Schumann and Stravinsky Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Schumann and Stravinsky - Research Paper Example In the 1830s he started writing piano miniatures which were extraordinary. Also it was during this time that he made his debut as a music critic and started his own journal, which became the focus of his efforts. In this journal he championed composers who had talent, and established a canon of Romantic music. It was also during these years that he composed his masterpieces; Carnaval, for piano and Dichterliebe. In 1840 he married Clara Wieck, a talented pianist inducing an element of stability in his life however this was also when his mental health started to deteriorate. His failure at opera, Genoveva, in 1843 caused him a great disappointment after which his mental state continued to deteriorate. After an attempt at suicide in 1854 he voluntarily entered an asylum. It was here that he passed away in 1856 (Worthen, 2007). In mid June 1882, Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky was born in a town near St. Petersburg in Russia. From a small age he was surrounded by music mostly because his fat her was a star singer of the Imperial Opera. When he was 9 he started piano lessons and studied music throughout his early life. In 1902 he, like Schumann, pursued a law degree however music was where his real interest was. Also just like Schumann, he started his musical career as a amateur pianist and was bilingual. Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, his teacher started giving him regular lesson from 1905 till 1908. Although Stravinsky’s first composition was that of a Symphony, which he wrote in 1906, it was The Firebird, a ballet composed in 1910, which put him under the spotlight. This was followed by Petrushka, which like The Firebird was a modern composition of something which was fundamentally Russian. It was his third ballet, The Rite of Spring which established his name as one of the well known composers of the age. In 1920 he moved to France and formed a partnership with the company that manufactured pianos, Pleyel. During 1939 he delivered lectures in Harvard and was already working on his symphony in C. This was meant for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was in this year that he moved to United States and married one again. He was on the set of the Paramount Pictures in 1956, where he recorded the musical score for the production â€Å"The Court Jester†. An incorporation of many of the modern classical styles of music was a major part of Stravinsky’s professiona l life. In 1959, he received the Sonning Award, which is one of Denmark’s highest honors. He returned to Leningrad to do a series of concerts in 1962. It was in 1971 that he died at the age of 88 and was buried in Venice. The piece I have chosen from Schumann’s compositions is Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra Op. 131 played by Arnold Katz. There are several key differences between this composition and Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. These differences also go to reflect the major changes in music over the passage of time, more specifically from the Romantic era to the Neoclassical era. You see, Schumann’s composition comprises of the key characteristics being reflected in his work. These are those of highlighting the orchestra’s highly praised 2009 Beethoven cycle. A key characteristic of Schumann’s work is a reflection of the love of nature. You see the romantic era was all about the critical

The Effects of Cocaine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Effects of Cocaine - Research Paper Example Statement of the Problem In order to effectively fight cocaine addiction among various members of the population, nongovernmental as well as governmental organizations have to comprehend the different reasons why people in different economic brackets choose to abuse the drug. In addition, they have to find ways of gaining the trust of drug users in order to influence their choices. Hypothesis Crack cocaine, which comes in the form of rock crystals, is considered to be the most addictive of all types of cocaine. It has become easily accessible to individuals in all socioeconomic brackets. Crack is a variety of cocaine that is currently more widely abused. Crack has more intense as well as swift effects than do the other varieties of cocaine which are injected or snorted. Crack is also cheaper to produce and thus has become accessible to people in all socioeconomic brackets. In most cases, people use crack to boost their abilities in a competitive world in which there is the constant r ace to be the best. While imbuing them with the strength to keep performing, cocaine also gives its users an abnormal feeling of pleasure. In the past three decades since it first emerged in the 80s, crack cocaine has left many destroyed communities in its wake all over the world. Research Questions 1. How does cocaine affect the physical body? 2. 2. How does cocaine affect a person psychologically? 3. What are the economic impacts of cocaine? 4. What are the medicinal uses of cocaine? 5. Who are the largest producers of cocaine? 6. What are the programs that can help a person addicted to cocaine? Crack is more pure and therefore considerably more addictive than cocaine which is mixed with impurities. Addicts who smoke crack experience a feeling of happiness in about 10 to 15 seconds while those addicted to cocaine who experience a rush 10 to 15 minutes after smoking. This feeling is then followed by a feeling of desperation when the drop into depressed feelings follows the â€Å"high.† This crash then compels the addict to seek for more cocaine so that he or she may experience the feeling of happiness once more. Consuming any amount of cocaine that is more than 100 milligrams can result in erratic, bizarre, or violent behavior. The addict will experience physical symptoms such as chest pain, blurred vision, fever, nausea, convulsions, muscle spasms, and finally death from brain or heart failure which causes the addict to stop breathing (Lennard-Browne 65). Crack cocaine addiction is an extremely difficult habit to stop and may actually require the hospitalization of th e addict who experiences adverse withdrawal symptoms upon stopping to use the drug. Psychological Effects Crack cocaine triggers major pleasure centers in the brain and brings about an extremely heightened feeling of ecstasy. People who wish to start using cocaine merely do so in order to stimulate themselves to be at their best so that they can work harder and longer. While the results of the pleasant and invincible feelings appear to give the addict an almost supernatural experience at first, repeated cocaine use soon dominates his or her life to the extent that he or she cannot function without it. Depression is the result of long term abuse of cocaine. The addicted person takes crack in order not to feel depressed. The drug reduces a person’s mental capacities to psychosis and auditory hallucinations. Crack cocaine brings about a severe mental