Year 12 Music: Musicology

In modern times, the use of music in the fields of health and mental health is becoming mainstream. Its application is of interest in both the treatment of mood disorders such as depression and in healthcare settings such as cancer wards or palliative care. However, this powerful effect is by no means a new concept, with music being used for mood regulation purposes since at least the time of the ancient Greeks.

"This article tells how and why music affects us physically, mentally and emotionally. It briefly discusses the development of music in history and decries the decline of music in education and in secular and sacred music."

"That music (even “absolute music”) aptly and effectively conveys ideological attitudes is proven by how often it was, and still is, the frequent object of censorship. The question of why it, possibly more than other arts, has the ability to be ideological has seldom been addressed directly. Nonetheless, work done during more than a century in the social sciences does, at least in part, shed some light on where to look for the mysterious power music has to reflect or challenge social order or, even when not intended to do so, to collect symbolic meaning and functions that easily escape the intentions of its makers. Music as a form of social activity, like other kinds of activity, more or less visibly seeks to include some people and exclude, or even antagonize, others."

Summarizing and consummating the history of Western music, Stravinsky reintroduced principles of order and expanded the horizons of music in reaction against the growing chaos of late nineteenth century Romanticism. Stravinsky is considered one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century.

"The Rite of Spring started with a riot. Legend has it that it was the music that incited the audience with its barbaric rhythms and dissonances."

"The article looks at the musical piece "The Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky, focusing on the centennial of the piece's premiere at the Riteballet on May 29, 1913 and the subsequent riot that occurred, apparently as a result of the song's avant-garde nature. The article questions the piece's lofty reputation and discusses Stravinsky as well as the ballet's choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky."

"151 of the world's leading conductors voted for what they thought to be the greatest symphonies ever written."

"In anticipation of the Southbank Centre's year-long The Rest is Noise festival, conductors, musicians and artists share their favourite classical works from a century of musical turbulence."

This is an opinion piece which may give you some ideas regarding selection as well as criteria.