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Blog Post #10

1)    The alphorn shares a history with the horn instrument family practically brass horns

2)    Conical

3)    The alphorn is made out of wood. This wood usually comes from pine trees. The wood is first halved and then gouged out to give the horn its conical shape.

 4)    The notes look very wavy. This pattern of notes seems like it may have been easier to perform than some other kinds of horn instruments. The simplicity of these melodies may have been due to the fact that the herdsman would play them to soothe their cattle while they were being milked.

5)    The herdsman would use the alphorn to soothe their cattle while they were being milked or when there was a storm.

6)    There are 3 movements. The alphorn is left out of the second one because it was supposed to be seen as a lullaby. The alphorn had no place being in a lullaby because of how loud it was and it may have been difficult for the alphorn to play all the notes necessary for this movement.

7)    The alphorn almost died out in the 1700s because of John Calvin. When he fled Paris he wound up going to Switzerland where he also brought many of his crazy ideas. One of these ideas was that instrumental music was the work of the devil. This idea began to spread throughout Switzerland and as a result, many instruments including the alphorn were destroyed.

8)    To re-establish the tradition of alphorns within the Swiss society festivals were had. These festivals were an effort to reunite Switzerland by promoting its traditions and that included the alphorn.

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Blog post #7

1)    While in Salzburg we can expect to hear a glockenspiel being played in the tower across from the Residenz. It will be played at 7 and 11 am and at 6 pm.

2)    Colloredo wanted to make Salzburg more modern. To do this his plan was “to overhaul the education system, to rescue a financially failing court, and to promote the sciences and the arts”. The text suggests that Colloredo was far less interested in court music and for that reason he wanted to restrict instrumental music at some churches during some services and the university theatre was permanently closed in 1778. The reasons for this is that he thought that there were other more important things that needed to be focused on such as the sciences to make Salzburg more modern. 

3)    The performance or composition opportunities were pretty limited in Salzburg during that 18th century. Both were performed at the cathedral. One was the court music proper along with the choirboys. For important occasions, there would sometimes be 40 musicians performing and less for smaller occasions. The other opportunity was court and field trumpeters.

4)    The text suggests that Mozart’s music was more complex and more ambiguous than his contemporaries such as Haydn. Hayden's work was seen to be very stable rhythmically which may have made it more predictable and easier to follow for the listener. This made for a very undramatic piece. Mozart’s music, on the other hand, had a weak unstable theme which made Mozart’s music more unpredictable and very dramatic at times.

5)    Eisen claims that both sides are at fault for the “breakdown of Mozart’s relationship with his native city”. However, only one side is really talked about by historians and that is the side that is told from Mozarts point of view where says that he was mistreated. Eisen argues that maybe he wasn’t being mistreated Mozart’s just didn’t like Colloredo because of opinions that were passed on to him by his father Leopold. Leopold didn’t like Colloredo because he was favoring Italian musicians over native musicians and some of that dislike for Colloredo may have been passed down to Mozart. He also states that there are no sources prior to 1802 that discuss Mozart’s mistreatment in Salzburg which makes him question whether or not he was actually being mistreated.  

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Blog post #16

1)    Who was Strauss influenced by when he wrote this work and in what ways did they influence him? (More than one person) 

Struss was influenced by a book that was written by Friedrich Nietzsche called Thus Spoke Zarathustra. There was a quote about climbing to the tallest point of a mountain and this inspired Strauss to compose Alpine Symphony. This piece was designed to portray a journey to the top of a mountain and back. Beethoven also had an influence on Strauss’s Work. There are many similarities in the imagery that these two composers are trying to convey to their audiences. They try to portray nonmusical objects within nature such as a violent storm with different forms of instrumentation. This can be seen in both Strauss’s work as well as in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 6. Strauss also used cowbells to represent a mountain line in Bavaria. He got this idea for cowbells because he was inspired by the use of them in Gustav Mahler’s sixth symphony.

2)    What does this horn player tell us to expect from this work?

The piece was written for the largest orchestra imaginable so we can expect to see a very grand performance. This was also seen by many to be one of Strauss’s greatest achievements because it was written during his prime, a time where he really figured out how to write a piece for an orchestra the best. We can expect to hear many different forms of instrumentation such as off stage horns and even a wind machine. It should make you think of the Alps which makes sense that he is trying to portray something very large with the grand orchestra. We can expect to hear an alphorn which should sound kind of like warm soothing feeling.

3) 

Nacht (Night)- 0:44

Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise) - 4:06

Der Anstieg (The Ascent)-  4:45

Eintritt in den Wald (Entry into the Forest)- 7:55

Wanderung neben dem Bache (Wandering by the Brook)- 13:18

Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall)- 14:05

Erscheinung (Apparition) - 14:22

Auf blumigen Wiesen (On Flowering Meadows)- 16:04 

Auf der Alm (On the Alpine Pasture) :18:20

Durch Dickicht und Gestrüpp auf Irrwegen (Through Thickets and Undergrowth on the Wrong Path) - 19:25

Auf dem Gletscher (On the Glacier) - 21:00

Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments)- 22:30

Auf dem Gipfel (On the Summit) - 24:00

Vision (Vision) - 26:30

Nebel steigen auf (Mists Rise) 30:20

Die Sonne verdüstert sich allmählich (The Sun Gradually Becomes Obscured) 30:50

Elegie (Elegy) 31:20

Stille vor dem Sturm (Calm Before the Storm) 39:30

Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg (Thunder and Tempest, Descent) 42:04 

Sonnenuntergang (Sunset) 44:15

Ausklang (Quiet Settles)  47:40

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Lohengrin End of Act 2

At one point Ortrud and Elsa are kind of fighting back and forth and Elsa says your husband was condemned by the gods. Ortrud fires back with something like “Elsa you can’t even say your husband’s name and you don’t even know where he came from”. Ortrud then says “if he ever leaves you, Elsa, you won’t even know where he went”. This seems to upset her and is the point where I think Elsa really starts thinking about just asking Lohengrin. The singers in the background are saying that what Ortrud is saying is blasphemous. The fighting between Elsa and Ortrud seems to end when the King and Lohengrin walk back on to the stage. Elsa asks Lohengrin to protect her from Orturd. Lohengrin asks Elsa if Ortrud managed to poison her heart. It seems like they are trying to represent the emotions of the different characters by the different lights that they shine on them. Lohengrin seems to always have a brighter light on him when he is singing and at this point in the opera, Elsa seems to be spending a lot of time in the blue light. This is probably due to the fact that she is feeling very unworthy of Lohengrin's love because she can’t ask him his name. Elsa returns back into the bright light when Lohengrin asks her if she still trusts him and she says yes. They then proceed to head into the church together.

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Blog post #15

1)    Yes, I do think that Wagner’s music should still be performed even though there has been lots of controversy over it because of his anti-semitic views. In the article, Wagner Israel and the Palestinians, the author states that “Wagner was the first composer to very consciously calculate and demand the speed of dynamic developments” and this is a style in music that can still be seen today. His music was so unique for his time period and it influenced many composers. Many composers loved his new style of music and often times tried to incorporate his style into their music. If the decision was made to no longer perform Wagner’s music than it would only make sense to also not perform any music that was influenced by his work. I don’t think that would be fair to the musicians that were not anti-Semitic but decided to mimic his style. Also if the decision was made to not perform his music then I think we would also have to change the style of our movie theaters. The design of many modern movie theaters is another art form that was also influenced by Wagner. If we were to get rid of one form of his art, his music, then it would only make sense to get rid of the other which would be the design of his theaters and I don’t think this would be a good idea. I don’t think that it is necessary to get rid of his work completely, but I do think that it is important to inform people of his anti-Semitic views. In the article, Divorcing music from anti-Semitism Israeli soprano takes on taboo at Wagner fest, the author suggests that it was not uncommon for people to be prejudice towards Jews. The author states that it wasn’t until “1669 that it became legal for Jews to move somewhat freely in Berlin and the surrounding area”. Although this doesn’t change the fact that Wagner was anti-semitic, I think it is important to note that this was something that he probably grew up believing. I think that this music should still be played because of how unique and influential it was for many composers that came after Wagner. I also think it should still be performed by Jewish musicians, like the Jewish singer in the article, as well because I think it kind of erases that anti-Semitic stigma around Wagner’s music.  

 Wagner and Me

1)    Fry believes that the article that Wagner wrote, Judaism in Music, has “stained his reputation to this day”. He thought that anti-Semitism was widespread during the time period in which Wagner was growing up, however, Wagner seemed to have a personal issue with the Jews as well. Fry suggests that Wagner was jealous of the lives that other Jewish composures, such as Mendelssohn, were living during this period as well. This contributed to his anti-Semitic views. Fry says that although he wasn’t a very pleasant man it does not change the fact that his music is incredibly supreme and I think that he would say that his music should still be performed as well. He says that he sees Wagner’s music as the most beautiful tapestry with a stain on it. You can still appreciate all of the beautiful aspects of his music even though he was a bad dude.

2)    Some things that I learned from the video that I had not considered before was that Wagner was considered to be an international composer and he did not make reference to Germany a lot in his work. This was surprising to me because I always thought of him as being like a German nationalist. Something else I learned from the video was that the design of Neuschwanstein Castle was all inspired by Wagner’s work. I learned that the design of the Nazi rally grounds was inspired by the stages that Wagner designed for his operas. Hitler wanted his audience to be impacted by the visual appeal of his stage just like the audience at Wagner’s operas. I learned that the Wagner family invited Hitler with open arms when he visited them for the first time. They were also big supporters of him even early on in his rise to power. I learned that some Jews who were taken prisoner and sent to concentration camps would sometimes be saved if they could perform music by Wagner because they would be asked to play it for German soldiers. A Jewish survivor of Auschwitz said that she would never forbid anyone from listening to the music that Wagner composed.  

Lohengrin

1)    The story was influenced by the events that took place in 933 when King Hennery the Flower of Saxony was uniting many German states to rise up against Hungarian invaders. This is a story of good vs bad which takes place during the medieval era. There are a lot of knights and Kings as wells magical characters such as evil witches.

2)    No, in the story, the hero who saves the lady in distress does not want his story to be told. This is the opposite of what Wagner wanted. I think that he wanted everyone to know of his work and for his story to be told.  

3)    Both are played at the beginning of the opera however an overture is generally longer than a prelude. An overture will introduce the audience to all the major themes that will be important throughout the opera. This is different from a prelude which, after doing the reading, I interrupted as a way to tell a short story that would be important to know before watching the opera. For example, the prelude to Lohengrin is telling the story of the Holy Grail.

4)    Elsa is being accused of murdering her little brother Gottfried who is the child-Duke of Brabant. Count Friedrich von Telramund, the children’s guardian, believes that her motive for killing her brother was so that she could take over as Duchess of Brabant.    

5)    Telramund and Ortrud are banished and the settle to Antwerp castle.

6)    She is a Pagan and she believed in Wodon and Freia    

7)    Elsa feels “unequal and unworthy” because Lohengrin won’t tell her his name. She has so many questions about why he wouldn’t share this with her that it starts to make her mad.

8)    Elsa dies because of guilt when Lohengrin has to return home because his identity has been exposed. Telramund is killed by Lohengrin when tries to attack him. Ortrud dies when Lohengrin prays to God after Orturd says that is not possible to bring back Gottfried.

9)    I thought it was kind of funny and it probably was a “had to be there” kind of moment, but no I did not laugh out loud. I could see how a person who is really serious about operas may find this hysterical because I feel like operas, or at least Wagner’s operas, were supposed to be followed exactly how they were written and this particular incident of Lohengrin missing the Swan boat was defiantly not in the script.

10)  I am excited to see how Ortrud is portrayed in the opera. The reading suggests that she was supposed to be very awful and the author states that she is “one of the truly great bitches of opera” (page 107). I am also excited to see all the cool costumes worn by the performers. I have always been a big fan of story’s that take place during the medieval time period.  

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Post #14

Wagner’s Antisemitism

After doing the reading I do believe that Richard Wagner was antiemetic. He had many complaints about people who were Jewish such as their appearance, how they spoke and also their intellectual ability. It seemed as if he believed that people who were Jewish were just all around lesser people. The text suggests that Wagner didn’t like the way Jews looked. He states that the Jews had a “distinct appearance that no matter to what European nationality we belong, has something disagreeably foreign to that nationality”. This quote is very sad because he is basically isolating Jewish people saying they don’t really fit in with any nationality because of the way they look. He goes on even further to say that nobody would “wish to have anything in common with a man who looks like that” which I found also to be a very degrading way to describe a person who was Jewish. Wagner also didn’t like the way that Jews talked. He didn’t like the way they enunciated their words and if he didn’t like the way they talked he definitely didn’t like the way they sang music. The text suggests that Wagner believed that “ Song is just talk aroused to highest passion”, so it would only make sense that he also didn’t like music sang by a Jew. Wagner also believed that because many Jewish people had to learn modern European langue’s and it was not their “mother tongue” they were incapable of expressing themselves creatively with original thought. For that reason, he didn’t think they should be producing music because they would just be mimicking work that has already been done. This was also his complaint about Mendelssohn. He thought that his work was lacking passion and the only reason that it sounded kind of good was because of a special pattern he copied that was first done by “old master Bach” who was not a Jew.  He thought that Heine was “no true poet”.

If I were a Jewish musician during this time period I would not want to play for Wagner. I don’t think I would care how popular his music was I still wouldn’t be able to get past him viewing me as a lesser person than the people around me who were not Jewish. If I had to perform his music I would make sure that I botched it really bad so that the audience thought that the piece he wrote was terrible. If I lived next door to him I would never invite him over for a barbeque, but I would still have one. I would invite everyone else on the block and play really loud music, by a Jew, so he could hear how much fun we were having. This would probably really aggravate him and he would probably feel very left out.

Wagner’s Contributions on Modern Theater

Wagner had made many changes to the theaters of his time that have had a significant impact on how theaters are designed today. Wagner wanted to emphasize the importance of his art and wanted everyone in the audience to have a great view of his show. This was very different from many theaters of his time. Many people would go to the opera just to show face. This was a way to show off how much money they had because it was very expensive to buy tickets. If you were at the opera and people saw you there they knew you were someone who had money or was important in some way. Wagner wanted to change this. He wanted people to come to his show and enjoy and focus on just his art and so he changed the framework of the theater. All of the seats were facing towards the main stage so there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. This was referred to as “wedge-shaped seating”. He also sank the orchestra so that it wouldn’t take away from what was going on during the performance on stage. One of the main things that we see all the time that was first started by Wagner was darkening the lighting in the room during the performance. This allowed the audience to focus on the performance itself as opposed to looking around the room and seeing all the important people that were present. He also wanted everyone to be able to attend his show not just the rich or important people. He wanted everyone to be able to see and enjoy his work so he lowered the prices of his tickets and made it more affordable to go to the opera.  

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Post #13

1)    Wagner was around 13 or 14 when Beethoven died. Wagner learned from Beethoven by listening to his work. He referred to him as the “great master of melody” which probably influenced Wagner to try and mimic some of his music.  He wanted to mimic his music because he loved it so much.  He was so inspired by the Beethoven that he thought of him almost as a “unique supernatural being”.

2)    Wagner believed that the bar was set so high by Beethoven with regards to creating symphonies that it would be impossible to create “anything fresh and truly noteworthy in the realm of symphony”. He thought that if he were to produce a symphony he would probably just wind up mimicking something that has already been done by Beethoven because he admired his work that much. This is why he decided to focus much of his work on operas. He believed he could express himself in his own way without feeling the need to copy some else’s work because there was no one creating operas who he admired liked he did with Beethoven.

 The Strange Life and Career of Richard Wagner

 1)     Wagner faced many problems on his way to success. He suffered financially and also had kind of a bad reputation of not be a very nice guy. He was having an affair with a married woman which was also not a good look in many people eyes when the scandal got out to the public. He was anti-Semitic and he blamed a lot of his failures on the Jews within music during the time. All of these things kind of slowed down his rise to success.

2)     Google defines leitmotif as ‘a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation’ and it is used in the text to describe how loneliness was the recurring theme in Wagner’s life (page 33). Another example would be how every time you see the pink panther in that movie a certain musical pattern comes on.

3)     Wagner’s second wife was Cosima. Cosima was married to one of Wagner’s fellow musicians who was actually married to her first. They wound up having an affair and eventually had a child together before the decision to get married.

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Post #12

1)    The test suggest that Sophie was concerned that Ludwig did not actually love her. Apparently, she had been writing letters to her mother about these concerns who then passed this info along to Ludwig’s mom, the Queen. Ludwig’s decision to cancel the engagement confirmed that the concerns Sophia was having were true and Ludwig decided not to marry her. However, I don’t think he canceled the marriage because he was a homosexual I think it was because he was afraid to commit to someone so early in his life.  In a letter to Cosima he states that “I only long for freedom, freedom, for freedom I thirst” (page 60). This suggests that he isn’t breaking off the relationship because he is gay but rather unsure if Sophia is the one. One could make the argument that he may be unsure about whether or not he likes men though by how obsessed he is with Wagner. He states that he would rather kill himself then to be married to Sophia, but he would give his last drop of blood for Wagner. It sounds like he loves him. He also states that “I am still young and have much time to find the being who is destined for me by God”. In this statement, he doesn’t specifically say women which I thought was interesting and also made me think that he may have liked men.

2)    Wagner was financially and morally devastated after leaving Vienna and then he saw a photograph of King Ludwig. He thought that the kings’ patronage would be his salvation and he was right. The king relieved him from all his misfortunes and the two became friends.

3)    The first thing Ludwig came across of Wagner’s work was his treatises. This was when he was 12 years old and it was an accident. He found them in his great uncles' library.

4)    February 2, 1861 Ludwig saw Lohengrin which is the first time he saw an opera by Wagner

5)    Ludwig’s cabinet was very suspicious of Wagners intentions in the relationship with the king. Then when Ludwig tried to pass some of the political suggestions made by Wagner they became very upset. This made Wagner very mad and told Ludwig he should fire his senior cabinet members. Ludwig was given an ultimatum to either force Wagner to leave Germany or they were all going to resign. So Wagner had to go.

6)     Ludwig started controlling different parts of the production in ways that Wagner didn’t like. It led to Wagner becoming very mad and even leaving some of the performances. Wagner thought that he should have complete control over the production at first, however, the text suggests that he did understand that without Ludwig “neither he nor his music would have ever existed” (page 97).

7)    I don’t think that Ludwig should have helped Wagner with his house. Wagner wouldn’t go back to Munich because he was still mad he was forced to leave. However, Ludwig was so desperate for Wagners friendship he helped pay for the house even though at the time he was also financially strained. In a way, I feel like it just makes Ludwig look super desperate and I don’t think that’s how anyone would want to view their king.

8)    I don’t know about the style, but I just thought that his writing in general was hard to read. It did make me change my opinion though about whether or not Ludwig was a homosexual. After reading this part of the text I think he may have been. When he is writing to Cosima and states “make him understand the passion of my love for him…only then will I begin to live” this makes me think that Ludwig has finally found that person that he is ready to commit to. He said he would rather kill himself then be with someone he didn’t truly love and now he says that the only way he can begin to feel like he is living is if he confesses his love for Wagner.

9)    Neo means a new revival of something that was already done. This would probably include unique personal changes that may combine two different forms. My favorite castle was Neuschwanstein because I like how it was built on a rock had has a great view of the mountains. I really like the way it looks and I think it is cool that the style is similar to the ones built for the original German knights. It is just sad that Ludwig died before it was complete.

10) The construction of many castles, as well as the Kings’ attitude towards money, left him in a lot of debts. His cabinet forced the construction to be stopped and I guess this led to his death. I don’t know how this killed him exactly, but I bet he was probably assassinated by one of his cabinet members because they thought he was a mad man. Reminds me of the Mad King in Game of Thrones.  

 Wagner without Fear

1)    An opera is a more artistic way to tell a story. The words of that story are not spoken they are sung to evoke emotion in the story.

2)    The best way to fix the translation issue is to do nothing. Let the audience watch the opera and just feel the emotion of the performance. When things start getting translated then the meaning gets changed and the story may not make sense. This also may encourage more people to pick up a second language.

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Post #8

1)      The first section of the reading seemed to be a tribute to how great of a composer Beethoven was even though he became deaf later in his life.

2)      In the text it says that Beethoven wrote these pieces between 1805 and 1808, so that would make him around 38 years old.

3)      Beethoven had great respect for Napoleon as a soldier. In the text, it said that Beethoven admired him because “both the solider and the musician were made of that sturdy stuff which would and did defy the world”(page 46). Once Napoleon accepted the title as Emperor, Beethoven lost all respect for him. He was enraged because he thought that Napoleon would “trample the rights of men under his feet” (page 46). From that point on Beethoven never spoke of the connection between his piece Eroica and Napoleon again.

4)      The text suggest that Beethoven was very passionate and you could see this in his work. In the text, it says that “Beethoven’s compositions for the piano, the sonatas, are no less notable for range and power of expression, their adaptation to meet all the varied moods of passion and sentiments” (page 54). He was also very determined. Even when he became deaf he still felt the need to keep writing music. In the text, it says that if it weren’t for his desire to keep making music, Beethoven would have killed himself after becoming deaf.

A testament to his brothers:

1)    After doing the reading, it makes sense to me now why Beethoven wanted to be alone, however, I think his isolation led him to be even more unhappy with his life. He did not want to be around people because he was embarrassed by his deafness. He did not want to admit that he was losing his hearing because that is what set him apart from most people and what made him so great. This can be seen in the text when he states “ how could I possibly admit to infirmity in the one sense which was more perfect than others, a sense which I once possessed in the highest perfection”. The text suggests that he was scared people would find out and he seems to be apologetic to his brothers when he states “forgive me when you see me back when I would gladly mingled with you”, but he is still not willing to risk people finding out about his disease.

Hearing Beethoven:

1)      The text suggest that his deafness had stemmed from digestive problems in his lower abdomen.

2)      The text states that there are two possible explanations for Beethoven’s deafness. Physicians believe that it could have been from when he got sick during the summer of 1796 where the sickness “settled in the organs of hearing”. They said it could have also been due to some sort of infection or from never damage when he threw himself on the floor.

 The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor

1)    I can hear a melody with a repetitive accompaniment so that is why I believe that this is homophonic.

2)    I was surprised to hear how joyful and happy this movement sounded.

3)    During the third movement, the tempo seemed to pick up even more. It seemed like there was a very vigorous rhythm to this movement and it the performer was playing very virtuosic.  

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Post #6

The documentary, The Genius of Mozart Miracle of Nature, tells the unique story of one of the greatest and most controversial composers during the classical era, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The documentary begins talking about Mozart’s childhood. The documentary suggests that by the age of 4 years old Mozart had written his first keyboard concerto and was able to perform it. At this moment his farther, Leopold Mozart, knew that his son was a musical prodigy. At the time Leopold was also an accomplished musician and was the deputy director of music for the Archbishop of Salzburg. After discovering his sons’ talents, he believed that he had a divine mission to show people who began to doubt that miracles do exist and they would believe this when they saw Wolfgang perform. Leopold took a leave of absence from his job and set out to travel with his family so that Wolfgang, and his sister, could perform their music all over Europe.  

People were amazed when they watched Wolfgang perform not only because of his age but also because of his unique ability to improvise while performing. Aristocrats from all over would come to challenge him so they could see his improvisation skills. After years of traveling, the Mozart family returned back to Salzburg. Leopold believed that the people of Salzburg did not fully appreciate his sons’ talents and he wanted to keep traveling so that people all over Europe could see his son perform. A new Archbishop came into power and would not let Leopold leave again, but would let Mozart go off on his own. This is when Mozart experienced freedom from his father for the first time and his priorities seemed to change a bit.  

Mozart started taking fewer jobs performing his music and was spending more time drinking and hanging out with women. He fell in love with a talented singer, after hooking up with his cousin a few times, and decided he wanted to move to Italy with her. His father wouldn’t allow it and forced him to go to Paris. Mozart was heart-broken. You could feel this heartbreak in the music that he wrote and the nature of his music changed forever from this point on. This is something that was also unique about Mozart. He wrote his music with the same emotion that he felt from the different experience that he had encountered during his lifetime. Another example of this was after his mother had died. His father blamed him for this and he took it very hard. He wrote a sonata in A minor after she died which was very uncommon for the time because that key was seen as unpleasant and unstable. This theme of writing music inspired by his own joy and suffering continued throughout the rest of his career and it captivated listeners during the classical era and still does to this day. This style of writing music also inspired many composers in many generations to come.

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Post #5

1.     Describe Bach’s personality.

Johann Sebastian Bach seemed to live a simple life and just wanted to keep creating great music. It seemed as if he wasn’t even interested in fame and that is probably why he didn’t become super famous until after his death. He seemed to have a very modest lifestyle and always lived within his means. In the text, The Great German Composers, the author states that “by frugality, the simple wants of himself and his family never overstepped the limits of supply” (Titus 4). The reading suggests that Bach was more interested and devoted to creating great music than he was to living a lavish lifestyle. This can also be seen in how other composers thought of him. He has often been described as a “musician for musicians”(Titus 6) and his work inspired many composers during his time while he was alive and also in many generations to come.

 2.     When did the German Renaissance occur?

There isn’t an exact time period that was given in the reading however it said that Germany was experiencing musical renaissance around the time that Bach was getting his musical education at Lune-Burg. He attended Lune-Burg in 1703 so it was probably sometime during the early 18th century. During this time many German capitals had seen an increase in enthusiasm for the arts.

 3.     How many wives and children does it say he had? 

After looking at the Family tree it looks like Bach had two wives and 10 children, however, in the reading the author says otherwise. The author states that Bach was “twice married, and the father of twenty children” (Titus 4), so I’m not really sure which one to believe!

 4.     How many were musicians?

The family tree article says that 4 of his children had musical talents. Two became musical leaders of their time and two others showed substantial musical talent. In the text, though it says that 3 of his sons became famous musicians and one, Emanuel Bach, is known for developing the sonata which in turn became the foundation for the symphony (Titus 6).  

 5.     Is there musical talent in your family?

My Papa played the piano and he also loved to paint. My Dad played either the tuba or the trombone in his high school marching band, but I never seen him play an instrument before. I bought him a ukulele for Christmas 2 years ago and he tried to play it a couple of times that day but I haven’t seen it since. I also had to play the recorder in elementary school for music class but my dad wouldn’t let me play it in the house so I never learned any song except for “hot cross buns”.

St. Matthew’s Passion:

1)    I think that the tonality of this piece is major. I wanted to say modal at first because it kind of sound like something you may hear in a church and it also sounds kind of old, but it sounds much different than all the other pieces that we have listened to and those were all modal. When I hear this piece it sounds happy to me and a little more modern than the other pieces we have heard so far and that is why I think it is major.

 2)     At the beginning of the piece the tempo seems kind of slow and each note sounds like they are being dragged out. These two things along with the lyrics makes me feel like they are mourning the death of Jesus Christ. Then there is a break in the music around 3:13 and the music begins again at 3:17 and it seems to be much louder. The notes seemed to be pronounced and it sounds like the people are begging for forgiveness during this part of the piece.

 3)    From watching the video I think that an oratorio is a large orchestra that includes both instrumental musicians and also vocalists.

 4)    I think that it defiantly tells a story and I enjoy this piece much more than the others that we have listened to so far for that reason.

 Concerto for two Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043:

Vivace: In the beginning of the piece, the tempo sounds fast. To me, it sounds like there are two or melodies being played which is why I believe that the texture is polyphonic. The tonality of this piece sounds happy to me so that is why I thought it was major, but in the title it says in D minor so I’m not really sure which one it is. I couldn’t hear any instruments that weren’t in the sting family which makes me wonder if the only instrument being played are violins.  

Largo ma non tanto: There was a pretty long break in between these two parts which made me wonder if it was two different pieces or if they all went together. The tempo seemed to slow down a bit in this second part. I believe that the texture is still polyphonic because I can still hear multiple melodies. I still only hear strings but I see a lady something that looks like a piano. I can’t really tell what it is and I can’t hear a piano so I thought it may have been a harpsichord. I think that the tonality is minor for this part because it sounds kind of sad. There was a part around 5:58 where it seemed like the dynamic changed which I thought sounded decrescendo because the volume that the violins soloist were playing at went down.

Allegro: There was another break in the music and then the tempo picked way up again. Now I’m pretty positive I hear a harpsichord. The texture is still polyphonic and I think the tonality is still minor because it still sounds kind of sad.  

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Post #4

1)      The professional life for a German musician during the Renaissance seemed like it was a grind. Musicians during this time were expected to know how to play many different instruments usually within the wind family. These musicians were normally referred to as pfeifers. They would perform in groups at many different kinds of events such as important civic ceremonies, dances, banquets, and weddings. In the article, it says that “music was valued not only for its own sake but was woven into the fabric of daily life”, so the musicians were very supported and often reached high levels of international prestige. Musicians during this time were given different subsidies, both direct and indirect, which I interpreted as being a way to ensure that these musicians could keep performing music while also making some money to live.  

 2)      We know that the government supported the development of music because there have been tax records found that have shown direct expenditures of municipal funds that went toward music making. We also know some of the instruments that would have been played during this time period even though none have ever been found. Art historians have been able to determine these instruments by using iconographical sources. They have been able to determine the size as well as other characteristics of instruments that have been portrayed in pictures that were created during this time period and from this they could make out what instrument they were.

  3)      During the Middle Ages Nürnberg started to become a major center for trade due to its favorable geographic position within Europe. This combined with special tax privileges allowed Nürnberg to grow very rapidly. In the article, Made in Nürnberg, the author states that “by 1500 Nürnberg was the second biggest German city with a population of around 40,000”. Nürnberg was growing fast and it was attracting all kinds of people and a lot were considered to be “high-class”. Because of their influx of cash, more people started in the metal ore mining industry. Soon it came to be one of the richest cities in all of Europe and the author states that the people enjoyed a high level of culture. People started investing more money in the arts such as music as well as science. They started to manufacture many pieces of scientific instruments such as sundials from the metal as well as musical instruments made out of brass.  

 4)      Martin Luther’s reformations to the Catholic Church and translation of the Bible led to many people moving away from the Catholic Church and also violence. Many battles were fought because of this but the violence finally ended with a peace treaty being signed. The Peace of Augsburg was signed in 1555 which legally allowed kingdoms to choose either Catholic or Lutheran as their official religion. This led to the formation of the Lutheran Church. After the formation of the Lutheran church, there were many things that remained the same as the Catholic Church when it came to the services. However, one thing that changed a lot was music. One aspect that Luther changed within the Lutheran church was the implementation of congregational singing. Within the Catholic Church, the music was performed exclusively by professional performers because of how complex it was. It was all written in Latin so it took a well-educated person to be able to perform and sing church music. Also, music was very melismatic meaning it had many syllables for a single note which was very difficult to perform. Luther sought to change this by creating Lutheran chorale which simplified the music in a way by making it more homophonic which allowed the congregation to sing together as a whole. Another major difference to the music was that it was also translated to their vernacular language which allowed everyone to sing along. These changes implemented into the Lutheran church by Martin Luther changed the way music was performed and written and influenced many composers to do the same in years to come.

 5)       

 -Texture: when I listen to this song I hear many different melodies being sung so that is why I the texture of this piece is polyphonic

-Tonality:  Again not super great at determining this yet, but for this piece, I believe that it sounds very happy so that is why I am going to say that the tonality is major.

-What I got from reading the translated version of the lyrics is that this song is about the birth of Jesus Christ and how he is going to be our savior.

-My Guess: From listening to the song I would guess that a motet is a song that is polyphonic and is generally sang in major key.

Definition of motet from Google: a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.

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Post #3

1)      In politics, women haven’t always been involved due to social norms. This is a field that was always predominantly male and seemed to excluded women from holding any sort of position of power. Similarly, in the past women had been excluded from having careers in music. In the article, When Were Woman First Allowed in the Orchestra, the author states that until the 20th-century women weren’t allowed in the orchestra. The gender gap within the fields of music and politics is still very apparent today. In the article, By the Numbers: Female Composers, the author talks about the disparity between the number of male and female composers and how it has prevented females from even trying to peruse a career as a composer. This could be for a number of reasons such as believing that they won’t be accepted or successful within the industry because there aren’t very many women doing it. I think that a similar idea can be applied to politics and may be a reason for why we don’t see very many women running for president or any political position for that matter. After reading this article I was surprised to find out that with all the other aspects of life moving more towards equality that music is still lacking so far behind.

2)      After reading about Hildegard, something that I thought was interesting was that she had been having visions from a very young age. However, she did not tell anyone about the visions until she was much older and when she did people actually believed her. Even the pope, Eugenius III, heard about these visions and instead of telling she was crazy and to stop sharing these visions he blessed her and told her to start writing them down. It was also interesting to find out that Hildegard was mentioned on a long list of people who were considered to witches during this time period.

 3)  The texture of the first piece, O Vis Aeternitatis, is monophonic. In class, we defined monophony as a single voice and this piece fits that description.

 4)      I believe that the tonality of this piece is major. When I hear this piece it does sound pretty happy, but it does also sound kind of medieval so it could be modal. I’m really not that sure about this stuff yet. I think I need some more practice.

 5)      In Latin the title, O Vis Aeternitatis, means Power of Eternity.

 6)      After doing the reading and finding out that Hildegard was a very religious person and was very involved in the church I believe that this was a piece that may have been written to God. In the lyrics, it says “All things you held in order in your heart, and through your Word were all created according to your will” which one can interpret as Hildegard singing to God. This makes sense because I feel like this sounds like something I would hear in church. I think that It was created to sound this way because Hildegard was a nun and she was around church music a lot.  

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Post #2

1)      After doing the reading, one thing that i found to be significant and wanted to point out about the numbers on the metronome is that the numbers listed correspond to different heart rates people can experience whether it be at a resting or active state. The reading was all about how music can interact with one’s body and potentially even change it, so it was interesting to see that The average resting heart rate which is around 60-80 bpm, however for some individuals who are very active it is not uncommon to have a heart rate of around 50 or even 40 bpm, corresponds with the lowest number on the metronome. The same goes for the largest number on the metronome. According to statistics provided by the American Heart Association, the average maximum heart rate is 200 bpm which also very close to the largest number listed on the metronome which is 208.

 2)      According to the text, we can measure pitch frequency by measuring the distance of time between each sound wave. Different pitches are produced by variance in the speed of the vibrating air molecules. A lower note will be produced when the period between waves is longer. High notes will have a shorter period between each wave. Maybe this can be observed and calculated by creating a graph that contains a Y-axis and an X-axis, distance vs time, and plot points to create a wave.

 3)      Because the mouse is very small I believe it would produce a sound with a much high frequency and therefore a higher pitch. I think that a smaller animal would be more capable than a bigger animal, like an elephant, at producing vibrations with much shorter and faster waves. This may not always be the case, however, because as we can see in humans it is very possible and common that a larger human can create a higher pitched noise than a smaller person. This may be due to human’s ability to change the range in which they are talking or singing.

 4)      In the text, it said that music can be defined as vibrations that create different patterns. It also provides the distinction between what can be considered noise, chaotic an irregular sound waves, and music which is vibrations that create waves that are very regular and repeat in an orderly pattern. I think that using this information good music can be described as vibrations that move or alter your body in a way that pleases you. This can be achieved by changing the bpm’s that a piece of music is played at.

5) 

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Post #1

               My name is Michael Avella. I grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois and graduated from Crystal Lake South high school in 2015. I decided to attend Augustana after hearing about its highly-regarded science programs as well as its competitive baseball team. I decided to major in biochemistry because I always really enjoyed the science classes that I took in high school and I believed it would set me up well for pursuing a career in dentistry which is something that I have been interested in doing. I played baseball at Augustana for three years. My junior year I had to make one of the harder decisions in my life which was quitting baseball, a sport that I love and one that I have played my whole life so that I could focus more of my attention on school work. Although it was hard for me to quit baseball it turned out to be for the better. I’m on track to graduate in May, which I don’t think would have been possible if I didn’t quit, with exception to 6 more credits which leads me into why I decided to take this learning community!

               Along with needing these two classes to get the last credits that I need to graduate I’ve also always wanted to study abroad. While I was playing baseball here I never thought this would be possible because of all the conflicts with scheduling, but right after I quit this opportunity to go to Germany arose. It also worked out perfectly because I’ve always enjoyed learning about German culture. One thing that I am particularly interested in and excited to learn about is the advancements in science leading up the Second World War. I also hope to learn more about how the music that Richard Wagner composed impacted Hitler leading up to the war. I am excited to learn about both science and music in German culture during the course of this learning community as well as experience them first hand on our trip this summer.

               I have never played any of the games that were listed on the blog, however, after reading the article on Eurogames I am excited to play. In the article, it says that these games were created to give the players a fun experience with light-hearted competition. This should be good for me because I am a very competitive person and don’t like losing even when it comes to board games!

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Concert Review #4

On Saturday October 31, I attended the Augustana Concert Bad Performance in Centennial Hall. When I arrived pretty much the whole auditorium was full and this surprised me because the previous concerts I went to were pretty small and did not have a lot of people in the audience. Most of the people in the audience were adults, probably family members of the performers, but there were also some professors and some students in attendance. Everyone was dressed casually except for the performers; they all looked good. I think people were excited about this concert because it sounded like everyone was cheering and clapping really loud at the end.

           There were six pieces played during this performance and they were all very good, but I would have to say that the piece “Symphonic Fanfare” was my favorite. I like this piece a lot because it sounded very suspenseful. In the beginning it started off very loud and as the melody was ascending you could hear the drums playing faster and faster. This led all the way up to a loud abrupt ending to the phrase and then there was a long cadence. This is one of the ways this piece built up a lot of suspense. The harmony of this piece was major and it sounded a lot like victory to me and that was another reason why I liked it so much. Towards the end though I felt like the mood kind of changed. It got softer sounding as the rhythm slowed down and it was actually very relaxing. I enjoyed this song a lot and it was probably one of my favorites I heard all year.

           Overall I think that this was the best concert I went to all year. Every song that was played I enjoyed a lot. That definitely exceed my expectations because usually at these concerts there’s only like one or two songs I like so it was nice to be entertained the whole time for once.

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Blog Post #9

           My favorite genre we have talked about so far is jazz. I think I like it so much because you can really hear all the emotion that is being put into each piece. You can hear that by the way the melody swings and it can put you in a good mood like in this video. It’s also very catchy and that makes it easy to listen to. The instruments they use is another reason why I like jazz. They are played in a unique way that makes for a really cool sound. I also like how the performers improvise while playing because it makes for a new experience each time you listen to a song. Overall this is just a great genre and this video proves that.  

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