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.  

Bruno Nettl - Folk Music

For me, folk music is defined as a specific genre of music that pertains to a specific group of people or "folk" (regional, race, religion, etc.). The music mainly tells a story regarding the history of that said group of individuals.

In Bruno Nettl's essay, An Introduction to Folk Music in the United States, Nettl doesn't give an exact textbook definition to folk music, but states that the origin and how the music is constructed and presented determines whether or not it is truly folk music. At the same time, Nettl proposes various binary oppositions to help distinguish folk music from other types of music. Nettl brings up some valid points that I certainly agree with (how folk music is structured compared to other music and such), and some that I may have second opinions on. However, my biggest issue with Nettl is his harsh tone towards folk music, that he preaches to his readers that folk music is meant for those of lower social class and is "primitive".

When comparing folk music to cultivative music there are some significant differences that characterize the two. Cultivative music appears to be more complicated, especially with its melodies and harmonies. Cultivative compositions use an assortment of pitches and rhythms. The melodies are constructed on many levels of texture. Folk music, on the other hand, tends to have more simple melodies and is monophonic and follow a strophic form frequently. I don't agree with the notion that folk music isn't played by professionals or well-known musicians. The iconic Bob Dylan and his music for instance can be classified as folk music by some people. The song "Tangled Up in Blue" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwSZvHqf9qM) best represents Nettl's description of folk music. It follows a simple melody throughout, but still tells of a story with heart and passion that captivates its listeners.

This comparison by Nettl is a prime to the point I mentioned before of him downgrading folk music's purpose and segregating it from cultivative music's elegance. He portrays cultivative music as the superior genre by calling it "sophisticated" and "composer-known" and saying it is meant for only the upperclass. Meanwhile, Nettl stamps folk music with label of "primitive" and being recognized as lower-class music. Unlike folk music, cultivative music is written down, thus emphasizing its prominence among its music brethren.

My problem with Nettl is that he fails to realize that folk music, though different to cultivative music in many fashions, has an equivalent importance to its listeners. Primitive music, in comparison to cultivative music, uses different and few pitches, scales, and tonal patterns. Its tones are "unessential". Its melodic phrase are concise and concentrated. In essence, folk music doesn't have the "beef" to tussle with cultivative music which uses deep, broad, flowing phrases alongside with more challenging time signatures (folk music typically use the standard ones: 4/4, 3/4, 6/8). I don't see what's all the hubbub around this debate. There is no dominant music style or genre because each one pertains to its own unique audience. In my opinion, folk music is substantial. Each type of music touches someone differently, good or bad. Folk music hits home for some because it's more narrative than others. Listeners are able to connect with folk music either on a religious level, cultural level, etc. In fact, I feel as if folk music is a step above cultivative music in the sense of how open and independent it is, where cultivative music can be straight forward. Folk music's oral tradition enables it's freedom in the music community and allows it to evolve over time. Also, who cares if a song wasn't written or composed by someone famous. Personally, music is solely about the enjoyment of it, not its popularity.      

Pianamerica: A Festival of American Piano Music (Part I)

For my first concert report, I decided to attend Pianamerica: A Festival of American Piano Music (Part I) in Hockett Family Recital Hall this past Tuesday, September 16th at 7:00 pm. Undergraduate and graduate solo pianists of Jennifer Hayghe's studio performed an array of songs pertaining to the styles of jazz, classical, and ragtime.

One thing I took note of the raw emotions that the performers put into themselves. As climatic moments reach in the songs, I saw waves of energy and intensity burst out of each one of them as they slammed the piano keys hard with enthusiasm and as their bodies swayed back and forth on the piano bench. As a member of the audience, I could feel that same wave hit myself and I was able to experience the same liveliness as the performers were expresses themselves through their performances.

My favorite performance of them all was actually the very first one performed by sophomore Alexander Simakas. Alexander played "Seven Virtuoso Etudes on Gershwin Songs" which included the likes of "Sombody Loves Me", "Embraceable You" and "I Got Rhythm". The piece in its entirety seemed ballad-like, characterized by its long, flowing chromatic phrases which led into short and slow phrases. It sounded so beautiful and silky, like a playing a harp almost. Alexander proved to be a wiz as well with his precise dynamic changes. His soft striking of the keys further exemplified the tranquil, romantic aura of the piece.

