Walter Carlos was born in Rhode Island on November 14th 1939. However Carlos realized when he was around 5 or 6 years old that he wanted to be a girl not a boy. He always preferred having long hair and wearing girls clothing. In 1972 Carlos decided to have a sex reassignment surgery that would make him the woman that he always wanted to be. Earning a Bachelors degree in music and physics from Brown University and a Master degree in composition from Columbia University Carlos would go on to become a pioneer in the world of electronic music. Later on Robert Moog and Carlos would collaborate together to develop a synthesizer that was new and unknown at the time. The synthesizer would be used in the production of A Clockwork Orange along with other projects. Most recently Carlos worked to release a two-volume set in 2005 of his old and out of print soundtracks. However since then it has stopped being made as a result of a change in the music business involving ESD.
In the movie A Clockwork Orange the song Singing in The Rain is used during the rape seen. This seems very out of place because that song is generally associated with happiness. However, that is precisely the reason why the song was used. As the viewer watches this seen in the movie they feel uncomfortable as a result of the impending doom of the victims. As Malcolm McDowell begins singing Singing in The Rain while he is prepares to rape the couple. The audience feels extreme horror that someone could be so excited about doing such a horrible thing. This feeling is exactly the reason why the song is used in such an ironic situation. It escalates the viewers emotional response to what is going on in the scene.
Many of us have seen at the beginning of an old movie something along the lines of "color made possible by Technicolor." Technicolor was a process that would revolutionize the film production industry. Originally invented in 1916, Technicolor was the second process that was ever created for filming a major motion picture production in color. Technicolor was improved over many years and was the standard of Hollywood productions from 1922 to 1952. The process is famous for having beautiful saturated colors. Two famous movies that utilized Technicolor were the Wizard of Oz and Singing in the Rain.
Technicolor worked by having three separate film reals capturing the same scene at the same time. One of the film reals would have a blue filter, one would have green filter, and one would have a blue filter. After filming these separate film reals would go though a chemical process and then be combined together. Combining the RGB color pattern that the three film reals produced resulted in extremely vivd colors.
Today we studied how two separate forms of media are joined together to create what we consider to be some production industry today. When the film industry was first introduced the technology did not exist to be able to synchronize audio and video together. As a result the first major movies were silent films with over exaggerated acting and lip movements to help express the message to the viewer. Once these experimental films started to be shown to some well respected film producers they said films with audio would never be successful and that they would only be a fadd. However, as soon as the general public began to be exposed to films that included synced audio they went wild and demanded more. Film producers responded to this by working to over come all the new challenges in the production process that including audio created. Lip syncing was also used for the first time with the introduction of films that included dialogue. I found it interesting talking about how different parts of the audio and video in a movie work together in different ways to help emphasize that feelings in the audience. Audio and film are two separate things that are joined together though the process called syncing. At no point is the audio and the visual image ever joined together as one thing.
The year was 1927 when a french film that would change the world of film making was released. Napoleon was a silent film that was directed, produced, and written by Abel Gance. In fact the title of the film was not simply Napoleon; it was actually Napoleon vu par Abel Gance. This translates to mean “Napoleon as seen by Abel Gance.” One of the premiere features of the film is the camera motion that is used though out the film. A moving camera was a big deal when this film was made because at the time most camera shots were static. As a result having a camera that actually moved during the filming of a scene was an amazing concept. This silent film became an inspiration to many film makers in the future because of the revolutionary concepts that it introduced.
The film begins late in the 1700’s and concentrates on Napoleon’s early years growing up. It covers the years before Napoleon becomes famous and concludes with him leading the French Army in an attack against Italy. However, the film does not cover any of Napoleon’s later years for which he is most famous.
The Producer of the film Abel Gance was born on October 25, 1989. He worked in most areas of the film production industry in france at some point. He worked as a producer, writer, actor, and director though out his career. The three films that he is well known for are J’accuse, La Roue, and Napoleon.
In The Great Train Robbery the story begins when two robbers enter a telegraph office and force the man working there to send a message to the train to stop to take on more water. After the train takes on more water and prepares to continue on its journey the robbers sneak on to the train and hide. As the two robbers enter the mail car a messenger opens fire on the robbers, however he is killed and the robbers blow open the treasure box and take the contents. Next the robbers move to the front of the train where they have a battle with a man on the coal tender while the train is moving. After the robbers succeed in stoping the train they have the engineer uncouple the locomotive from the rest of the cars. Then they force all of the passengers on the train to move out side where they take all of their valuable possessions and shoot one man who tries to escape. After obtaining all valuables the robbers board the locomotive and ride away from the scene of the crime into the mountains where they had horses waiting. After the telegraph operator is freed he alerts people to the tragedy that had happened. This results in people getting guns and chasing after the robbers. Finally a gun battle occurs between the outlaws and the people who are chasing after them where all of the outlaws are killed. The movie ends with the leader of the outlaws firing his gun at the audience.
