Winter Concert Reflection (Orchestra)

Leading up to this winter concert, I believe that I behaved well in class and did everything that I could as principal violist to help the other members of my section. I provided them with bowings and fingerings, and collaborated with other section leaders on these things. I also worked hard to make sure the violas were improving during sectionals, and that we worked on everything that members of the section did not feel 100% on.

As a group, I believe that we performed well at the concert, with only a few minor mistakes. In comparison to the first concert, we improved upon our dynamic contrast, phrasing, and general cohesiveness as an orchestra. These aspects were very important in increasing the musicality of our performance. However, we made mistakes, particularly in the Offenbach, as we rushed and became disconnected. The rushing started at the "Can-Can" and continued to the end of the piece, as some members of the orchestra followed the percussion, which was slightly ahead, while others attempted to stay with Dr. Wang's tempo. This resulted in an obvious disconnect between different sections of the orchestra. Additionally, we had issues with intonation. This is a recurring issue that we can continue to work on. Personally, I performed well, although I believe I can improve upon style and dynamic contrast.

For our next concert, I think that we can improve by increasing our dynamic range even further, continuing to focus on musicality, really working on and paying close attention to intonation, and continuously watching Dr. Wang to stay together. Our cohesiveness as a group is central to giving a good performance. If we maintain all of these elements, then we should get a good rating at festival.

Journal: Igor Stravinsky (IB Music)

Biography:

• Who: 
• Igor Stravinsky
• Took lessons in piano and music theory as a child, yet studied law as a young adult. Eventually discovered talent for composition and studied under Rimsky-Korsakov 
• When: 
• Lived from June 17, 1882 until April 6, 1971
• Studied under Rimsky-Korsakov starting in the early 1900s (around 1902). R-K acted as a mentor for Stravinsky, offering suggestions on his new works and getting them performed. 
• Composed Rite of Spring (most notable piece) in 1911-1913
• Where:
• Born in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), near St. Petersburg, Russia 
• Stayed largely in Russia. The Rite of Spring was premiered in Paris, France (resulting in a riot). After this performance, he moved his family to France, then Switzerland, where he stayed until 1920. After a few years in France and then Russia again, he remarried and moved to Hollywood, California.
• What:
• Composed opera/theater, ballet, orchestral, choral, vocal, chamber, piano, and player piano works.  
• Also composed concerti for piano and violin.
• His most popular works were ballet, The Firebird and The Rite of Spring.
• Style:
• Stravinsky's works can be separated into three main periods:
• Russian Period (1907-1919)
• Orchestration, overall structure, harmonic organization, and melodic content influenced by Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Glazunov, Taneyev, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Dvorak, and Debussy. 
• Mainly orchestral works, and ballets (like Petrushka).
• Neoclassical Period (1920-1954)
• Return to Classical traditions, focusing on themes from Greek Mythology.
• Important works include the Octet, the Serenade in A, and Apollon, Persephone, and Orpheus. 
• Serial Period (1954-1968)
• Serialism = a fixed series of notes are used to create the harmonic and melodic basis of a piece (12 tone music, for example)
• Stravinsky largely used dodecaphony (12 tones) in works like Agon, Threni, and The Flood.

Listening Journal: Stravinsky's The Septet (1953) - first movement lacking title

• Instrumentation:
• Septet for clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano, violin, viola, and cello
• Meter/Tempo/Rhythm:
• Tempo marked 88 bpm 
• Feels simple duple, most likely 4/4
• Most rhythms are normal, but staggered entrances (sometimes on offbeats) makes it sound very complex
• Melody:
• Not often distinguishable, as it is shared and passed around by all seven members of the chamber ensemble
• 
  
• Tonality:
• Starts seemingly atonal. After some time cadences make the piece seem slightly tonal.
• Opposing melodies in clarinet, strings, and piano
• Major tonality?? - definitely not clear, move towards serialism. This piece is most likely serial. Judging based upon the time it was composed, this was right during his transition from neo-classical to serial. I'd say that this is definitely not classical. At all.
• Texture:
• Very polyphonic. At some points there are solos where it becomes homophonic or even monophonic, but the piece is largely polyphonic.

Journal: Composer Affected by Impressionist Movement (IB Music)

Biography:

• Who: 
• Isaac Albeniz
• Child prodigy (on piano)
• When: 
• Lived from 29 May 1860 until 18 May 1909.
• Traveled around the world with his father, performing in the US, England, and Germany at the age of 15.
• Started composing in late 1870s.
• Where:
• Born in Camprodon, Gerona, Spain. 
• Traveled through Europe performing piano works of other composers and then eventually conducting the performances of his own works.
• Lived in London and Paris during the 1890s.
• What:
• Largely composed piano works, the last (and largest) of which was the Iberia Suite, written in 1908, composed of 12 "piano impressions." 
• His piano works are more commonly heard as classical guitar arrangements.
• He also composed operas, such as Henry Clifford, and orchestral works
• Style:
• At first, piano works followed traditions set by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt; mainly "salon music"
• Middle period works contain a heavy Spanish influence
• Delicate, intricate melodies
• Abrupt dynamic changes
• Spanish dance rhythms
• Use of cante jondo (associated with flamenco)
• Exotic scales like the whole tone scale, and modes like Phrygian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian
• Guitar idioms in piano writing
• Late works marked by further compositional exploration.

