Soap opera

He wrote several operas about mythological creatures and historical figures, for operas were the ones to be published. However, his smaller works, especially his sonatas, are mainly focused on God and Christianity (“Claudio”). Humanism was declining, but history and tales of old were still popular. Monteverdi…

The boundless achievements of Leonard Bernstein qualify's as a standout among the most essential figures ever. As a television character, he acquainted established music with an era of viewers. As the arranger for WEST SIDE STORY, Bernstein upset the sound of Broadway. As a conductor, he has reveled idealization of traditional music beaus far and wide an uncommon circumstance for an American maestro. Constantly in people in general this effective and complex man has been seen as both a…

The score guides the audience through times of adversity that the protagonist faces in each trial, further deepening the audience’s emotional understanding of the challenges facing the protagonists to show the amount of strength to overcome such struggle. During the moments where the protagonists face sets of trials, the score becomes an extension of the script, guiding the audience to empathize with the protagonists’ feelings of nervousness and determination. In an interview with critic Bill…

This concert report will be on Esperanza Spalding Live at Austin City Limits. The venue mimics that of a outdoor auditorium by having a huge mural of downtown Austin behind stage, and if just seeing it for the first time from a video, one would think it was outdoors. The venue was pretty large, the size of a large auditorium, and the acoustics were good and there was little to no echoing.Though most of Spalding’s songs fall under the genre of jazz, she would rather not be called a jazz artist…

Classical style which is full of poise, to the Romantic style which is emotion. Beethoven was a composer who wrote for very wealthy patrons, he also earned lots of money from lots of public concerts. He wrote nine symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, one opera, five piano concertos, and lots of chamber works including some amazing string quartets. Beethoven was a difficult and very unsociable, he was isolated because of deafness which developed in his twenties and he never got married. Beethoven…

Richard Wagner, a Romantic German composer, is one of the leading opera composers of his time; he often defined his stage works using the term bühnenfestspiel, or festival stage play. He is known for writing several such works, including Lohengrin, Der Ring des Nibelungen, and Tristan und Isolde. In these works Wagner is credited with the use of many compositional devices and philosophies. In particular, he is recognized for employing the idea of a “gesamtkunstwerk,” or collective art, in…

"Casta Diva" is the main soprano aria from Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma. It takes place in Act 1, shortly after the title's character first entrance. The part is considered one of the most challenging roles in the opera for a variety of reasons but particularly the music. This piece requires perfect vocalism, a wide range voice, skill at sculpting long curving phrases, and steady technical control. Many sopranos have recorded this aria, including Maria Calla and Anna Netrebko. It is a prayer…

Ludwig Van Beethoven is one of the most recognizable names the music world has ever had. For centuries, Beethoven’s music has stood the test of time; often being looked to as a default for instrumental pieces of its time. A composer in both the classical and romantic eras, his period during this growth period of music shows how he was constantly evolving with the musical landscape that he was thrust into. Beethoven’s influence can still be felt today. No other piece represents the genius of…

Although Dmitri Shostakovich’s song cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry does not have the international acclaim as some of his bigger orchestral works, it still remains one of his most powerful pieces that acted as a vehicle for his artistic and moral resistance against the rise of anti-Semitism in Soviet Russia during the end of Stalin’s life. From Jewish Folk Poetry was first composed in 1948 for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and piano, and then later orchestrated in 1963. In 1948, not only was…

Koko Taylor also known as “Queen of the Blues”. Koko Taylor is an extraordinary singer with a powerful voice and not afraid to sing what she wants. Known for her iconic 1965 hit ‘Wang Dang Doodle’, a line that really caught my attention was “We're gonna pitch a wang dang doodle all night long”, she’s expressing a very strong sexual feeling, which in my defense is a good way of expressing the song lyrics and vocals better. Even though Willie Dixon was the songwriter, and he was the one who meant…