Concert Report 3 - Jazz Repertory Ensemble

On Tuesday, November 18^th at 8:15 pm, I attended the Jazz Repertory Ensemble concert with some of my friends. If you could not tell from the title, the music that was played was jazz. Although I don’t know the different styles of jazz, I do know that it seemed to be upbeat jazz. For some reason, it really reminded me of Christmas. Maybe that is because during Christmas time back in high school, we would attend a yearly concert put on by our school’s jazz band, and lots of the music that was played in this concert sounded like the type of music that I would hear during my high school’s concert.

            This concert fit in well with the characteristics of jazz music. I now know after watching Ken Burns’ “History of Jazz”, that jazz music started primarily in New Orleans in the early 1900s. The instruments that are played in jazz music are usually trumpets, trombones, saxophones, drums, piano, and others. These are the instruments that were played at the concert I attended. Some characteristics of jazz music that I thought fit in well with the period and were heard during the concert were the “swing” sound caused by syncopation and a blues feel. The songs that were played that were upbeat had a “swing” sound to them. To provide a picture for you, I could not stop tapping my foot on the ground and so couldn’t any of my friends. The sounds created by the band were lively and just made me want to get up and dance. Syncopation is what I believe caused this “swing” sound. Syncopation is emphasizing different notes. Often in jazz music, there are lots of unexpected notes that are accented, keeping the audience’s senses glued onto the stage.

            One other characteristic of jazz music that I noticed was during one song, “Blues in Hoss’ Flat” by Frank Foster was the recognizable 12-bar blues. There are four beats per measure and it is very easy to clap, snap, or tap along with. Although it was not as melancholy as I usually think blues songs are, I still could see how it was defined as a blues song.

            Something that was very unique in this concert was how long the conductor, Greg Evans, would make the band wait in a song before they hit their last note or even continued on with the song. I can remember one specific time, he held the audience waiting and breathless for about 30 seconds! I started uncomfortably smiling because I was so anxious for them to continue. I knew that the song was not over because Evans was still holding his hands up like he was going to bring them down for one more note. But when he finally put his hands down to signal the last note, it was epic. Something inside me was resolved and it made me feel happy.

            Not only did I feel happy during that one part, but during the entire concert I felt a sense of enjoyment and even thankfulness. Something about the music made me realize how lucky I was to be sitting next to my friends who also enjoy jazz, being able to listen to this wonderful music. I think in general, jazz music unites people and has an overall cheerful feel.

            Compared to Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”, jazz music is very different. In “The Rite of Spring”, I did not feel cheerful. Usually I was anticipating what was going to come next and it seemed as though the piece was in a minor key – at least that is what it sounded like. It was very dark and mysterious. One thing that both songs do have in common is their use of change in pitch. At one point, the instruments might have been playing softly, but there would be a slight pause and then the music would get much louder, increasing the pitch.

            I had a lot of fun at this concert and I was glad that I attended it! I would definitely recommend for others to take advantage of music like this to put you in a good mood.

Two Door Cinema Club
"What You Know"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXwYJyrKK5A

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzBRKCCsIQc

Outline:

Thesis: Igor Stravinsky incorporates 20^th century modernism characteristics into his musical piece, Spring Rounds from Rite of Spring, such as contrasting sounds and melodies and layering of instruments by adding stratification, fragmentation, and disjunction.

A.    Stratification

a.       Definition (Merriam-webster.com)

                                                              i.      The state of having many layers

b.      0:27

                                                              i.      String section has the main sound with a simple same 3 notes

                                                            ii.      In the background, another instrument is playing three notes on the offbeat of the strings so that it is like an echo

1.      Notes go up the scale

2.      Create a sense of  panic

c.       1:16

                                                              i.      Strings (?) play the melody that was just previously played

                                                            ii.      In addition to the strings, it seems that there are flutes

1.      At first, they play two notes back and forth for a couple of seconds, then descends down the scale

a.       Sounds like bells

d.      2:41

                                                              i.      This section sounds quite frantic

                                                            ii.      Strings, again, are frantically playing the same note

                                                          iii.      While this happens, flutes(?) go up and down the scale, creating  whirlwind effect

