User talk:Craigor
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Welcome LA126 instructors-- Once again, it's exam time!!!
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LA126 Seminar in the Arts
Final Exam
150 points possible
How many days did it take Saroyan to write THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE? (6 days - I told them in the lecture that he stayed in a hotel room for 6 days drinking scotch and smoking Chesterfields.)
Describe the set in the third act of SYLVIA. How did the choreography utilize the space created by that set? (This question will only apply to those who actually stayed for the whole thing UNLESS WE HAVE A DISCUSSION BEFORE THE FINAL - IN WHICH CASE EVERYONE WILL KNOW!)
Which is more deserving of a Pulitzer Prize in drama: Time of Your Life of Noises Off? Of course, support your answer.
How well did the music for SYLVIA tell a story? Compare it to any of the pieces performed for us in our class? (I would argue that the music was formulaic, derivative, and generally uninspired compared to ANY of the pieces we heard in class.
We were fortunate to hear a new composition in class, and we even heard it twice. What kind of story do you think it could tell; what kind of choreography do you think it could inspire?
That's it for me. See you on Thursday.
Michael
Hi, this is Cris.
First, a couple comments regarding Mike's ideas above. I do think we should avoid specifically discussing the setting for Act III, if possible, because I think Mike's offered a good question for the final to "catch" those who left early.
As far as Mike's assessment of Delibes' music for Sylvia, let me throw this into the mix: Tchaikovsky himself acknowledged Delibes' influence on his own work; after seeing a staging of Sylvia, Tchaikovsky dubbed his Swan Lake "poor stuff" in comparison. Music theorists like to pose the question of whether Tchaikovsky would have been able to create his great ballet scores if he hadn't had Delibes as a role model.
Here are some additional questions:
Compare the "story piece" Le Grand Puppetier, performed by Paul Taylor Dance Company to Mark Morris' Sylvia, performed by the San Francisco Ballet. Apart from the fact that Le Grand Puppetier was a short piece and Sylvia is a full-length, three act ballet, did you have a preference for the story, accompanying music, style of choreography, costumes, setting, etc. of one piece over the other? Give specific examples.
This semester, we have seen an interesting contrast between the farcical comedy of Noises Off and the drama (with humor) of The Time of Your Life. We have also seen this contrast between the choreography of Mark Morris (The Hard Nut) and Paul Taylor's Promethean Fire. In the end, how do comedic pieces affect you as compared to dramatic pieces? Do you find you "carry away" one style over the other (meaning which piece(s) are you still thinking about)? How much does this have to do with story?
I'm concerned about questions that request overly subjective answers. This will make grading much more difficult for us. How about a more specific question regarding music and a corresponding story, such as:
Name two different pieces from this semester that had music accompanying a story. Name one similarity and one difference between them.
OR
Describe at least three performances that had music paired with a story. Choose one specific piece, and describe how the music and the dance, acting, or narration complemented each other.
AND (short answers)
What is a concerto? What is a cadenza?
OR
Name two distinct differences between the Mozart Piano Concerto and Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf". (one is the ERA, and another is that one is absolute music with no lyric or storyline, while the latter has a story, or a "program" that is paired with narration.)
OR
Compare conducting an orchestra to the role of choreographer or director of a play. How are these roles similar or different? (this might be too loose of a question, so it could be varied.)
...we could also ask about the incorporation of modern dance techniques into a "traditional" ballet setting.
oh, my feeling about the Tchaikovsky/Delibes argument is that one of them really knew how to write a hook, not just lovely , albeit nondescript, tune.
allison