Innovators Unit

Year 12 Music
Name:_______________________________________

What genre of music is this composition:

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Name a composer from this genre:

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When did this genre of music come about:

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What stylistic features does this composition present that are characteristic of the
genre:
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How does the composer portray sacred and traditional themes in this composition:
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What genre of music are you planning on composing in? Think about a message or
theme that you would like to convey through this composition. How will you do this?
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Different Trains
Different Trainsis made up of three movements, which bear the following titles:
America-Before the War (movement 1)
Europe-During the War (movement 2)
After the War (movement 3)
In each part, melodies are introduced, usually by a single instrument, a recording of the
spoken phrase from which the melody derives is played. The melody is then developed for
a while, with the instruments playing along with the recording of the phrase or part of the
phrase. The music for the strings makes extensive use ofparadiddlerhythms, with
alternating pitches instead of alternating drum sticking. In addition to speech, the piece
includes recordings oftrainsounds, as well as of sirens and warning bells, and prerecorded
multiple lines by the string quartet, thus effectively creating four quartets out of one,
reflective of threeCounterpointpieces that preceded it:Vermont Counterpointfor multiple
multi-tracked flutes,New York Counterpointfor multiple multi-tracked clarinets, andElectric
Counterpointfor multiple multi-tracked electric guitars.
The recorded speech that forms the basis forDifferent Trainsis taken frominterviewswith
people in theUnited StatesandEuropeabout the years leading up to, during, and
immediately afterWorld War II. In the first movement,America Before the War, Reich's
governess Virginia and Lawrence Davis, aPullmanporter, reminisce about train travel in
the U.S. while American train sounds are heard in the background. In the second
movement,Europe During the War, threeHolocaustsurvivors (identified by Reich as
Paul, Rachel, and Rachella) speak about their experiences in Europe during the war,
including their train trips toconcentration camps. European train sounds and sirens are
heard in this movement. The American train whistles are long perfect intervals of fourths
and fifths, while the European train whistles are mostly short triadic shrieks.The third
movement,After the War, features the Holocaust survivors talking about the years
immediately following World War II, along with recordings of Davis and Virginia. There is a
return to the American train sounds from the first movement.