B.     Fragmentation

a.       0:35

                                                              i.      In section before  0:35, the strings are playing 3 consecutive notes, giving an eerie sound

                                                            ii.      At time 0:35, the strings cut out and the melody changes to a completely new melody that has not been heard yet

                                                          iii.      The melody is optimistic and plays notes going up the scale, then back down

1.      Very spring-like

                                                          iv.      After that short section, the melody switches back to the creepy sound of the strings

b.      2:28

                                                              i.      Leading up to 2:28, the orchestra plays an intensified, louder version of the melody heard at 0:26

1.      Gives an intense picture

2.      Sounds like fighting

                                                            ii.      At 2:28, all sounds cut out and a sound is played that sounds like birds chirping for a second

                                                          iii.      Then, the melody jumps right back into the frantic-sounding section with the string section

C.     Disjuction

a.       1:49

                                                              i.      Before 1:49, a soft, spring-like melody is heard

1.      Type of sounds one would hear at a ballet

                                                            ii.      Then, at 1:49 the drums are played and the melody and mood completely changes and becomes dark, intense, and loud

1.      The opposite of the previous section

                                                          iii.      This is where the melody at 0:35 is played, but much more loudly and powerful

b.      2:44

                                                              i.      Near the end of the song (at around 2:35), the frantic piece of the melody is played

                                                            ii.      At 2:44, it cuts out and all the audience is left hearing is the ever so faint sound of a flute going back and forth between two notes, again mimicking the sound of bells

                                                          iii.      The exact same melody at the beginning of Spring Rounds is played again

1.      The piece started and ended with the same melody

2.      This creates a feel of completion

Essay:

            Igor Stravinsky, a well known composer, lived and produced unforgettable music during the 20^th century, a time period called modernism. One of his most well known pieces, Rite of Spring, was a game-changer in the world of music. The sounds that he created were new and unheard of. He often paired contrasting sounds together to create a feeling of tension and dissonance, two unpopular musical terms. Specifically, he incorporates 20^th century modernism characteristics into his musical piece, Spring Rounds from Rite of Spring, such as contrasting sounds and melodies and layering of instruments by adding stratification, fragmentation, and disjunction.

            One of the modernistic characteristics that Stravinsky incorporates into his piece is stratification. Another simpler word that could be used to describe stratification is layering. Often, Stravinsky had several instruments layered on top of another to create multiple sounds at once. This use of layering intensified the piece and helped to specify the feelings that were meant to be felt. At 0:27 in the piece, the string section has the melody with the three same notes. In the background, another instrument is playing three notes on the offbeat of the strings so that it creates an echo effect. These background notes are contrasting because they go up the scale and create a sense of panic.  Another place in the piece that has stratification is 1:16. The section that was played before this point is repeated, but this time, a flute is added and at first plays two notes back and forth until it decrescendos down the scale creating a sound similar to bells. The last point of stratification in Spring Rounds is at 2:41. Again, the strings are frantically playing the same note while the flute crescendos and decrescendos up and down the scale, creating a sense of mystification and terror. This stratification that Stravinsky adds creates clear images in the minds of the audience members.

            The use of fragmentation is also apparent in Stravinsky’s, Spring Rounds. Fragmentation can be defined as the process of breaking something up into parts. For example, in the musical section before 0:35, Stravinsky has the strings playing three consecutive notes up the scale, creating an eerie sound. At 0:35, a completely new, spring-like melody is played, giving off the sense of optimism in a pessimistic section. The notes are played up the scale and then back down to give off this sense. After only a few seconds of this, the creepy melody switches back to the melody before 0:35. Another part in the piece that has fragmentation is at 2:28. Leading up to 2:28, the orchestra plays an intensified, louder version of the melody heard at 0:26. These sounds create images of fighting and other intense moments in the audience members’ minds. Then, at 2:28, the melody cuts out for a split second, and an instrument is played that mimics the sound of birds chirping. Right afterwards, the fighting scene continues and the music becomes dramatic and intense once again. These fragmentations within the piece are similar to stop signs. The music is going and going and once it hits the “stop sign” it switches melody for a second, and then continues on its way as it was before.

