Concert Report #3

Hello Bloggers!

       So for my third and last concert report I went to the Contemporary Ensemble in Hockett Family Recital Hall on November 19th at 8:15pm. Due to the printer breaking there were no programs being handed out so I improvised and used the description on the Ithaca College website. For the third concert report I had to go to a type of concert I haven't attended before; I had already been to a jazz ensemble and a solo Bass concert, I knew going to this ensemble it was going to be very modernistic. The size of the performances varied with each composition; there were small compositions containing only three performers and there were also large performances with many of the same instruments.
       There were seven performances all embodying Modernism music characteristics. Varying in size, I will talk about two that I believe embodied the Modernism aesthetic the most. The first piece I choose was performed by a violin, cello and piano. The texture and melody started off soft, the rhythm seemed to stay together; the cello and piano frequently complimenting each other and harmonizing with one another. Then just like in 'Rite of Spring' there was an explosive part; each instrument playing their own melodies, the use of disjunction and fragmentation was used frequently in this piece. The texture during this time was deep, each instrument playing as loud and hard as they could, conveying a story of chaos. Then the melody and tempo slowed down again and all three instruments begin to compliment each other again but not playing the same melody. The cello was used in a nontraditional way at times, the cello player would pluck at the strings giving it a different sound and in return giving the song a different sound as well which we experienced in music we listened to in class, like 'Rite of Spring how string instruments could sound like drums at times. The second piece I'm going to talk about was the third piece performed. This piece contained a piano, small bongos, percussion, vocals as in chanting and a bit of opera, violin, cello, clarinet, flute and then an oboe was later added in. This piece was very different, to me it screamed Modernism. Every instrument was on its own melody only to come together occasionally to play a short chorus like piece. The flute played a melody frequently that was similar to a piece we listened to in class by Claude Debussy called "Faun" the melody was very dream like by using the whole tone scale and the texture was soft. It also helped convey the story of the piece as well. The parts that made this ensemble memorable was the performers odd use of instruments at time and the chanting and singing in some pieces.
       To be honest I did not enjoy this concert. The last two concerts I attended I enjoyed a lot but this concert was too modernistic for me. We had listened to "Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky in class and this ensemble reminded me of that piece. The aesthetics of modernism were very present, the fragmentations and starting and stopping of melodies on top of each other and some melodies fighting each other and trying to fit together. In general I don't like Modernism pieces, I enjoy the classic phrase structures and danceable and singable melodies, this was just not my kind of concert. I do however think that every performer that played was incredibly talented, I can't imagine how hard it is to follow this form of music and some performers were switching between multiple other instruments and still executing the melody which I thought was very impressive.
       As I've stated before I definitely compare every song performed at this ensemble to 'Rite of Spring' by Stravinsky because they are both embodying modernism characteristics. 'Rite of Spring' was a composition that changed music; people were used to classical music, they enjoyed to dance to string quartets at parties this was the polar opposite of that. 'Rite of Spring' was about telling a story, it was not a song to be danced to just like these songs performed at the ensemble. It was very much about the back story. To strengthen my point Patrice Pastore, who was a faculty performer at the ensemble, every time she was about to perform a piece she told a back story. One was about the struggle between light and dark, and the second was about heaven and earth and how the darkness of earth is balanced out by the light of heaven.
      This concert was a great example of Modernism aesthetics. The melodies, textures and rhythms were similar to those in Stravinsky's piece, 'Rite of Spring'.

-Kelsey

Coldplay- Viva La Vida

Rite of Spring essay

Kelsey Rebhan

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring

Right from the start of the piece, Rite of Spring was like nothing people had heard or experienced before in music. Igor Stravinsky was an innovator, creating something new filled with emotion and passion and giving off a sense of chaos, which were the aesthetics of Modernism. Modernism was a time of change, in all aspects of life especially music. Music became less about the structure and more about telling a story. Music became Pessimistic and a search for identity and values in the form of music. Stravinsky’s controversial piece, Rite of Spring embodies aesthetics from 20^th Century Modernism, like Fragmentation, Stratification and Disjunction with the use of texture, melody and rhythm.

