Classical music concerts are a unique live music experience that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. Ira Gold, an exquisite double bass player, performed live in Organ Hall at Colorado State University. He chose three powerful pieces: Suite No. 1 in G major, From Jewish Life, and Sonata for Arpeggione. Each piece of work had its own character and added a different dynamic to the concert in its entirety.
The first piece, written by Johann Sebastian Bach, had six different movements. The first movement is the most known portion of the music; it has a very uplifting feel. The volume stays at mezzo-piano until the next movement. Tempo ranges between andante and moderato. Each note in this prelude is accented and distinctly
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separated from one another. The music is very strict in nature and does not vary from it’s rigid form. Movement number two has a quicker tempo, staying mostly around moderato.
The very first part of number two shows a theme that reoccurs throughout the entire movement. After following such a strict rhythmic pattern, the piece gradually works its way into more of a Baroque-style dance song. There are multiple, short cadenzas (solo passages) strung together to make for an upbeat dancing beat. This portion of the piece is played around mezzo-forte. The third movement of Suite No. 1 is the most somber of all. The tempo slows to adagio, and the volume is around mezzo-piano. There are multiple ritardandos, with the music temporarily pulling back, or slowing down. There are also three quick moments of silence which adds to the dramatic feel of this movement. The beginning of the fifth movement sounds very similar to how the fourth movement sounded, but gradually works its way up to something more. Starting out slow and emotional, the prelude of movement five is played in mezzo-piano and at a speed near adagio. The volume crescendos into mezzo-forte; as the volume increases, so does the complexity of the instrument. The ending is extremely fast and powerful and finally pulls all of the slower moving portions together in a grand finale. The true
ending of the piece (Gigue), is the happiest and most upbeat of the entire work. When listening to it, one can picture the dance that would take place almost 300 hundred years ago to this beat; it sounds very similar to an allemande, which is a Renaissance/Baroque dance style that originated around the time this piece was composed. All together, Suite No.1 in G major encompasses a wide variety of emotions in a short amount of time. The second piece that Ira Gold played is Prayer From Jewish Life. This work also included NAME playing the piano, accenting the double bass. This piece was shortest of all three, but in my opinion, had the most emotion and depth. The song was played in minor chords, which gave it a very sad and hollow sound. It almost seemed as if the double bass and piano were wailing together. The tempo was very slow, staying at 50 beats per minute (lento) the entire time. The beginning volume was mezzo-piano, and gradually crescendoed into mezzo-forte. This entire piece is a good example of a legato piece, with all of the notes being connected very smoothly. At times the piano became the main focus of the song, and then it would switch back to the bass. This variation created depth and made the song easier to connect to. Ritardandos were frequently used in the song and the silent moments were almost eery feeling. The song ended on an extremely distinct and loud note, bringing the whole piece to a calm end. The last and final piece of work Ira Gold played was Sonata for Arpeggione by Franz Schubert. This piece was the longest of the entire concert and had great depth.
Next, was the longest movement, Molto vivace. Dominated by D minor, this movement resembled the introduction of the opening theme in the first movement but with more lightheartedness. Also called a scherzo because of its “dancelike” theme, this section utilized the Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Timpani, and Strings. I also noticed a downbeat around every three beats throughout the fast tempo in this section.
5 the 4th movement. Beethoven’s innovation of bigger orchestra’s was a game changer in the Classical Era and he definitely deserves to be ranked as a “Maverick of Sound.” This piece is rumored to be an autobiographical tale of Beethoven losing his hearing and was done in the period’s traditional sonata form. This piece beautifully evoked the mood of what I imagined as Beethoven’s dilemma of “fate knocking at the door.” Everything in this composition is built around the four opening notes. The tempo allegro was brisk and lively. The exposition set the tone with string instruments followed by the entire orchestra repeating in a march-like character. The bridge was similar in mood to the opening and was announced by horns. The recapitulation led to a long coda that punctuated the ending which built to an exciting climax accentuated by a dynamic fortissimo resolution to the frenzied tension. This joyful finale was great fun to listen to and a most excellent way to end the
On Friday, November 15, 2013, I attended a concert that I found very interesting. It took place at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The group performing was the Erie Chamber Orchestra, but as a special the Slippery Rock University Concert Choir was also there. During the performance I attended, two pieces were performed. The first was a Mozart piece by the name of Symphony No. 41.
