# Please Help! School Project: Need Advice



## JoeySchmoee (Mar 28, 2018)

Greetings one and all:

I am currently starting a 5-10 min video project for my History of Architecture 2 class wherein I showcase a brief biography of architect Etienne-Louis Boullee. Part of the video also encompasses the making of a model of his section cut illustration for Cenotaph for Isaac Newton. I am fairly confident about video editing and model-making, but my weakness lies in music selection. For this project I would like to have 3 18th-century classical pieces for: 

1. Introduction/Biography- should be light and, melodic, and unobtrusive

2. Model-making process- should be lighthearted and somewhat faster tempo as video will be time-lapse

3. Model presentation- music should be dark and dramatic, perhaps a death march or some sort of ceremonious piece (would be great if there was crescendo) to showcase the solemnity of the piece. 

Any help y'all could give me would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance.

Jo.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

It's a little later than you want, but try listening to the suites of Water Music and Royal Fireworks music by Handel.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

JoeySchmoee said:


> 1. Introduction/Biography- should be light and, melodic, and unobtrusive


How about a Bach cello suite prelude?



> 2. Model-making process- should be lighthearted and somewhat faster tempo as video will be time-lapse


The first movement of virtually any Haydn string quartet should work.



> 3. Model presentation- music should be dark and dramatic, perhaps a death march or some sort of ceremonious piece (would be great if there was crescendo) to showcase the solemnity of the piece.


Beethoven 7th Symphony, 2nd movement.


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## JoeySchmoee (Mar 28, 2018)

I'll get right on it! Thank you for the suggestions!!


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Also worth considering for "the model piece", if you are allowed to deviate from 18th century music, are Gustav Holst "The Planets", especially "Mars", and Elgar's "Nimrod". This also gives you an English/astronomical connection for Newton.

But it might give more coherence to stick to one composer who was working at the same time as Etienne-Louis Boullee. Haydn would be ideal.

Some of his most famous works are the late "Paris symphonies", written for the Paris audience, so that's another connection. Maybe Etienne-Louis Boullee heard these! These are large scale symphonies, so find them played by a large scale audience. I guess large scale would suite your architect from what I've read on Wikipedia! How about this, opening of first movement, for an introduction:






Something more majestic for the model presentation? Marie Antoinette's favourite, "La Reine":






Although maybe you should consider France, as your hero is French! I'm not up on 18th century French composers, so I'll leave it to others to comment. But later composers might be considered - Saint Saens' Organ symphony is big and bold, fits well with "Boullée's fondness for grandiose designs has caused him to be characterized as ... a megalomaniac"...






Debussy for lighter, dreamier moments.






Oops sorry, just noticed your demand for 18th century, so Haydn it is. Careful with Beethoven 7, that was written between 1811 and 1812; it's a great piece for the job required, but you don't want a pedantic teacher catching you out....

Debussy also does formal with crescendo - as in La Mer, so he could do everything if you can stretch to 20th century music.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

If you want to expand the project later, there are certain parallels between Boullee and the contemporary composer Francois-Joseph Gossec, including the Utopian strive, classicism, monumental creations, and an interest in the masses and the public good. Unfortunately his music is rarely played and not very well-known.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I wouldn't choose anything too famous or great as it could distract from the film. So, go for works by a minor 18th Century composer. The century saw a lot of development in music styles and you might want to pin down whether you are wanting late Baroque or Classical music. Also, excuse my ignorance, but will it be French music that you will want? If so, it may be that Couperin or Rameau will do the trick for you.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Enthusiast said:


> I wouldn't choose anything too famous or great as it could distract from the film...


I'm not sure - think of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Maybe opening with something like "Also Sprach Zarathustra" would work. (Not with this, of course - too obvious!) Like Kubrick with his space station & alien pillars, Boullee was operating with massive architectures. So "big" music seems appropriate. Though Kubrick used light music also - Strauss waltzes, for instance, where appropriate.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Mal said:


> I'm not sure - think of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Maybe opening with something like "Also Sprach Zarathustra" would work. (Not with this, of course - too obvious!) Like Kubrick with his space station & alien pillars, Boullee was operating with massive architectures. So "big" music seems appropriate. Though Kubrick used light music also - Strauss waltzes, for instance, where appropriate.