            Disjunction is the last indication of 20^th century characteristics within Spring Rounds. It is similar to fragmentation in that the melody changes, but the changes classified as disjunction are much more dramatic and long-lasting. Before 1:49, a soft, spring-like melody is heard; one that is normally heard at a ballet. All of a sudden, at 1:49, the sweet melody terminates, and drums are played. The melody and mood of the piece completely changes and become dark, intense and loud. It is the same melody as the one played at 0:35, but it is much more forceful and produces a darker feeling than the other section. Once the end of the song is near, around 2:40, the frantic melody is once again played. At 2:44, it cuts out and all the audience is left hearing is the ever so faint sound of a flute going back and forth between two notes, again mimicking the sound of bells. The switch in melody is unexpected and may cause the audience to jump a little. The melody played is the exact same one at the beginning of Spring Rounds. Although the piece has its dark and light moments, Stravinsky creates a feeling of completion by starting the piece with the same melody as he ends it.

Concert Report 2 - African Drumming and Dancing

On October 21, 2014 at 8:15 pm, I attended an African Drumming and Dancing concert with my RA and some other friends. During the concert there were two groups of students who performed during the two hour concert. One class was the African Drumming and Dancing seminar consisting of about 20 freshman students. The other class that went up on stage and performed was an elective class I believe, consisting of about 40 students. Each group would perform one song and then switch with the other class who would then go up on stage and perform. Overall, each group performed about 5 songs, but the total time the concert went on was about 2 hours. As one can probably tell from the title, the music that each group was performing was African music. In fact, all of the music that I heard was made up on stage from either the students with drums or from those who were making sounds with their voices. In addition to the singing and dancing, all of the students were wearing African costumes which consisted of "dresses" with cool, intricate patterns (see picture above).

Since we have not learned too much about African style music, it was challenging to try to find music that we have studied to compare it to. It was challenging because there was usually only one melody that was sung. In the songs that we listen to in class, there is always several melodies that we follow and analyze the cadences and the phrase structures of. In the songs that were performed at the concert, the melody was repeated over and over again, mimicking a chant. The reason that the concert was so entertaining was because the students had different dances to go along with the melody. If the concert had only been the students repeating the melody over and over again with the drums in the background, it would have been very boring.

I was personally very impressed with the seminar class. At first, it seemed like they were very nervous and doubtful up on stage together, but once they started, they took off. I remember in the first song that the seminar class sung, all of the boys lined up at the back of the stage and played a basic drum beat. All of the girls in the class sat in a semi circle with what seemed like big bowls in front of them. One by one, they would beat on the bowls a specific rhythm. Once all of the percussion was set, the girls started to sing a specific African melody. Then, several girls had solos and sang their own parts. Once they were done, everyone would join back into the “chorus”. Although the beat was repetitive, the song was still very interesting because of the differing dynamics including the different solo verses.

Though this type of music is very different from what we have been studying in class, especially the classical music from the Romantic era, there are still some similarities between this music and the music we have studied since the first day of class. In the classical music that we have been studying recently, I notice that the lower part of the piano’s role is to provide a sort of “beat”. Although this “beat” is extremely different from the actual beats played in this concert, it is still used as a background and something that the melody is built off of. The “beat” in the classical music is normally a specific melodious phrase, it is often repeated throughout the song, just like the beat in the concert did.

Overall, I loved the concert. At first, I was doubtful and thought that the concert was going to be very amateur, but I was pleasantly surprised. The seminar class impressed me the most and it was so enjoyable not only because of the catchy beats but also because of how much fun each student seemed to be having. This made a world of a difference and made me want to get up on stage to join them!

“The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog”

Caspar David Friedrich’s “The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” embodies lots of romantic period qualities. When I take a glance at this artwork, the first thing I think is that this man in the painting is taking in this beautiful view and just feeling the power of life. All around him is beauty, wonder, and mystery. I can almost completely insert myself into this painting and feel all of my senses working as I try to make sense of all of the magnificence around me.