...ers and the audience. The dramatic nature of this piece alone is something to be reckoned with as it is extremely passionate. The symphony is presented in 4 movements as is common and begins with a Poco Sostenuto- Vivace, followed by a Allegretto movement, Presto movement, and finally ends on an Allegro con brio movement. the central theme of this piece is introduced in the first movement by a flute playing in tripple meter continuously ascending up the scales rising in dynamic contrast, continuing to grow into a louder and more stark contrast between it’s highs and lows. Consistently dance like, the piece is celebratory of its roots buried in historical Austrian music that has been present in the culture for years. The accomplishments of the soldiers for which the piece was composed for are easily told of simply by the energy and power present throughout the piece.
The 2nd movement: A Ball. This movement is representative of the gala ball where he once again sees his beloved. This section is a dance movement in three parts. The Idea fixe reappears in Waltz time. The 3rd movement: Scene in the Fields.
14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This piece sets a down mood that isn’t as bright as the other pieces Nel played due to its minor key. However, the sound of this piece is really intense and emotional. This piece has a very smooth melody and demonstrates syncopation. Also, the dynamics of this piece are low. As discussed throughout class, this piece has sonata-allegro form. This means that it has an exposition, development, and recapitulation. The first movement is slow since it is adagio sostenuto, the second movement is brisk since it is allegretto, and the third is quick since it is presto agitato. Beethoven uses a continuous soft dynamic and a smooth wave-like rhythmic pattern. The texture of this piece can be described as mixed between homophonic and polyphonic. Lastly, this piece required Nel to constantly use the fortepiano levers to create the piece’s distinct
I have been to many different concerts throughout my life but this year I experienced two exceptionally unique ___ that I had never seen before. The first one was a spectacular chamber recital that took place at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed by pianist Yefim Bronfman and violist-violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The program included Schubert's Violin Sonatina No. 2 in A Minor, Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, and Brahms’ Viola Sonata No. 1 in F Minor. The second was a performance by the notable quartet “Anonymous 4” presented by the Universality of Chicago at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. The program included a series of medieval French motets from the 13th Century French polyphony, taken from the Montpellier Codex. The two performances were extremely different in nature and but at the same time very similar in what they were trying to achieve. For instance, while the first concert consisted entirely of an instrumental performance, the other was exclusively vocal. However, both were able to bring to life great examples of iconic artists from our past. I left both c...
...xcited to have this experience. Part of the drama of the concert at first is felt when the musicians come in and sit down and begin tuning up their instruments. I would not be able to comment on the performance of the orchestra. During the performance, I seen the audience were moving with the music, but I felt like that everyone seems knows more music than what I learned throughout this semester. After I went home and did some of the research on these music I finally understand why these people like to attend the orchestra concerto, it was because that every piece of music has a history behind it. The Los Angeles audience seemed to me to be people who know music and who will listen to something new in a respectful way. All the same, when the more familiar sounds of the last piece were heard, I could feel a little sense of relaxation and fun coming into the room.
I attended the Los Angeles Philharmonic classical music concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday 29 November 2013. The classical concert started at 8:00pm to the enjoyment of the huge audience that had been waiting for this amazing music extravaganza. Classical music concerts always offer magnificent entertainment and the audience in this concert was expectant to derive such entertainment or more. In attendance were Christian Zacharias who was the conductor and Martin Chalifour who was the LA Phil commanding Principal Concertmaster and Bach violin player. In readiness for the concert, I enjoyed a special dinner prepared for the audience. More specifically, LA Phil staffer introduced us to the evening classical concert amidst cheers from the audience. It was such a refreshing and joyous feeling to be part of this audience.
