Concert report
LINK FOR CONCERT BELOW SAMPLE AS WELL AS GUIDELINES ATTACHED!!! FULLY READ
https://www.alternativeclassical.co.uk/concert-roulette
Concert Report Guide
· 15 points: Overview Content. For full points students should:
· Present opening and closing paragraphs that cover an overview of the entire performance, noting which musicians/ensemble is performing and any other contextual information that would aid the reader in “setting the stage” for the music description.
· Express personal aesthetic experience.
· Include the source for recording used; a weblink to the recording will suffice.
· 35 points: Music Description. For full points students should address melody, harmony, form, texture, dynamics, tempo, and instrumentation to describe what is heard; show an understanding that elements change as a piece progresses. Students have a choice to describe two selections or one selection in greater detail. (If describing two selections, students only need to describe each bolded element above once. For example, describe the first four elements for one selection and the last three elements for the other selection.) Bullet headings for this section are acceptable. For example:
Beethoven, 5th Symphony, No. 1
· Melody: The opening theme consists of a short four note motive (three staccato repeated notes and one longer lower note) that is repeated throughout the piece by different sections of the orchestra. The theme starts aggressively in a low register, and meanders throughout the orchestra in a wavelike contour. The range of the disjunct melody is quite large since every section of the orchestra plays the short motive in their own register. There is a second, contrasting theme that is much sweeter and conjunct with a narrow range. The second theme is a welcomed relaxation after the tension built up by the first theme!
· Harmony: . . .
· 25 points: Music Concepts. For full points students will use terms accurately and demonstrate comprehension of textbook music concepts and terminology.
· 15 points: Organization and Form. For full points Concert Report will be double-spaced and contain no less than two (2) and no more than three (3) complete pages; 12-point type with margins no less than 1 inch and Times Roman font. Use black ink and include a header on the first page only.
· 10 points: Grammar.
Do not choose a piece of music we have already discussed in class. Please note that you are to write about what YOU hear; I am not looking for things such as background information or some other analysis of the piece you can find via research.
For the list of websites where you can find the approved performances for this report, see the document
Approved Concerts for Concert Report
via the Concert Report tab.
Submit reports via the Concert Report tab before due date. (Word or PDF Format)
FestinaLente
February 28, 2021
MUSC 264A
Concert Report #1
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Movement I
I was introduced to the Classical Period last week in class and because I love order and natural simplicity, I decided to choose a piece from this period for my first report. I visited the Concert Roulette, set the parameters for the Classical Period, and forwarded through several concerts until I landed on a video of an ensemble that was standing and playing without any music: The Aurora Orchestra. I Googled the orchestra and discovered they are based in England and are known for playing entire symphonies from memory. The piece was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven; it was his 5th symphony. I did not know the name of the piece, but I certainly recognized the music from the very first notes. I searched for the symphony on YouTube so I could figure out what movement it was. I was in luck; it was the first movement and I know a thing or two about the first movement of symphonies.
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, Movement I
https://roulette.alternativeclassical.co.uk/#PZ4mmPZMSdI
· Melody: The opening theme consists of a short four note motive (three staccato repeated notes and one longer lower note) that is repeated throughout the piece by different sections of the orchestra. The theme starts aggressively in a low register, and meanders throughout the orchestra in a wavelike contour. The range of the disjunct melody is quite large since every section of the orchestra plays the short motive in their own register. There is a second, contrasting theme that is much sweeter and conjunct with a narrow range. The second theme is a welcomed relaxation after the tension built up by the first theme!
· Harmony: The main theme is in a minor key most of the time. The second theme sounds major. Most of the piece is consonant, but the last section has several jarring and dissonant chords.
· Form: This was what I expected for the first movement of a symphony – sonata form. I knew as soon as I heard the piece start over again at 1:23. I could tell when each new section started by either a solo horn or oboe section. Once the recapitulation started, I could no longer follow the form, everything was unpredictable and there was a lot of new material that I was not expecting to hear.
· Texture: Mostly homophonic. Towards the end there was some polyphony.
· Dynamics: The piece starts at a fortissimo with many dramatic dynamic contrasts. The 2nd theme is mezzo piano but crescendos back to the forte/fortissimo for the main theme. The ending is even more powerful than the beginning.
· Tempo: Allegro for most of the piece. There is a ritardando towards the end, but it returns to a tempo by the very end.
· Instrumentation: Symphony orchestra – strings, tympani, woodwinds (2 clarinets, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons), and brass (2 French horns and 2 really long trumpets)
I will admit this piece had much more drama and unpredictability than I expected to hear given what I have learned about the Classical Period. It seemed like at times the piece would come to a full stop (like with the solo horn and oboe sections) and it was a nice and necessary point of relaxation because this piece is so relentless. The orchestra members were incredibly emotive and watching them really enhanced the intensity. Because they did not have music in front of them and they were standing, the orchestra had the freedom to be more expressive. I was surprised at how young all the members of the orchestra were – maybe that’s why I felt like I could identify so well with their emotions? I was glad to have found this performance; I had thought I wanted order and simplicity. Apparently, what I really needed was a large dose of passion, and I can imagine any ensemble delivering it better than the Aurora Orchestra!