Filmed in 1903 The Great Train Robbery was an innovative movie for its time. The movie utilized many editing technics and special effects that were revolutionary for the time. Some things like panning camera movement and jump cuts were used in this film. This was one of the first time such technics were ever used. Up to this point it had been unthinkable to move the camera while filming so as a result this was an incredible breakthrough for cinematography. An example of a special effect was, when they use a jump cut to transition from the actor to the stuffed dummy during the fight on the coal car; this would be considered to be a highly sophisticated special effect that would wow audiences who viewed the film.
In 1902 A trip to the Moon was the original science fiction film. This short film by Geroges Melies is just under twelve minutes in length; however, it was revolutionary in its day not only because of its content, but also for its how it was made. A Trip to the Moon was the first time Animation had really been used in a film.
In A Trip to the Moon a group of astronomers decide to attempt to build an oversized bullet that will shoot them to the moon. They design and build the bullet out of metal and cast the gun to shoot the giant bullet out of iron. They shoot the bullet and it crashes into the moon where the scientists get out to explore the area. However, shortly after arriving they are greeted by a large explosion. The exhausted scientists decided to go to bed, but then a large snow storm arises that they must take shelter from. The astronomers are then attacked by a foreign life form that inhabit the moon, captured, and taken to their king. However, the astronomers kill the king and escape back to the giant bullet; leaving the moon they return home to cheers and congratulations.
In this video excerpt from Wicked makeup and costumes are the primary technologies that are being used. The makeup and costumes are used to help accentuate the differences between the two girls. This is important because with out the obvious difference between them it wouldn't make sense as to why the girl in pink would be singing about making the green girl more popular. Because of her fancy bright cloths, well done hair, and pretty make up the girl in pink is obviously a more well to do and probably more well liked person compared to the green girl who is wearing plane cloths, doesn't have any makeup on (other then the green), and plane boring hair.
2)
This video opening from the 2012 Tony Awards uses several technologies. However the main technology that is used is the changing of the sets. Not just the fact that the sets change but how quickly it changes also has a big effect on the production. If it weren't for the sets changing the effect on the viewer of all of the plays coming together wouldn't be as great because the audience would have to imagine everything going on instead of having the visual aid in front of them.
3)
In this video the primary form of technology that is being used is the playing of music and sound reproduction. I consider music to be important because I believe that music and sounds can be more powerful then an image that a person could see. Furthermore I also believe that music and sound is important because it can aid in setting the feeling for a scene and helping to create a certain atmosphere. Music is also important because it can be entertainment in its self.
4)
In this video there are two main forms of technology that have a big effect on the production. They are the changes in the set and the changes in the lighting. The changes in the lighting have an affect on the show because lighting has an affect on how the audience will feel when they are watching a scene. In addition the changes in the set also work with the lighting in this case to help change how the viewer feels about the show. If the set never changed the performances would just run together and seem out of place. That is why lighting and set change is important.
5)
In this video an important technology that was used was the on stage props. The props are important to the production because they help to add a new demention to the show that would be lacking because the set is not very elaborate. At time the props are used to help lift a character up above other performers. In addition some other props are used to help give identification to what a certain performer is supposed to be.
6)
In this video the technology that I found to be the most important was the lighting. Thought out the song depending on what part of the song we were at the lighting you change accordingly. This helps lend emotion and feeling to the song depending on what type of light is present. It also helps to keep the viewer interested though out the song.
7)
Finally in this video the technology that I found to be the most important was how the main character in the black suit rises up out of the car at the beginning of the performance. This is important because it sets the idea in the viewers mind that he is large and in charge. This is beneficial because the dancers that come out shortly after are taller then the man. However, as a result of him being so tall at the beginning it makes you feel like he is still conducting the dancers.
I can not even begin to describe how much I love broadway performances and the history behind them. If a class existed that was just an in depth study of Broadway history and performances I would take it in a heart beat. Over the past week that we have spent learning about broadway I have learned many new things about the producers and politics that were involved with Broadway. I also enjoyed getting to learn some new things about my favorite Broadway production, Chicago, and one of the brilliant minds behind it, Bob Fosse.
In addition, we also went over how much of a detrimental effect AIDS had on Broadway and its performers; we also talked about how the introduction of birth control finally brought women up to the same level as men. Towards the end of class we discussed the effects war had on our country and how its produced the movements for peace and love. People were promoting peace and loving one another all over america as an antiwar movement.