One Romanticism ideal that seems to be portrayed in this photo is alienation; the thought of an “artist apart from society”. Now, this may not be a self-portrait of Caspar David Friedrich, but this man is definitely alienated from society at the moment of this painting. Maybe Friedrich wanted to portray his feelings about society and by having this man be the only person in the painting, it symbolized his want or even role in society.

Similar to “The Dreamer”, also by Friedrich, this painting embodies lots of emotions, another ideal of Romanticism. I can put myself in the main character’s shoes and look out into the mystifying landscape before me. How can one not think when they are put into a situation like this? Even now, in modern day, if one was to come across a landscape like this, after taking their pictures with their smart phones, I would hope that there would be at least a couple of seconds of silence to just take it all in. And in that moment of silence, there has got to be thoughts bouncing around, stirring emotions throughout the body, engaging all senses. Being so high up, as well, must create a sense of power (not necessarily over anyone), but just power in oneself as well as satisfaction with life. These emotions can lead to another Romanticism theory: the sense of self-realization in the world.

During this period, the yearning for the “unknown and unknowable” was prominent. What is out there? This man must be thinking. Maybe not only is he (or me, in that case) wondering what is underneath all of that fog, but it also brings me to a larger question overall. What is out there…in the entire world? Again, the mystery of this painting can create feelings within a viewer.

The use of a foreign land is something that was classified in the Romantic period. Relative to being “unknown and unknowable”, this foreign land creates a sense of there being new ideals. What is out there that I have yet to discover that is being hidden by all of this fog? Do I leave and wait for the fog to clear or appreciate the beauty of mystery while it is still here?

Even though I am not looking at the actual painting, I am still able to use my senses to appreciate the glory and wonder of this scene. In my mind, Caspar David Friedrich does a great job in creating a piece that can pull the viewer into the painting so that they can feel what the main character in this piece is feeling. 

Mozart's Musical Phrases

As I have said earlier in my blog, my honest initial reaction to studying classical music was not too thrilling, but I have been pleasantly surprised lately. The music we have been studying (Haydn, Mozart, etc.) is very beautiful and catches my attention. Although to me it is still the “stereotypical” classical music with the orchestra, I have developed a new appreciation for the music. Even with no words, I feel the emotions of the song by analyzing how it makes me feel.

The piece that I have chosen for this assignment is one that I have once had a connection to but have since forgotten about. I used to play piano as a child and I was pretty good (for what I could tell). At home, we had a kind of cheap but also very cool keyboard that could play some songs. One of them was “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Mozart. My sister and I made up our own little dance to it and whenever we “practiced” piano at home, we would always somehow end up playing the symphony and dancing around the living room, making my mom not too happy about our priorities. After my sister and I stopped playing piano for several reasons, I forgot about the song and our lovely memories that went along with it, but when I set out to search for a piece that I could analyze, my face lit up when I saw the familiar title on the internet, underneath Mozart’s name. So…here it is. Here is my attempt to analyze a phrase of this wonderful masterpiece.

“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSL5-wxgvFY

To start off, the overall texture of the piece is homophonic. There seems to be one melodic line that is backed up by different chords and sounds. Also, the rhythm seems to be allegro overall. Most of the song is upbeat, jumpy, and fast-paced, but sometimes the allegro melody is slowed down and played with a more passionate, elongated string of notes played by what seems to be the violin. (For example, 1:55 in the video). The melody is one that is easily recognizable. As soon as I started playing the song, I started to sing with the melody. The  dynamics within this piece help it to be a memorable one. Like the pieces we have studied in class, Mozart has cleverly added crescendo, decrescendos, pace-changing parts, and others to make the piece unique, and not boring. Overall, the piece sounds upbeat and joyful, giving the audience something to smile about.

I have decided to try to analyze the first 21 seconds of the piece. At first, I thought that the phrase within the first 9 seconds would be some type of parallel period, but when I sang the notes of the cadences, they seemed to be the same one, but in a different octave, making it impossible for it to be any parallel period because there are no half or imperfect authentic cadences. I also thought that the section from 0:09 – 0:21 would be its own sentence. It may be, but I started to doubt myself and therefore have determined that I believe that the entire first section that I am analyzing (0:00 – 0:21) is one sentence. With the section from 0:00 – 0:06 being a basic idea, then repeating itself until 0:09, where it then kicks off into the continuation, ending in a cadential idea. Granted, this may be wrong and probably is wrong, but to me it seems like that is pretty reasonable, other than the fact that if this is true, then the continuation of the sentence seems pretty long. But, hey, who knows. Maybe the continuation of this phrase was meant to be longer than usual. Mozart did break some musical rules along the way, didn’t he?

