Popularity of the Third Symphony reaches far beyond the world of classical music. In 1992, the symphony has reached the top of the American and British music charts. The composition was included in several movie soundtracks, and as well it has become…
“On the Waterfront” is a masterpiece film about a union man (Terry Malloy) whom makes an attempt to stand up to the corrupt mob bosses leading the Longshoremen’s Union. Just as important as the plot of the film is the music; the original score by Leonard Bernstein greatly influenced how other composers would approach film scoring. Bernstein combined the “American” characteristics of Aaron Copland’s music (disjunct melodies, wide intervals, small but colorful ensembles) with the dark and somewhat disturbing elements of modernism. Bernstein did not shy away from dissonance, and he also incorporated jazz elements (such as brass and rhythmic syncopation) into the equation.…
The in class concert with three performances that I attended on 15th of February was an very interesting experience for me as I have not been to a classical music concerts that often. The first piece, Oxycotton, was performed by Tim Sanchez using the marimba. The second one, Acht Stucke, was performed by Samantha Post using the flute. Nicholas Gledhill using the horn performed the third piece, Blues and Variations for Monk. The last piece, Misty, was performed by CSU Graduate Brass Quintet. In this paper, I am going to write about the performances that I heard and about the different music elements that they used in each performance.…
Berlioz was known for his use of large orchestras, often made up of more than 1000 performers. The use of giant orchestras is a development of the romantic period. Leonard Bernstein describes the symphony as “”the first musical expedition into psychedelic because of its hallucinatory and dream-like nature”; this is very unique to a piece composed of this period. Berlioz composed music that represented his lively imagination. Freedom of form and design was also a key aspect of the romantic period and Berlioz’s symphony portrays this well. Lastly, during his five movements there is a large range of dramatic contrasts of dynamics and pitch, especially during his first movement. A dramatic contrast is also a characteristic well known during this…
Notable Works: Dances at a Gathering (1969); The Goldberg Variations (1971); Watermill (1972); Requiem Canticles (1972); The Dybbuk Variations (1974); In G Major (1975); Mother Goose (1975); The Four Seasons (1979); Opus 19: The Dreamer (1979); Piano Pieces (1981); Gershwin Concerto (1982); Glass Pieces (1983); I'm Old Fashioned (1983); Antique Epigraphs (1984); Brahms/Handel (with Twyla Tharp, 1984); In Memory Of... (1985); Quiet City (1986); Piccolo Balletto (1986); Ives, Songs (1988); 2 & 3 Part Inventions (1994), and West Side Story Suite (1995).…
Berlioz wrote a total of three symphonies in his artistically charmed life: Roméo et Juliette, Harold en Italie, and the Symphonie fantastique. Berlioz’s symphonies were notorious for being almost deafeningly loud due to the size of the orchestra that played them. “The Symphonie fantastique, subtitled “Episode in the Life of an Artist,” was inspired by the composer’s passionate love affair with Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson.” (Sayre 902) “The emphasis on overwhelming emotion, passion, and otherworldly scenes marks Berlioz as a key figure in the romantic movement of the nineteenth century.” (Sayre 911) What is significant about this piece is that there are five movements instead of four that were traditionally performed in symphonies of the day. In movement one, we see a young musician that meets and falls in love with the girl of his dreams. Movement two finds our hero watching his beloved dancing a concert waltz. The third movement in the piece shows the emotional…
Perhaps Copland derives the same feeling or meaning from a Tchaikovsky piece each time he hears it, however, that hardly gives cause to assume it will be the same for anyone else. What Mr. Copland fails to take into account is that some folks may simply prefer Tchaikovsky over Beethoven for a myriad of reasons aside from their “understanding” or lack thereof. That someone could listen to the same piece by any composer several times and continue to find something new or feel something different each time is another point which seems to be blatantly ignored until further into his text. Eventually, he endorses a much more appreciable idea. “If it is a great work of art don’t expect it to mean exactly the same thing to you each time you return to it.” (Copland, 4) This idea is much more appealing in that it leaves things open to interpretation for oneself, which as far as I’m concerned is necessary for the enjoyment of music on any…
Stravinsky and Copland Seemed like two people with huge imaginations. When lisening to there music it starts off so strong it hits you in the face. There pieces really does catch your attention. But I feel that coplands was a little more less dramtic and more soft. Obvusually both composer are different along with there styles. And a lot of people considered Stravinsky to be a really amazing composer but this piece just wasn't working for me. But I completly understand why people enjoy his music.…
Among different Gebrauchsmusik music, Appalachian Spring is the greatest piece to reflect the modern American style that Copland achieved. In 1942, Copland received a commission from Elizabeth Sprague to write ballet…
In contrast to the raucous sophistication of Gershwin’s popular masterpiece, the orchestra will also perform 19th century composer Joachim Raff’s unjustly neglected Symphony No. 6 in D Minor. Like Gershwin, Raff was self-taught musician who became one of the most popular composers of his time; but interest in his music faded soon after his death in 1882. Modern audiences are rediscovering Raff’s symphonies, appreciating the immediate accessibility…
Despite dance being the primary subject, it is necessary to note the orchestra’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s compositions. The orchestra consisted…
No. 1 - Dvorak - Symphony No. 1 - Bizet - Carmen Suite No.1 & 2 - Hanson - Symphony No. 2 Romantic - Strauss - Feierlicher Einzug Notable Wind…
Despite all coming from different periods, Bach’s piece does have a lot in common with Holborne’s Pavane and Galliard. For one thing, they both mainly have a contrapuntal texture and are for few instruments, whilst Haydn’s Symphony is, obviously, for a symphony orchestra. Both the Bach and the Holborne were intended to be played at home, whilst the Haydn would have been intended to be played in a concert hall. Holborne lived in a time when it was rare to state which instruments were being written for so the Bach and the Haydn are both written a lot more idiomatically, and they both used musical directions and dynamics, although in Bach’s…
Davis, of the Conservatory Wind Symphony started off with “In Paradisum” by Rob Deemer. I realized that the star of this performance was the saxophone. The saxophone had a smooth and light feeling. The orchestra followed the saxophone in an imitative way. The dynamics were in mezzo forte and the tempo was in adagio. The tone colors of this piece had echo, vibrant, warm, and pinging. This piece had long, smooth notes of the rhythm.…
Bernstein, Leonard. [1976] The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard (http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/BERUNX.html) , Harvard University Press…