One Brief Shining Moment— The Early 1960s
CAMELOT AND KENNEDY
In early December 1960, shortly after John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States, a new musical opened on Broadway. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe were capitalizing on the success of their preceding Broadway blockbuster, My Fair Lady (1956). This new musical, Camelot, told the story of King Arthur, his beautiful wife Guinevere, and the cadre of advisors and supporters who surrounded the King. Lerner, the lyricist, had been a classmate of Kennedy at Harvard, and Kennedy grew fond of the musical. Legend has it that he would often listen to the soundtrack and that he was particularly fond of the last few lines of the musical: “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” Kennedy’s administration became associated with Lerner and Loewe’s musical. This romanticized view of the Kennedy administration typifies our reaction to the early 1960s. Although there were serious threats to prosperity and peace (Cold War, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis), there was nevertheless a sense of optimism and idealism. In many ways, the music of the early 1960s reflects that attitude.
|
“THE TORCH HAS BEEN PASSED”
John F. Kennedy was the youngest person elected President of the United States, and the first President born in the twentieth century. As such, it was appropriate that his inaugural address included the famous words, “Let the word go forth . . . that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” Many historians see this as a sort of declaration of independence and the burgeoning of youth culture, at least in America, if not the whole world. The world of music seemed to follow a parallel path, with the real leadership in music coming from the “new generation.”
TELEVISION—CAUSE AND EFFECT During the 1950s, television ownership in the United States had increased at an amazing rate, from fewer than ten percent of households to more than ninety percent. Substantial increases could be seen around the world. One could almost call the sixties the “television decade.” The election of John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon reflected the continuing influence of television. One author even called television “the key to the election.” The televised presidential debates helped popularize the medium further. The newly popular medium would have a substantial influence on the music—especially the popular music—of the 1960s, introducing audiences to new music and disseminating that music quickly and nearly universally.
|
Classical Music:
|
Jazz: Many Different Streams |
#1 THRENODY FOR THE VICTIMS OF HIROSHIMA (1960) KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI
|
#2 FREE JAZZ (1960)—ORNETTE COLEMAN
|
Classical Music: Masterpieces, Social Commentary, and Innovation
#3: “REQUIEM AETERNAM,” WAR
REQUIEM (1963)—BENJAMIN BRITTEN |
#4: “OUT THERE” AND “DIES IRAE,”
WAR REQUIEM (1963)—BENJAMIN BRITTEN |
Innovations in Classical Music
#5: IN C (1964)—TERRY RILEY
|
6: “IT’S GONNA RAIN” (1965)—STEVE REICH
|
The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius |
Jazz: Old and New |
#7: “AQUARIUS” FROM HAIR (1967)--
GALT MCDERMOT |
#8: A LOVE SUPREME (1964)—JOHN
COLTRANE |
|
|
|
#9: “MR. TAMBOURINE MAN” (1965)--
THE BYRDS/BOB DYLAN
THE BYRDS/BOB DYLAN
|
|
#10: “STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE”
(1965)—DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES/HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND |
#11 “SATISFACTION” (1967)—OTIS
REDDING/JAGGER AND RICHARDS |
#12: SINFONIA, MVT. III, “IN RUHIG
FLIESSENDER BEWEGUNG” (1968)—LUCIANO BERIO |
#13: “IN A SILENT WAY” (1969)--
MILES DAVIS |
#14: “WHITE RABBIT” (1967)--
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE |