Answer to this Question

Answer provided 12/9/2004 12:34:14 PM

Q. What makes "program music" "program music"? What distinguishes it from any other emotionally influenced music?

A. With "program music" the composer provides a specific set of images for the listener to apply to the piece. For example, Moussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is an evocative and stirring piece by itself, yet each movement is based on a specific painting. The idea is to hold the image of the painting in mind while listening the music, thus allowing the music to heighten the experience of viewing the painting, and visa versa. Berlioz's "Symphony Fantastique" tells the story of a romance he experienced. if you are interested in more examples, a good place to start might be the tone poems of Richard Strauss. His works "Don Juan", "Til Eugenspiegel", "Ein Heldenleben", "Also Sprach Zaratustra" (widely known as the music from the opening of the film "2001") and others all have very specific storylines that are great to sit and follow as you listen to the piece.

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