Analysis of Firebird by Stravinsky
Immediately we are introduced to the leitmotif, major and minor
thirds, within a tritone. This returns at bars 15 - 18 and at various
other parts in the suite of which I will later elaborate. Within the
opening few bars the pizzicato and legato combined in the cello and
bass section produces an ominous opening to the work. The base drum
roll and the murky off beat and horn entry at bar 5 makes it clear
that it is evil magic. One of Stravinsky’s traits that often appears
is how he uses tritones to represent evil magic, e.g. f# to C, shown
in bars 11 and 12, and more simple harmony and chord progressions,
e.g. dominant 7ths and 9ths to show good magic which can bee seen in
bar 14, based on D. This could represent a glimpse of the Firebird.
Another one of Stravinsky’s traits is that he works with sound, this
section would be much easier for the string player to play across the
strings, however to achieve the exact magical effect he wants it “Sul
D”. This use of sound is also seen in pantomime 2 where he asks the
violins to play spiccato, also another very specific sound. In bar 16,
beat 8, the mood becomes unearthly once again this could represent the
magic Firebird disappearing. According to the BBC, in bar 8 the
conversation between clarinets, bassoons and trumpets represents
horses marching in time.
As soon as we enter into the prelude and dance of the Firebird the
country motion semi-quavers in the woodwind at figure 7 illustrates
Ivan’s pursuit of the Firebird. This is actually the original
leitmotif returning retrograde and retrograde inverted. Stravinsky
uses many chromatic, arpeggiac augme...
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...strings at figure 39 gives the impression
of many voices talking or shouting at once, which would happen in a
game. The ornamentation is emphasised along with the tonality,
representing humans and possibly giving the impression of dainty feet
running around the trees in Kashchei‘s garden. Chromaticism is another
recurring theme within this work; this seems to represent fast
movements or magic, shown at figure 41, which relates closely to the
story. Figure 55 is much like 39 with the original bass line
transposed. The delicate harmony and simple chord progressions
represents how delicate the princesses are. The peaceful and simple
solo in the clarinet at figure 47 is not at all related to the
leitmotif but is very similar to a Russian folk tune, which
chromatically modifies during the scherzo this may symbolize a dream.
Ethel Waters overcame a very tough childhood to become one of the most well known African American entertainers of her time. Her story, The Eye on the Sparrow, goes into great detail about her life and how she evolved from taking care of addicts to becoming the star of her own show. Ethel was born by her mother being raped at a young age. Her father, John Waters, was a pianist who played no role in Ethel’s life. She was raised in poverty and it was rare for her to live in the same place for over a year. Ethel never fit in with the rest of the crowd; she was a big girl, about five nine when she was a teenager, and was exposed to mature things early in her life. This is what helped shape Ethel to be the strong, independent woman she is.
In Song of the Hummingbird by Gracie Limon, It’s clear by chapter three that Father Benito and Hummingbird are starting to reach an impasse. He could no longer hold his tongue “This woman who had a way of prying out thoughts and feeling of which he was not aware”. With her story of transgression, incest and murder her sin was to be forgiven in eyes of the lord, but she wanted Father Benito words. His thoughts conflicted, so he was surprised that the words he spoke were forgiveness. At this point, Hummingbird feels ready to start the next level of her story. I liked in the dialog that it express every insecurity Father Benito went through when saying he forgives her. To me, he seems that he can no longer stand to hear more like he wants to sing
time and what was going on at that moment. As it continues "A Sound of
words so that the sound of the play complements its expression of emotions and ideas. This essay
Looking back at America's history, it's clear to see that literature is one of the most powerful and influential art forms in the world. The greatest writers throughout the years have influenced and shaped the youth of their generations. The great fiction writers used vivid storytelling and satire to criticize past generations and failed ideas. Such examples include George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” Nonfiction writers have used their past experiences to educate readers from a different perspective, more effectively than any textbook can. One of the greatest works of nonfiction, Booker T. Washington’s “Up From Slavery,” told his story of upbringing from a slave to an educator. “Symphony for the city of the Dead” by M.T. Anderson is another great work of nonfiction. “Symphony for the City of the Dead” is a biography about the life of Dmitri Shostakovich, a famous composer who lived in the city of Leningrad during the siege in World War 2. The story revolves around Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, composed as the city of Leningrad crumbled around him due to the Nazis’ relentless assaults. “Symphony for the City of the Dead” is the story of the last flicker of hope in Leningrad in 1942.
