DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

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I would be interested in playing this...

In person only
2
5%
Online only
17
46%
Either format
18
49%
 
Total votes: 37

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modernhemalurgist
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DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by modernhemalurgist »

For some time, I have been in the process of writing a Diligent Exploration of the Classical Auditory Fine-arts (DECAF), a tossups-only AFA set that, at current rate, ought to be finished by this summer. The set, which is sitting at a bit past two-thirds of the way done, will consist of 8 packets of 22 power- and superpower-marked tossups with lengths distributed roughly normally about N(μ=145, σ=13) words, but not hard-capped.

The purpose of this post is to gauge interest in playing the set. I am mostly ambivalent as to format—whether this is played as an in-person side event (probably at CO) or virtually, as singles/doubles/shootout, etc.—so I'll use the above poll to judge such things, as well as whether total interest is sufficient to hold a reading at all. Also feel free to let me know if you have suggestions.

Content
There is no strict distribution. I’m very roughly aiming for about a 12/5/5 split between “later musical works,” “earlier musical works,” and more music theory/musicology/music performance/other. The first two categories are divided somewhere around 1810. The extent of any finer-scale distribution is simply that all major genres, styles, and time periods be well represented and reasonably distributed.

Given that the set is written by me, it will to some degree reflect my tastes in music, which include:
  • A strong preference towards instrumental Western art music. There will be not much vocal music, even less world music (except as it interacts with the Western tradition), and almost no jazz/popular music.
  • Somewhat liberal use of score clues, particularly ones based on melody and harmony as opposed to orchestration or large-scale structure.
  • A fondness for wind band music (around one tossup per packet).
  • Slightly more of an emphasis on breadth (obscure composers/works) than depth (details about major composers/works).
My hope is that the set reflects a fair quality increase from my previous work such as KEYSET and SCORE (which saw not much editing). In particular I’ve taken advantage of the rather large difficulty gradation to enforce monotonicity and identifiability of clues.

Difficulty
In short, quite hard. The goal is somewhere around CO difficulty, but with harder early clues and (on average I think) moderately easier giveaways. The intention behind answerline selection is that most every tossup should be in some way canon-expansionary with giveaways either in the canon or from general knowledge. Because of the steep gradation of difficulty, I strive to make early clues largely interesting and, if you have the knowledge, buzzable, even if in practice some might strain convertibility; that said, I do expect that this set will see plenty of powers and some superpowers. Additionally, once per packet, there is a tossup on an exceptionally difficult answerline that is worth 15 points.

As the set nears completion, I plan to post a few sample tossups.
Last edited by modernhemalurgist on Mon Feb 21, 2022 5:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by Cheynem »

Pardon my ignorance, or if I'm just not parsing this properly, but is this an audio set (i.e. audio tossups) or just regular quizbowl questions?
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by modernhemalurgist »

This is a regular text-based set, just taken from the auditory fine arts part of the distro.
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by 1992 in spaceflight »

If this is a tossups-only set (which is it? I had trouble telling from the announcement) then it might be possible to fit this in to CO Weekend, but we could also be pushing it with CO Trash returning from a hiatus (and it's a full tossup-bonus set).
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by modernhemalurgist »

It's tossups only, but if it doesn't fit I have no problem holding the reading online.
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by Aaron's Rod »

modernhemalurgist wrote: Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:04 pm A fondness for wind band music (around one tossup per packet).
I am very interested in disappointing myself and possibly teammates by playing this.
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by benchapman »

modernhemalurgist wrote: Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:04 pm Somewhat liberal use of score clues
:party:
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by Gemomania »

Will there be any attempt to incorporate coffee-related content given the set name?
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by modernhemalurgist »

A quick update on what I’m planning for this set.

The set is currently upwards of 90% complete. To ensure I’m not rushing the last bits of writing and polishing, I’m tentatively going to schedule a reading for May 14, Monteverdi’s birthday(ish). If interest for this date is low or there is a major quizbowl conflict I’m not aware of, I could institute a date poll, but at the cost of all options on the poll being pushed back into July (due to my own summer schedule).

In concordance with the majority sentiment, the reading will be held online, over Discord. Because response was somewhat larger than anticipated I think a doubles format would best accommodate everybody, but I might dissolve the field into singles if that ends up working better. An announcement post with a sign-up sheet should be coming shortly.

As promised, below are some sample tossups. I think they are fairly representative of the length and difficulty range of the set, in particular a little longer than first advertised.

One of these pieces opens with a spaced unison A followed by the quick chords E minor, D minor, long E minor. A lyrical section in another of these pieces features a theme beginning with two statements of the ascending notes long G, A, B, C, E, ending the second time on high G; that theme then moves on to the notes A, G, short E, short F, G, followed by the same phrase transposed to start on F. Samuel (+) Sanford is perhaps best known for beginning a tradition around one of these pieces. They’re not symphonies, but Anthony Payne reconstructed an additional one of these pieces from incomplete sketches. The last of these works was published decades after the others and dedicated to (*) Percy Hull. The first of these pieces uniquely received a double encore at the seventh iteration of the Proms. For 10 points, name this set of five marches, including one with a trio on the tune Land of Hope and Glory.
ANSWER: Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches [or Edward Elgar’s Op. 39; prompt on less specific answers like marches by Elgar]

Bononcini and this composer are the subject of cataloging and performance projects by the Arcadia Foundation, who produced a two-volume recording of late works by this non-Boccherini composer, including a Quintet No. 5 in E major. One symphony by this composer opens with three unison quarter note F’s, followed by three unison quarter note D’s. It’s not Beethoven, but musicologist Bathia Churgin is a specialist in this composer, and names a catalog of their works together with Newell (+) Jenkins. Antonio Brioschi followed this composer and rivaled their prolific output, which included an F major Symphony No. 32 as well as a symphony in G major that anticipated the (*) Sturm und Drang movement and had its finale borrowed by Gluck, who was this composer’s student in their native Milan. For 10 points, name this galant and classical composer who headed the Milanese school in the early development of the symphony.
ANSWER: Giovanni Battista Sammartini [or S. Martino or S. Martini or St. Martini or St. Martino or San Martini or San Martino; prompt on Martini or Martino or Il Milanese; reject “Giuseppe Sammartini” or “Pietro Sammartini” or “Giovanni Battista Martini” or “Padre Martini”]

In the program notes for this piece, its composer described a man too old to leave home who lived surrounded by “evil-smelling cats.” Two movements of this piece were omitted at its premiere because of the ensemble’s inability to perform them, which its composer ascribed to caring “more about their beer than the music.” This piece’s third movement is a (+) ballad inspired by Joseph Taylor, while its first movement is marked “with plenty of lilt” and begins with muted trumpets and horns playing in parallel triads. The penultimate movement of this piece features such unusual time signatures as one/eight and (*) two-and-a-half/four, and opens in free time, with arrows meaning that the conductor should indicate each note; that movement is titled “Lord Melbourne.” For 10 points, name this cornerstone of the wind band repertoire, a six-movement folk song suite by Percy Grainger.
ANSWER: Lincolnshire Posy (The sixth movement was also omitted at the premiere, because it was unfinished)
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by ThisIsMyUsername »

Is there going to be opera, ballet, etc. in this set or is it restricted to things that quizbowl considers not to be Other Auditory Arts?
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Re: DECAF: A Classical Music Set (Interest Poll)

Post by modernhemalurgist »

There is no dedicated space for what quizbowl would consider OFA, though these things may come up occasionally.
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