Listening Journal: Almeria for piano from the Iberia Suite (0:00-2:56)

• Instrumentation:
• Solo piano
• Modern style keyboard
• Right hand has much of the melody, although the parts intertwine and create the melody together
• Meter/Tempo/Rhythm:
• Meter switches between 6/8 and 3/4 time
• Marked allegretto moderato
• Rhythms are simple, consisting primarily of quarter and eighth notes 
• Most dotted rhythms land on major beats, but some syncopation present from 1:26-1:41). Also in this section, accents fall on off beats, making for an odd, sort of "off" feel to the section
• Evidence of hemiola (for example at 1:58)
• Melody:
• Held largely by the right hand
• Transfers back and forth between the hands (switches from right to left at 1:26 and then back to right at 1:50 and then back to left at 1:58, etc.)
• Seems fairly conjunct, moves primarily stepwise; makes some jumps but not consistently
• Often, parts of the melody can be found in both the right and left hand; the closeness of the two parts enables this effect where it sounds as if one hand is playing melody and the other harmony (like in Ravel's Pavane for a Dead Princess)
• Tonality:
• Although the key signature has one sharp, meaning that the piece is in G major or E minor, it is often impossible to tell what key the piece is in due to the overwhelming use of accidentals and chromaticism
• These tactics create uneasy and unclear harmonies, which Albeniz resolves in strange ways or does not resolve at all (in impressionist fashion)
• Texture:
• Largely homophonic
• Syncopated or emphasized harmony sometimes distorts the melody, making it more dense and polyphonic
• Structure:
• 0:00-0:15 = phrase one
• 0:16-0:35 = phrase two (composed of descending variations of the melody)
• 0:36-0:59 = phrase three (loud dynamically, highest part, climax)
• 1:00-1:13 = phrase four (gradually relaxing in intensity and dynamic, transitional)
• 1:14-1:26 = phrase five (return of phrase one!)
• 1:27-1:51 = phrase six (entirely new section, melody in bass line, syncopations and accents on offbeats)
• 1:52-2:12 = phrase seven (variation of phrase one again; melodic line split between right and left hand)
• 2:13-2:25 = phrase eight (modulation of original melody, transitional)
• 2:26-2:56 = phrase nine (entirely new theme, right hand playing block chords, left hand playing eighth note "melody"; introduces calmer second half of piece)

Playing Test: Dvorak measures 7-12, 35-40, and 60-65 (Orchestra)

First Post Concert Reflection (Orchestra)

I went into the concert hoping that we as an orchestra would listen to each other and play the best that we could as a synergized unit. The past several rehearsals that we had had were successful in increasing our unity, creating more dynamic contrast, and focusing more on musicality instead of perfection of the notes.

I believe that we exhibited all of these things within our performance at the concert, especially during our performance of The Holberg Suite. I was most worried about this piece, as we had struggled with staying together and achieving a great dynamic contrast between the piano and sforzando notes. Additionally, the violas struggled with A1 to B specifically in this piece, causing me to worry about how that would sound onstage. However, after listening to the recording, I found that Holberg was our best piece that evening because we managed to stay together throughout, achieved a noticeable amount of dynamic contrast, and pulled it together at A1.

Although we succeeded at Holberg, we struggled a bit more with Olympic Fanfare, Slavonic Dances, and Radetzky March because the string and band sections were not together. I think that the band members got a bit excited (and were also hindered by their distance from Dr. Wang) and rushed ahead of the strings. This caused a sort of disarray that was difficult to correct. However, we managed to stay together after rough beginnings and improved in other areas, like dynamics.

If we were to play this concert again, I would focus on consistency between sections, not only so that everyone has the correct tempo and timing, but also so that the balance was better. At some points the combination of brass and strings overpowered the harps, for example. In preparation for our next concert, we should focus on synergy, musicality, dynamic contrast, and phrasing.

Pre-Concert Reflections (Orchestra)

Symphony Orchestra Classwork: 29 October 2016

What goals do you want to achieve for the Holberg Suite today?

• I would like to achieve greater dynamic contrast between sections that are forte and those that are piano (as well as emphasizing sforzandos)
• I would also like to see greater coordination within the sections, making sure that sixteenth notes are timed exactly together

Concert critiques on Holberg Suite:

• The timing of the orchestra was good, they were together at almost all points in the piece even without a conductor
• They did have more dynamic contrast than our orchestra does
• There was an evident connection between the musicians and the music (lots of movement and cuing)

Reflection:

• Our rehearsal of the Holberg Suite in class today was better than all of our previous rehearsals of it. 
• We sounded more cohesive
• We created better dynamic contrast
• I think we can still work on 
• Greater dynamic contrast 
• Timing
• Playing A1-B at tempo (violas)

What goals do you want to achieve for the Slavonic Dance No. 8 today?

• I would like to see greater dynamic contrast between repeated sections and more dynamic phrasing to capture the opposing characters within the music 
• More coordination and balance between the sections (i.e. make flute solos more evident by lowering the dynamic level of the strings)
• Less rushing so that the orchestra stays together 

Concert critique on Slavonic Dance No. 8:

• The orchestra seemed to rush a bit
• They had extremely good dynamic contrast and phrasing
• There was good balance between sections of the orchestra

Reflection:

• Our rehearsal of Slavonic Dance in class was good
• We had more dynamic contrast
• I think we can still work on
• Staying together (especially when the wind and brass sections are added)
• Even more dynamic contrast and phrasing

Romantic Orchestral Investigation: Mahler

Investigating Gustav Mahler

• Biographical Information:
• Born: July 7, 1860 in Czech Republic
• Died: May 18, 1911 in Austria
• Austrian but born in Czech Republic, felt like an outsider and turned to music
• Late Romantic
• Bridge between 19th century tradition and 20th century modernism
• Composed 9 symphonies 
• Wrote Lieder to combine traditional German works with new modernism
• He did not focus on innovation or the creation of new techniques, instead he worked to combine elements of old with elements of new
• He used Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art - combining all elements of art and production including music, staging, theater, scenes, etc.) which was initially put into use by Wagner 

• Famous Work: Symphony 2, Movement 1
This piece has style elements particular to Mahler and particular to the Romantic Era:
• Dynamic contrast (piano to fortissimo and back)
• Shocking and dramatic
• Extremely brass heavy
• Alternates between choppy, heavy, brass melody and smooth, soft string/wind melody
• Seems to be mostly through-composed, yet motives still exist clearly

Was Beethoven Inevitable? (IB Music)

Prompt: Was having "a Beethoven" inevitable in terms of the development of classical music? Would all of Beethoven's innovations happened anyway eventually, or is this one unique person responsible for dramatically changing classical composition?

• I think that having "a Beethoven" was definitely inevitable in the development of classical music because in every era before and after, composers arose who wrote prolifically and changed the current state of music. The classical era was bound to have its end, and it was only by chance that Beethoven was the one to start creating that change. In terms of Beethoven's specific innovations, I cannot say that every single thing would have been the same if a different composer had taken Beethoven's role. Perhaps a different composer would have developed music in an entirely separate way. Beethoven was definitely necessary for changing music in the specific way that he did, as his particular personality played a large role in his music. As it says in the film Eroica, he put his heart and soul into the music he composed, and a different composer would not have done so in the same way. However, a different composer could have made innovations similar to Beethoven's, and music could have progressed anyway. Thus, "a Beethoven" was inevitable in developing classical music, but Beethoven himself was required to change the state of music specifically as he did. 

Day One Assignment (Orchestra: 8/17/16)

1. General Information
1. Name: Jane Beckwell 
2. Grade: 12
3. # of years playing viola: 8
4. Other instruments: mandolin, piano
2. How much did you practice over the summer?
1. Although I did not practice every day, I practiced at least once a week. During the month of July I practiced much more than in June and August because I participated in Avanti Summer Music Fest, which required lots of preparation beforehand and practice during the week.
3. What are you most looking forward to in this class this year?
1. I am most looking forward to performing my senior solo/duet at the final concert.
4. What else does Dr. Wang need to know to ensure you have a successful year?
1. I am definitely going to audition for All State and I hope to also make it to MYAF this year.

Listening Journal: Finale of Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony

For this listening journal, I am providing a brief description of the most important musical elements of Mozart's Finale of the "Jupiter" Symphony. A recording is provided below:

Instrumentation

• Full symphony orchestra
• Strings
• First Violin
• Second Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Bass
• Winds
• Flute
• Clarinet
• Bassoon
• Oboe
• Brass
• Trumpet
• Horn
• Percussion
• Timpani

Meter/Tempo/Rhythm

• Duple simple
• Most likely 2/4, strong emphasis on beats 1 and 2
• Very quick tempo directly from the start with little variation throughout 
• Tempo most likely allegro or vivace
• LOTS of very fast sixteenth notes, rhythm fairly straightforward throughout
• No syncopation

Tonality

• Starts in a very clear C major, with a bit of chromaticism as the piece progresses
• Modulation into a minor key around 3:27, then back to major around 3:45
• Ends very clearly in the tonic 

Melody

• Usually found in upper voices, or alternating between upper and lower
• Moves in VERY stepwise motion, and is therefore conjunct
• Range is fairly large for each instrument (when they have the melody)
• Unlike most of the classical pieces we have listened to, I do not have the feeling that this melody will get stuck in my head for days on end...it is less repetitive and contains more contrapuntal elements that make it less catchy

Texture

• Texture overall seems very dense because of the rapid sixteenth notes in multiple sections at a time, but also contrasts with sections where only one/two instruments are playing
• It's hard to say whether this piece is homophonic or polyphonic, because sections of homophony alternate with those of polyphony quite frequently
• Starting around 2:35, imitative counterpoint/staggered entrances
• Polyphonic harmony(?) at 1:05

Listening Journal: Orfeo de Euridice by Cristoph Willibald Gluck (Act II Scene I: Ballo)

For this listening journal, I am analyzing the Ballo within Act II Scene I of Orfeo de Euridice by Cristoph Willibald Gluck. A recording is provided below:

Instrumentation:

• Full orchestra including:
• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Cello
• Violoncello e Basso (Cembalo)
• Oboe I
• Oboe II (?)
• French Horn (?) 

Meter/Tempo/Rhythm:

• Clearly duple simple, 4/4 (emphasis on downbeats)
• VERY slow tempo - lower end of adagio/higher end of largo
• Rhythm is fairly straightforward, every note (except for the leading sixteenth notes) falls on a main beat 
• No syncopation

Melody:

• The melody is very clear throughout, as it is shared by most of the parts
• Conjunct, there really aren't any huge leaps except for the ends of each phrase in the last two eighth notes (jump a 7th?)
• Sections A and A' seem to lack dynamic contrast and are simply forte throughout
• In Section B, there is a lot of dynamic contrast (jumping quickly back and forth between forte and piano)

Texture:

• Largely homophonic, with the melody in the upper voices (oboe, violin) 
• Some parts monophonic, like the beginning of each phrase

Tonality:

• Overall clear minor tonality
• Chromaticism within the key (look at eighth notes at the end of first two phrases for examples)
• Suspensions present in B (?) 

