Did Classical Composers Sample Other Composers the Way Modern Musicians Do?

Introduction to Sampling in Music

Sampling in today's music is a common practice, with artists and composers often utilizing pre-existing musical materials to create new works. However, it is often surprising to learn that the same practice has a rich history in classical music. This article will explore the sampling-like practices in early and modern music and highlight how these practices have changed over time.

Sampling in Historical Context

While sampling, in the sense of word for word audio samples, is a relatively new concept, the idea of 'quoting' or using pre-existing musical material is not. The practice of sampling pre-existing melodies or thematic material can be traced back to the Medieval and Gothic periods. For instance, during these times, chants (cants firmus) were frequently used as underlying structures around which polyphonic compositions were constructed.

The Cantus Firmus Approach

During the Medieval and Gothic periods, composers often drew on earlier chant lines to create a 'cants firmus' on which they would build their polyphonic compositions. Just as modern musicians sample a fragment of a melody from a contemporary song, such as a snippet from 'Stormy Weather,' (Harold Arlen's 1933 composition), medieval composers like Leonin would place a chant line in a polyphonic context, often transforming it into a fugue-like structure with added lines of counterpoint.

Connecting the Past with the Present

This practice of 'quoting' or embedding chant lines within polyphonic compositions was not just about borrowing; it was about creating a connection. By recontextualizing these pre-existing material, composers were attempting to establish a continuum between the music of earlier periods and their own. In many cases, this music had religious and theological significance, and ensuring this connection was vital to the preservation of the church's musical heritage.

Self-Sampling in Classical Compositions

Even in the more structured Classical and Baroque eras, the practice of sampling one's own compositions or thematic material was not uncommon. Composers such as Vivaldi, Haydn, Bach, and Mozart often reused particular themes in different compositions. This was not so much about becoming original (as many would argue it later became) but rather about refining and recontextualizing musical ideas.

Originality and the Post-Beethoven Era

The post-Beethoven era saw a significant shift in the musical landscape. The value placed on originality became almost a sacred tenet. As such, the practice of sampling one's own work became less common. It wasn’t until the advent of Postmodernism in the 1960s that the practice resumed, albeit in a new, more overt form.

Modern Appropriation in Music

Postmodernism brought a new approach to sampling, which is often referred to as 'appropriation.' Unlike sampling, which often refers to the use of pre-recorded audio samples, appropriation in music is about the juxtaposition of different materials to create a new statement. This is often done by placing different materials in dialogue with each other, highlighting the conflicts and contrasts between them.

An Example: Luciano Berio's Sinfonia

One of the first and most successful examples of this new approach is Luciano Berio's "Sinfonia," composed in 1968. This composition, commissioned to celebrate the New York Philharmonic's 125th anniversary, is a complex and innovative work that uses eight amplified voices with an orchestra. The voices do not function in a traditional sense but instead comment on and dialog with the music and other texts.

Structure and Content

Act I of Sinfonia contains the title movement, and text that operates as a 'choral response' to the movements of Mahler's Eighth Symphony. In Act II, Berio engages with and comments on text by Claude Lévi-Strauss and Samuel Beckett, from Lévi-Strauss's "Le Cru et Le Cuit" (The Raw and the Cooked) and Beckett's "The Unnamable." This juxtaposition of diverse texts results in a new statement, highlighting the conflicts between them and creating a unique and innovative piece of music.

Conclusion

From the Medieval and Gothic periods to the modern era of Postmodernism, the practice of sampling or appropriating pre-existing musical material has evolved significantly. While the specifics of the practice have changed, the fundamental idea has remained the same: to create new musical statements by reimagining and recontextualizing existing material. Whether through quoting, self-sampling, or appropriation, these practices underscore the vital role of tradition in the creation of new and original music.