Impressionist Music: Debussy and Ravel

SOCIÉTÉ NATIONALE DE MUSIQUE in the late nineteenth century, a

group of composers founded to create a renaissance of sorts, and to
counter the late romantic tendency for high chromaticism and overt
emotion, a very German approach. Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré’s
likes were included.
CLAUDE DEBUSSY - born on August 22, 1862. & Lived just outside of Paris,
won the prestigious Grand Prix De Rome (1884) for his cantata, “L’enfant
Prodigue.” His music was greatly influenced by music from outside sources.
PARIS UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION (1899) - first encounter w/ Javanese
gamelan & Russian music, in concerts conducted by the Russian composer
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This distinguished Debussy not only from his
German counterparts but also from his French contemporaries.

LA MER - one of Debussy’s works that exemplifies his style is the series of
three orchestral sketches entitled La Mer or in English, The Sea. A critic
wrote that the piece was mistakenly named La Mer, and instead should
have been named Le Mal De Mer, Seasickness. Yet, the work became a part
of standard Concert Repertoire.

Maurice Ravel - was born on March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, France. Has a

supportive family and his father encouraged his musical talent when it
manifested itself at an early age (14).

JEUX D’EAU – “The Play of Water” is one of ravel’s earlier works. Listening
to the piece, it is similar to Debussy. Both composers use short melodic
phrases/ideas, explored via repetition and slight variation per iteration.
However, Ravel’s music, as can be heard in the piece, while Atmospheric and
Repetitive, similar to Debussy, lacks Debussy’s air of mystery. Clarity &
Restraint define the music of ravel.

IGOR STRAVINSKY - RUSSIAN-BORN COMPOSER that once even likened the

French composer to a “Swiss Watchmaker,” about his technical proficiency,
clarity, and precision.
 Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism and Abstract
Expressionism
CUBISM - features subjects in a fragmented and deconstructed manner
viewed in different angle.
• Cubists don’t’ want to be restricted by perspectives. Relativity is by fusing
memories and observations. For them, the audience’s sight of the image
is the totality of different views and the memory of it from different
angles.
PAUL CÉZANNE - inspired two major players of Cubism. His paintings can
be seen on slightly different perspectives. He believed that the flat surface
of the art should be emphasized to highlight the difference between the
artwork and reality. For him, colors should be arranged and constructed on
two-dimensional surfaces.
ANALYTIC CUBISM (1908-1912) – chaotic, painted with earth tones and
muted grays & feature fragmented objects, overlapping planes and lines.
They can be viewed in different standpoints.
SYNTHETIC CUBISM (1912-1914) - simpler and brighter. Started to include
real objects. The patterns, lines, textures, and colors are interchanged,
collage with patterned paper and newspaper. Examples of works: Picasso’s
Still Life with Chair-Caning (1912), and Juan Gris’ the Sunblind (1914).
FILIPINO CUBISM:
• Cesar Legaspi refined Cubism in the Philippines (geometric fragmentation
technique; intense & powerful)
• Vicente Manansala used fragmented images, but his works are not
overly distorted. (sabong, jeepneys, and barung-barong)

DADAISM - created as a protest to the bourgeois culture. Members

question the society, the artists and the arts itself. They manipulate ready-
made objects and transform them into artworks.
DADAIST ARTWORKS -- are abstract, formed by deconstructed images
that challenge the norms and challenging to understand. Irreverent,
random and accidental. The ironies on the works show the wit and humor
of the artists.

SURREALISM - also challenged the critical thinking of people. Founded by

French André Breton in 1924. Aimed to liberate the human thoughts,
language, and experience from Rationalism. Inspired by the psychoanalysis
writings of Sigmund Freud and beliefs of Karl Marx. Surrealists wanted to
emphasize on the power of imagination by tapping the unconscious mind
and oppose the rational orders of the society.

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM - Kickstarted by Clyfford Still after the

World War II, it was heavily influenced by Surrealism. Members were also
interested in Carl Jung’s belief in archetypal symbols. Two major groups:
action painters and color field painters.
 Effects of social media
Media - means of communication. Before the only media available were the
newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. But with the widespread
accessibility of internet around us, information through social media and
online articles are just a click away.

Effects of Media and Technology on Fitness

• Social media can give you access to like-minded people who have
the same discipline of aiming for a healthy lifestyle.
• Updates from health-related blogs of celebrities you look up to
can push you to improve and make better choices.
• Various physical activities and events are shared and enjoyed by
everyone through gadgets.
• Mobile apps are easily downloadable to keep track of your health
& daily exercises.
• Media gives voice to anyone who wants to share health-related
and physical-related fitness tips and workout plans.
• Be more informed and aware of the consequences, positively or
negatively, brought upon of being physically active or lack
thereof.
Adverse Effects of Media & Technology on Fitness:
• Different forms of media, specifically social media, can trap
anyone into a sea of self-criticisms.
• The definition of being physically healthy is misconstrued by what
media dictates to us.
• People feel entitlement as soon as they posted a blog or a health-
related video.
• Diet and training trends that are not backed up by studies, fitness
professionals and nutritionists may be sugar-coated by media to
influence you to follow it.
 Quackery
QUACKERY - dishonest practices and claims to have special
knowledge and skill in some field, typically medicine.
HEALTH - primary concern of everyone. Medical practices and
treatments have advanced as time progressed. Chronic
diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and leukemia
are still uncurable yet, some people take advantage of these
situations; they fool them by giving false hope for their cure.
QUACK - individual with little or no professional qualifications to
practice medicine. Purposely uses meaningless medical
jargons to promote their fraudulent products and services.
Quacks employ scare tactics and quick fix propaganda to
sell.
HEALTH QUACKERY - vast business fastly growing due to the
support of people diagnosed with incurable diseases.
Forms of Quackery (3)
1.) Medical Quackery: promotion of cures, treatments, and remedies
of numerous illnesses that are drugless or bloodless- Are
inappropriately labeled products, not citing the specific substances
present. Most of the time, the packages have no approval seals from
certified government agencies that check product quality.
2.) Device Quackery: refers to inexplicable instruments that claim to
cure any medical condition or help in quick fixes.
3.) Nutritional Quackery: food fads, and nutritional practices that
claim to be organic and toxin-free as a variety of plants are
contained in the item. Can be an herbal supplement, a dietary fluid, or
traditional health practice.