The Soloist

featured a multitude of pieces ranging from the Baroque and Classical music periods to modern day compositions. Several of the pieces were played in a piano-trombone basso continuo and the last piece was played by a trombone choir with two featured soloists. Going into the concert I did not know what to expect. I had listened to classical music in my MUS 175 class but had never attended an official concert. I was expecting it to be very boring. However, I found the concert very enjoyable…

and stage presence. Importantly, I will analyze this concert with my perceptive listener’s characteristics and music appreciation knowledge in detail. The Listening Hour, located in music 176, is small-scale vocal solo concert including 11 vocal soloists’ performance of…

I’ve listened to Messiah since I was very young. My grandmother is very fond of baroque music, and has about a dozen different versions of Messiah, let alone any other pieces. Because I’ve listened to so many versions of it for so many years, I know a quite a bit about what the piece sounds like or at least what it should sound like. The instrumental backdrop of the piece is predominantly homophonic and is founded on the combination of smooth strings, gentle woodwinds, and strong brass in a…

Complexity played an important role in Baroque music, which can be described as “extravagance and structure”. As new possibilities arose, composers were able to make their music more complex. The emergence of new instruments, like the brass and woodwind instruments, increased flexibility in tone color. This allowed for more expression in music. The improvement of instruments such as the violin, which Stradivari and other makers perfected, and the organ, allowed for the emergence of virtuosos…

Concert Review The concert I am reviewing is Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Claudio Abbado. Recorded live at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy in 2002. Featuring soloist Gil Shaham. Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833. His father taught him music as a young boy. At the age of 6, he started creating his own method of writing music. Brahms befriended many famous composers during his life,…

Group structure simulates that of an orchestra and the facilitator is considered the “conductor”. The soloist can be a volunteer or chosen, but it is preferable they have prior experience in the process and should not feel pressured to assume the role or disclose on any level they are not comfortable. The feelings and behavior rows are asked to imagine that they are the ones experiencing what the soloist is divulging; however, the feelings row should focus on the feelings aspects and the…

entire orchestra operated very smoothly and produced beautiful music. Which is the exact kind of accompaniment an orchestra should provide a visiting soloist. The second piece the London Symphony Orchestra performed was Johannes Brahms’s German Requiem Op. 45 (1865-68). The London Symphony Choir sang alongside the orchestra and featured two soloists: Sally Matthews and Matthias Goerne. Brahms’s German Requiem consists of seven movements. Its lyrical texts are derived from passages of the Old…

were concerto and concerto grosso. These terms meant that there were contrasts between the orchestra and the soloist (or soloists) who were singing. Composers wanted forms on a larger scale. They utilized movement in concertos to contrast the emotions and tempos. They also used Ritornello form to focus on contrast between two musical ideas. The orchestra was a solid force and the soloists were the swift…

and found my spirit animal in “Fat Amy” from Pitch Perfect. The group performed two numbers, both prominently featuring soloists. After spending about three minutes trying to situate the microphones, the group leader, Annie McLean stepped forward to introduce the group. The delay, however, was more comical than annoying, and the entire group remained cheerful. The first soloist had the most pure, melodic voice I have ever heard. She struggled with the tempo a bit in the beginning, jumping the…

it’s Baroque style and ritornello form, but it is best understood, explained, and enjoyed with the support of Vivaldi’s poem. In retrospect, a concerto is a piece that can be performed by a single instrumental soloists, known as a solo concerto, or by small groups of instrumental soloists, known as a concerto grosso.…