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Concert Review #3

I chose to attend the Augustana College Department of Music’s Concert Band performance. The concert took place at centennial hall so it was very open and the performers had a large stage to play on. The majority of the audience wore khakis, button downs, and or skirts/dresses; however, there were several students who wore leggings, sweatshirts, etc. As for the performers, they were all dressed in black tuxedos and black dresses that looked similar in style. The audience consisted of several family members (parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters) as well as many students who were there supporting their friends, or were there for a class. The energy in centennial hall was lively and there was definitely a sense of excitement in the air for the audience as well as for the performers. I think this had a lot to do with how nice the weather was that day, along with the anticipation for the concert itself. The pieces were fairly quick and there was only four of them so the concert lasted a total of thirty minutes.  

The first piece I chose to analyze was titled The Last Centaur and is composed by Rossano Galante. This piece was actually meant to represent the journey of a Centaur who was separated from his family as a result of war. In terms of instrumentation, this performance consisted of clarinets, a bass clarinet, bassoons, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, baritone saxophones, trumpets, the piccolo, flutes, oboe, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and various percussion instruments. I would say that the melody of this piece is conjunct with a narrow range at some places, and disjunct with a wider range in other places when a specific part is being emphasized. There were also several cadences where the phrase would end like a punctuation mark. As for the tonality, I would say that the piece is played in minor when the Centaur is alone; however, towards the end, the tonality becomes major when the Centaur is reunited with his family. In terms of the rhythm, the song begins with a lyrical theme that is somewhat slower and drawn out, but then when the Centaur starts looking for his family, the song becomes faster paced in order to embody the intensity of his search. The dynamics in this piece play an important role to it’s overall story. It is primarily subito since the loudness is followed by an abrupt, quieter melody. However, from this quiet, there are sometimes crescendos where the music gradually grows in volume over time. This piece is in duple meter and the form is binary. In the beginning of this piece the theme is played by the horns and then transitions into a clarinet solo. When the Centaur is looking for his family, the horns provide a fanfare to capture the intensity of his pace. Finally, the piece ends with a lighter resolution that left me feeling satisfied.             

The second piece I chose to analyze was Khan which is composed by Julie Ann Giroux. This work is programmatic which means it is music that tells a story or evokes a mood. In this piece in particular, the music is used to portray Genghis Khan and his army. There are two major themes titled “Warlord” and “Horseback” which are followed by the depiction of a calm village right before its destruction by Khan and his army. The instrumentation of this piece consists of the piccolo, the flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and a major percussion section. The melody is fairly conjunct with a narrow range and there are several cadences throughout the piece. In terms of tonality, the piece is primarily major with a fast, upbeat rhythm, which is used to depict the vigor and intensity that came to be a defining characteristic of Khan’s army. The meter of this piece is duple because it definitely has a military, marching, sound to it and the form of this piece is binary, specifically in the “Horseback” theme where there are two distinct sections (A and B). The dynamics of this piece play a very important role; the extreme subito changes contribute to the work’s distinct emotional charge because it will go from very quiet to very loud which allows the audience to get a better grasp of the story being told.

In terms of the concert itself, I really enjoyed seeing some of my friends perform; however, the overall performance was very short and I felt it was a bit rushed. I know the conductor mentioned something about how Saint Ambrose was supposed to be there, so maybe they had to cut out a few songs because of the cancellation. However, in other band concerts that I have previously attended, there have been more pieces so I guess going into the concert I thought it was going to be much longer. The songs that the concert band did play though were quite upbeat and engaging for the audience! Also, the program had a lot of background material which gave us sufficient information about the pieces, prior to listening to them. I did enjoy myself during this concert though and I would definitely attend a similar concert in the future to support the music program and the students involved in concert band!

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Blog Post #20

I thought Jordan’s presentation on the link between animals and music was very interesting. When we consider music, it is important to look past the initial preconceptions of what it is or how it’s made in order to see it’s influence on a deeper level. This is precisely what Jordan did during his presentation. He dove further into the sounds that make music and related their impact back to their effects on animals. At the beginning of class we defined music as sound organized in time. I really think it would be interesting if, in future classes, you looked at sound and emphasized its importance in order to develop, in students, a greater appreciation for music as a whole. 

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Blog Post #18/#19

1. John Adams- Tromba Iontana

This style of music would be considered an orchestral fanfare. Some of the defining characteristics of this style include the two solo trumpets which alternate and imitate each other, thus creating a theme which grows out of a small idea while a mesmerizing accompaniment plays. This piece sounds more like an “anti-fanfare” since it is a quieter and more introspective; however, it still has that distinct brass sound coming from the trumpets, which is typical of a fanfare.

2. Arnold Schoenberg- “Der Moonfleck” (Pierrot Lunaire, No 18.)

Schenberg invented Sprechstimme or spoken word which is used in this piece. In this specific technique, the vocal melody is spoken rather than sung on exact pitches and in strict rhythm (approximate pitch). Another technique that Schoenberg uses is Klangfarbenmelodie or color melody. In this method, instead of one instrument playing the melody the entire time, another dimension is added for color. Therefore, each instrument is playing a piece or one note of the melody (this relies on timbre changes).  The video is used to show the general story that Schoenberg hoped to capture in this piece that originated from Albert Giraud’s symbolist poetry. Throughout the video, you see the clown figure (Pierrot) who is supposed to be drunk and obsessed with this “white fleck” on his jacket. The performer can be seen striding around in a somewhat drunken delusion trying to rub out what he thinks is “a fleck of white-from the bright moon-on the back of his black jacket”.  

3. Anton Webern- Five Pieces of Orchestra

This style of music follows the 12- tone method where all 12 notes of the chromatic scale must be played once before you could play the same note again, without placing too much emphasis on one note in particular. I could hear the flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, guitar, harp, violin, cello, and bass.

4. Billie Holiday- “Fine and Mellow”

The song is in jazz form, or A, A, B, so in the first two A’s the singer uses the same word to end the phrase and then the final phrase uses a word that rhymes with the word previously used in the A verse. In order to make an entire piece out of this relatively short song, Billie holiday would sing, then solo number one would start,  followed by solo number two, and then she would sing again, only to be followed by solo number 3, and then solo number four, and then finish the piece off by singing  (sing, solo 1, solo 2, sing, solo 3, solo 4, sing). The twelve bar blues (AAB form-12 bars each chorus 4 each phrase) and blue/swing notes (slight drops in pitch on the third, fifth, and seventh tone of the scale) played prominent roles throughout this song.  

5. Duke Ellington- Take The A Train

This song is in 32-bar song form or A, A, B, A (all 8 bar phrases), written in three choruses. The instrumentation I saw and heard in this song included trumpets, saxophones, piano, bass, trombone, guitar, and drums: all of these instruments were typical in jazz’s ‘big band’ era.

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Blog Post #17

For our topic, we plan on discussing gaelic music, specifically traditional irish step dancing music. I grew up participating in step dancing, and being irish, I have always connected with the music on a personal level. However, I do not know a lot about its origins, or the types of instruments used in the creation of this music. I am very interested in researching the different characteristics of traditional irish music with my group, in order to gain an even greater appreciation of the culture itself. For the creative aspect, my group and I will be teaching the class a simple jig and I will also be bringing in my old costume and “gillies” (traditional irish step shoes) to show the class. My group will consist of myself, John, Alex, Lauren, and Colin.  

This is just traditional jig music that we will use to teach the class. Obviously it is a very long video but I think we would only need to use about a minute or two of the actual song in order to do a group performance.

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Blog Post #17

I’m sorry that I write so lightly. If you need me to take another picture, or turn in my notes just let me know! (:

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Concert Review #2 (lol that rhymed)

The concert I choose to attend was a General Student Recital and the performers were Augustana music students. It took place in Wallenberg hall which is a big, open, and beautiful space. There were several chairs set up, all looking upon a small stage. The attire ranged from nicer dresses, sweaters and khakis, to jeans, leggings, and sweatshirts. As for the audience, it was primarily made up of other Augie students and faculty. It was really awesome to witness students I have seen on campus showcasing their amazing skills. I would say the energy was lively, simply because you could tell everyone there was supporting their friends/students. The recital itself moved pretty swiftly. After each individual performance, there would be a short pause where a woman would go on stage and set up for the next musician.  

