The Great Gatsby Song Review Essay

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The piece I choose for the listening guide is “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey. This song was used for the soundtrack for the film The Great Gatsby. The song follows a young couple apprehension about whether their love can last. It is parallel directly with the conflicts protracted between Gatsby and Daisy. It is comprised of a soft piano, and light drumming to create a minimalistic effect.
Timeline:
0:00- The song opens up with the calm sound of the piano. The beats per around is around 116 and the time signature is 4/4. The piano plays solo for about 15 seconds with slight humming in the background every 5 seconds. The melody is legato, it flows in a smooth manner without any breaks. The song is in repeating, strophic form with a calm rhythm. …show more content…

The piano has stopped and now the synthetic orchestra begins to play, mostly with strings and percussion. The song is composed in the key B minor and follows the same four chords throughout the entire duration. The song never strays away from these same four chords, keeping the rhythm calm throughout the whole song.
0:33 - The piano joins back in, playing a beat every 4 seconds and Lana’s dreamy vocals range from D3 to A4. The dynamics of the vocal verses are from mezzo forte and cresecno to the chorus. The timbre is dark yet gentle.
0:51- At this time the chorus begins. The dynamic of the song goes to fortissimo, the percussions begin playing a beat every 4 seconds, and the piano stops.
1:23- The chorus ends and verse 2 begins.The dynamics begin to slow back down. The transitions are mezzo forte and crescendo back to the chorus, which picks up again at 1:56.
2:30- At this time the song is coming to an end and Lana beings to sing the bridge and adds a modulation which emphasizes the power and meaning of love in the

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