Structure:

• This piece can be broken down into three main sections:
• A (0:00-0:21)
• A' (0:21-0:43)
• B (0:43-1:30)
• Sections A and A' are identical but for the fact that A' is a whole step above A. 
• Section B is similar to A and A' except it is less monophonic, and the suspensions make it sound a bit like parts are running over each other, creating dissonance and a less clear statement of the melody

Listening Journal: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Mvt. 1 by Bach

The piece for this listening journal is the first movement of Bach's second Brandenburg Concerto, which can be found below:

Instrumentation:

• Orchestra 
• Violin 1
• Violin 2
• Viola
• Cello
• Soloists(?)
• Trumpet
• Flute/recorder
• Oboe
• Violin
• I believe I'm also hearing a basso continuo part

Meter/Tempo/Rhythm:

• Duple simple
• Could be felt in a moderate 2/4 or a quick 4/4
• If 2/4, moderato
• If 4/4, allegro
• Much of the piece uses the same rhythmic ostinato, all of which falls on the big beats
• No syncopation

Melody:

• There is one main melody that runs throughout the piece (the ritornello, belonging to the orchestra), and a second melody that is passed between the soloists. While one soloist has the melody, others have countermelodies or harmony.
• Two melodies present in the violin and oboe solos at 0:35-0:41
• And directly afterwards between the trumpet and orchestra at 0:41-0:45
• The two melodies will alternate, or they will be played together simultaneously 
• The main melody is conjunct in the sixteenth runs, as they move stepwise up and down, but it is disjunct in the leaps (the greatest being a sixth).
• The ranges of both melodies are extremely large as they are passed from instrument to instrument (each with their individual ranges) and contain many leaps that are often greater than a fifth.

Texture:

• The texture is most definitely polyphonic, as more than one part has the melody at the time, and there are several existing countermelodies. 
• Because of the many countermelodies and conflicting parts, it is often hard to distinguish each instrumental part throughout the piece...the texture is a bit wild and messy (but not in the sense that there isn't a clear meter/rhythm).

Tonality:

• I think it is late enough in the Baroque period to say that this piece is in a major key! At this point, the Western system of musical keys has been established and Bach utilizes it in his compositions. 
• It stays major until 1:37, where I believe it changes to a minor key and changes back to major around 1:52, and repeats this shift in key from 3:37-4:34, at the start of the second section.

Structure:

• 0:00-0:25 = ritornello (although there are no vocalists, the piece opens with a ritornello-like instrumental tutti which gives way to the many solos)
• 0:25-0:30 = violin solo
• 0:30-0:36 = ritornello
• 0:36-0:41 = violin and oboe solos
• 0:41-4:34 = passing back and forth solos with more intermixed melodies and harmonies
• 4:34-4:39 = ritornello
• 4:39-5:28 = variation on ritornello(?)

Context:

• This piece is part of Bach's 6 Brandenburg Concertos, all of which have three unique movements. Concerto No. 2 in particular was composed in the early 1700s (~1718) for the Margrave of Brandenburg at the time.
• The piece falls into the concerto grosso genre, as it requires an orchestral group and a soloist group, featuring the soloists yet giving the orchestral group melody during the recurring tutti ritornello sections.
• As the piece was composed to be played in the margrave's court, it is bright and energetic to "show how a learned structure could be incorporated into popular entertainment" (Reel).

Listening Journal: L'Orfeo by Monteverdi (first 4 minutes)

Because of the length of Monteverdi's opera, L'Orfeo, I could not analyze the entire piece. However, I found an excerpt from the opera that includes only the opening. A recording is provided below:

Instrumentation

• Purely instrumental from 0:00-2:20
• Female voice in latter half (opera style singing; emphasis on vibrato)
• Chordophones
• Violin consort (with cello?)
• Viola da Gamba
• Lute (?) - looks like a small guitar
• Theorbo (?)
• Harp
• Membranophones
• Drum
• Aerophones
• Brass:
• Horn
• Sackbut
• Wind:
• Dulcian (?)
• Recorder
• Flute

Meter/Tempo/Rhythm

• First melody:  
• 4/4 with strong beats on one
• Allegro ~135
• Hardly any syncopation, all parts on beat
• Second melody (starting at 1:40):
• 4/4 
• Slightly slower but still allegro ~120
• More syncopation, notes tied over strong beats in instrumental parts
• Rubato with singing; less clear of a meter

Melody

• First melody (0:00-1:40) 
• Conjunct runs, yet there are disjunct leaps
• Present in higher parts - violins, horns
• Not a very large range - stays near tonal center
• Second melody (1:40-2:17 and 3:10-3:26 and 4:10-4:25)
• Also conjunct within the many stepwise runs, but disjunct considering the leaps
• Still present in higher parts - mainly violins
• Not a very large range - stays near tonal center
• Third melody (2:18-3:10 and 3:27-4:09)
• Very disjunct
• Belonging to the female vocalist 
• Large range

Texture

• During purely instrumental sections, texture is homophonic, as there is one melody line with harmonizing parts below it
• Texture is similar when the vocalist is singing, but she is accompanied by only one instrument (harp or theorbo)

Tonality

• The first melody definitely has a major tonality
• The second melody is more minor, yet has major cadences
• The third melody is minor as well

