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Overture (from French ouverture, () "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which were independent, self-existing instrumental, programmatic works that foreshadowed genres such as the symphonic poem. These were "at first undoubtedly intended to be played at the head of a programme". The idea of an instrumental opening to opera existed during the 17th century. Peri's Euridice opens with a brief instrumental ritornello, and Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (1607) opens with a toccata, in this case a fanfare for muted trumpets. More important, however, was the prologue, which comprised sung dialogue between allegorical characters which introduced the overarching themes of the stories depicted. French overture As a musical form, however, the French overture first appears in the court ballet and operatic overtures of Jean-Baptiste Lully, which he elaborated from a similar, two-section form called Ouverture, found in the French ballets de cour as early as 1640. This French overture consists of a slow introduction in a marked "dotted rhythm" (i.e., exaggerated iambic, if the first chord is disregarded), followed by a lively movement in fugato style. The overture was frequently followed by a series of dance tunes before the curtain rose, and would often return following the Prologue to introduce the action proper. This ouverture style was also used in English opera, most notably in Henry Purcell's Dido and Æneas. Its distinctive rhythmic profile and function thus led to the French overture style as found in the works of late Baroque composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel, and Georg Philipp Telemann. The style is most often used in preludes to suites, and can be found in non-staged vocal works such as cantatas, for example in the opening chorus of Bach's cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61. Handel also uses the French overture form in some of his Italian operas such as Giulio Cesare.

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Maison Bentô ou le Champ Libre. Entre tradition et modernité, des petites maisons en bois dans la périphérie de Tokyo (Japon)

L'énoncé théorique proposait un parallèle entre cuisiner et construire, une analyse de l'évolution de la façon de manger et d'habiter : le repas japonais se caractérisant par l'absence de suite logique et de hiérarchie quant à l'ordre de déguster ses plats. Par analogie, il est question dans la maison d'usage multifonctionnel des pièces d'une maison, d'espace tampon, de disponibilité des lieux et de liberté de l'habitant à créer son espace. La maison individuelle est un rêve universel, il s'agit ici de réinterpréter les valeurs traditionnelles de la maison japonaise et de trouver un équilibre entre habitat individuel et collectif; une forme alternative plus ouverte sur l'environnement, plus malléable et moins ségrégative; un type de low rise high density qui correspondrait davantage à la périphérie urbaine d'aujourd'hui. Entre la rue et la maison, une gradation d'espaces au caractère plus ou moins public/intime fournit à l'habitant le choix de degré de relation qu'il souhaite entretenir avec ses voisins: s'exposer, communiquer ou s'isoler. Les maisons de Tokyo deviennent de plus en plus fermées, il n'y a pas de relation entre la ville et la maison. Elles sont construites selon les réglementations pour avoir le volume maximum. Cette attitude crée des blocs opaques, qui font de l'ombre et rendent les rues très sombres. Nous vivons dans une atmosphère, pas dans une maison isolée. L'architecture devrait avoir une relation plus intime avec l'atmosphère qui l'entoure, jouer avec l'entre-deux, les ouvertures, les reflets pour rendre un quartier dense plus attractif, plus vivant.

2009

Program music

Program music or programmatic music is a type of instrumental art music that attempts to musically render an extramusical narrative. The narrative itself might be offered to the audience through the piece's title, or in the form of program notes, inviting imaginative correlations with the music. A well-known example is Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. The genre culminates in the symphonic works of Richard Strauss that include narrations of the adventures of Don Quixote, Till Eulenspiegel, the composer's domestic life, and an interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy of the Übermensch, Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Sonata form

Sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of the 18th century (the early Classical period). While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement.

Musical form

In music, form refers to the structure of a musical composition or performance. In his book, Worlds of Music, Jeff Todd Titon suggests that a number of organizational elements may determine the formal structure of a piece of music, such as "the arrangement of musical units of rhythm, melody, and/or harmony that show repetition or variation, the arrangement of the instruments (as in the order of solos in a jazz or bluegrass performance), or the way a symphonic piece is orchestrated", among other factors.

Openings: Flat Roof

Explores the design and technical aspects of creating openings in flat roofs.