Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good and Don Ellis - Pussy Wiggle Stomp (I COULDN'T DECIDED!!!!!)

Feels So Good --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMGyk5bXNAc&list=PLhRTOVD95hC3bw1jmk0kcTZWhISWXuXD4

Pussy Wiggle Stomp -->

Concert Report: Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra

For my third concert report, I decided to attend a concert featuring the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, November 16th at 4:00 PM. The orchestra was conducted by Jeffery Meyer. The orchestra performed two compositions. The first was Gunther Schuller's Concerto No. 2 for Tuba and Orchestra which highlighted Dr. Aaron Tindall, the assistant professor of tuba and euphonium at Ithaca College, School of Music, on the tuba. The orchestra concluded the program with Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90.

The first piece by Schuller begins with a dark harmony in five solo string basses and is then answered by the solo tuba. The piece encompassed many modernistic ideals and twentieth century music throughout each movement. Not only does the composition highlight the tuba, but it focuses more on each and every lower-pitch instrument as well. This reverberates back to how sound color was expanded during the time period, giving music its unique tonal quality as well as its unconventionality. I also took note of how sporadic some the melodic phrases from each section of the orchestra were. Each one would enter at completely random moments in a movement thus creating chaos that resembled society during the twentieth century. Overall, listening to this piece I felt as if I was in an old horror film. While the lower-pitched instruments had the melody, the higher-pitched instruments, specifically the violin section, played high, screeching notes that juxtaposed the lower-pitch instruments and formed an atmosphere that was spooky, frightening and quite unsettling. The piece concluded with an emphatic mercado note creating a loud BANG along with a loud CRACK in the background that sounded like the crack of a whip. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but for me personally it definitely punctuated an already ominous, eery composition perfectly.

I found my spirit being revitalized during the final piece by Brahms since it was much more lively than the previous composition. I also heard a more romantic style in the music as the melodies were longer and flowed more. Unlike Schuller's concert, Brahms' symphony featured the highter-pitched instruments, in particular the clarinet, which I felt connected to the overall theme of freedom in the music. The higher the instruments played, the more I felt as if I was flying higher to greater altitudes in the sky. The first movement establishes the grandiose theme of the piece with its wistful melodies. The second movement is more warm and lyrical as it yearns to return to the melodies from the first movement. Both the second and third movements establish a single pure atmosphere that eventually blooms into its full character. The second piece is more pleasant as the clarinet section is most prominent. Whereas the third movement brings out the cello section more and is more intimate, personal and passionate. All of this comes together and leads into a fourth and final movement that is dramatic and forceful. For me, the fourth movement transforms the composition into a tranquil world that its listeners are hypnotized by.

To conclude, the performance by the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra was mind-blowing. I honestly thought I was listening to a professional orchestra. I currently play in the campus band here at Ithaca, and I think we sound pretty good for a bunch of non-music majors. But when hearing this performance, there's no contest. No doubt I would absolutely attend another program by the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra. 

HW 15: Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and 20th Century Modernism Short Essay

The twentieth century was a period of highs and lows. Technology flourished as radio, telephones, television, satellites and computers were assimilated into our everyday lives. We now had a vast repertoire of tools for communication. Medical science prevailed greatly by defeating numerous infectious diseases while developing complex surgical procedures for expanding one's lifespan. On the other hand, we endured much turmoil through the economic downfall of the Great Depression. We had to suffer through a two world wars as well as wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. To put into simpler terms, the twentieth century was an era of drastic contrasts. As for the music of the time period, twentieth-century music quite avant-garde and diverse due to the much experimentation by musicians. The tonal system was revamped entirely. The length of compositions varied from very short to very long. Sound color advanced with new instrumentation. Iconic Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's music best embodies the characteristics of twentieth century music and society itself. The Rite of Spring, one of Stravinsky's most famous compositions, portrays twentieth century aesthetics of modernism such as juxtaposition and stratification through the piece's dynamics and its melodies.

Part I of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring is littered with juxtaposing elements. From 3:30-5:10 is where there is a great deal of contrast between melodic phrases. Frequently throughout this section of the piece, we hear a soft, gentle melody at first. That melody is then contradicted by the ensuing bombastic string of eighth notes. Stravinsky does this for the purpose of scrambling his listener's moods and building up tension. The contrast of two opposing sides in the music also relates to the juxtaposition of society during the twentieth century. Particularly in the United States, despite technological advancements and booming economies, our country was still off fighting overseas at the same time. While at home we were thriving in our blossoming nation, our brethren were away from home and were being slaughtered by the thousands on the battlefield. There was also a similar contrast within the field of medicine. While there was significant growth in medical science in the twentieth century, science was not able to combat with the AIDS epidemic during the 1980s. On a broader note, the title of the composition juxtaposes the music itself. When we think of the title, The Rite of Spring, just by itself, we imagine something more warm, joyful, peaceful and celebratory since the title literally means the ceremony of the season of spring. Instead we get very dark and serious music that brings unsettlement to our ears.

Another common theme highlighted in Part I of The Rite of Spring is the theme of stratification. From 2:00-3:05 we hear layers upon layers of different phrases from various instrument sections. Not only does each layer of sound produce an ambiguous atmosphere, but more importantly it creates utter chaos. The twentieth century with out a doubt had its moments of insanity. With world wars, the war on drugs, the Great Depression and deadly diseases sweeping the nation, there was never a dull moment. Life was so sporadic and unpredictable; you never knew what would come next. Similar to the melodies played in this section. All of the motions of the melodies prove to be very erratic and as they jump in at completely different times, mixing and jumbling together, and forming a clutter of confusion that leads its listeners to wondering when will all of this be made more clear.

On the whole, Igor Stravinsky's timeless composition The Rite of Spring accurately represents the ideals of twentieth century modernism with its juxtaposing dynamics and its spontaneous melodies. Aside from these aspects, Stravinsky's piece also evokes new sounds from instruments, specifically from the bassoon in the exposition. The bassoon is usually played in the lower register, however in this tune, the bassoonist plays the melody at such a high register for the bassoon that it almost sounds like an oboe. This feature of the composition resembles how the new technology of the twentieth century affected society. Whereas this new sound on the bassoon augmented the music's sound color, the new inventions of technology during this time gave an uniqueness to everyday life for humanity.   

(My Outline)

Octubafest 2014

For my second concert report, I attended Octubafest 2014 on Monday October 27 at 7:00 PM in Ford Hall. The show was highlighted the Tuba/Euphonium Studio which played an array of music ranging from classical to latin to pop while also dressing up in some pretty goofy and outrageous Halloween costumes!

One of my favorite pieces from the entire recital had to be Introduction to Dance. The tune featured a solo euphonium player accompanied by a pianist. I found the composition to be quite eery and intense. I felt this way through out the piece mostly because of the dissonant chord's that were played on the piano. The piano struck these auspicious chords almost as an emphasis during the euphonium's solo. Towards the end of the arrangement, I was able to identify two consecutive sentences. The basic ideas and continuations of these sentences, in particular the final sentence of the chart, were built around ascending triads. These triads would crescendo and accelerate to build a high level of tension until the euphonium player blared out the final emphatic note of the piece. For me this piece revoked the ideals of Romanticism, more specifically the theme of the rise of the individual since Introduction to Dance highlighted the solo euphonium player.

The following composition, Euphonium Concerto II. Lento, had contrasting moods towards the previous piece. Like Introduction to Dance, this tune featured a solo euphonium player accompanied by a pianist. This time, however, the piano's harmonies were more light and elegant. The piano in this piece played a bit more softer at a dynamic of piano, whereas the piano in Introduction to Dance played at a dynamic of forte. I also took note during certain parts of the piece that the piano alternated pleasant and dissonant chords which jumbled up my mood. At times I wasn't sure how I should react towards the tune. As for the solo euphonium player, I found the melody to have singing-quality with the light vibrato used. I imagined a melancholy love though out the arrangement, specifically someone singing his/her lover to return to his/her grasp.

After Euphonium Concerto II. Lento came Selections from Halloween Suite. For this set, the musicians played This Is Halloween and Thriller. The fact that Thriller was played by tubas a euphoniums was a kind of unusual and strange. I'm used to the actual recording of the song and marching and jazz band arrangements where song is more loud, vibrant, and zesty. With just tubas and euphoniums playing it, the tune is not as blaring and has more of a mellow, rich sound.

On the whole, I enjoyed Octubafest 2014. I've never really heard the sound of euphonium and I have to admit that it makes a beautiful sound. One last thing I noticed was how the more dramatic pieces ended in a loud staccato or mercado note while the more gentle pieces ended in a soft whole note. I feel as if these types of endings suite the established moods of those pieces.

Caspar David Friedrich --- Wanderer Above the Sea Mist

Right off the bat when I took my first glance at Wanderer Above the Sea Mist, I noticed the painting conveyed the individualism. Clearly, the main focus of the painting is this single man atop this mountain, gazing across the landscape. One predominant characteristic of Romanticism was the rise of the individual/dreamer. In Friedrich's painting, we see a single man that has risen to the highest peak of a mountain or hill above the clouds. For me, I got the sense that the man is looking out onto this vast and endless mountainous scene right in front of him and is dreaming, according to the romantic individual, of ceaseless opportunities and potential that come his way. Also, I thought this connects to the music of the nineteenth century. A lot of romantic music focused on the solos in music, specifically piano solos. In addition, one of the key themes of romantic music is individual feeling. Through the use of solos, a single performer is able to express his/her own unique thoughts and emotions on an idea presented in a musical composition.