Here is what I imagine the diagram of the phrase is: A sentence

        

To be honest, I’m not sure if this is exactly what the phrase structure is, but from what I’ve learned, this is best I could analyze it.

Being music from the Enlightenment period, this piece is bound to have Enlightenment qualities found within the music. Mozart mimics a salon with this piece by changing up the melodies and intensity/loudness that the instruments are playing. Listening to this song makes me think that there is a conversation going on between the different instruments in the orchestra, similar to a salon where there would be conversations between philosophers about theories and ideas of the time period.

The changing of keys can also represent the Enlightenment. During this era, lots of changes to society were being made and the countries that were involved with the Enlightenment (most European countries) were advancing with respect to science, music, art, and more. The changing of keys symbolize these changes within society.  As soon as you think that you know all of the parts of this song, Mozart changes the key and it surprises you, just like those involved and living in the Enlightened world would probably feel whenever a new idea was contributed to society.

In this piece, I also found sounds that reminded me of ornamentation. For example, at 2:50, the instrument playing does not simply just play one note, but makes a sort of frilly sound and dances around the main note of the melody. To me, these notes are flirty and are used to provide extra flare to the piece. Just like Versailles, a magnificent structure of beauty created in the Enlightenment period, this piece has ornamentation to make it more appealing.

Almost everyone knows of Mozart. He will (hopefully) always be a recognizable name. Saying that, though, I have never truly dove into his music and really listened before this class. Thanks to this seminar, I realize now how much beauty can be presented through classical music like Mozart’s. It is simply amazing!

Enlightenment Ideals

To be honest, when I found out that we would be learning about classical music in this class, I wasn’t thrilled. Then I figured that I was just judging a book by its cover. During no time in my life has classical music ever done me wrong, why should I doubt it and not even give it a chance? So, with that in mind, the class started the classical unit.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that although classical music is definitely more “complicated” than folk music, it is still interesting. Usually when I think of a song with no lyrics, I ask myself how it could possibly catch my attention, let alone keep it for an entire song. But listening to the tracks that went along with the chapter reading, I was surprised to find myself actually interested in the song. Although there are no lyrics, the music is very dynamic. There are different instruments, call and answers, crescendo, decrescendo, and many more ways that the music can be used to entertain the audience.

After learning about Versailles, a symbol of the enlightenment, I was interested in how it relates to the music that came out during this time. Of course, since then, we have discussed how they are related in class. Some of these include structure, contrast, vibrancy, groomed/neat, ornamentation, and others. I do agree with these shared characteristics between one of the greatest palaces and the beautiful music, but I have thought of something else myself. Maybe this has already been said in class and I missed it (I did once leave class to search for one of the hidden bathrooms in Whalen). To me, this is a simple concept but it fits in well with the unit.

I have always thought of operas in the way that many others who are not educated on it do: a bunch of people on stage singing really high notes very loudly. After watching the video clip of the opera on Friday, I still thought that opera was a bunch of people on stage singing really high notes very loudly, but I also felt that it was symbolic of the enlightenment. With some of the ideals of the enlightenment being about “enlightened” individuals and a strong sense of humanism and new ideals, I felt that the opera symbolized this in some ways. I thought that because they were singing in strong, loud voices, that this was, in a way, them boasting about their culture and letting the world know how proud they were to be philosophes and salon members, feeling like they were making a difference in this world. If I were any of those women who hosted a salon, or any man who had opinions about all of these new ideals and theories of society, heck, I would be singing as loud as I could to show others how I felt about my culture.

It is a simple concept and maybe I am digging in too deep into the meanings of the enlightenment, but when I was watching that video clip on Friday, I felt connected to the culture, like I was in the audience, listening to the opera singers boast about our contribution to the world.