Report

Concert Report The concert that I attended was the Competition Recital for the 2011 Honors Recital during the Stander Symposium at the University of Dayton. The songs that I heard were very well done and performed, but in reality only 2 songs from this concert really stood out to me. The first song that really got my attention would have had to been the Jewel Aria from Faust. The reason why I was attracted to this song was due to the fact that I have never really been to an opera. I felt the way the girl sang the song would be typically done during an opera or musical. At first while listening to the song I was a little discouraged it was being sing in different language. I really wanted to understand fully what the creator of the song was trying to achieve. Therefore I began to guess and what the creator had in mind for the song. While listening to this song I felt as if the woman was singing about somebody very important. She was singing to a family member or somebody she loves very much, but there is an obstacle between her and that person. Another factor that helped me reached this conclusion was the facial and body movements made by the singer herself. During certain parts within the song she would step towards the audience one foot at a time. To me this gives the sense that the singer is beginning to trust the audience in some way with what she is expressing to us. Another aspect that I enjoyed was her facial expressions, during times would she would get louder and bolder her face began to express the idea of happiness and when the song became slower and softer he facial expression showed some signs of sorrow. I feel little actions such as these makes this song very intimate and powerful. Another song that I was also drawn to was En Foret. The reason why I liked this particular piece was due to the instruments that were involved. Personally I have never heard a song with the piano and French horn by themselves. I have heard what a piano sounds like,