Introduction
Music is ambiguous, amorphous, and can mean different things in different contexts. The meanings we attach to music often come through associations with words, cultures, and contexts. These meanings are not actually imbedded in the music itself.
One of the most famous associations of music and meaning can be found in the melody "Dies Irae." This melody has been in use over 800 years. This melody came to symbolize end times, the last days, and catastrophic judgement:
Figure 1. Dies Irae Choral notation Notenbeispiel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dies_irae.gif (Accessed 23 April. 2012)
Figure 2. Portion of Dies Irae in Modern Notation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dies_Irae_Treble.JPG (Accessed 23 April. 2012)
The melody was featured in Requiem services in the Catholic Church as well as in other religious settings. This melody has since been employed in compositions throughout Europe and America. A few examples: Hector Berlioz (France) Symphonie Fantastique (1830), Dmitry Shostakovitch (Russia) Symphony No. 14 (1969), and George Crumb (USA) Black Angels (1971).
Sometimes the meaning of the tune changes when the lyrics to the melody are altered. For instance, many of the Lutheran hymn melodies were taken from popular songs in Luther's time, songs that were sung in taverns. Thus, the songs changed from secular drinking songs, to spiritual church hymns. "My Country, Tis of Thee" (America) uses the melody from "God Save the Queen." This song was borrowed from England; the words were changed to reflect America patriotism not British sentiments. Our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner" took the tune from "The Anacreontic Song" (or "To Anacreon in Heaven"). “Maryland, My Maryland” is set to the melody of "Lauriger Horatius," better known as O Tannenbaum (Oh, Christmas Tree). There is in interesting note on Wikipedia about the song:
Occasional attempts have been made to replace it as Maryland's state song due to its origin in support for the Confederacy and lyrics that refer to President Lincoln as a "tyrant," "despot," and "Vandal," and to the Union as "Northern scum." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland,_My_Maryland, accessed 30 April 2012)
Take a moment to reflect on the remixes you know about. Also ponder older songs that are sung in new arrangements. How does the meaning of the music change?
Example: "When the Saints Go Marching In"
One melody that has seen multiple settings in the USA is "When the Saints Go Marching In." The song is often referred to as "The Saints." This was a United States gospel hymn composed in 1896 by Katharine Purvis (lyrics) and James Milton Black (music). Often the tune was used as a dirge, played slowly for a funeral procession. Then after the internment the melody was performed in the familiar, quicker Dixieland style.
The four videos here present different versions of that gospel tune. The way in which the melody is performed receives differing instrumentation, interpretations, and as a result different aesthetic meanings. Spend at least 15 minutes listening to and studying each video. Make notes on the following:
Instrumentation and performers.
Tempo of the music.
Changes in lyrics (wikipedia supplies lyrics). Are the lyrics adjusted to fit the culture and context?
Style of the music.
Cultural references in the videos. Cultural references in the music.
Commercialization. What is your opinion of a deeply religious hymn now presented in multiple forums for profit? It this aesthetically and ethically appropriate?
Aesthetics. Which version of "The Saints" is most aesthetically pleasing to you? Why? What does this say about your musical tastes and your cultural preferences?
Some Notes on the Videos
Video 1 youtube | Flash (using mp4) | mp4 | Flash (flv). Louis Armstrong widely performed the melody throughout the world. This video is taken from a 1961 television broadcast. Notice that the video features a smaller group of musicians, with instrumentation similar to a Dixieland Jazz band. The tempo chosen is also more traditional for the Dixieland style. The female vocalist often is more like another instrument--she doesn't use words in many places.
Video 2 youtube | Flash (using mp4) | mp4 | Windows Media. Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong are featured in this version. (I think the clip is from the movie The Five Pennies, 1959). Notice here the big band arrangement, which is typical of post WWII Hollywood productions. Here the vocalists imitate instruments as well--no words at times. Focus most of your attention on the first and last part of the video. Listen to the improvisations by the vocalists and the Big Band accompaniment.
Video 3 youtube (includes Armstrong intro)| Flash (using mp4) | mp4 | Windows Media. James Brown is featured in this 1980 film Blues Brothers. This is the only video in the group to make references to religious contexts (video clips of a church setting and a funeral procession). Here the mix of styles is quite extraordinary: Black Church choral traditions, R&B, Soul, etc. How does Brown achieve this mix of traditions? Is it effective?
Video 4 youtube | Flash (using mp4) | mp4 | Windows Media. I don't know much about the musicians in this video (produced Oct. 2010) other than the little information found on the web. Greg Howlett is a Christian concert pianist living in Georgia. The duo presents a very "respectable," "easy listening" version of the piece. In contrast with the James Brown clip that portrays USA Black culture, this version seems to present USA White culture with a hint of Country Western music. How do they do make cultural references without video inserts (dancing, street scenes, etc.) and words? What are the musical cues that they use?