized that their inclusion in this manuscript can tell us much more. As we learn about the composers involved in this manuscript, we can begin to question why they were included and, more specifically, why Smith included them.
Instead of simply researching composers, we also need to compare the composers that are included and compare their works. We need to question what they have in common, and why these commonalities would matter to Smith. Because copying music was so laborious and time-consuming, we can assume that these pieces were not selected capriciously, but with purpose. Our research and findings will certainly lead us to conclusions about Smith, but will also give us information about the music valued in Smith’s time.
Emily has presented several great ideas for this topic. Just as she has stated, it is not enough to know only about the various composers themselves. In order to better understand Smith’s motives for musical selection, we must also try to grasp the significance of the composers to him. This will involve researching Smith’s ties to these composers (whether they were historically important at the time, pedagogical or personal reasons, etc.). I am not sure what information is available to shed light on Smith’s views, however, unless he had radically different thoughts than the mainstream, it would be beneficial to understand what were the predominate thoughts concerning musical tastes during that time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeremy and Emily about all of this. I am quite interested in Smith's decisions to include the composers he did. Smith has certainly made philosophical and editorial decisions in choosing specific composers. I am curious to see which composers other editors have chosen and comparing those various manuscripts. It will be interesting to see whether Smith was making an attempt to 'fill in the gaps.' This might be to large a scope for our project, but a worthy and essential question nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important questions this 'section' should be asking and answering are:
ReplyDelete"Why these composers?"
"Why these pieces?"
or
"Are these pieces representitive of the composers' output?"
"Is there a more complex connection that these composers share?"
We should keep an open mind about the intent and audience of the manuscript.
For a long time now, I have been interested in learning about composers. It’s fascinating that two contemporaries, writing under the same musical and cultural aesthetics, goals, restraints, etc., can create music from two seemingly different worlds. What circumstances lead composers to be so unique? Researching the composers found in the Helm Manuscript will be very intriguing, as I know very little about any of them.
ReplyDeleteEmily definitely hit the nail on the head. We should examine why these pieces were compiled in this manuscript by John Stafford Smith? What are some commonalities amongst the composers? Is it maybe something else that links these pieces? Maybe the only common factor is that the pieces in the manuscript were personal favourites of JSS – some well known, others less so.
I think collaboration with the Repertory, and Program Notes groups might prove to be beneficial for all. I think in order to have a thorough understanding of the repertory, it would be helpful to understand the circumstances under which the composers were writing the pieces; those researching the repertory might also find precious information regarding the composers.