The part of the piece I chose was from 3:40 to 5:00. It is a very chaotic part of the piece and it embodies 20^th Century Modernism aesthetics, it was like nothing anyone had ever heard before. The piece all together fluctuates frequently; some parts don’t even sound like they’re in the same song as another part. Fragmentation is used in Rite of Spring frequently; the aesthetics of modernism take control of texture and melody to make it change frequently using instruments differently. Fragmentation is when the music in a piece is separated into segments, like phrases and sentences in a nontraditional way, this was used in the Modernism time period to separate itself from the music that was made in the Enlightenment and Romanticism era, it was unconventional and different causing a wave of controversy. In Rite of Spring it is hard to find where and when some phrases are. The sudden bursts of notes and changing of instruments makes some moments feel like it is a completely different song. For example from 3:40- 4:00 there are sudden and fast paced notes, quickly changing to different melodies and textures causing a very atonal section which means that it didn’t use the traditional scale that was used in the time of the Enlightenment.  The song is not for dancing; songs from the time of Modernism were about telling a story and conveying emotion and passion.

Stratification is the texture and layers of the piece. In Modernism the use of Stratification was applied often; it helped tell the composer’s story that he was trying to convey, it added levels of emotion, passion and intensity. In Rite of Spring stratification is used frequently with the changing melody. The texture of the melody changes frequently for example from 3:40 to 3:49 a very heavy section of the song plays. The texture is deep many string instruments playing in unison loudly but then suddenly from 3:49-3:52 the texture turns into many woodwind instruments playing a melody softly only to be followed by the same melody that played from 3:40- 3:49. The many layers of instruments playing in the orchestra creates an intense and chaotic melody. At times there are different melodies trying to coexist with each other in the melody making the texture even more complex and chaotic than it already was.

Disjunction is prominent in Rite of Spring. It is the use of leaps across the scale and unconventional use of the scale; it is very much a Modernism ideal, the sense of language through the notes to tell a story instead of the piece being composed to be danced to. At 3:57to 4:16 there are random bursts of different melodies on top of the basic melody and it give you a sense of a scene, as though you can imagine a chaotic scene in spring and movement around the scene. The rhythm is constantly changing making it hard to dance to and having it be more of a Modernism composition. The different melodies seem to resemble different characters interacting with one another. Rite of Spring was to tell a story and bring out the viewer's emotions and thoughts.

Fragmentation, Stratification and Disjunction are Modernism ideals that used texture, melody and rhythm to convey Modernism aesthetics in Stravinsky’s composition, Rite of Spring.

Out Line

            Intro: Talk about Modernism aesthetics and how Rite of spring embodies those aesthetics in its piece.

            Thesis: Stravinsky’s controversial piece, Rite of Spring embodies aesthetics from 20^th Century Modernism, like Fragmentation, Stratification and Disjunction with the use of texture, melody and rhythm

            Body #1: Fragmentation- talk about fragmentation and how it is an aesthetic of 20^th Century Modernism and the use of texture, melody and rhythm in it to make Rite of Spring the way it is by using examples from the song like 3:40-4:00 and all together using a section of the song from 3:40-5:00.

            Body #2: Stratification- Talk about what stratification is and how it was an aesthetic of Modernism and where it is in the piece and how texture, melody and rhythm work with it to make Rite of Spring by using and example of 3:40-3:52.

Body #3: Disjunction- Talk about what Disjunction is and how it is an aesthetic of Modernism. Talk about how it applies to the song where it is as an example and how texture, melody and rhythm work with it in Rite of Spring by using examples like 3:57to 4:16.

Conclusion: Recap on what was talked about in essay and restate thesis.

"Wanderer Above the Sea of Mist" by Caspar David Friedrich

Hello Bloggers!

            So we have gone from the Enlightenment to Romanticism! What a change. While the Enlightenment was about order, symmetry and structure Romanticism was about emotions, passion, and throwing order out the window and being spontaneous and expressive. Romanticism was all about imagination. Human knowledge was a “puny thing”, people didn’t care about philosophies so much anymore, they cared more about the creative aspect of the world. New forms and techniques emerged in drawing, and painting along with changing musical styles.  Nationalism was also a big aspect of the Romanticism era; Lady Liberty played a huge part in times of war or hard times, she was the made up figure that guided the people and led them into battle to fight for their freedom. Artists became the true philosopher of the Romanticism era. People became more in touch with nature and used it for inspiration in their art form.  The way the art was created was reinvented as well. Paint strokes became more expressive and loose. The images became more abstract and less structured like paintings in the Enlightenment where the pictures were as real and detailed as it could possibly get. There was much more going and many more metaphors to some paintings than those of the Enlightenment. The Symmetry of the paintings in Romanticism was off too, they did not go by the “rule of 3”most times while Enlightenment paintings did, there was always a center point that would draw your eyes to the center of the painting. The Picture above is a painting done by Casper David Friedrich called “Wanderer Above the Sea of Mist”(1818). This picture has many of the Romanticism aspects applied to it. The concept in general is very much an aspect of Romanticism.  The way the “wanderer” is looking out at the horizon daydreaming. He knows there is so much more to explore and experience; the possibilities are endless. Again the setting of the painting is in nature like many paintings were; it was an inspiration to artists, the uncharted land waiting to be explored where they could escape the industrialization of the city. The color palate of this painting is so broad. The sky consist of many shades of colors instead of just plain blue. The mist makes it impossible to see past the mountains making it ominous and makes me wonder what is beyond that. My eye is immediately drawn to the wanderer because of his dark outfit, which is then surrounded by a lighter array of colors. The strokes used to create the mist and sky is loose and textured, opposite from Enlightenment, which is structured and less spontaneous. This painting really does exhibit many Romanticism Ideals.

-Kelsey

2nd Concert Report: Jazz Concert

Hello Bloggers,

            So for my second concert report I went to the Jazz Ensemble: 4^th Annual Composition Contest Concert featuring Jack Gale. The Concert took place Friday, October 11^th at 8:15pm in Ford Hall in Whalen Center for Music. The members playing in the concert were all music students except for Jack Gale, Mike Titlebaum and Catherine Gale. Jack Gale is a trombonist who has been in a number of orchestras and over thirty Broadway shows. He has been apart of the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music since 1981. Michael Titlebaum is the Director of Jazz Studies here at Ithaca College in the Whalen Center for Music; he was the maestro for the Jazz Ensemble, instructing the students throughout each piece. There was also an appearance by Catherine Gale, who is a vocal teacher at Ithaca College and the daughter of Jack Gale.

There were 9 pieces that were performed, 2 of them being the winners of the composition contest; “Soft Glow, Sharp Edges” by David von Kampen and “Trixie’s Little Girl” by Pete McGuiness, Pete McGuiness was there in person and played along side Jack Gale during his piece’s performance.

There was a great diversity between pieces at this Concert. The concert started off with a bang! The first piece was designed to let each student introduce themselves with their instrument, each getting a small solo and after each solo the band would come together again and play all together. While other pieces were smooth jazz, being more structured and had a different jazz sound than other pieces, which were more loose and be bop jazz.  The talent in the room was insane! Each person played beautifully; they were so passionate about Jazz and it showed, during their solo the player would play their heart out.

