Stravinsky/Vivaldi Comparison
While studying in this class and listening to Vivaldi’s “The Spring” Concerto, first movement, and Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” I found out some similarities, but also differences between these two songs. In fact, both songs have a very different melody, but the same theme. For example, Vivaldi’s song “The Spring” concerto expresses the feelings, sounds, and sights of the spring season. While the “Rite of Spring” also expresses the feelings of spring, but has a more primitive melody and a polyphonic texture with different instruments playing at the same time. In addition, Vivaldi's song first it was composed as a poem, but then he added the appropriate point in the music to express the feelings in each particular
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event. By doing this, Vivaldi demonstrated that not only words or voices could express emotions, but also instruments could do it as well. On the other hand, the "Rite of Spring" was inspired on a Russian folk tale that uses a large and colorful orchestra of the late nineteenth century. However, Stravinsky's song is a modern dance that does not compare to the graceful ballet of the Romantic era. Therefore, Stravinsky composed "Rite of Spring" by using the right rhythm and chords to add emphasis to the dance. I believe that some people can find Stravinsky music difficult to listen and appreciate for the reason that most of his songs have a polyphonic texture.
For example in the "Rite of Spring", uses a percussive orchestra in which some people could consider it as "heavy metal" music for the reason that it uses a large variety of percussion instruments. Moreover, the performance of the strings instruments is required to play with attacking strings and down bows at random in a percussive way. Even though "Rite of Spring" and "The Spring" concerto have a theme of spring, "The Spring" concerto has a melodic sequence that could aid the audience to appreciate the music more easily. In addition, it differs from the "Rite of Spring" because it does not contain any percussion instruments mainly string instruments. Furthermore, there is no usage of choreography on Vivaldi's "The Spring", so there were no visual aid for the audience to see the expressions of the music. In my opinion, I believe that Stravinsky's is easier to listen and appreciate for modern audiences because of how music has evolved. In other words, today's generation is used to music that is more expressive and explicit in some occasions, with different instruments playing at the same time, the actual heavy metal genre with the percussion instruments and the electric guitar playing different notes at the same …show more content…
time. My personal reaction to these musical examples might be different from other people because I actually liked both songs due to the melody and the theme both have, but still I prefer Vivaldi's "The Spring" concerto.
Even though I do not have preference on Classical or Baroque music, while studying in this class I learned that there are other songs from these periods also have a great melody that I actually like. Moreover, what I liked the most from "Rite of Spring" was that it has polyphonic texture where the woodwinds, percussion, and strings, play simultaneously. In addition, the brass instruments add emphasis to the music, which I found very dramatic. The only thing that I did not like was that the choreography in this song was very primitive which shocked many of the audience when Stravinsky first published. In fact, by reading the book, I found out that people reacted in a way that people started to fight with each other. Nevertheless, this flaw does not make me to hate this piece of music at all. On the other hand, I liked Vivaldi's "The Spring" concerto due to the beautiful melody the string instruments played. In addition, I like it because it really expresses the feelings of spring. For this reason, I did not found any flaws from this magnificent piece of
music. I believe that it is natural for people to reject ideas or innovations that are new to the public. One of the reasons could be that some people might be afraid of listening to something new. On the other hand, people can reject new ideas on music due to the inexperience on a certain type of musical genre. An example of a song that I believe the audience rejected back then was "Symphonie Fantansique", by Hector Berloiz. At first people might seemed not to like this piece of music due to the loudness of the music, but then audiences packed even more to listen to this kind of music. I believe that people then accepted this song due to the program symphony hat Berloiz created by telling a story to the audience by using music. I believe that and initial rejection to a particular piece of music can be a sign of greatness. For the reason that the majority of the music that people rejects, always contains a good melody or a good theme that someone is going to appreciate which would lead to others to appreciate it. Moreover, I do not think that new music that society accepts right away means that is less innovative or good. For the reason, that if contains a good theme or melody that could make the audience feel the music and make them reflect their feelings; it will always be a good piece of music. In conclusion, Vivaldi's "The Spring" concerto and Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", have some similarities and differences as well. Still, some people could dislike this kind of music due to their cultural beliefs or the flaws they could find in any of this two songs. In my opinion both songs have a beautiful sound and rhythm, but still my favorite song is “The Spring” concerto by Vivaldi.
The fourth and final movement, of course, was my favorite. Presto opened with a dissonant and quick piece that lead to a more recitative style. After the cellos and basses played, the aria from the famous “Ode to Joy” intervened. After minutes passed by, the movement started over and a vocal recitative of a deep soloist began and then the chorus and four other vocal soloists followed by repetition elaborating on the “joy” part of the theme. This movement went through several variations of the melody presented in the finale and became a variation of a Cantata which eventually led the music to reach a climax.
Russian composers of Prokofiev’s time were generally restrained and classical in their approach. (In class) Prokofiev on the other hand was known for his romantic tendencies for which he was scorned. However, his Symphony no.1 is known as his “classical” symphony as it is extremely classical in form and was written according to classical design attempting to emulate the style of Haydn. Similarities between Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony no.1 and Haydn include its orchestrion size and use of the sonata allegro form, of which is classical. Although Prokofiev's symphony is classical in many aspects, elements of Prokofiev's unique voice are clearly heard. (Ferris)
Seasons can convey a multitude of meanings. Though the Kokinshū consists of numerous sections, the seasonal sections are the best at conveying the power of human creativity. The seasons in poetry are used to show everything from the passage of time as well as evoke feelings such as loneliness and love. As shown in the spring sections of the Kokinshū, seasons are treated in poetry through their progression from one part of the season to another, seasonal imagery in describing the season, related emotional expressions, and the linking of human emotion to the natural surroundings.
In the passage by Igor Stravinsky, he uses not only comparison and contrast, but also language to convey his point of view about the conductors of the time and their extreme egotism. Stravinsky believes that conductors exploit the music for their own personal gain, so rather, he looks on them in a negative light.
In comparing the poems “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Dickinson and “Come Up From the Fields Father” by Whitman, we can. notice some of the similarities. Both poems have some kind of music though. there is no rhyme scheme, due to the use of free verse. They both use repetition of some words.
The element that stood out the most to me was how effectively the music and the footwork corresponded. The best examples of this are seen through the dancers solos. Especially Albrecht's solo, his feet glide on the stage at the same tempo as the music. Similarly, Giselle's graceful footwork is truly amazing. I really like the similarities between the choreographed footwork and the music, it makes Giselle seem much more elegant and beautiful. This also seems to make the work look more put together and in sync because the dancers are dancing in harmony with the orchestra. The choreography by itself is amazing. The footwork is rapid and intricate, however, at the same time it is delicate and graceful. The ballerina (Giselle) made it look very easy to do the choreography, when it rea...
The ninth symphony is my favorite symphony just because the music is so heavenly. It seems in the beginning of the piece brings a person from darkness to light. Beethoven, I believe, was ahead of his time. To me, he is the greatest composer of all time. His music is not just sounds of music played together in harmony, but a way of life. The music he created for the world is not just to listen to it, but grabs onto the emotion he was setting up. Beethoven's unordinary style cannot ever be copied by any composer or music artist. Today, when we hear music of any kind, we can only thank a certain person, and that person should be Ludwig van Beethoven.
Vivaldi's music is particularly innovative as he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of concertos. He repeatedly looked for harmonic contrasts, creating innovative melodies and themes. Vivaldi’ main goal was to create a musical piece meant to be appreciated by the wide public, and not only by an intellectual minority. The joyful appearance of his music reveals a transmittable joy of composing. These are among the causes of the vast popularity of his music. This popularity soon made him famous also in countries like France, at the time very closed into its national schemes. He is considered one of the authors that brought Baroque music to evolve into an impressionist style.
...s to keep its beautiful array of melody, intensity and control by reminding the audience that it’s still a contemporary and classical piece of work.
'It seems to me, my dear friend, that the music of this ballet will be one of my best creations. The subject is so poetic, so grateful for music, that 1 have worked on it with enthusiasm and written it with the warmth and enthusiasm upon which the worth of a composition always depends." - Tchaikovsky, to Nadia von Meck.
When considering the structure of the poems, they are similar in that they are both written loosely in iambic pentameter. Also, they both have a notable structured rhyme scheme.
The premiere of the Rite of Spring is cemented as a major moment in music history when the crowd, angry at the strange new music rioted and ultimately burned the theatre to the ground. Stravinsky was not the only composer inciting riots with modern and often confusing music. An unruly American composer named George Antheil, influenced by the factory that sung him to sleep every night, produced riots in many European cities. But, the music and legacy of Antheil is almost entirely forgotten. The music of Stravinsky is praised and studied by millions, yet the equally innovative and iconoclastic music of George Antheil is often forgotten due to a series of bad decisions, a botched performance, and the inability to make a substantial salary, leading
In a nutshell, the Italian Symphony does reflect the features of a 19th century orchestral piece. Most importantly, it totally demonstrates Mendelssohn’s mature composition style of combining both classical genres and romantic style together within a piece. This explains why he is regarded as one of the most important figures in the music history.
Personal. An insightful analysis and understanding of a piece of music could lead me to play it with the emotions that the composer wants to express. As I may do a grade 10 RCM examination in two years, I chose to analyse this piece from the syllabus because it is among the best violin concertos and the most representative work of its composer. Also, as a member of the Westmount Youth Orchestra, I have played the tutti part of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64 and I find it very beautiful. As these two concertos are so much related (same country and same musical period), Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 arouses my curiosity.
Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Benjamin Britten’s A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra have some similarities while they also have their differences. Igor Stravinsky premiered his piece in 1910 and the work was an instant success. Stravinsky’s The Firebird is composed of two sections that consist of a full orchestra. The Firebird starts off with a French horn playing in a slow melody creating an andante tempo while more instruments enter soon leading to the full orchestra. Stravinsky repeats one melody over and over while creating alterations in rhythm, tone color, and dynamics. In the second section Stravinsky begins his piece off softly but then the music crescendos. Additional instruments begin to play and the melody continues to