Clemson Symphony Orchestra Concert Paper
Chiderah Onyeukwu
Professor Rhea Jacobus
MUSIC 210
25 April 2013
Clemson Symphony Orchestra Concert Paper The first piece I chose to write about is Symphony No. 38 (“Prague”) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Clemson Orchestra did a wonderful job of doing this piece; I really enjoyed it. Because it was the first piece played, my ears were perked and I was listening very intently. The first movement has a mysterious and dark feeling to begin with but picks up and becomes more energetic as the piece goes on. However, it seemed as though the use of a fast tempo and a slow tempo were alternated throughout the piece. Combined with the dark lighting the whole piece the somber and slow parts of the piece were really highlighted and made me feel gloomy, almost as if something terrible had just happened to me. The whole piece is very consonant; I could not pick out any occurrences where instruments seemed to clash or create a dissonant harmony. This was an amazingly soft piece at times but there were also times where the instruments became so loud where it felt like I could not hear myself think. Therefore, the change in dynamics was very noticeable. The shape of the piece was all over the place; the conductor brilliantly controlled this, however, there were never any occasions where it seemed as if the conductor had …show more content…
However, the piece seemed to become more peaceful toward the end, as if Mussorgsky was suggesting that after all the craziness that has occurred so far there can still be a peaceful solution. I may have looked too much into this, but I believe that aspect of the piece, the peaceful ending, is a microcosm of not just music but life in general. No matter how crazy or dissonant something may seem, peace can always come to you. I respect Mussorgsky for providing me with
Professor Rhea Jacobus
MUSIC 210
25 April 2013
Clemson Symphony Orchestra Concert Paper The first piece I chose to write about is Symphony No. 38 (“Prague”) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Clemson Orchestra did a wonderful job of doing this piece; I really enjoyed it. Because it was the first piece played, my ears were perked and I was listening very intently. The first movement has a mysterious and dark feeling to begin with but picks up and becomes more energetic as the piece goes on. However, it seemed as though the use of a fast tempo and a slow tempo were alternated throughout the piece. Combined with the dark lighting the whole piece the somber and slow parts of the piece were really highlighted and made me feel gloomy, almost as if something terrible had just happened to me. The whole piece is very consonant; I could not pick out any occurrences where instruments seemed to clash or create a dissonant harmony. This was an amazingly soft piece at times but there were also times where the instruments became so loud where it felt like I could not hear myself think. Therefore, the change in dynamics was very noticeable. The shape of the piece was all over the place; the conductor brilliantly controlled this, however, there were never any occasions where it seemed as if the conductor had …show more content…
However, the piece seemed to become more peaceful toward the end, as if Mussorgsky was suggesting that after all the craziness that has occurred so far there can still be a peaceful solution. I may have looked too much into this, but I believe that aspect of the piece, the peaceful ending, is a microcosm of not just music but life in general. No matter how crazy or dissonant something may seem, peace can always come to you. I respect Mussorgsky for providing me with