The vast majority of music classes in the Western world include studying “typical” instruments — the violin, piano, flute, and other standard instruments. Unfortunately, this usually comes at the cost of neglecting the study of lesser-known or lesser-played instruments, like bells, Thus, Kieffer’s and Starmer’s articles spark an apt discussion regarding the history and portrayal of bells. Not only does the study of bells and their portrayal in Western classical music prompt discussions regarding pitch, and instruments but also ignites debates between choosing aestheticism and realism when composing music. First, I will begin my lesson by discussing the history and significance of bells, Starmer’s introduction writes: “the bell originated in Chinaw. However, there is not the slightest doubt that bells, as we now know them, were invented by the Christian church”.
Using the Internet and library resources, I will show images and videos of various bells from around the world in chronological order of manufacture or usage dates. Besides interspersing the lesson with teachings, music, and videos, I hope to mainly structure my lesson around class discussion. At this point, I will pose some questions to the class: What does the history of “simple” instruments like bells tell us about music before the advent of traditional western musical notation? What does the global use of bells tell us about the human ear? Do individuals have a universal, innate appreciation for music and its raw production? Or is music explicitly defined according to cultural standards and norms? Through this discussion, my main goal is to help the class deeper wrestle with presumed definitions of what music and musical instruments are, In particular, just because bells do not conform to standard Western pitch does not necessarily imply that bells are “lesser” musical instruments.
Transitioning topics, I will have the class listen to Franz Liszt‘s “Les Cloches de Geneve” (translated from French as “The Bells of Geneva”) To what extent does the piece resemble the tolling and chiming of bells? Does the piece differ significantly from pieces not specifically meant to mimic bells? Does the harmony and melody of the piece deviate significantly from usual harmony and melody? I expect that the class’s conclusions will closely match Kieffer’s, especially when she explains how Liszt, within the first couple measures, “integrates the bell into the musical world of the composition and settles it comfortably within the confines of functional harmony.” In contrast, I will next play Jean Marnold’s “Cloches” (“Bells”). How does Marnold‘s composition differ from Liszt’s? From the score and title, what can we deduce about Marnold’s intention for his piece?
Again, I expect that the class‘s conclusions will match Kieffer‘s words, when she elaborates that Marnold makes “no gesture toward effecting some rapport between the depicted sonorities of the bells and any conventional musical idiomt” Through examining both Liszt‘s and Marnold’s pieces, I want to guide my class in exploring the tension between aestheticism and realism, laying the groundwork for analysis of Ravel’s works, Before playing Ravel ‘s “Entre Cloches” (“Between Bells”), 1 will give a brief overview of Ravel’s biography and the Impressionistic period, and show a Youtttbe video of the Savoyarde. Given that his final bell chord is ”an uncanny rendering of the sonority of the Savoyarde, down to the ascending grace notes evoking the physical striking of the bell,“ I personally wonder if Ravel had perfect pitch (Kieffer, 461). Whether he did or not, I will ask how this composition compares to Liszt’s and Marnold‘s. How realistically did Ravel attempt to portray bell peals? How closely did Ravel attempt to still compose a piece that appealed aesthetically to his audiences‘ expectations of melody and harmony?
Next, we will listen to Ravel’s “La Vallée des cloches” (“The Valley of Bells”) How does this piece differ from “Entre Cloches”? Here, how does Ravel reconcile realism and aestheticism? Which would we agree more with: that this piece embodies “a recognition of the empirical nature of non-musical sounds as relevant to the practice of musical composition,” or that it “approaches that nebulous, singularly modernist point of no return, the point at which all realism…ceases to be real enough”? In contrast to Liszt and Marnold‘s near-opposite portrayals of bell peals, the two pieces above represent Ravel’s situation of bell peals between the tensions of aestheticism and realism in music composition How, and how successfully, Ravel does this should form the bulk of class discussion, and I plan to mostly bounce additional questions off student comments.
Time permitting, I hope to circle back to the introductory topic of what defines musical pitch and instruments, We will discuss Starmer’s description of bell tones and tunings, as well as Saint SaEHs‘ analysis of bell resonances. Initially, Starmer introduces his topic as “the harmonics of bellsmand the way they should be tuned so as to produce the purest musical sound”. Both Starmer and Saint Saéns implicitly classify bell resonances according to Western standard pitches. However, does our desire to analyze bell harmonics according to standard harmonics do injustice to bells as instruments? Could it be that our Western assumptions of what music and musical instruments are too narrow and confining, not allowing us to fully appreciate and explore beyond set boundaries? Ultimately, I hope to expand students’ understanding of musical pitch and instruments.
Concluding, I will wrap up the lesson by summarizing the discussions on how bells can enlarge our understanding of musical pitches and instruments, and how the portrayal of bells in Liszt, Marnold, and Ravel’s works show the tension between aestheticism and realism in composing music. Although both topics may seem unrelated, both ultimately demonstrate how bell resonances do not perfectly fit Western pitch and instruments. In some ways, both the analysis and portrayal of bells seem incomplete and even contrived — perhaps rightly so, given the inherent nonconformity of bells to standard Western music. Rather than sticking to narrow worldviews, perhaps our duty is to extend our understanding and accept the limitations of Western music traditions.