I also loved Alexander Greenberg and Chenqui Wang's ragtime charts, "Desire Rag" and "Graceful Ghost Rag". Both songs were different, however. When I think of rag music, I immediately think swing music. "Desire Rag" was not what I expected of a ragtime tune. It wasn't swung, but it was up-tempo, and it had a dancing and jiving quality to it. Actually, it made me think of the stereotypical music you would here in a saloon in an old western film. As for "Graceful Ghost Rag", this song fell along the lines of what I initially expected since it swung more than the previous song.

Comparing the music I heard to the music I have listened to in class, I can connect the music at Pianamerica to folk music on a narrative level. Though there weren't any lyrics in any of the compositions, I was able to picture a story in my head with the music being played by the solo pianists. Through Alexander Simakas' music, I imagined someone mesmerized by someone else they have a grave passion towards and is overcome with glee after discovering that that person has mutual feelings for him/her.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to IC's brightest pianists. In fact, there were certain points within the program that I wanted to hop up on stage and play along with the musicians. On the other hand, I felt as if there wasn't much of a variation in moods through each song. The majority of the tunes conveyed more of a mellow, dramatic vibe, which I did enjoy. Throughout the show, I was yearning for some sort of shift in feeling, whether it was happy-go-lucky, or gloomy and dreary, just to mix it up a little bit. Saying that I was bored throughout the entire concert would be an utter lie. I was most certainly touched and moved by some of the music, but I wasn't shaken and rattled by the show in total. Maybe I thought this way because in my concert and jazz bands in high school, I was used to playing music with different textures and emotions.

Porchfest - ICO Brass Quintet

After attending my first Porchfest here at Ithaca, I can easily say that it was a wonderful experience. There were so many talented, unique musicians and bands out there that I had the opportunity to listen to, but the one band that I enjoyed the most had to be the Ithaca Community Orchestra (ICO) Brass Quintet. The band was comprised of two trumpets, one tuba, one trombone, and one french horn, and they all blended beautifully (http://icobrass.org). What made them so great, aside from their rich sound, was the variety of music they played. They played classical tunes from the likes of George Frederic Handel, marches, overtures, jazz, and even sprinkled in some folk music.

One classic jazz piece they performed was "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by the iconic Duke Ellington (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyt5reZmVAI unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ask for permission to us a recording of them that I made, so this is as closes to what it sounded like at the festival). From my perspective, the song gave off a somewhat lazy, sleepy, or lackadaisical vibe to it. The song's tempo was played around adagio (easy) and at mezzo piano (medium soft). Listening to the song makes me think of someone that literally doesn't get around much anymore; someone, possibly elderly, who lives carefree and lays in his/her bed all day. Especially during the main melody in the beginning of the tune, I picture a person putting some effort to try to get his/her up several times (the melody begins on a higher note to a lower note, and leaps back up to the same high note and back down again to the same lower note and repeats), but each time he/she finds him/herself slowly falling back into the cozy, luxurious bed that the person is so accustomed to. I also appreciated the vibrato used by some of the musicians. I thought it gave the song its authentic taste.

I felt as if the music played by the quintet was more intended for mature, older audience who grew up listening to those types of music. However, it struck a chord in me, not only because this is the genre of music I usually listen to, but that I've played most of these songs at one point before, including "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". I can remember playing that song, that melody at multiple gigs for my high school band and how much I practiced the song to make sure I had that melody embedded into my brain.

The band proceeded with the "Can-Can", which, unlike the song prior, is more lively and vigorous. From my own take, I thought by the them playing "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" established a mellow mood among the myself and the rest of the audience and then the "Can-Can" was meant to sort of "catch us all off guard" and "wake us up". Its tempo is more vivace (lively) and its dynamics were more fortissimo (very loud). It got your heart pounding again after the previous song slowed down and eased your pulse.

All in all, my first Porchfest experience was a memorable one and I hope to make it for next years festival!          

Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In

I really had a hard time identifying IAC-PAC and HC-PAC cadences in the songs I usually listen to and my favorites. So I decided to chooses one of the classics: "When the Saints Go Marching In" by the great Satchimo himself, Louis Armstrong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLjbMBpGDA.

Originally, I set out to choose a tune from another trumpet player named Don Ellis, however, if any of you have every listened to Ellis' music, you would understand he and his band play some very unconventional and just simply wacky music with obscure time signatures. So with that, I decided to choose a song with a standard meter and with a simpler melody so I wouldn't be stressing out and pulling the hair out of my head just trying figure out phrases and cadences. 

After actively listening to "When the Saints Go Marching In", I was able to conclude that the song was comprised of a HC-PAC cadence. The first eight measures of the tune (0:16-0:31) made up the half cadence. The first phrase ends on a half cadence because it ends on "re" (C). I also know this because the song is written in the key of B flat major. C is the second note of the school, meaning it is equivalent to "re" in solfege, therefore the phrase ends in a half cadence. As for the next eight bars (0:31-0:45), it was clearly a perfect authentic cadence since the final not landed on "do" (B flat). Since both melodies were basically played the same throughout, despite a couple variations in the second melody (a, a'), the two musical phrases added up to equal a parallel interrupted period.

Since I already knew the key in which the piece was written in, it wasn't too difficult to figure out the tonic and dominant chords. The tonic chord is constructed with the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale, making this tonic chord B flat, D, and F. The dominant chord is made with the 5th, 7th, and 9th, making this dominant chord F, A, and C.

Arturo Sandoval - Marianela

As a fellow trumpeter and Jazz enthusiast myself, I take pride in listening to the greatest of the greats that were able to make that hunk of brass sing. You've got your founding fathers of jazz trumpeting (Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, etc.) who I enjoy listening too and learning from. There's the commercialists (Maynard Ferguson, Al Hirt, Doc Severinsen and such) who despite all the harsh criticism they endured throughout their careers, due to the fact that they mainly appealed to a particular audience, they were still very much influential to young, aspiring musicians like myself growing up during those time periods and even today.

But of course you have the trumpet gurus of today. Your Wynton Marsalis'. Your Jon Faddis'. The James Morrison's. All musical magicians. All of which have rang my eardrums with such eloquent musical phrases that have further intensified my love for Jazz.

The zesty Arturo Sandoval is another jazz savant of today's Mount Rushmore of trumpet players. Sandoval is known for his sizzling Latin tunes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIWXYrK3Dis it's called "Funky Cha Cha," and it is without a doubt the definition of sexy!) and his flamboyant antics in his performances.

However, for this post I'll be discussing a somewhat more subtle piece by boisterous Sandoval called "Marianela" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDg0tnU2rlo). Unlike his more pop-oriented tunes, Sandoval's piece this time is less up-beat and jiving, but more mellow, silky, and romantic.

The song is in your standard 4/4 time signature. The tune's tempo overall is best described as largo (broad), but not a loud, belting broad... at least not up until the final solo melody.  It best encompasses a ternary form (ABA'). The piece begins with some sort of electronic instrument accompanied by a piano (song texture) and ends in the same fashion with a slightly different melody at the end. Both melodies are played at mezzo piano, adding to the already smooth, gentle melody created. Each and every time I hear those to melodies, it always strikes a chord inside me because of the singing quality to it.

Listening to the song as a whole, I feel as if Sandoval is playing for someone who he is deeply affectionate towards. In addition, it seems that the structure of the song resembles the lust for this person; the passion for this certain individual is bubbling and brewing for such a long time until finally Sandoval can no longer contain his devotion as it bursts from within. The first two solos are played by what seems to be some sort of flugelhorn. The sound coming from those instruments are very mellow and tranquil and are played at mezzo piano. Unlike the first melody (0:34), which is comprised of simpler phrases, the second melody's phrases are more elongated, with an abundance of sixteenth notes (1:53). In my opinion, the second melody has a more velvety texture to it. The texture of these solos are polyphony because of the piano playing the chords, the string instruments playing their own musical lines and the light percussion in the background of the main melody.

The climatic point of the piece is the grand glissando leading into the blaring trumpet solo represents the volcanic eruption of Sandoval's undeniable adoration (3:05). The fact that he is now playing at a higher volume of fortissimo and screeching more in the upper register continues to exemplify the rays of amour and love beaming out of Sandoval's soul.

Whenever I feel down and need to find something that will pick me up, I usually turn to music. "Marianela" in particular is a heart-raising, spirit-lifting tune that helps calm my nerves and soothe my sorrows at a moment's notice. Take a listen, and enjoy the music!