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