Musical Orientalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Musical Orientalism - Essay Example Imitation aims to duplicate; musical Orientalism has little to do with the objective conditions of non-Western musical practices-rather, it brings something new into being. Here is a list of Orientalist devices, many of which can be applied indiscriminately as markers of cultural difference. Orientalism describes the representation of the Eastern Other to the Western Self; it is not an impartial account of cultural difference, it is alternity understood in terms of fear and desire, terror and lack. Orientalism is never quite a case of "anything goes"; it is possible to mix signifiers of difference in a confusing manner: for example, it would be possible to write a calypso using Liszt's "Hungarian" scale. Moreover, Orientalist signs are contextual. For example a mixture of 6/8 and 3/4 is not a sign for Spanish in William Byrd's madrigal "Though Amaryllis Dance in Green," but it is in Bernstein's "I Want to Be in America" (from West Side Story). Likewise, the similarity between the close of the first movement of Anton Bruckner's Sixth Symphony and the theme tune of Maurice Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia does not create confusion. It is interesting, nonetheless, to wonder how much more stress on the Phrygian in Bruckner's coda would have been necessary to conjure up Sinbad for Donald F. Tovey, rather than Odysseus. In westerIn western music, Orientalist styles have related to previous Orientalist styles rather than to Eastern ethnic practices, just as myths have been described by Lvi-Strauss as relating to other myths. One might ask if it is necessary to know anything about Eastern musical practices; for the most part, it seems that only knowledge of Orientalist signifiers is required. Nevertheless, the state of affairs found in a work like Rameau's Les Indes Galantes (1735), where, for example, Persians are musically indistinguishable from Peruvians, was to change. Distinctions and differences developed in the representation of the exotic or cultural Other, and that, as well as the confusion that sometimes results, is my present concern. This confusion is most evident in the nineteenth century, when Western composers, especially those who worked in countries engaged in imperialist expansion, were torn between, on the one hand, making a simple distinction between Western Self and Oriental Other and, on the other hand, recognizing that there was no single homogeneous Oriental culture. Thus, even when different Orientalist styles had become established, they could sometimes be applied in a careless manner. J. A. Westrup stated apropos of Purcell's The Indian Queen: "For all the music tells us, the action might be taking place in St. James's Park." His remark indicates that there is a historical specificity to musical Orientalism and thus helps to establish its beginnings. Consider the music sung by the Indian Boy, which concerns "native innocence," part of a favorite colonizing theme in which the indigenous peoples of conquered countries are looked upon as children-and here they are indeed a boy and girl. Lakm's "O va la jeune Indoue" (the "Bell Song" from Delibes's opera Lakme, 1883) is a tale of a young Indian girl's seduction by the divine Vishnu. It begins with a wordless vocalize, a device that became common in representations of the "emotional" Easterner, the lack of verbal content pointing to a contrast with the "rational" Westerner. Carolyn Abbate (1991) remarks that

Obama Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Obama Care - Essay Example This may work toward providing more insight into the functions and actions of a company. The above may result in the lowering of health premium prices, which may work toward improving the quality of health care that individuals receive. To those who cannot afford insurance at the beginning, Obamacare works to provide more widespread and available medical care at reduced prices. An increase in the number of individuals who can receive this regular health care can ensure the happiness of individuals, and the overall utility of society (Sandel 59). This can only work with the cooperation of the private companies with the government regulations, while trying to satisfy the people it is meant to serve. These regulations are not meant to downsize or downplay the insurance companies. They are only meant to ensure the public gets the required premiums for the appropriate amount of capital. Obamacare does not restrict the freedom of individuals as many folks tend to believe. On the contrary, it works to satisfy the happiness of majority of the people in society. Minority groups are known to suffer and bear the full brunt of many policies in the United States. However, this bill in its entirety guarantees that everyone benefits from all the said policy implementation plans. Poor people are protected from private companies and some of the policies that they put in place to profit from society’s health needs (Sandel 63). By claiming that there is no right to choose between whether to have insurance or not, individuals are overlooking the bigger picture. This is only one provision in the whole bill, and it should not be used as an excuse to be against... This essay examines the utilitarianism and libertarianism view on Obamacare, and how this may affect individuals in the United States. The researcher states that it is through subsidizing health insurance for poor and poverty stricken families that Obama bill seeks to assist. The main convictions of the bill revolve around the mandated insurance clauses. This is what many people are having a problem with as there are groups that support the presence of such a bill, while others detest the idea of its existence. Obamacare does not restrict the freedom of individuals as many folks tend to believe. On the contrary, it works to satisfy the happiness of majority of the people in society. As seen in this essay on the view on Obamacare, there are some objections about the policies that the bill proposes. Libertarianism often asks the question as to whether the government should interfere in the matters of an individual’s health insurance. In conclusion, the researcher mentiones that the views expressed by the schools of thought offer an individual time to think of the impact such a bill has on society. The coming up of such a bill may have irreparable consequences to society and the individuals in it. However, the researcher also concluds that it would not be wise to ignore the overwhelming benefits that come with such a bill. It is, therefore, society’s place to dissect both sides of the bill and see what may work for them. They can start working toward addressing these issues for the good of all.