Structure 

• The general structure of the piece is as follows:
• Part A: 0:00-0:33 (brass)
• Part A': 0:33-1:05 (winds and strings)
• Part A'': 1:05-1:39 (brass, winds, and strings all together)
• Part B: 1:40-2:17 
• Part C: 2:19-3:10 (vocalist)
• Part B': 3:11-3:26 (shorter version of original Part B)
• Part D: 3:26-4:10 (vocalist again, yet different melody and text)
• Part B': 4:11-4:26 
• Follows some sort of modified strophic form, as parts A and B repeat with only minor changes

Context

• Italian opera
• Secular
• Composed by Claudio Monteverdi 
• Follows the Greek legend of Orpheus (hence, L'Orfeo)
• Text depiction
• First form of musical 'drama'
• Example of Monteverdi's Second Practice
• composed this by combining all of the oldest and newest techniques
• this was rejected at first, then came into practice as it was accepted
• Singer includes lots of embellishment
• Orchestra exists!
• Instruments and singers together

Listening Journal: Se la mia Morte Brami by Carlo Gesualdo

For this listening journal, I've chosen the song Se la mia Morte Brami by Gesualdo, an Italian madrigalist. A recording of the piece is provided below:

Instrumentation

• 5 voices, 3 female and 2 male
• Equal parts

Meter/Tempo/Rhythm

• Simple duple meter, most likely 4/4
• Begins on the very high end of largo (larghetto?)
• Tempo changes around 2:30 to allegro
• Lots of syncopation in Part B

Melody

• Passed between parts
• Staggered entrances at the beginning
• Imitation
• Huge range (soprano line especially)

Texture

• 5-part polyphony
• Sometimes the bottom two voices come together while the upper voices create polyphony above

Tonality

• I'm not exactly sure which mode this piece is in because Gesualdo includes both sharps and flats. However, the piece has an overall minor feel, as many of the cadences are "minor"
• Lots of suspensions
• Final cadence is major?

Structure

• The general structure of the piece is as follows:
• Part A: 0:00-1:33
• Part B: 1:34-2:29
• Part B': 2:30-3:24
• It is arguable that Part A could be broken into three separate parts because there are two distinct cadence points within the Part. However, I feel as if those two cadences are half cadences, and end phrases instead of parts.
• Part B is repeated at the end of the piece, with no distinguishable changes other than a bit of musica ficta at the end.
• Strophic, binary form

Context

• Italian madrigal
• Vernacular
• Secular
• The lyrics of this piece are originally from a poem. Translated to English they read:
• If you desire my death, oh tyrant, I shall die happy and after death adore you alone. But if you desire that I not love you, ah, with but the thought alone, grief kills me, and my soul departs.
• The emotions present in these lyrics, depression and torment, are very profoundly depicted throughout this piece because of the frequent "minor" harmonies and triads, even thought they were not yet distinguished as such.
• The suspensions, extremely high notes, and surprisingly major final cadence also depict the conflicting emotions of the poem's main character
• Most likely written for amateur singers, like much of the music from this time period was 

Listening Journal: Mille Regretz by Josquin Desprez

For this journal, I chose to focus on Mille Regretz by Desprez, a renaissance composer. A recording of the work is provided below:

Instrumentation:

• 4 voices, 1 female and 3 male
• voices seem to have equal representation throughout the piece, definitely not a tenor note as was common in medieval music

Meter:

• The meter isn't entirely clear; it's likely that it isn't consistent throughout
• Pieces of the song can be felt in a syncopated three, but this does not fit entirely
• Tempo most likely largo (~50)

Texture:

• The piece begins with four-part homorhythm/homophony (lasting throughout the first phrase). From the first phrase on, it seems like there are two parts that are consistently homorhythmic, while the other two deviate to create polyphony above the harmony. 
• Four-part homorhythm strong at 0:47

Tonality:

• Definitely in some diatonic mode. My guess is Phrygian mode because there are lots of minor intervals sung throughout, evidence of the minor 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths found in Phrygian mode.

Structure:

• It does not appear that there are repeated verses or melodies, leading me to believe that the piece is through-composed, following a poem-like structure. Similar rhythms reappear throughout, yet at different pitches and intervals.
• From what I can tell, it is entirely syllabic.

Context:

• As it was composed by Josquin Desprez, its likely that the song is a French chanson, known for being lyric-driven. I believe that this piece is extremely lyric-driven because the syllables accented when speaking are accented by rhythms, making the lyrics easy to depict, and the song overall is bursting with sorrow (a powerful emotion expressed by the minor intervals). 
• The piece is secular, as the title, translated into English, means "a thousand regrets", which does not sound very sacred to me. It is likely that this song features an epic love poem about someone who ruined a relationship - NOT the Holy Trinity.

Listening Journal: Sederunt Principes by Perotin the Great

For this assignment, I chose to focus on an 11 minute piece by Perotin, and due to its length I analyzed the first 3 minutes and 44 seconds only. I realize that this is a listening journal and that having the sheet music along with the audio violates the rules of listening journals, so I did not look at the sheet music during my analysis.

Instrumentation:

• 4 male voices
•  one definitively tenor
• additional 3 most likely duplum, triplum, and quadruplum

Meter:

• No definitive meter, although it has a compound duple feel, particularly when there are groups of three notes sung like triplets.
• Tempo most likely a quicker moderato if felt in groupings of 2.

Texture:

• The piece begins with the duplum, triplum, and quadruplum singing the exact same rhythms, creating harmony. During this section it seems to be homorhythmic and most likely organum. 
• Eventually the parts split into different rhythms, creating a 3-part polyphony. 
• Near 3:04, the parts cadence and combine to form one monophonic line. 