Another Romantic ideal I found prominent was the glorification of nature. During this time period, nature was portrayed through awesome, powerful, and even horrifying elements. This painting in particular, most of the aspects that I examined I found to be somewhat ominous and eery. Personally, I found the presence of the clouds/haze cover the majority of the landscape to be unclear, unsettling and auspicious. The clouds/haze masking the environment in front of the individual gave me the sense that what the dreamer is searching deeply for answers through the white veil blanketing the setting and the man's thoughts.

One last Romantic ideal I explored was the pursuit of spiritual self-awareness. Reverting back to what I said before in regards to the man trying to search for answers, I believe that those answers that he is searching for are about himself. He is yearning for the unknown and the unknowable. My guess at what the man might be thinking about his maybe his health. I'm not entirely sure if what he has is a cane or a walking stick, but assuming it's a cane, I felt as if he is pondering about his future and how his health will affect it and is dreaming of good fortune later in his life.

Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell" (Mackerras)

I decided to analyze the a phrase of Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell" (Mackerras). The piece is written in a 3/4 time signature. This gives the song waltz-like quality to it. However, I didn't get that light-hearted feeling that you usually sense when listening to a waltz or any song with dancing quality. I found the tune to be quite heavy, dramatic and serious. I sensed a lot of anger, frustration, and tension throughout the song. The fact that the piece is written in such an obscure key, F-sharp minor, contributes to the eerie atmosphere surrounding the music. The dynamic changes also emphasize the emotion and drama. I pictured two distraught lovers bickering with one and another to the point in which utter chaos breaks out and one of them barges out of the doors, leaving the other lover with the feeling of guilt and wanting to mend the relationship they once had.

I chose the beginning phrase of the song (0:00-0:15) for my analysis. Immediately I recognized the sentence phrase from the first two measures. The basic idea is established in the first two measures with the descending quarter note arpeggios. The idea is repeated in the preceding two measures, except its played a half-step above (this builds the tension within the phrase). Then comes the continuation which is four measures long. Here, the first two measures of the song are presented once again and all the sudden, a rapid fire of sixteenth notes explode out of the violins, creating utter madness. The continuation ends on the tonic chord, thus ending on a perfect authentic cadence.

Sentence Phrase Diagram:

The phrase I chose and dissected represents the ideals of the Enlightenment period. It symbolizes the conversations between solonnieres that occur in the salons. One person would present an idea/topic for discussion (basic idea). Another person would then share his/her perspective on the idea/topic (basic idea repeated). Then there would be much heated discussion and argument between the solonnieres (continuation) until they finally reached an overall consensus on the subject matter (ending on a PAC).

Enlightenment Era Ideals

The Enlightenment period was embodied by the notion that social authority comes from the people being governed. This period, known as "The Age of Reason",  elevated science and rational over religion and supernatural power. It was a time where great thinkers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes questioned "human nature" and why society behaves in certain manners. These questions would eventually give birth the ideals of this time period.

After watching Don Giovanni, I was able to pick up a couple of Enlightenment aspects within the opera. The fact that Don Giovanni is painted as the villain represents how aristocrats during the Enlightenment were portrayed as dark spirited.

Specifically, the opera connects to two statements by two Enlightenment thinkers:

1. People are naturally free. No one need ask permission of anyone else before acting. - John Locke
2. Humans want two things: to increase pleasure and to avoid pain. - Thomas Hobbes

Throughout the scene with him and Zerlina, Don Giovanni attempts to seduce Zerlina even though she is already engaged to another man. Zerlina is clearly not an available woman since she has already tied the knot with Massetto. However, Don Giovanni, being the brute that he is, completely disregards this and believes he is a superior mate for Zerlina since he is a member of the upper class and that he is entitled to whatever he so desires. This best represents the words of John Locke. Don Giovanni didn't even ask Zerlina if she would go through in marrying him, he simply pushed aside everyone else, including Massetto, and asked for her hand in marriage.

During Don Giovanni and Zerlina's duet, they both sang the line, "We'll go, my dearest, and ease the pains of innocent love." At this point, Don Giovanni has successfully won over Zerlina's heart. Their plan to "ease the pains of innocent love" resembles the comments of Thomas Hobbes. In order to avoid these "pains of innocent love", Don Giovanni and Zerlina seek marriage and a life of lust as a way to raise pleasure while masking any suffering.

My initial reaction when I first read up on the Enlightenment period, I thought to myself how free and nonchalant society was then. People began to stray away from some of life's norms and strived to live differently beyond what was socially acceptable before then.