The first piece I chose to review was Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite No. 5 in c minor, BWV 1011, performed by cello soloist Grayson Dixon. I chose to write about this piece in particular because Bach was a composer who we studied during our unit on the Baroque era. Specifically, Grayson played the prelude and fuge of the overall piece which consists of 7 movements in total. The instrumentation, as I mentioned before, was a cello which is a part of the string family. As for the melody, it was conjunct at times and then would transition to disjunct by starting with some higher notes and then drastically dropping to a lower range of notes. The piece was played in c minor so it sounded somewhat sad and had a vivid emotional quality. The rhythm started out with a slow and drawn out beat in the prelude, but it eventually turned into a faster, more vigorous beat in the fuge. The prelude itself is written in duple meter whereas the fuge is written in triple meter, which I think provides a clear distinction between the two elements. In terms of dynamics, there were times where the music would get noticeably louder and more bold and then get softer and more subtle. Also, the form of this piece was binary or AB. Although this was a slower piece, it still held my attention and even made me somewhat emotional.

The next piece I decided to review was Virtuoso Flamenco Studies, written by Krystof Zgraja and performed by Nicole Romano on the flute. Since it was a flute solo, that was the only instrumentation used. The melody of this piece was quite disjunct, simply because the ranges between the notes varied widely, which made it sound more virtuosic in nature, as the title of the piece suggests. In terms of tonality, the piece was written in major and had an extremely fast rhythm, except for in some parts where it would slow to what seemed to be a cadence. The dynamics also varied widely since the volume would increase as the speed would increase and then eventually become softer as the beat slowed. This created a crescendo effect where the music would become soft but then progressively get louder. The form of this piece was AB and the meter was triple meter because it definitely maintained a somewhat rolling sound. I enjoyed this piece so much that I actually listened to it later that night while I was doing my homework!

Going into the concert, I had pretty low expectations. I thought that since it was a student recital, the pieces being played might not be too difficult or interesting to listen to; however, I was mistaken. All of the pieces that were played seemed extremely difficult and all of them kept me engaged throughout the recital. I really enjoyed watching the students perform because, as I said earlier, I recognized several performers who I see on campus, so it was amazing to see them in their element! I would definitely attend a similar concert in the future. The recital was very calming and I loved seeing the musicians showcase their spectacular talents!

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Blog Post #15

1. After reading this article I can say that I am definitely in stage four, at the present moment. I have known about the show for awhile and have dreamed of going, but on account of my college student budget, I have been confined to the original cast recording, for now.

2. I think what really strikes me about the entire premise of Hamilton is the way in which it uses history, a seemingly boring topic, to create an exciting modern, hip-hop, drama which sheds light on the life of a prominent figure who helped shape America. History allows us to learn from the past in order to gain a better understanding of why things are the way they are today. We’ve all heard of the founding fathers of America and the construction of the constitution, but have we ever really taken the time to research who these men actually were, beyond their names? I know that I haven’t. The name Alexander Hamilton rings a bell, but I honestly did not know who he was, where he came from, or the contributions he made to America, prior to listening/researching the musical itself. In my opinion, Miranda has done a wonderful job of emphasizing the importance of a somewhat forgotten character in our history. He utilizes Hamilton’s life to share the history of how America came to be.

To me, music is essentially a language we use to feel something. In Hamilton, the music is used to connect with history in a modern way, since the music itself is hip-hop. I think that history can sometimes seem like a dry and boring subject. I can vividly remember asking my teacher “why do we have to learn about this”? However, music, I believe, literally brings life to the events and people. We can see and hear their triumphs and their defeats which allows us to sympathize with them and become invested in what is happening. Thus, Hamilton is able to transform the events we read in textbooks, to stories we can relate to, through music which allows us to feel.