From the Classical period and onwards, sonata form became the basis for most instrumental music. Sonata form became established as the clearly defined structure of the first movement of instrumental compositions. This form consists of three sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. If you have studied anything about story form, you know a lot about Sonata form, because they are identical in their purpose. The exposition (same word is used in music and literature) sets the scene. This section is where the musical themes are introduced, the mood is set, and the key, main rhythmic patterns, and harmonies are stated. The second section, the development, is like the "heart" of the story. This is where the music explores the themes, keys, rhythms, and harmonies, and weaves the musical material into something new and interesting. The development should sustain your interest, make you wonder what is going to happen next, just like in a well-told story. The final section, the recapitulation, is like the closing section of a good story. In the recapitulation, the opening material comes back, but everything is resolved and finalized, just like wrapping up the loose ends in the story.
The brass plays an ascending sequence, followed by pizzicato notes played by the strings, and an ascending and descending scale on the harp. Strings and oboe play the rhythmic melody, whilst the trumpet plays fanfares in syncopation. The oboe is then replaced by the flute. There is an ascending scale played by the strings, then the brass section repeats the string and oboe melody with cymbal crashes at cadence points. The orchestra then plays a loud melody with cymbal crashes and drum rolls. There is an interrupted cadence, followed by crescendo with cymbal crashes and a brass ostinato. The piece ends with a perfect cadence.
... then plays allegro passages of semi quavers, accompanied by timpani and descending scales in the woodwind. The clarinet, takes over the main melody whilst the cello accompanies with sequences. The French horn takes over the melody, accompanied by the strings. The flute briefly plays the melody before the cello plays octaves, accompanying the woodwind as they play a reprise of the DSCH theme and the timpani crashes. Repeating the themes in the first movement, the cello plays the DSCH motif followed by the "tate ta, tate ta" rhythm in the strings. The horn then plays the theme in augmentation, whilst the cello plays passages of ascending and descending scales, and the theme is heard again in the strings. The movement builds up with the motif appearing increasingly often in the woodwind and strings and climaxes with octaves by the soloist and a boom from the timpani.
...chestral introduction with an imperfect cadence. A strong rhythmic ¾ allegro passage, with sequences and descending scales is played by the orchestra, with timpani and cymbals. The music modulates, and a short, quiet woodwind passage is then alternated with an orchestral passage with dotted rhythms, creating a `terraced dynamics' effect. Part B begins with a major clarinet melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. A minor flute sequence follows, and is followed by a repetition of the oboe melody. A string sequence is then played, imitated by the oboe. There is a crescendo, then the rhythmic orchestral melody returns, alternated with a short flute passage. There are suspensions, descending scales and a crescendo, followed by a strong rhythmic passage with the timpani playing on the beat. Imperfect cadences are played, before the piece finishes with a perfect cadence.
The first segment of the piece is an orchestra composed of cello, violin and bass instruments. The segment is divided into four sub-segments. The orchestra play a forte then a decrescendo to a mezzo forte. As the four sub-segments, the transformation to the second segment is brought into by a decrescendo that is a slightly slow. The tempo is less instinct which puts emphasis on the basses and cellos. The timbre of the first segment is the balance of the string instruments with the snare drum in the background.
In the brief fourth movement, Berio returns to the serenity of the second, providing a relief after the frenzy of the third. The most prominent text on this movement is “Rose de sang” (Rose of Blood) and its phonetic parts. Berio also quotes again Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, now more specifically the fourth movement which’s text “Röschen Roth!” (Red Florets) relates to his chosen text. The movement is made of four sections, which begin with an oscillation between the two opening notes of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony fourth movement: Db and Eb. The voices alternate on various vocal effects, such as whispers, syllabic fragments, and distortions of previous textual material. Hicks points that the connection between the third and fourth movements could cause