We are going to take a piece of music (Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question) and look at how Bernstein and Adorno used it as a means to delve deeply into these questions regarding the meaning of crisis and the expression of social transformation.  As a preliminary to that discussion, in part one we are going to review a few examples of the varieties of expression and experiences of Bernstein's "crisis of ambiguity".  Can music be expressive of a time and place, and if so, what is the meaning of these expressions?  Is Pierre Boulez correct when he says that: “An idea does not exist until we realize how it may be used.  In musical terms, there is no such thing as an idea in itself, it is a reaction to our whole cultural environment."  – Pierre Boulez.  “Idea, Realization, Craft.” Music Lessons: Lectures at the College de France.

This recording was prepared for the course SS.235, Sociology of Music/Sound/Noise, Department of Social Science & Culture Studies, Pratt Institute.  Spring 2020.  Additional materials are available on the course LMS site.

Bibliography for Part One:

Adorno, Theodor. 1973. Philosophy of Modern Music. New York, Seabury Press.
login.ezproxy.pratt.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat06956a&AN=prt.b1036751&site=eds-live&scope=site

Bernstein, Leonard. The Unanswered Question, part 5: The XXth Century Crisis (lecture and performance).
youtu.be/kPGstQUbpHQ?t=7m42s

Bernstein, Leonard. The Unanswered Question, part 6: The Poetry of the Earth (lecture and performance).
youtu.be/OWeQXTnv_xU?t=1s

Boulez, Pierre. 2019. “Idea, Realization, Craft.” Music Lessons: Lectures at the College de France. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
powells.com/book/-9780226672595

Cage, John. 4’ 33” (A performance by William Marx.)
youtube.com/watch?v=JTEFKFiXSx4

Chomsky, Noam. 1975. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press.
eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.pratt.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=3a421b79-4101-466c-afe2-01cea355c42b%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=ebr.EBC3339934&db=cat05952a

Ellison, Ralph. 2002. “A Snow of Blizzard Proportions” from Flying Home and Other Stories. Modern Library.
powells.com/book/-9780679776611

Horkheimer, Max. 1947. “The Revolt of Nature” from The Eclipse Of Reason. New York: Continuum.
archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.59625/page/n7

Ives, Charles E. 1908. The Unanswered Question: For Chamber Orchestra (performable also as Chamber Music). New York: Southern Music Publishing.
imslp.org/wiki/The_Unanswered_Question_(Ives%2C_Charles)

Joyce, James. 1946. “The Dead” from Dubliners.
archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.183214/page/n169

Luxmburg, Rosa. 1913-15. The Accumulation of Capital and the Anti-Critique. New York, Monthly Review Press.
marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1913/accumulation-capital/index.htm
marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1915/anti-critique/index.htm

Marx, Karl and Fredreich Engels. 1846. The German Ideology. marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/

Norris, Frank. 1901. The Octopus: A Story of California.
archive.org/details/octopus00norr/page/n6
And for fun, as one in the original graphic novels series:
archive.org/details/ClassicsIllustrated159TheOctopus

Satie, Erik. Douze Petits Chorals (1906-1908) - XII. Choral No 12.
12 Petits chorales: No. 12, Grave. Christiane Oelze, soprano -- Eric Schneider, piano.

Webern, Anton. 4 Lieder nach Gedichten von S. George (1908-9). Christiane Oelze and Eric Schneider. Boulez conducts.
1. “Erwachen aus dem tiefsten traumes-schooße”
2. Kunfttag I
3. Trauer I
4. Das lockere saatgefilde lechzet krank

Webern, Anton. Symphony Op. 21. 1927-28. Berliner Philharmoniker with Pierre Boulez, conducting.

Williams, Raymond. 1961. The Long Revolution. Broadview Press.
broadviewpress.com/product/the-long-revolution/#tab-description

See also:
Andreyev, Samuel. The Unanswered Question: Analysis.
youtu.be/IEAa_MH0iCw?t=1
Anton von Webern, explained in 10 minutes.
youtube.com/watch?v=zt2SJrcIJh4
Anton von Webern's Drei Lieder, Op. 18: Analysis.
youtu.be/IEAa_MH0iCw?t=1
Anton Webern's Zwei Lieder, Op. 19: Analysis.
youtube.com/watch?v=FK1iqTTrphM