As for Hamilton, the musical, I do not think that it is essential they stick to the exact story. History, when used for entertainment purposes (books, movies, musicals, etc.) is supposed to keep us interested. If we wanted to know what really happened, we can read a textbook. When we are going to an event like a musical, we are expecting to be entertained. So if the truth is stretched in the process for dramatic effect, can we really be upset? As for history itself, I do not believe that we can ever look at it without factoring in bias. The article said, “the Revolution was unlikely ever to be accurately described by anyone who had not participated in it” (Gutzman). I think that this statement is true in regards to all of history, and not limited to the Revolution. We know about events because they have been passed down to us by others who have been there when the history was being made; however, different people can hold very different perceptions of how, when, or why something happened. When we hear about historical events we assume they are true, but in reality we are probably only getting one person’s take on it. Situational factors can often provide a bias on the stories we tell and these influences have been deeply ingrained throughout all of history; therefore we must carefully consider its biased nature.

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Blog Post #14

In the first video, the melody was conjunct for the most part and in the second video, the melody was still conjunct but also disjunct in some places. In terms of harmony, they are both in a somewhat major tonality that provides the songs with a hopeful feeling. The tempo in the second song is much slower and drawn out then it is in the second song in an effort to make it sound more powerful. Also, in the second song, the instrumentation sounds more electric in timbre to give it a more modern feel. In both videos the words “where is the love” tended to be louder in order to be emphasized. I think that these changes in rhythm and sound were used in order to allow audience today to relate a little more to the most recent song.

https://www.looktothestars.org/news/16168-the-lumineers-donate-christmas-song-proceeds-to-charity 

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Blog Post #13

I went to the session titled “Is it Ok for any Choir to Sing Gospel Music?”  Before I arrived I’ll admit that I wasn't necessarily excited about the topic. I didn't know much about gospel music and I wasn’t really interested. However, that all changed when I heard the choir sing the first song titled “Total Praise”. The emotion and the way all of the voices came together was extremely powerful. After the choir sat down and Dr. Hampton started speaking, I was instantly intrigued. The main question that was presented was, “is it possible for a white choir to sing black spirituals”? From there, Dr. Hampton stressed the importance of “feeling” a spiritual. He also really emphasized the idea of context in gospel music. In other words, knowing the history and origin of what you are singing and the environment you're going to be singing it in. Then, Dr. Hampton proceeded to describe the difference between an active culture and a passive culture. In an active culture, it is common to interject in conversations without asking permission to speak, whereas a passive culture typically refrains from talking unless called upon. He also pointed out that black culture is primarily active where European cultures are usually passive. I really appreciated his comment that it’s not bad to be white, however, it is still extremely important that we take time to understand other’s cultures in order to “sit at the table” together in “unity”. In terms of our class, I think this session definitely tied in nicely with what we have been discussing. When Dr. Hampton was describing some of his personal experiences with racial stereotypes and remarks, I thought it was amazing that instead of using his music to be bitter, he literally wrote a song titled “Unity” and continued to encourage white choirs to sing spirituals. Essentially, he is using his knowledge of gospel music to teach others from different cultures so that they can gain a better understanding of black culture. I think that Dr. Hampton is effectively building bridges through gospel music to create a mutual respect between cultures in hopes of eventually bringing social justice for all.

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Blog Post #12

I believe that music is an extremely powerful platform for artists to express their political, social, or moral views. Since music has the ability to reach a big audience, it has the ability to influence massive amounts of people in ways that are creative and innovative. I think that by exercising their freedom of speech in a musical sphere, artists are able to effectively expose the pressing issues in our society to their listeners. When I think of specific music that embodies this theme of social justice I think of the song “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas. This song is basically pointing out all of the hatred and violence in the world and literally asking, where has the peace and love gone? This is a prime example of a musical group using their popularity to reach a wide audience in an effort to bring about change. An artist who has been known to rap about social justice for the LGBT community (“Same Love”) as well as the dangers of drug abuse and addiction (“Otherside”), is Macklemore. He uses his verses as a way to talk about his own experiences along with different misconceptions that he has come across, which I think is extremely powerful. Overall, music has the ability to be a catalyst for bringing about social justice by reaching a huge audience that can be inspired throughout the course of the song, concert, album, etc.

For Symposium Day, I think that the class should attend “Is it Ok for any Choir to Sing Gospel Music?” Not only does the session pertain to music, but it is also interactive and will allow us to see a performance by the Augustana choir! It also touches on questions of race and ethnicity in music which ties nicely into our discussion of music for social justice.

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Blog Post #11

Initial Reaction: I am confused as to how this is considered music: what is the significance of the silence? 

When I first began watching the piece, I honestly thought it was a joke. I kept saying to myself, how can this be? Is he really going to go the entire piece without playing any substantial music? However, after reading this article I now understand some of Cage’s motives. Throughout his life, Cage battled with the idea of sound and later with the nature of silence in his music (which is evident in 4’ 33’’). For him, “music was built out of blocks of time, and these blocks could contain either sound or silence”. This idea of silence was interesting though, simply because he was “letting sounds appear freely within the silence of his time structures”. After reading Cage’s methods and then listening to the piece again, I have come to some of my own conclusions on the concept of silence that I had never considered before. Once I actively engaged with the performance, I became increasingly “interested in these noises” that I could “detect for those four and a half minutes”. The silence itself drew out a new world of sounds that I had previously been completely oblivious to. Throughout the piece, I began to wonder “about silence, about music, about composers, performers, audiences, etc.” until I realized that in the nothingness, something emerged: reflection. Although the author of the article is “unsatisfied” with the work, saying “we are left with the surface phenomena of silence, ideas about silence, and we fumble around for ways to make the piece “work” for us”, I believe that these features are precisely what make the performance beautiful. The author goes on to suggests that the piece is flawed since “it may suggest that silence is something that can be presented to us by someone else”; however, in my opinion, the performance is used to direct our attention to silence by making us stop and ponder its significance. Ultimately, no matter what the reaction to the piece was, I am sure that it made everyone in the audience stop and think at some point, and in retrospect, I believe that is extremely powerful. Even if it wasn’t Cage’s intention, the piece really moved me and allowed me to embrace the seemingly silent moments and unlock the sounds which create the music of life.

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Blog Post #9/#10

Timestamp  23:30-23:24

1. There was an artistic revolution in which everything fashionable was not Russian, but rather European. However, many artists rebelled against the dependence on European ideas, concentrating their efforts on establishing a nationalistic Russian identity. A powerful leader among this group was Stravinsky’s teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In order to sound more ‘Russian’ groups (like the Mighty Handful) used folk songs and chants, inspired by old myths and fairytales to give the music a particular sound.

2. The bassoon began the piece and it caused quite a ruckus during the first performance, simply because it was played in the highest register possible. Therefore, many of the audience members had no idea what instrument it was.

3. The audience was anxiously awaiting the performance and was expecting to see what was typical of a ballet at the time. However, what they saw was quite different from anything they had witnessed previously. From the sounds of it, the audience members were quite startled by the raw energy that the music held along with the bizarre choreography and costumes. By trying to go back to the primitive Russian village, Stavinsky essentially went too far forward. The audience was in an uproar simply because they were so taken aback by these choices that were seen as radical at the time. In its essence the Rite of Spring was seen as scandalous in its premiere.  

4. The instrument that I found most interesting was the english horn. To me it looked like a longer oboe and sounded lyrical and drawn out. In the piece itself it came in second after the bassoon, to cut it off. The player of this instrument in the video remarked that this interruption was used to grab the ears of the listeners so that they couldn’t think of anything else to the point that they were drawn into the phrase itself. Since I had never heard of the english horn before this video it was extremely interesting to see the instrument, listen to how it sounds, and learn it’s significance in the Rite of Spring.

5. The sacrificial dance was hard to notate simply because Stravinsky could feel the rhythm, but couldn't imagine how it would be written down since it was so chaotic. This sound, he thought, had no conventional way of expression. The section itself actually had a design and is made up of simple musical gestures that were used in a very cunning way. This essential pattern began with alternating on beats and offbeats, a silence which lead to an exaggerated crescendo by the brass, and then three consecutive short notes played by strings and winds. After, a contrasting section is played which is insistent on reaffirming the grove. This eventually leads to a huge “Stravinsky noise”, which after a cutting and pasting of wind elements, is wrapped up by a rhythm played by the low brass and percussion. All of this leads to the thrilling climax where the head snaps and the dead maiden is raised in glory.

Reaction to original choreography: This really was not the typical ballet. The movements being made by the dancers were more tribal and choppy then they were elegant and graceful. The performance definitely felt primitive as there was a lot of stomping and jumping happening. I also noticed a lot of groups that would be clumped together and doing their own thing and then occasionally form a cluster in one group. I just kept on thinking that, for a ballet, the moves were very basic in nature: there wasn’t anything I saw that seemed too complicated. The performers never smiled and were often just looking out into the distance which was, in my opinion, creepy. They often held poses too and occasionally used their bodies to make noises (clapping, stomping, patting legs, hitting floor). Overall I could understand why the initial audience was confused. This was nothing like any ballet I have ever seen. However, although the choreography and costumes felt out of place, the music itself was powerful and jolting and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the performance.

Although this is only the ‘Sacrificial Dance’ section, I do think it is quite different from that same part in the original. 

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Concert Review #1

The concert that I chose to attend was Lessons and Carols and the performers were the Augustana chamber singers as well as the Augustana ascension ringers. The atmosphere in the Ascension Chapel (the space where it was held) was filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming holiday. There were several candles and big chandeliers that were dimly lit along with several pews where the audience sat and looked onto the performers who stood in the front, by the pulpit. The audience consisted of students, relatives (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.), faculty members, and maybe even some community members/alumni. The performers wore beautiful long dresses and black suits and although some of us students were a little underdressed (oops) the rest of the audience was wearing jeans/ khakis, nice sweaters, and dresses. The performance moved swiftly and soundly. Generally, a student would stand and give a “lesson” which consisted of a reading from the BIble and then the chamber singers would follow with a carol. After the processional chord, the whole audience stood and sang the hymn Joy to the World with the chamber singers. This song was accompanied by an organist who began with a fairly long introduction before we all joined in to sing the first verse together. The melody appeared to be conjunct, with relatively small intervals and was sung in a descending major scale that gave the song a happy and cheerful sound. The rhythm was moderately slow and the dynamics were fairly consistent throughout the piece, since everyone sang at the same volume throughout. Also, the song was in duple meter which means there were 2 beats in each measure. Finally, the form of the hymn stayed the same, since all four verses were sung in the same way: the only thing that changed were the words. Another piece that really stuck out to me was the final carol we sang with the chamber singers which was Silent Night, Holy Night! We sang this once our candles were all lit and the lights of the chapel were dimmed, so the atmosphere during the carol was quite moving. This song was accompanied by the ascension ringers and had 3 different verses. The melody varied between conjunct and disjunct with some leaps that would go fairly high and then return to small intervals. This piece is written in major with various chords being played in that key. The meter was duple and the rhythm was very slow and drawn out with a sort of calming feeling to it. The dynamics were interesting since at the end of various phrases, there were crescendos that would increase in volume and then eventually return back to a regular volume (sleep in heavenly peace!!: loud and emphasized/sleep in heavenly peace: back to original volume). The form is also the same throughout since there are three verses that are sang/played the same, except for their variation in words. I thoroughly enjoyed going to this concert. At first, I thought that it was going to be the same old Christmas songs that we typically sing at a church service but instead, the songs were extremely diverse. There were some I had never even heard before! The performers were absolutely amazing and I liked that we got to participate too. I would definitely attend a concert like this again: all of the performers were incredible! It definitely put me in the Christmas spirit! I genuinely enjoyed myself.

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Blog Post #8

Merry Christmas!!

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Blog Post #7

Clavichord: It is the oldest stringed instrument that we know of and is small in size which would have made it quite portable.The timbre is very twangy and higher in pitch then the modern piano. Since the sound is so small, the clavichord does not have an extremely high sustain and because it was made in the Baroque era when music was a private affair, the instrument’s dynamics did not produce a very loud sound. In terms of its range, the clavichord does not have a wide one since there are two strings for every note, which means you cannot play those notes together, thus limiting the range. Again, this instrument did not have great projection either since it was not designed to be played in a public setting, but rather an intimate one. As I mentioned previously, we know that music in the Baroque era was played more privately which is clear from the clavichord’s sound, sustain, dynamics, and projection.

Harpsichord: This instrument is larger than the clavichord but still smaller than the modern piano, so it would have been more difficult to move from place to place than the rectangular boxed clavichord. The harpsichord has strings that are plucked by pluck drums which creates a twanginess similar to the clavichord, but is fuller in sound. It is this fullness that allows the timbre of the instrument to range from a soft “whisper” to a full sound. The sustain of the harpsichord is low, similar to the clavichord, but contains a louder dynamic and range. In terms of the projection, since this instrument was made later in the Baroque Era, music was still fairly private but had begun making steps in playing for a larger audience. Mozart, was famous for making this instrument well known in this time period and since the notes were not being plucked from the same strings, the musicians were free to experiment with more complex note patterns, creating more complex music.

Piano: Pianos were larger than the harpsichord but smaller than the modern piano which made them increasingly more difficult to move around. The timbre is definitely more complete than the harpsichord and has lost much of its previous twanginess. It’s sustain is quite high, its dynamics have become increasingly louder, and its range and projection have improved since the harpsichord. This instrument was popular in the classical era for its wide range that made the musical compositions increasingly more complex and also because music was being played for bigger audiences which made the improvements in its sustain, dynamics, range, and projection, more desirable.

Modern Piano: The modern piano is the largest and heaviest of the pianos which makes it the most difficult in terms of portability. It has the most agreeable, rich timbre, outstanding sustain due to the implementation of foot pedals, varying dynamics depending on how hard you press the keys, impeccable range with 88 keys, and a powerful projection. Since this instrument was popular in the Romantic period where concert halls with large audiences were common, these elements (sustain, timbre, dynamics, range, and projection) were all essential in order to provide new and innovative music that could reach all ears in a large crowd.  

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Blog Post #6

Mozart was born into a musical family with a father who set out to make him a renowned musician. In order to showcase his son’s musical talents, Leopold left Salzburg with his wife and two children (Wolfgang and Maria Anna) on a three and a half year grand tour. During the course of this journey, young Wolfgang challenged great musicians and performed all over Europe, which improved his family’s status from humble tradesmen to special guests of royalty. After the tour, the family returned to Salzburg, until Wolfgang turned twenty one and left home, without his father. However, this new freedom caused him to stray, which frightened Leopold. So, after being forced to leave his first love Aloysia and witnessing his mother’s death, Wolfgang fell into a period of heartache which ultimately altered the nature of his music forever. Eventually, Wolfgang was asked to accompany the Archbishop to Vienna, without his father once again, and resigned from his duties there after his temper got the best of him. In Vienna, Wolfgang spent beyond his means. He indulged in smoking, drinking, and billiards and then proceeded to marry a girl named Candaza without his father’s approval. Finally, in an effort to revive his career, Wolfgang, performed several concerts which became widely popular throughout Vienna.

With the end of the 7 year war, everyday life in Europe was characterized by its lavishness. This meant that the aristocracy could enjoy themselves again: they used their money for entertainment and valued the arts for enlightenment. Traveling musicians at the time had dangerous and grueling lives. The Mozart’s in particular were often sick and malnourished during their journey. In 1781 however, Vienna became the place where musicians and artists flocked and flourished. Mozart was most definitely a genius. He used his life as a driving force for his music and harnessed his experiences of suffering and joy within his compositions, which made them extremely powerful. He had incredible abilities of improvisation and was even said to embody the “creative spirit of God”. Wolfgang was able to play his keyboard blindfolded or without sight of his hands and composed his first piano concerto at the age of four. In short, he was able to take his experiences and apply them to his music in ways that had never been done before.

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Blog Post #5

There are four unaccompanied voices with varied textures that are used in a satirical fashion by taking a modern song like Katy Perry's Dark Horse and preforming it in a traditional madrigal way. There are a couple instances where the refrain syllables "fa la la" are used, which was considered a new madrigal technique cultivated in England during the Renaissance. Also, the performance uses text painting: when the lyrics say "up to me" the voices progressively get higher (emphasizing the "up").