Electric Light Orchestra

Jeanie with the light brown hair (published in 1854) by Stephen Foster is performed by a tenor with piano accompaniment. The piano introduces the work with a short prelude starting on a high note then descending in conjunct intervals, briefly ascends from a low note to a note close to F. The piano then varies the prior phrase by descending from a high note with eighth notes then sustaining a note close to A. Following the prelude, the tenor begins the first section on with “I” on the high note…

The native American flute, a wooden instrument of the Native American indigenous tribes has been around for hundreds of years. No one knows the exact time reference to when they were first made or began. Certain native tribes believed the woodpecker was the first to make a flute, they would drill holes in a hollow tree branch looking for insects, and when a wind blew over the branch, sound was made. The Lakota people made what is known as the “Love Flute.” Young men would stand by the river with…

“No Place Like London,” Act 1, scene 1 from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim The orchestra enters with a full and resonant timbre, sounding the melodic theme “No place like London,” twice. The second echo ends on a peculiar chord, unresolved. The first soloist’s timbre is bright, energetic and full of hope, in contrast to the second soloist’s timbre that is dark. As the second soloist enters the music changes, the key shifting from major to minor. The second soloist sings in a lower register…

bridge, and body. The cello has four strings: A,D,G,and C. The strings are held by the bridge and when a string is plucked or bowed it sends vibration waves through the cello producing the sound. One of the most common uses for the cello is at an orchestra or quartet. The trumpet is part of the brass family and consists of valves, mouthpiece, lead pipe, tuning slide, and bell. Playing the trumpet requires a technique called “fingering”, which is a term for the fingers you need and valves to…

The concert attended was An Evening of Opera Arias and Scenes, at Nightingale Concert Hall, on October 10, 2016. The environment of the concert was informal for most of the audience dress wise, but the performers were fairly formal with their attire. The stage was very simplistic. It was just a plain white background with large white squares and a dark grand piano. The performers were Jamie Flora, Olga Perez Flora, Chris Langton, Albert R. Lee, Helen Lee, and Suzette Thoeni as the…

“Fanfare for the Common Man” was composed by American composer Aaron Copland and perform by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. The style of music is Nationalistic music. The melody played by the trumpet and other brass instrument played harmony. The rhythm was sharply detached and it has a steady, slow beat, but at the middle it speeds up and shifts into a smooth. At first the melody is low with all of the brass instruments mixed together, but later when more…

Three hundred pairs of eyes sat before me: friends, family, and strangers. They came to India from all over the world. As I sat tuning and applying rosin while waiting for the master of ceremonies to finish speaking, I surveyed the hall and found my grandparents greeting guests with infectious excitement. I thought how grateful I was to receive an opportunity to play Carnatic violin in a concert hall in India. Carnatic music is a devotional art form that originates from South India. I grew…

crescendo throughout the piece until about one minute and thirty four seconds. Then the orchestra was playing pianissimo again for just a few seconds. I then heard another crescendo. I think this lasted throughout the rest of the symphony. I did notice the end of the piece went decrescendo for just a few seconds. The symphony ended fortissimo. The Dynamics of this symphony achieved by the conductor and orchestra was mind blowing. I think learning about dynamics helped me appreciate the piece…

builds and builds into a great rumbling crescendo. The music then gallops off from there into a cheerful frenzy that rises and falls like dancers in a colorful dance. It is played predominantly by the strings along with woodwind. The feeling is light and happy. A slight rolling in the percussion builds excitement. The music goes back and forth. One end is a grand rolling of percussion, strings, trumpets and the other end is soft strings and graceful pieces of solo woodwind instruments. The…

The Concert opened with Divertimento in D major, K. 136/125a in Allegro. This piece began with the violins providing a very lively tempo. It evoked feelings of happiness and excitement. It was played by a strings orchestra only, which included the cellos. The mood became more dramatic as it progressed. The symphony played in unison producing a harmony of tone colors. I also enjoyed the syncopation of this movement, in which the offbeat notes were beautifully accented. The second movement was…