Melody:

• The melodies seem to be fairly conjunct, moving majorly stepwise with only a few jumps present. 
• All three "-plum" voices seem to be near the top of their ranges at points, but due to the small number of jumps, each voice's overall range is not very large. Duplum's range is most likely the largest as it contains the majority of the leaps. 

Tonality:

• Seems to be diatonic, although I cannot pick up on which mode it fits exactly. 

Structure:

• This piece definitely does not contain rounds or repitition, from what I can pick up on it seems to be through-composed, although rhythms similar to those at the beginning do return after what could be called a B section. (If considered strophic, it would be ABAC, C being the monophonic plainchant)
• It is entirely melismatic, as single syllables are held throughout entire sections.

Context:

• This piece is (almost entirely without doubt) sacred, as it appears to be in Latin, features a section of plainchant, and was composed by Perotin, who is known for his polyphonic church music. In addition, Sederunt Principes translates to "leaders sat" in English, so this might be referring to Catholic priests or even to saints and holy figures themselves. 

Medieval Instrument Listening Journal: Hammered Dulcimer

The medieval instrument that I decided to listen to and analyze is the hammered dulcimer. This instrument can be classified as a chordophone because it produces sound through a striking of the strings with two small hammers A recording of a hammered dulcimer is provided below:

The dulcimer has a unique sound for string instruments; it has a tinny, almost thin timbre, as each string is extremely taut and physically hit with a mallet instead of plucked like a mandolin or lute. The strings vibrate significantly less long than a modern viol, possibly due to the musician's tendency to hit the same strings frequently (cutting off the sound). Furthermore, the hammered dulcimer is unique from other, more modern versions of the dulcimer which are plucked and have a twangier sound similar to that of a mandolin. 

Along with being classified as a chordophone, the dulcimer is considered to be a Bas instrument, or quite literally, a low instrument (in reference to its soft volume). This made it particularly useful in accompanying singers and chamber groups. Due to their volume and transportable nature, dulcimers were popular among many traveling musicians, including waits, minstrels, and troubadours (Alchin).

Comparing Eras Listening Journal

The task for this assignment was to find two pieces of Western Classical Art Music from two different musical eras. We could choose from the medieval, Renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, and modernist eras. I decided to focus on the Handel/Casadesus Viola Concerto in B Minor (composed in 1924, representing the Modernist era) and the third movement (Courante) of Bach's First Cello Suite (composed sometime between 1717 and 1723, representing the Baroque era).
A recording of the Handel/Casadesus Viola Concerto in B Minor is provided below:

Instrumentation:

• Full orchestra (accompaniment) 
• String section
• Wind section
• Brass section
• Viola (solo) 

Meter/tempo:

• Simple duple or simple quadruple. Most likely 4/4.
• On the lower side of moderato (~108)

Tonality:

• This piece definitely has an overall minor tonality even though the melody moves quickly and the timbre of the viola is bright. I know this because of the minor thirds present throughout the majority of the piece. 
• Although the piece has a minor tonality overall, I believe that it has several major progressions mixed throughout. The most prominent modulation is at the start of Section B (2:15). This transition is a bit odd since there doesn't seem to be a pivot chord. The orchestra finishes their bit of the melody in the original minor key and the solo enters in a totally different major key. Furthermore, the melody seems to be restated once again at 4:05, this time in another minor key instead of a major one.

Texture:

• The texture of this piece is a bit hard to place, since throughout there is only one central melody. However, the piece is far from monophonic because the orchestra is present playing all sorts of harmony. Despite the presence of the orchestra, a clear, contrasting counter-melody never really appears, so the piece cannot be classified as polyphonic. Because the orchestra creates harmony that supports the main melody throughout, this piece can be classified as homophonic. 

Melody:

• The melody belongs largely to the solo viola, although the orchestra does take over when the viola rests. 
• The melody seems to have an equal amount of disjunct and conjunct sections. The main theme moves stepwise during the runs, but it also makes jumps. Larger jumps between notes are more common within the solo part, which has a very wide range; the lowest note being an open C (C3) and the highest being an E harmonic (E5).

Structure:

• This piece is a type of strophic form, following an ABACA format. 
• Section A starts right at the beginning of the piece and goes until about 2:15. There begins Section B, which lasts until 2:57, where Section A returns. At around 4:05, the melody switches to a different minor key, yet follows the same rhythmic pattern. This third section does not last long, however, as the melody returns to the original key at 4:30 and lasts until the end of the piece.

In contrast to the Viola Concerto in B Minor, Bach's Courante, the third movement of his first cello suite, is provided below:

Instrumentation:

• One unaccompanied cello

Meter/Tempo:

• The meter is slightly hard to distinguish because the melody tends to travel over the bar lines. However, I believe that it is simple triple, or 3/4 time.
• The tempo that it is taken at in this recording seems to be allegro (~120).

Tonality:

• Much like the famed first movement of the Cello Suite, this movement also has a major tonality. This tonality is constant almost throughout the entire piece, with the exception of a few chords. 

Texture:

• The texture is clearly monophonic, as there is one, solo cello throughout the piece, without harmony and/or counterpoint. 

Melody: 

• The melody is held (obviously) by the solo cello throughout the movement. There are two contrasting parts of the melody, the bold, staccato eighth notes and the smooth, progressing sixteenth notes, that move in different ways. The eighth notes tend to be more disjunct, moving in arpeggiations. The sixteenth notes, however, move entirely stepwise, creating a more conjunct style. 
• The range of the melody is fairly wide, ranging from low C2 to a much higher D4.

Structure:

• The structure of this piece is binary strophic form, as it follows an AAB format. The first section begins at the start of the piece, and repeats at 1:04. Section B begins at 1:49 and continues to the end of the piece. 

The huge gap in time between when these two pieces were composed is reflected withing the contrasting musical elements of the two movements. The most obvious difference between the two is the addition of orchestral accompaniment in the Handel/Casadesus work. During the Baroque period in which the Cello Suite was composed, string instruments were newer, and were used primarily as solo instruments, not yet as full orchestras. Despite this difference, the two pieces are similar in the fact that neither include counterpoint. Although counterpoint was well-developed and fairly common when the Viola Concerto was composed, Handel/Casadesus decided not to include it. Counterpoint was not yet formulated when the Cello Suite was composed. Both are stylistically similar because of the solo component. 

Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber (Extended Analysis Project Step 5)

By thoroughly analyzing the opening section of Adagio for Strings, I've come to realize that the piece itself is extremely unique and unlike anything we have discussed or analyzed in class up to this point. It's unique for a number of reasons, all concerning the structure and progression of the chords throughout the piece.

• The piece opens with a slightly unusual chord: a lone B flat. Traditionally, a strong, complete triad establishes the start of the music instead of this one-note chord, which begins almost every single cadence throughout the piece. This aspect emphasizes the uniqueness of the piece because most pieces from the 17th century began with a bang, the opposite of what occurs in Adagio.
• On the topic of 17th century trends, Adagio is unique, as mentioned in a previous blog post, because of the lack of movement within the harmony parts. The melody belongs to a single voice throughout the piece; in the section that I analyzed, this voice was the first violin. In terms of a melodic line, the theme moves step-wise throughout each phrase and has a relatively small range, consisting of notes from C4 to G5. As for the rest of the parts, violin two, viola, cello, and bass, whole notes and half notes are used religiously to emphasize the single melody as well as the chord changes. 
• Unlike a lot of traditional music, Barber utilizes frequent seventh chords to create tension and dissonance between the parts. 
• The first and most commonly used seventh chord is the iv7 consisting of notes E flat, G flat, B flat, and D flat. This chord appears in the first, third, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth measures, and is used with a suspension in 4 out of those 6 times. In the first/second and eighth/ninth measures, the B flat in the first violin part is held one beat over the next chord, V, and resolves down to an A natural on the second beat of the second measure. The seventh chord that appears in measures three and ten is also a suspension, with the E flat from the plain iv chord resolving down to a D flat to create the iv7. This chord could be interpreted in a different way as well; it could be treated as a VI chord with the D flat added for dissonance. This second interpretation is likely how it would be heard without the use of the score. 
• The other three seventh chords that are used in this section of Adagio are ii^o7, III7, and VII7, and I believe that they are present simply to create tension and dissonance between the parts. These chords appear in measures four, seven, and eleven. 
• These many unique aspects make the piece extremely 20th century, and continue to make it popular amongst musicians and classical music lovers to this day. Personally, I love this piece because of the massive amounts of tension that Barber so cleverly and smoothly resolves. It's easy to experience the intense depression that Barber embodied in this piece because of the dissonance and minor resolutions. 

Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber (Extended Analysis Project Step 4)

For my in-depth harmonic/cadence/part-writing analysis, I chose measures 1-11 of Adagio for Strings. Although this is a small section of the movement, the chord progression is surprisingly complex.

• Cadences
• The first phrase ends in the fourth measure with an irregular cadence. The progression for this cadence is iv7, VII, which does not fit the mold of a half cadence, perfect authentic cadence, imperfect authentic cadence, plagal cadence, or deceptive cadence. This may be a type of cadence that we have not discussed yet, but of the ones that we have, it ends on neither a V nor a I, and does not have a V chord leading to the second chord like a deceptive cadence would. 
• Unlike the first cadence, the second phrase ends in the eighth measure with a cadence that we have discussed: a half cadence. The progression for this cadence is iv7, ii^o7, V, meaning that the phrase ends on a dominant perfect V chord. It is likely that the phrase after this one will be an authentic cadence to follow and balance this half cadence.
• Chord Progression
• 
• In the above image of my chordal analysis, suspensions are highlighted in green, and seventh chords are notated with a pink pen instead of the regular pencil lead. 
• Because this piece was written by Barber during the 20th century, many of the traditional elements of 17th century part writing were disregarded, including avoiding the crossing of voices, and having both contrary and similar motion to maintain voice independence. 
• Voice crossing was present in the second and third measures between the lower violin two part and the viola part, with violin two on A and viola on C. Voice crossing occurred once more during the eighth and ninth measures once again between the lower violin two part and the viola part, with violin two on B flat (and then A) and viola on D flat (and then C). 
• Contrary motion was largely not present in the section that I analyzed because the only line that contained melody was violin one. This eliminated any form of counter-melody. However, similar motion was extremely present within the section because the harmony parts, violin two (high and low), viola, cello (high and low), and bass, moved almost simultaneously and with the same rhythm throughout.

Deciphering the Adagio for Strings Score (Extended Analysis Project Step 3)

There are many musical terms describing the tempos, stylistic instructions, titles and forms, intended techniques, and articulations present within the score. It is important to identify what these markings mean to understand the deeper meaning of the music.

