Contemporary Music Performance Analysis

Improved Essays
While stepping onto the stage, a performer is accompanied by vigorous clapping from the audience. Immediately following booming noises comes an eager silence, waiting for the performer to begin the concert. Without further hesitation, the soloist begins the excerpt from Bach. The style of this performance has changed due to variations in interpretation throughout the history of music. Music performance has evolved because of the enhancements of the classical period, propaganda of the war era, and technological interpretation of modern-day performances.
The customs and arts of performances focused on the church and aristocracy before the economic growth of the middle class in the mid-eighteenth century. Furthermore, the idea of music opening
…show more content…
Before this period, the duty of composers and performers was to use their unique and individual talents for the nobility and royalty. Following the birth of evolutionary music concepts and newer …show more content…
The common methodology with music performance in this era is it is now seen as an interpretive art, being that music isn’t necessarily played as is has been written, but the control of the performance is subject to the musician 's discretion (Britannica). Likewise, this is seen in comparison with the breakaway enlightenment from the church during the classical period in order to level the fields of social status and the use of appealing to emotional and representational figures during the war era. Furthermore, because of updated instrumentation and quality use of recording, the art of interpretation in this era has played significant roles within orchestras, operas, and symphonies. With developments of percussion instruments, stringed instruments, and several horns, the new age development of performing traditional music is now being produced through means of electronics. Because of the sudden differences, reproduction of natural sounds influenced technicians and composers to invent electronic sounds while discovering sound relationships between the technological advancements and the originality of music. The need to create has sky rocketed such as the means to construct in other eras. The modern means of performances rely on the limits of technology and interpretation of the player, playing a crucial role into molding and building performances in the style of which they are currently

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The Baroque Period

    • 1576 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Music from the past has had a tremendous effect on what modern music is today. This is shown through the use of word painting and dynamics in the Renaissance period, instruments and Operas in the Baroque Period, primary triads and homophonic compositions in the Classical Period and finally, the utilisation of tone poems and heartfelt passion in the Romantic Period. If it wasn’t for these periods, music would not have evolved in such a immense and progressive way. The Renaissance Period which occurred between roughly between 1400-1600 has influenced the modern world’s music through Renaissance composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli whose use of dynamics has helped shape music theory taught today. The Renaissance was a time of dramatic development…

    • 1576 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The meaning of Baroque is an “irregular pearl” which fittingly characterized this period. This period began after the Classical period, which also lead to the demand from listeners of less “old-fashioned” music. Musicians and composers began to realize the importance of having music as a source of enjoyment and entertainment. There was an important shift of music from the Baroque and Renaissance, which was the rise of a new style in music called opera. Opera reflected trends in the European art that were relevant.…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Concerts Across Time Some would say “they don’t make music like they use to”. What is the era of music are they referring to? Each person has a different view of what they refer to as the “Golden Age” of music. Music has certainly evolved from the Baroque period but after centuries of music development there is nothing wrong with sticking to the fundamentals that inspired musicians and composers for generations. In my Concerts Across Time paper I will be discussing the differences and similarities between the Counting Crows and the great Antonio Vivaldi.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Renaissance Music

    • 2750 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Musicians and composers began working for the members of aristocracy. Court composers wrote music for secular court functions and chapel. In stretto fashion, melodies overlapped rhythmically and was based on perfect time. Sacred music still played a major role in the church. There were two main forms: motet and vernacular.…

    • 2750 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Music Concert Critique

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Vertical harmonies, new instruments like the harpsichord, and rhythm, because more and more important and composers start to only have to write bass note and key. Baroque concerto was also important because it was an instrumental genre for a soloist or small group of soloists accompanied by a large orchestra. The late baroque style is distinguished by tonality that regulated chord progression, dissonance treatment, and formal treatment…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Music plays an important role in society, it is almost like an imprint that reflects a cultural time period. During the Renaissance, music helped shape the advancements of art during the 14th century. One function of music in the Renaissance was entertainment; it showed social standings within society because wealthy people would go to operas in order to hear music. In modern society music also serves as a source of entertainment. Concerts, plays, and movies are all forms of musical entertainment people attend.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Romantic music was personal. Each artist had his own individual and distinct musical flavor. The music’s purpose was to speak for the people with what words couldn’t say. This became more and more possible through the expansion of the orchestra, the implementation of more advanced musical forms, and the use of themes not yet explored such as nature, the supernatural, and…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    For example, Hasty (2010) and Bogue (2003) both start with speaking about musical compositions that are analyzed in Deleuzian terms, but they usually succumb to the problems that are inherent in a nonrepresentational art forms, as they fall back to a discourse on notational techniques, inspiration for musical ideas, or a generalization of the musical genre. This is seen as Bogue (2003) starts out speaking about becoming-music, but soon the discussion is reduced to Messian 's ideas of notational devices. I know that there can be many interpretations on a myriad of subjects, such as music and class, but after reading Grose 's (2012) article, the promise of speaking about becoming- music falls into the common discussion of describing nature in musical terms. It is encouraging that Deleuze takes the position of the artist rather than the position of the audience as much discussion has been devoted to what the listener…

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the other hand, ethnomusicology deals with more general music genres such as popular music. Western classical music often regard as a training for all other music activities based on its social and spiritual meaning, however, Small believes that other genres which are defined under ethno music are sufficiently enough to give social and spiritual support. According to Dalhaus(1983) “the subject matter of music is made up, primarily, of significant works of music that have outlived the…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Without the works of many famous composers like Mozart, Beethoven, modern music would cease to exist. In fact, the notion of self-expression through music and composing was heavily emphasized during the times of Mozart and Beethoven. In addition, modern music is and was heavily influenced by the musical components of these vary distinct artists. Modern musicians such as Morten Lauridsen help maintain and revive the demand and expectations for classical music. A lot of their past issues, struggles and accomplishments are incorporated into their music, including a higher-pitched song when describing a happier event and a slower-pitched tune when discussing hardships.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays