Period: Classical
This awesome piece has an instrumental timbre featuring the awesome sounds of two violins, a viola, and a cello. The harmony is full and upbeat with some slower and deeper features. The dynamics vary with crescendos and features that are in all f or p. The texture is homophonic with a recurring theme and I'm pretty sure at one point it was polyphonic? But it was kind of hard to tell since it was such a small group but both were playing interacting parts. It had a fast rhythm when it features the leading violin, but sometimes slowed down to a more relaxed tempo. This is clearly a classical piece because its in Rondo form as well as the melody was easy to remember.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Introduction to the opera Don Giovanni- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Period: Classical
The introduction to this opera has an instrumental timbre that evolves into a timbre with operatic vocal features later on with an embellished melody that features a wide pitch range. The harmony is full with strong themes beautifully interlaced with one another. The dynamics are grand with both P & f as well as with grand crescendos. It has a homophonic texture and involves a fast upbeat tempo that leads into the action packed opera. This is a clear classical piece because everything involved great balance as well as, well, its Mozart.
The introduction to this opera has an instrumental timbre that evolves into a timbre with operatic vocal features later on with an embellished melody that features a wide pitch range. The harmony is full with strong themes beautifully interlaced with one another. The dynamics are grand with both P & f as well as with grand crescendos. It has a homophonic texture and involves a fast upbeat tempo that leads into the action packed opera. This is a clear classical piece because everything involved great balance as well as, well, its Mozart.
Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" by Joseph Haydn
Period: Classical
This piece has an instrumental timbre with a sweet, slow, and playful melody that involved a changing pitch range and maintained a short and light sound throughout the piece. The harmony was sweet and playful with varied themes and featured major chords. The dynamics were pretty much all over the place starting off with P and the famous ff chord that everyone (insert sarcasm) loves so much. It has a homophonic texture and a rhythm that starts off slow and seems to change to a faster pace.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Fugue in G minor
By: J.S. Bach
form: Fugue
period: Baroque
This piece features a instrumental timbre with and embellished melody with a wide pitch range. The harmony is exquisite in that it its full and interacts beautifully within itself and the other voices. It has simple dynamics in that it allows us to experience crescendos in a simple form growing from piano to forte. The texture is polyphonic and it has a simple fast tempo. This is a clear baroque piece because A.) its a FUGUE and B.)it has extensive use of imitation when it comes to the "subject". Great piece.
form: Fugue
period: Baroque
This piece features a instrumental timbre with and embellished melody with a wide pitch range. The harmony is exquisite in that it its full and interacts beautifully within itself and the other voices. It has simple dynamics in that it allows us to experience crescendos in a simple form growing from piano to forte. The texture is polyphonic and it has a simple fast tempo. This is a clear baroque piece because A.) its a FUGUE and B.)it has extensive use of imitation when it comes to the "subject". Great piece.
Hallelujah Chrous
by: Handel
form: Movement..?
period: Baroque
This extremely lavish piece has a vocal and instrumental timbre with a STRONG and beautiful melody. The harmony is to say the least, extremely embellished, strong, and extremely active. The Dynamics feature a wide range of loud starting in forte and growing up to fortissimo, but later on it does give us some quiet moments. The texture features polyphonic moments, as well as some featured male homophonic textures. The rhythm is fast, exciting, and happy. With the repetition of melody and the compelling drive and energy this is a clear piece of the baroque period.
form: Movement..?
period: Baroque
This extremely lavish piece has a vocal and instrumental timbre with a STRONG and beautiful melody. The harmony is to say the least, extremely embellished, strong, and extremely active. The Dynamics feature a wide range of loud starting in forte and growing up to fortissimo, but later on it does give us some quiet moments. The texture features polyphonic moments, as well as some featured male homophonic textures. The rhythm is fast, exciting, and happy. With the repetition of melody and the compelling drive and energy this is a clear piece of the baroque period.
Flow of my tears
By: John Dowland
Form: Ternary
Period: Renaissance
This is a piece with a vocal timbre accompanied by a lute. It has a simple melody and a very simple harmony because it doesn't really interact with the lute. The dynamics are also simple, starts with piano and very gradually grows to a slight forte. It has a homophonic texture with a simple & slow rhythm. This is a clear renaissance piece because of the wide range of emotion without the extreme contrasts, and not to mention its a clear Renaissance Lute song.
Form: Ternary
Period: Renaissance
This is a piece with a vocal timbre accompanied by a lute. It has a simple melody and a very simple harmony because it doesn't really interact with the lute. The dynamics are also simple, starts with piano and very gradually grows to a slight forte. It has a homophonic texture with a simple & slow rhythm. This is a clear renaissance piece because of the wide range of emotion without the extreme contrasts, and not to mention its a clear Renaissance Lute song.
Ave Maria...virgo serena
By: Josquin Desprez
Form: Ternary
Stylistic period: Renaissance
This is a piece with a sacred vocal timbre that has an embellished melody with a wide pitch range. It has a full harmony in which both the main lines of men and women intertwine perfectly with each other at all times. The dynamics begin at piano and gradually crescendo up to forte with a strong male base. It has a polyphonic texture and the rhythm is slow with a moderate increase, barely noticeable as well as repetitive. Two characteristics that are represented from the renaissance is that its a sacred vocal piece and that the rhythm is a gentle flow rather than a sharply defined beat.
Form: Ternary
Stylistic period: Renaissance
This is a piece with a sacred vocal timbre that has an embellished melody with a wide pitch range. It has a full harmony in which both the main lines of men and women intertwine perfectly with each other at all times. The dynamics begin at piano and gradually crescendo up to forte with a strong male base. It has a polyphonic texture and the rhythm is slow with a moderate increase, barely noticeable as well as repetitive. Two characteristics that are represented from the renaissance is that its a sacred vocal piece and that the rhythm is a gentle flow rather than a sharply defined beat.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Agnus Dei from the Notre Dame Mass
Written by: Guillaume de Machaut
Stylistic period: Middle Ages
Form: Ternary
Agnus Dei from the Notre Dame Mass features a vocal timbre. It has a very embellished melody with lots of highs and lows. The harmony is very full and colorful with its constant interaction with harmonies playing with each other and its repetitive theme. The dynamics feature lots of grand crescendos and sudden diminuendos. It has a polyphonic texture and a slow rhythm. Some characteristics that let us know this is from the middle ages is that it only features vocal music as well as that its religious based.
Stylistic period: Middle Ages
Form: Ternary
Agnus Dei from the Notre Dame Mass features a vocal timbre. It has a very embellished melody with lots of highs and lows. The harmony is very full and colorful with its constant interaction with harmonies playing with each other and its repetitive theme. The dynamics feature lots of grand crescendos and sudden diminuendos. It has a polyphonic texture and a slow rhythm. Some characteristics that let us know this is from the middle ages is that it only features vocal music as well as that its religious based.
Alleluia...Vidimus Stellam
Written by: Unknown
Form: Gregorian Chant
Stylistic Period: Middle Ages
Alleluia is a piece that features a strong, deep, spiritual vocal timbre. The melody is very simple and the pitch range is not too wide, also because everyone is singing the same thing but just in different keys, it does not have a harmony. The dynamics include gradual crescendos with forte climaxing sections. It has a monophonic texture and a very simple slow tempo. Some characteristics that allow us to see this was a musical piece from the middle ages is that its monophonic and there is no instrumental use; only voices.
Form: Gregorian Chant
Stylistic Period: Middle Ages
Alleluia is a piece that features a strong, deep, spiritual vocal timbre. The melody is very simple and the pitch range is not too wide, also because everyone is singing the same thing but just in different keys, it does not have a harmony. The dynamics include gradual crescendos with forte climaxing sections. It has a monophonic texture and a very simple slow tempo. Some characteristics that allow us to see this was a musical piece from the middle ages is that its monophonic and there is no instrumental use; only voices.
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Written by: Benjamin Britten
Stylistic Period: 20th Century
The piece's timbre involved a variety of instruments ranging from strings (violin, cello, viola, bass), woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, piccolos), brass (tubas, trumpets, french horns), as well as a full percussion. It had a simple, slow melody with a repetitive theme with variations depending on which instrument was being highlighted. The harmony is full with a variety of contrasting instruments such as when the high strings and woodwinds would contrast the low powerful blasts of the brass. Thanks to the percussion and the solid sound of the deep brass, the dynamics had sudden as well as magnificent crescendos and diminuendos with accents featuring a variety of instruments, my favorite being the violin feature of course. Overall it had a polyphonic texture, however certain sections of the song did allow for monophonic textures when certain instruments had section solos. I would have to say the piece overall had a bit of a slow tempo, however it did change to either a slow or faster tempo when certain sections were highlighted; the string feature at one point was very slow and ethereal and then the high brass feature was fast and exciting. Two characteristics that exemplify the stylistic period of the twentieth century I believe is the constant contrasting that Britten constructed in his music, not making it entirely a "romantic" piece. Also the use of a full orchestra highlighting EVERY instrument is definitely a modern 20th century technique.
Stylistic Period: 20th Century
The piece's timbre involved a variety of instruments ranging from strings (violin, cello, viola, bass), woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, piccolos), brass (tubas, trumpets, french horns), as well as a full percussion. It had a simple, slow melody with a repetitive theme with variations depending on which instrument was being highlighted. The harmony is full with a variety of contrasting instruments such as when the high strings and woodwinds would contrast the low powerful blasts of the brass. Thanks to the percussion and the solid sound of the deep brass, the dynamics had sudden as well as magnificent crescendos and diminuendos with accents featuring a variety of instruments, my favorite being the violin feature of course. Overall it had a polyphonic texture, however certain sections of the song did allow for monophonic textures when certain instruments had section solos. I would have to say the piece overall had a bit of a slow tempo, however it did change to either a slow or faster tempo when certain sections were highlighted; the string feature at one point was very slow and ethereal and then the high brass feature was fast and exciting. Two characteristics that exemplify the stylistic period of the twentieth century I believe is the constant contrasting that Britten constructed in his music, not making it entirely a "romantic" piece. Also the use of a full orchestra highlighting EVERY instrument is definitely a modern 20th century technique.
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