1. “Gesture” means something
What does “gesture” mean? Google it.
What does “gesture” imply about a musical sound?
2. Effective gestures are simple but interesting
Simplicity and complexity in gestures
Mozart, Piano sonata No. 16, K. 545 (1788) (listen for the up/down scale runs—where are they going?)
In what quantifiable parameters can a musical gesture exist?
Rachmaninov, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 8 (1934)
Bartok, Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, mvt. 1 (1936) (skip along to points between 0:00 and 4:20)
Britten, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, section H: Double basses (1946)
3. My favorite gesture
Stockhausen, Kontakte (1960)