Human Sexuality in Music
The McClary's brief discussion on sexual politics in classical Music focuses on how human sexuality is present not only in modern music such as rock and pop, but also in classical music. McClary mentions that in academia there is not much focus on true expression but rather concentrate on structure. It is mentioned that when it comes to listening to classical music one doesn't consider erotic emotions unless it is a work that includes text that portrays such. As far as eroticism goes, it is the heterosexual male that expresses the need and desire. The first of two musical examples that McClary used was Carmen. The highlight of this discussion dealt with music affecting how the other character thinks. The melodies that Carmen sung had great affect on Jose, the other lead character. Carmen was
I feel that sexuality is a major part of personality, which was probably as important in the 18th Century as it is to date. Another characteristic of Carmen that was discussed was the Rhythms. Some of the beliefs in the readings are a little to bold for me to believe without further research. The second of the two examples was a discussion on the first movement Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. At this point the music is as tense as a sexual episode is described. The chromatic lines and uncommon resolutions in some spots seem to confuse one. At points when the erotic tension is at a high point Jose starts to express himself and let it all out. As far as the protagonist goes, McClary mentions that homosexuality is also evident. It seems as though every time the protagonist gets settled, the antagonist appears again to take over control. This entire symphony represents a struggle. In this case the protagonist is the expressive element, which is characterized by a smooth legato melody that seems to float like a free bird. Yes, I believe eroticism is Human Nature but we can't assume on such a large scale that classical music included as much sexuality as modern music. This gives the sense that the struggle is over.
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Acceptance Essays