Hope is an attribute in life that many people cling to. It gives people courage and reasons to continue striving in everyday life, especially in the toughest of times. The autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, published in 1969, followed Angelou’s childhood growing up in the South as a minority, the problems that she faced because of that, how she overcame those problems, and how she still found hope. The theme represented in this autobiography is that in every storm faced in life it may feel like there’s nothing left; however, there will always be hope that can still be found.
Dmitri Shostakovich was one the greatest Russian composers of all time during the twentieth century. During the end of World War I, the Russian Revolution initiated to topple the Russian Czar, Nicholas II, from power by the Bolshevik Party. The Russian Revolution led the establishment of Communism in the Soviet Union led with an “iron fist” by the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. In the Soviet Union, the number of civilian deaths caused from victims of war, famine, and government purges, is estimated between thirty and forty million (Wright, 350). The Communist Party are responsible for these terrors, which affected all segments of society, including intellectuals, artists, and musicians (350). Furthermore, the Soviet regime used musical propaganda
Music has an ability to make the listeners feel what the composer felt when they composed it. That idea really took off during the Romantic Era, after Beethoven paved a new way for composers to express themselves. One of the most prominent figure of the Romantic Era that really expressed himself in his music was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky’s wide and diverse musical repertoire made him into one of the most celebrated composer in history. But when he composed his sixth symphony, he declared it to be “the best thing I ever composed or shall compose.” Then, he suddenly died nine days after the premiere. There are many theories that might connect to the two and I will argue that Tchaikovsky composed his sixth symphony knowing that this
Hanan, Partick and Yu Li. Silent Operas. Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990.
W.E.B. Dubois was one of the most prolific and pioneering leaders during the early Civil Rights era. Throughout his life, he produced numerous works as a commentary on the social construct that existed between whites and blacks, including the groundbreaking collection of essays The Souls of Black Folk published in 1903. These essays detailed the historical, political and sociological plight of African Americans in society after the Civil War. In addition, the essays introduced the concept of double consciousness which referred to the challenge blacks faced in reconciling an African heritage with an American identity, a theory that would disseminate into his later works. Accordingly, his poem “The Song of the Smoke” published in 1907 is an extension of his earlier work in double consciousness, but with an emphasis on the celebration of black heritage. Embedded in these affirmations of blackness; however, is a sense of longing for the unity and equality of all races. In the poem, “The Song of the Smoke”, DuBois reflects on the past, finding grief and courage in the legacy of his slave ancestry and toward the future, hoping a new strength and dignity is formed amongst all Americans.
Calixta and Alce, the two main characters in the short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin, are sexual, mature, and knowing adults. By having them discover amazing sex outside their marriages, they return to their own marriages renewed. Chopin openly condones adultery due to the fact that the characters are not punished and in the end “everyone was happy” (paragraph 40) . A common theme of fresh sexuality and desire is seen in this story though symbols and other literary elements. Kate Chopin is an American author that wrote short stories and novels in the 20th century.
Criticism of The Storm by Kate Chopin While it has traditionally been men who have attached the "ball and chain" philosophy to marriage, Kate Chopin gave readers a woman’s view of how repressive and confining marriage can be for a woman, both spiritually and sexually. While many of her works incorporated the notion of women as repressed beings ready to erupt into a sexual a hurricane, none were as tempestuous as The Storm. Kate Chopin was a woman whose feminist viewpoints were far ahead of her time, which of course garnered her more than her share of criticism. In a time when women were expected to behave "properly" and sexual desire was considered to be something only experienced by men, Chopin spoke with exceptional openness about human sexuality.
Abby McMillan Dr. Jack English 10 1A 10 October 2017 Jonathan Compared to Me Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is basically about the story of an adventurous seagull's life. It looks like a book for a grade school reading level. After you scratch beneath the surface, however, I found the book is filled with things many fourth graders probably wouldn't grasp. Such as the use of use of personification, symbolism, and didactic themes.
The Rite of Spring is breath taking. Personally, I felt it more of a Rite of Passage. The high energy and erratic combinations made me feel an unusual restlessness in my body. When first listening to the bassoon play I expected the composition to be like Spring itself. Spring is soft, flowing, gently to a smooth performance. I wasn't expecting such raw emotion and aggressive tones. I believe this is hwy the audience of the first performance became so erratic and aggressive themselves. The audience who was used to the theater being upper class, Stravinsky took the upper class in high society and brought them back to a more primitive, a more vulgar, and more open time in life which I believe made them feel vulnerable thus having at lashed out on the performance
Neher, Erick. "Movie Music At The Philharmonic." Hudson Review 64.4 (2012): 668-674. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.