Who Reads Program Notes Anyway?
I. Personal Experience
II. Value of Communication
III. What should one include?:
A. Historical Perspectives
1. Composer’s birth and death dates
2. Date of composition
3. Where this piece falls in composer’s total output
4. Where this piece falls in relationship to other things going on socially,
musically, politically, religiously, etc., etc., etc…
B. Musical Perspectives
1. Structure of the piece
2. Interesting features of the melody, harmony, rhythm
3. Specific musical “trademarks” of the composer’s particular musical
language
C. Personal Perspectives
1. Any insight you want the audience to know from your point of view
2. Any personal experience with the composition regarding composer or
performer
IV. Who is your audience??
V. Interesting writing
VI. Educating your listener
Group
Project