Finally we ended class by discussing the production Wicked and how Disney saved and brought the spirit of Broadway back to life. Broadway had fallen off to the way side over time and had been replaced by sex shops and strip clubs. After visiting the New Amsterdam theater Disney decided to purchase the theater. However, he was concerned about family safety in the area as a result of all of thesex shops. However, the mayor of New York promised that he would make sure that the shops wouldn't be a problem. Wicked is to date one of the biggest productions that has ever hit Broadway. However, that is not where Wicked was originally premiered. It premiered at the Curran Theater in Chicago in an attempt to be more cost effective. After having been premiered and several kinks had been worked out Wicked soon found its self being preformed on the Broadway stage. Wicked was only the second Broadway production that was ever backed by Universal Studios.
Jazz music was originally a genre of music that was popular with the black population in the south. Specifically a lot of great Jazz music was born in the city of New Orleans when several types of music, including folk music, the blues, church music, ragtime, and others, merged together into what we think of as Jazz. "Through his clear, warm sound, unbelievable sense of swing, perfect grasp of harmony, and supremely intelligent and melodic improvisations, he taught us all to play jazz." --Wynton Marsalis This quote is talking about the great Louis Armstrong. Born on August 4, 1901 it wasn't long until Armstrong began playing music at the young age of 13. Before Armstrong revolutionized the music scene, all musicians would be playing at the same time; this type of Jazz was referred to as Dixieland. However, Armstrong came up with the idea of some musicians playing during breaks; this developed into separate members of a band having their own solo though out the song. Armstrong died on July 6th 1971 in New York City.
By far one of the most defining qualities of Jazz is the improvisation that the players incorporate into the music. The players normally play the rhythm of the song from music and then use improvisation for the solos. The Swing Jazz style that every one recognizes originally was introduced during the great depression. Swing became so popular because it is up beat and happy; as a result it made the people dealing with the great depression feel better, even if it was just for a short period of time. Because of the popularity of this type of music the mid 1930's became known as the Swing era.
Another musician who greatly contributed to shaping the Jazz scene was Duke Ellington. Ellington was born in Washington DC on April, 29th 1899 and began studying the piano at age 7. Ellington later moved to New York to become a leader of a band.
As Jazz starts to move into the 1940's it starts to become a type of music called bebop. Bebop was a faster passed version of Jazz that was getting away from the more traditional big bands and was starting to move toward just being smaller groups of musicians. In addition, bebop was a more complex version of Jazz that was technically more difficult to play. In the 1950's Jazz started to mix with some Cuban and Latin sounds to help add another dememtion to Jazz music yet again. As Jazz music is always changing growing and evolving in different parts of the world and in the United States it seems to keep people happy and having a good time; no matter white or black, rich or poor. Jazz has and always will be a type of music the forcefully brings people together.
Jazz music was a big factor in American history in the early 20th century. Jazz originally was popular almost exclusively with African American communities. In New York Jazz was originally played in the bars and clubs of Harlem; including speakeasies. However, as the music started to become more popular and people became interested in hearing it, it was not uncommon to see people from white communities venturing into Harlem for a Jazz show. As the music continued to grow and gain popularity it started to spread across New Your City until it finally came to a rest in a central point, 52nd street. 52nd street during the 1920's became a place where some of the greatest Jazz music ever made came from. In addition, 52nd street was also the spot where Jazz merged from being primarily popular and populated with just one racial group to being loved, adored, and fallowed my many different racial groups; 52nd street seemed to team with Jazz club after Jazz club.
Let me begin by saying that I can not express enough just how much I love Broadway! This history behind it, both the good and the bad, the performances themselves, and the people behind the performances I find to be extremely interesting. Broadway performances are the reason why I love the preforming arts. That being said, until our last class I didn't know a lot about the history leading up to what we think of as a Broadway performance. For example, prior to our class I had never heard of the Black Face Performers before; I found it very interesting how it started out that white performers used the burnt cork in an attempt to add a new dynamic to their performances. However, as time progressed both white and black performers began to use the burnt cork to darken their face; not only in an attempt to play the part of a black person, but also because it was part of their character and without the cork on they would feel as though the person they were trying to play on stage wasn't complete. Pigmeat was one of the last performers who used the burnt cork because he said it helped him feel the part of his character on stage. Florence Ziegfeld was an extremely important figure in early Broadway. Ziegfeld was responsible for The Follies and contracting Fanny Brice among other important contributions to Broadway productions. Rodgers and Hammerstein were also successful producers on broadway. They were responsible for the production South Pacific; which challenged the countries views on racial discrimination.
