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Chapter 47
Ruth Crawford
Piano Study in Mixed Accents
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Mixed Rhythms
Monophonic Texture
An Absence of Harmony
Historical Context: Twelve-Tone Compositions
Registers of Melody
Profile: Ruth Crawford (1901 1953)
Expand Your Playlist: Crawford
Connect Your Playlist: Atonality
Sectional Form
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
47.1 Explain what Ruth Crawford means by mixed accents in her Piano Study
in Mixed Accents.
Piano Study in Mixed Accents.
Piano Study in Mixed Accents.
47.5 Describe the basic principles of 12-tone music and their partial application in Piano
Study in Mixed Accents.
Key Concepts
atonality, register as a structural element
Chapter Highlight: Toward Serialism
Composers who pursued a more modernist style struggled to break free of the
conventions of tonality. Serial composition, in which no one note in the 12-note scale
would return until the others had been heard, gave composers a flexible framework for
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Chapter Summary
Born in 1901, Ruth Crawford was the first woman to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship in
composition. She went to Berlin and worked to create her own modernist sound. Although she
did not study with Schoenberg, her compositions are based on a row of 12 tones. She was careful
not only to avoid tonality, but also to avoid the other basic music elements. Piano Study in
Mixed Accents is monophonic, atonal, and void of meter. Crawford used register to create
Listening Guide
Piano Study in Mixed Accents might be more difficult for students
to grasp initially. The timings are key in this regard, and students might be able to follow
changes in register (Melody column).
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Ruth Crawford: Piano Study in Mixed Accents
Chapter Audio: Chapter 47
Read –
Profile: Ruth Crawford (1901 1953)
Connect Your Playlist: Atonality
Flashcards
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1. Describe the techniques that Crawford used in this example to create melodic interest for her
listeners. Why do you think Crawford avoided using conventional composition techniques in
Piano Study in Mixed Accents?
2. What are ways in which composers try to organize music? Consider various forms, genres,
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Activities and Exercises
1.
Share the descriptions, reactions, or images in class or via MediaShare.
Journaling Prompt
Do you think Piano Study in Mixed Accents would be easy to play? To memorize? Why
or why not?