Zeitgeist John Philip Sousa Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Zeitgeist: John Philip Sousa Essay, Research Paper Zeitgeist: John Philip Sousa Artists do non make in a vacuity. They reflect their times or at the really least are affected by the lives they lead which are besides influenced by the populace sphere. The term for this contemplation is? Zeitgeist. ? It literally means? spirit of the times. ? John Philip Sousa and his plants can be classified under this term of? Zeitgeist. ? Most of Sousa? s music was composed during a period known as the aureate age. This period is known for its gross philistinism and blazing political corruptness in the United States. However, Sousa? s music does non look to reflect this corruptness, but instead it reflects a manner to cover with the corruptness and bad lucks of the times. John Philip Sousa, besides known as the? March King, ? was born on November 6,1854, in Washington D.C. , near the Marine barracks where his male parent, Antonio, was a instrumentalist in the marine set. He received his grammar school instruction in Washington and for several of his school old ages enrolled in a private conservatory of music operated by John Esputa, Jr. . There he studied piano and most of the orchestral instruments, but his chief passion was the fiddle. He became really good at the fiddle, and at age 13 he was about persuaded to fall in a circus set. As a immature male child, the soldierly music of ground forces sets in the streets of Washington during and instantly following the Civil War had a profound consequence on him. When he was non yet 14 he enlisted in the Marine Corps and succeeded in going a member of the marine set. This is where he picked up a liking for Marches. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, Sousa toured with several going theatre orchestras and in 1876 moved to Philadelphia. There he worked as an organizer, composer, and proofreader for printing houses. While on circuit with an opera company in St. Louis, he received a telegram offering him leading of the Marine Band in Washington. He accepted and reported for responsibility on October 1, 1880, going the set? s 17th leader. The Marine set was Sousa? s foremost experience carry oning a military set, and he approached it unlike most of his predecessors. Rehearsals became exceptionally rigorous, and he shaped his instrumentalists into the state? s premiere set. The armed forces was of import to Sousa? s music manner. His chief musical composings were Marches, which were the most widely used signifier of music in the armed forces. His first two Marches that he wrote as leader of the set, ? The Gladiator? and? Semper Fidelis, ? were received with great acclamation in military set circles and from that clip on he received ever-increasing attending and regard as a composer. Both of these Marches were ebullient and uplifting, merely the thing to raise moral among the military personnels every bit good as promote patriotism within the provinces. In 1889, Sou sa wrote a March called? The Washington Post? March, which was shortly adapted and identified with the new dance called the two-step. Right after this March was written, a British set journalist remarked that since Johann Strauss, Jr. was called? The Waltz King, ? that American bandmaster Sousa should be called the? March King. ? With this Sousa? s imperial rubric was coined and has remained of all time since. Sousa lived most of his life during a clip known as the aureate age, named after the celebrated book by Mark Twain. The aureate age was a clip of gross material involvement among the American people and blazing corruptness among the politicians. Within Congress the Senate by and large overshadowed the House of Representatives. Some critics even called the Senate a? rich adult male? s club. ? The House was one of the most disorderly and inefficient legislative organic structures in the universe. As a consequence of the civil war, the division between the Democrats and the Republicans was even more sectional than of all time. In this instance it is really difficult to happen the? Zeitgeist? in Sousa? s composings of this clip. In fact they even seem to belie the spirit of that epoch. All of the Marches that Sousa wrote during the aureate age were highly cheerful and energetic, while the clip was corrupt and backhanded. This is because Sousa was reacting to the negative messages being sent out by the political society by assisting Americans recognize how great their state is. All of his musical pieces expressed a certain proud patriotism that helped the people cope with the rough times. Sousa? s most celebrated March, ? The Stars and Stripes Forever, ? was written, in 1896, by Sousa on a boat drive from Europe to the United States. The director of the Sousa set had merely died and Sousa knew that he had to travel back to pull off the set. On the whole drive back he kept hearing a melody over and over in his caput. When he got to set down he put the melody down on paper. Finally he even set words to it. In the March Sousa proclaims that other states may believe that their flag is the best, ? but the flag of the North and South and West is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom? s state. ? This vocal became so popular with the American people that Sousa? s set played it at about every concert until his decease. On December 10, 1987, 55 old ages after Sousa? s decease, ? The Stars and Stripes Forever, ? was designated as the national March of the United States. A White House memoranda states that the March has become? an built-in portion of the jubilation of American life. ? The March is still identified today with the thoughts of freedom and patriotism. In decision, John Philip Sousa was a great American composer who helped America bury their problems during a clip of disunion and confusion. He reflected the? Zeitgeist? by responding to the corruptness of the twenty-four hours through music. With his aid our state regained its true sense of pride.