Jazz is different from what we have been learning about in class, which is the Enlightenment and Classical music.  The form of classical music is structure; it is balanced and each note is planned, there is order involved. Jazz is completely different; Jazz music is when the player improvises most of their notes, they play around with playing techniques totally throwing away order and structure yet it still sounds amazing. Yes, there are times when the sheet music is needed like when the whole band comes back together to play the chorus together, they need to be in sync and on the same notes to sound good. For example one of my favorite pieces played at the concert was the very first piece, “Flaming Sword” it was so exciting and playful. The melody was fast and catchy and almost each performer played a solo. Along with the structure and format I found that the texture was also different compared to classical music like one of Haydn or Mozart’s pieces. The structure of Jazz is unpredictable with unwritten parts, some parts would explode with energy and melody but go back to the basic notes, there would still be improvising through out the piece, while classical is very structured, there are no improvised parts in classical music. I also loved in some of the pieces played there was a bit of beck and call going on which also happened in the opera we looked at, “Don Giovanni”. At the concert the trumpets would play notes then the trombones would and back and forth they would go like a conversation.

I found the complex and energetic melodies and texture of the pieces to be most memorable. Since taking Musical Phrases I’ve been able to hear each individual instrument and how it creates the texture. Listening to the melody and texture at the Jazz concert was incredible, I heard how each instrument built up on each other to create the jazz melody.

I absolutely loved this concert! I never really listen to Jazz but when I do I enjoy it! The execution and performance of the performers was incredible; you could tell they loved what they did and the instrument they played. Each piece played exemplified different types of jazz, which was interesting to experience; it kept the show going and showed diversity in jazz.

-Kelsey

18th Century Phrase

Hello Bloggers!

            So in class we have been learning about The Enlightenment and what a Parallel Interrupted Period and Parallel Sectional Period is. In my blog post today I had to pick a song either from Haydn or Mozart, two great and iconic composers of the Enlightenment and analyze a period within their composition. I also had to analyze the texture, and melody of the piece.

           The song I chose was from Haydn. It was  “String Quartet op. 1 (no. 1, no. 2, no. 3)”. Yes the Youtube video I picked is 49 minutes long, I did not listen to all of it! I listened to the first few minutes of the piece and analyzed the beginning of the piece.

The texture of the piece was structured just like the Enlightenment. The piece starts off strong with many string instruments playing the same melody together. The texture is also deep; there is a variety of string instruments playing together not just one instrument playing alone. The melody is soft, the pressure being applied to the bow is light, there are moments like at :21, where the tempo is sped up and a individual violin plays a fast melody but is soon joined again by the other string instruments and the original melody sets in again. With the string instruments the melody of the piece sounds light and cheerful. It’s graceful like the Enlightenment. With a string quartet there is equal share of playing time this equality was also a part of the Enlightenment. People began to break down the traditional caste system, anyone could invent something or present a theory; it was a time where literacy and knowledge skyrocketed. People weren’t restricted to their class status there was equality; there wasn’t a huge gap between the wealthy and poor anymore.

The phrase structure of this Haydn String Quartet is a Parallel Sectional Period. The part of the piece I took this from was the very beginning. Right when it starts I found out whether it was parallel or contrasting and interrupted or sectional.

The reason this is a Parallel period is because of how the second half of the phrase in the period is almost identical or “parallel” to the first half. As you listen to the piece from :00 to :05 is the first cadence, and from :05 to :11 the second cadence plays and the melody is almost the same except for the last few notes. This relates back to Enlightenment ideals because the style of the time was about repetition, symmetry, and structure. The repetition of notes relates to the repetition on pillars, windows and decorations of the buildings in the Enlightenment like the Palace of Versailles.

            Along with being a parallel period it is also a sectional period. The reason why it is sectional instead of interrupted period is because the first cadence in this string quartet ends on an Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC). An IAC is when the last note of the cadence ends on a tonic chord which is either Do (1), Mi (3), or Sol (5). The first cadence of the String Quartet by Hayden ending at :005 ends on Mi (3) making it a IAC causing it to be a parallel sectional period. The reason it is not interrupted is because the end of the cadence wasn’t a Half Cadence meaning it didn’t end on Sol (5), Ti (7), Re (2).

            Many of the compositions written during or after the Enlightenment embodies some of the aspects of the Enlightenment, this String Quartet piece is one of them; it exemplifying the repetition and organization of the Enlightenment. 
-Kelsey