Markings:

• Adagio for Strings - adagio is an indication to play slowly and calmly; at ease. Adagio is anywhere from 66 to 76 beats per minute, falling between lento and andante.
• Op. 11 - an opus is a collection of works by a specific composer, often organized by year. 
• Molto adagio - very slowly
• Espr. cantando - expressive singing
• < - crescendo, meaning gradually getting louder
• > - decrescendo, meaning gradually getting softer 
• ' - classified as a lift, instructing the musician to replace the bow at the frog
• unis. - unison, meaning two or more parts play the same pitch or octave intervals
• div. - divisi, directing the musicians on one part to split into top and bottom
• piu forte, sempre cantando - louder, always singing
• non div. - not divided
• sul G - on the G String
• cresc. sempre - crescendo always
• sord. ad lib. - sordino ad libitum, meaning to mute at one's pleasure
• senza sord. - without the mute
• piu - more
• molto espr. - very expressive
• morendo - dying away

The majority of these definitions were found on:

http://www.musictheory.org.uk/res-musical-terms/italian-musical-terms.php

Aural Analysis (Extended Analysis Step 2) of Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber

After choosing which piece to work on, the second step of the Extended Analysis Project is to conduct an aural analysis of the piece, meaning that I will listen to the piece several times and make note of the musical elements present in the piece, including instrumentation, melody, range, tempo, meter, texture, and tonality. I will also record the context and structure of the piece. A recording of Adagio for Strings is attached below:

Musical Elements:

1. Context
1. Adagio for Strings was written by Samuel Barber in 1936 as the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. In contrast to Adagio, the first movement of the piece was much livelier and more violent than the second movement, yet it did not gain as much popularity or recognition. Barber composed Adagio while in Europe with a fellow student and composer, Gian Carlo Menotti, but the quartet was not performed until 1938. Due to the time period that the piece was written, the rising political tensions in Europe that Barber would have experienced most likely influenced his writing, but they are not the main contributor to the sadness found in all of his music. Throughout his life, Barber suffered from intense depression and expressed his feelings in every piece that he composed. It is likely that he was experiencing an extreme low when he wrote Adagio, as evidenced by the emotional tension and intense sorrow present in the piece.
2. Instrumentation
1. Violin (most likely split into firsts and seconds)
2. Viola
3. Cello
4. String Bass (although not present throughout piece)
3. Melody
1. Most often present in upper voices (violin, viola)
2. Melody is mostly conjunct, moving mainly stepwise throughout the entire piece. Sometimes the line playing the counter-melody (either violin one, viola, or cello) jumps back and forth from high notes to low.
3. Because of the frequent jumps within the counter-melody and the extremely high portion of the climax (5:00-5:53), the range of the melody is very large, exceeding several octaves.
4. Meter and Tempo
1. The meter is a bit hard to establish, my guess is that it is simple quadruple but not exactly 4/4, as there aren't four solid beats in each measure. It also seems as if there is an extra beat at the end of some phrases, the first phrase in the piece, for example. This may be a switch into a complex meter, or it may be artistic interpretation where the whole note is held for a closing effect.
2. The tempo is most likely adagio, as the song is titled "Adagio for Strings". To further back this claim, the piece moves slowly and somberly, but it still progresses at a moderate pace, especially during the climax of the piece.
5. Texture
1. I would classify this piece as polyphonic because of the counter-melody that is almost always present accompanying the main theme. However, there are portions of the piece that are almost homorhythmic, where more than one voice has the exact same melody at the same time, and the rest of the voices have a different yet common harmony. 
6. Tonality
1. The tonality of this piece is indefinitely minor. In fact, the entire piece may be composed of minor chords, save for a few major chords that exist only for, at most, a single beat. I can tell that this piece is minor especially within the melody; the slow, often repeating stepwise motion symbolizes a reluctance to move forward, which is a feeling that accompanies grief. Based on the movement of the melody alone, it would not make sense for this piece to have a major tonality. 
7. Structure
1. I would say that this piece is through-composed, mainly because there is never a clear shift in theme that would normally signal a new section of the piece. The same melody is constant throughout the piece, but different counter-melodies and harmonies are added each time it is played, and the theme is never returned to exactly as it was at the start of the piece.

Adagio For Strings - Samuel Barber (Extended Analysis Project Step 1)

After considering a large number of pieces to choose for this project, ranging from church hymns to viola solos to orchestral works, I decided upon Adagio For Strings for a number of reasons. First of all, the piece that I wanted to do initially was First Essay by Samuel Barber. I was interested in this piece because I am currently playing it in Symphony with Oakland Youth Orchestras. I figured that I could easily obtain a copy of the score from my conductor, and I was already familiar with important aspects of the piece such as key changes, melodic lines, and important tonal moments throughout. However, I had not considered how difficult it would be to analyze a piece written for full orchestra - that is, one with over 10 different parts. To make my life a bit easier, I decided to switch to a different, more common song of Barber's, Adagio For Strings. Personally, I have never played this piece, but I have listened to it countless times so that I am familiar with the melody. As the piece is only for strings, at most there will be five parts (violin one, violin two, viola, cello, bass) to analyze, which is much simpler to manage. As for getting the complete score for Adagio For Strings, I had planned on finding it on IMSLP, yet it seems to be unavailable. However, I was able to find a score that looks mostly correct:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/54707261/Samuel-Barber-Adagio-For-Strings-Op-11-Full-Score#scribd

I am excited to start working with this piece!