Now the reason why it took me so long to get this blog post together. I finally was able to talk to my Mom about the speakeasy that her family ran in Baltimore. My Mom's great grand father William Rau was who owned and operated the speakeasy. It was located at 638 Oldham Street in the lower east side of Baltimore. If you are familiar with the location of the Baltimore Inner Harbor at all you will easily be able to grasp where it was located in the photos compared to the rest of the city. My Mom told me from her research that she has done on him that he actually listed him self as a chemical enginear during the time that he ran the speakeasy; at no point in his life was he ever a chemical engineer. William Rau ran a boarding house in the building primarily to cover for the speakeasy that was located in the basement of the house. If you look at the photo of the row houses the one with the red arrow on it is the one that he ran the actual speakeasy out of. However, William Rau owned the entire block of row houses working as a landlord. My Mom recalls actually being in the house that the speakeasy was located in when she was a young child because that was the last house that Rau kept until he died. He died when my mom was 6 years old. After selling the house the money was then used to pay off the mortgage on the house that my mom grew up in. William Rau's grandparents immigrated here from Germany; Rau died at the age of 98.
After spending the better part of my sunday morning this weekend watching Don Giovanni I can honestly say that I actually enjoyed it! Understandably, the thought of watching an entire Opera may seem intimidating to someone who has never done it before. However, I promise you that if you go into it with an open mind you will be able to enjoy watching an Opera just as much, if not more then when you watch any other kind of multimedia production. I found my self getting caught up in the excitement of the story I was watching as it unfolded its self before me. I laughed, cried, worried, and cheered all because of how well the story that I was watching was written. After watching Don Giovanni I am now an advocate for watching the Opera; if someone can invest 3 hours watching some poorly written Hollywood production, then I encourage them to invest the same amount of time into watching an exquisitely written and preformed Opera. I look forward to watching more Opera's in the future. I also am looking forward to seeing what new and exciting topics will be covered in this weeks classes; see you all tomorrow!
After watching The Birth and Life of Opera and then going to our past class and watching two more hours of Opera I felt as though I went into Opera overload. However, now that I have had more time to absorb what it is exactly that I have watched I now understand why each piece that we watched was so crucial to gaining a greater understanding of the development of Opera. As Opera progressed though out history, like most things, it changed gradually with the changing times. It was interesting watching the videos in class how Opera gradually took on new forms and styles. I gained a even better understanding of how Opera changed and had such an impact on the world from The Birth and Life of Opera. After Opera was born in Italy it quickly gained popularity and was soon packing arenas full of upwards of 10,000 people a night! It wasn't until the third real Opera, however, that came onto the scene that Opera began to really shine. Monteverdi was who was responsible for creating this impressive Opera filled with heart breaking love songs and dramatic scared music. Opera is truly an art form that the entire world can now appreciate thanks to Monteverdi's work bringing great Opera to the people.
In an attempt to get ahead of the game for tomorrows class I watched Madama Butterfly. I found my eyes glued to screen though out the entire duration of the film because not only was story interesting and always taking a turn in a new direction, but it was also very visually intriguing as well. I am looking forward to watching and discussing the video in class tomorrow!
As I review my notes and prepare for out next class lecture something occured to me that we had covered toward the end of last weeks class. As we left the 1700's (Barogue era) behind and moved toward the 1800's (Rococo era) we observed how life and culture began to shift. Specificly I recall how Rococo hair became an art form and sculpture of its own. I look forward to continuing our studies of the Rococo era tomorrow and moving into a new century of exciting art!
After our most recent lecture on the preforming arts during the Barogue era I had and entirely new understanding and an overwhelming appreciation for what took place during the 1600's into the 1700's. Prior to this lecture I lacked almost any appreciation for Opera; I had always felt as though it was just a bunch of people screaming. However, now that I have been presented with the history behind the Opera and what went into creating it I now have an overwhelming appreciation for it, not only as a type of music, but also as an art form. I would compare Opera to a magnificent painting, except musical notes are used in place of paint and the human voice is used in place of a brush. What I was really impressed with about the Opera during the 1600's was the Castrati. The operation that was preformed and the beautiful voice that resulted from such a procedure took my breath away. I was so interested in learning more about the Castrati that I set aside the time this weekend to watch the BBC documentary on them. I was fascinated about how the Castrati grew from children into adults and why they sounded the way they did. I learned about how the shorter vocal folds that resulted from the castration of a boy combined with the larger vocal tract of a man worked in unison to created the very distinct sound of a Castrati. If you watch the first part of the documentary that I have linked in this post it will explain exactly how the Castrato sound was created. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ZAraf5wMc