Fair enough but Kubrick's film is remembered as being partly about the music.


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## JoeySchmoee (Mar 28, 2018)

Mal said:


> Also worth considering for "the model piece", if you are allowed to deviate from 18th century music,  are Gustav Holst "The Planets", especially "Mars", and Elgar's "Nimrod". This also gives you an English/astronomical connection for Newton.
> 
> But it might give more coherence to stick to one composer who was working at the same time as Etienne-Louis Boullee. Haydn would be ideal.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. I have made a playlist on Spotify with all the suggestions given thus far and some of my own ideas. I will be listening to it on loop for the next week so as to narrow it down. I greatly appreciate the suggestions as my knowledge of classical music is quite limited. As far as the period restriction is concerned, well, that's completely self-imposed... although suggested by another professor. He also proposed that I reach out to some musician friend for help in this regard, but seeing as I've none of this kind I figured I could reach out to this community in search for a deeper understanding of the period.

This doesn't mean, however, that I'm too tightly bound to the 18th-Century period and would definitely consider something outside of this era for maximum impact.


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## JoeySchmoee (Mar 28, 2018)

Mal said:


> I'm not sure - think of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Maybe opening with something like "Also Sprach Zarathustra" would work. (Not with this, of course - too obvious!) Like Kubrick with his space station & alien pillars, Boullee was operating with massive architectures. So "big" music seems appropriate. Though Kubrick used light music also - Strauss waltzes, for instance, where appropriate.


I think you're right. The introductory music need not be too impactful , though it should set a tone. However, seeing as how there will be little to no talking during the second and third movement, I would prefer if the music really stood out and did what scoring does best, manipulate the emotion of my audience.


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## JoeySchmoee (Mar 28, 2018)

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. I have created a playlist on Spotify with all the entries and will be listening to them on loop for the next week so as to narrow it down to the final three. 

As far as the restriction on time period, that is strictly self-imposed, though suggested by another professor. While I do think his idea has merit, I am not married to it so any and all suggestions would be added to the list and carefully considered. It was also his suggestion that I reach out to a musical friend, but seeing as I've none of those I figured I'd reach out to this, what seems to be a passionate community of classical music lovers. 

Thanks again to anybody who has taken the time to post. I will share the Youtube link once finished and will include you guys in my credits. 

Much appreciated.

Jo.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

The "Cenotaph for Isaac Newton" surely deserves one of the most impressive funeral marches in existence, which might mean going later than you initially thought. Maybe not Haydn for this, I don't think he does "serious funereal grandeur" very well, he's too happy for that! (Though I stand to be corrected, I haven't delved into his operas or religious music...)

For "greatest serious funereal grandeur" Beethoven 7 has to be under consideration, but also Mahler 5:






French connection, Berlioz - Symphonie funèbre et triomphale:






Or maybe one the greatest requiem masses? Then you can go 18th century with Mozart:






Back to the 19th century, French connection, Fauré:






20th century, English connection, celebration of a "mighty hunter", Elgar Nimrod:






Not to forget, Richard Wagner - Götterdämmerung - Siegfried's Funeral March:

... only 5 videos allowed, easy to find...


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## Beet131 (Mar 24, 2018)

If it doesn't matter too much that the music is from later periods, you might consider some of these:

Brahms' Serenade No. 2, 1st Movement Allegro Moderato. It begins with ascending notes and is light and easy.

Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 "Classical," 1st Movement Allegro. It's faster, bouncy and continues to build.

Elgar's "Nimrod" from his Enigma Variations. (As Mal also suggested). It has a solemn opening and a really big finish. Very majestic.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

What and where would we be without the internet hey?


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