Milton Babbitt Research Paper

Milton Babbitt was an extraordinary composer, philosopher, and intellectual who contributed immensely to the world of music. I used several books and scholarly resources to learn about his interesting life dedicated to his love of music. I used three books that allowed me to learn about his music, philosophy, and theories. These books included: Milton Babbitt: Words about Music, The Collected Essays of Milton Babbitt, and An Introduction to the Music of Milton Babbitt. I also used a scholarly article from Oxford Music Online to learn about the biography of Milton Babbitt, and how he became so interested in music. Milton Babbitt’s philosophy and musical output are what made him such a great contributor to contemporary American music. Milton

Milton Babbitt was a huge contributor to the world of electronic music. This type of music is very popular in American contemporary music. Electronic Music, in the sense of Bab-bitt, is music that is created without resorting to performers or musical instruments in the tradi-tional sense. He was one of the first musicians invited by the Radio Corporation of American (RCA) to be a composer-consultant for a newly developed synthesizer known as the Mark II. He used this synthesizer to determine the rate of change of timbre, sound, and intensity. He creat-ed pieces such as, Composition for Synthesizer (1961) and Ensembles for Synthesizer (1964). These works helped him obtain a Pulitzer Prize in 1982. When he received this award, he was still working at Princeton University, and two years later he retired in 1984. After officially retiring he continued to contribute to the world of music by writing essays and articles on musical

He lived until the age of 94, and died on January 29th, 2011. He was a very bright and momentous musician who contributed a great deal to the musical world. Milton Babbitt’s philosophy was different from that of the classical musical genre. He was more of a free spirit in the sense that he felt music was more than just sound. He believed that behind music were mathematical, philosophical, and intellectual interpretations. While this can be said for classical music, it is more identified with symphonies, concertos, and sonatas. Milton Babbitt’s interpretation of music has made me realize that there is so much more to music than what the ear absorbs. I did not realize the hard work that goes into creating music. Learning about Milton Babbitt definitely made me deepen my appreciation for musicologists and their works. I admire Milton Babbitt for his passion, dedication, and love for music. His life’s story, philosophy, and musical creations are what made him a significant figure in the world of