Concert Response Paper
Jessica Weiner
Music Appreciation
Dr. Gentry
December 5th, 2015
Concert Response Paper #2 I had the opportunity to attend a concert in Jordan Hall, a beautiful and antiquated concert hall at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The ensemble consisted of the New England Conservatory’s very own Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and was led by David Loebel, the conductor. This was a full symphony orchestra with woodwind players, string players, brass players, and percussion players. The orchestra was grouped with the strings in the first row, woodwinds in the second row, brass in the third row, and the percussionists in the fourth row. Orchestral organization is based solely on dynamics. The softer-sounding and smaller instruments (violins, …show more content…
The music was collage-like, meaning the listener could create pictures in their minds while taking in the artistic beauty. Composers during the Modernism Era strove to instill anxiety, disjunction, and hysteria in the audience. The first movement, Mars, the Bringer of War, achieved that goal and did not disappoint. Throughout the piece, there were points in which the music became increasingly louder with vigorous and energetic rhythms. This is an example of polyrhythms. Polyrhythms are conflicting simultaneous rhythmic patterns between different instruments. The woodwind section and brass section were alternating with each other, almost as if they were doing a “call” and “response.” Overall, I felt like this technique intensified the feelings of anxiety and fear, which are common associations when it comes to war. During this piece, I particularly paid attention to the strings section. The musicians were using the wood of their bow as opposed to the horse-hair part of the bow and striking their instruments. This technique is called ostinato. On the opposite side of the spectrum, my favorite piece, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, had a more joyous vibe. The violins played the same three notes at certain points during the piece, specifically the beginning and towards the end. They did so at a quick-pace as the brass comes in. As I looked around while Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity was being performed I noticed that the audience seemed happy and inspired by the piece. Holst created the feeling of inspiration by changing his melody throughout this piece. There was a sense of being a part of something greater than oneself but still feeling
Music Appreciation
Dr. Gentry
December 5th, 2015
Concert Response Paper #2 I had the opportunity to attend a concert in Jordan Hall, a beautiful and antiquated concert hall at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The ensemble consisted of the New England Conservatory’s very own Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and was led by David Loebel, the conductor. This was a full symphony orchestra with woodwind players, string players, brass players, and percussion players. The orchestra was grouped with the strings in the first row, woodwinds in the second row, brass in the third row, and the percussionists in the fourth row. Orchestral organization is based solely on dynamics. The softer-sounding and smaller instruments (violins, …show more content…
The music was collage-like, meaning the listener could create pictures in their minds while taking in the artistic beauty. Composers during the Modernism Era strove to instill anxiety, disjunction, and hysteria in the audience. The first movement, Mars, the Bringer of War, achieved that goal and did not disappoint. Throughout the piece, there were points in which the music became increasingly louder with vigorous and energetic rhythms. This is an example of polyrhythms. Polyrhythms are conflicting simultaneous rhythmic patterns between different instruments. The woodwind section and brass section were alternating with each other, almost as if they were doing a “call” and “response.” Overall, I felt like this technique intensified the feelings of anxiety and fear, which are common associations when it comes to war. During this piece, I particularly paid attention to the strings section. The musicians were using the wood of their bow as opposed to the horse-hair part of the bow and striking their instruments. This technique is called ostinato. On the opposite side of the spectrum, my favorite piece, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, had a more joyous vibe. The violins played the same three notes at certain points during the piece, specifically the beginning and towards the end. They did so at a quick-pace as the brass comes in. As I looked around while Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity was being performed I noticed that the audience seemed happy and inspired by the piece. Holst created the feeling of inspiration by changing his melody throughout this piece. There was a sense of being a part of something greater than oneself but still feeling