The Soloist

Handel Vs. Bach Two of the greatest Baroque Era composers who still influence music to this today with their compositions are Johan Sebastian Bach and George Fredrick Handel. The influence of Bach and Handel are found in mainstream media throughout the world. Their compositions are still played in modern times by tribute bands, television commercials, opera concerts and even sound therapies by relaxation therapists. It is evident that their music has touched the lives of many people. Bach and…

From classic ballet to modern dance, there was a conversion of bodily energy into a mental state, which means that modern dance began to express ideas through idealizing women’s bodies. In the late 19th century, Loie Fuller (1862-1928) was a pioneering woman of modern dance as she applied the idea of a feminist aesthetics to fuel her movements by emphasizing costumes and visual effects. More specifically, she devised a type of dance that focused on the shifting play of lights and colors on the…

Jazz is a music genre that has characteristic qualities like swing, interaction by a group, slow beats and has its origins in New Orleans. Jazz came into existence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jazz has a fusion of African, European and American beats and instruments hence making it a unique type of music. During that time, New Orleans was the only place in the “New world” that allowed black people to own drums. This greatly contributes to the rise of Jazz in that they were able to…

(Jazz Stars 2) While he was there, he added the classic New Orleans sound the the sophisticated sound of the popular jazz. This amazed Henderson which allowed him to incorporate Louis Armstrong rhythmic improvisation. Armstrong became the best jazz soloist on Broadway (Louis Armstrong 1). He began to grow artistically and perfected his improvisational method (Jazz Stars 2). Dancer’s loved Henderson’s music making Louis Armstrong a celebrity so when he left his old band, this would be a step up.…

The harmony often was a variation of the melody that interlocked with the melody, giving the music a sense of completeness and incompleteness all at the same time. When there was a soloist playing, there was usually a section of instruments or a harp playing behind it with ostinato. The dynamics changed rarely, but when they did, they were major changes. The dynamic range went from pianissimo to fortissimo, and crescendos were much…

African American Music came about during the time of slavery in America. Africans from many different ethnicities and nationalities built their religious and secular rituals, festivals, and social gatherings on the foundation of song, dances, and rhythms they invented to cope with the New World realities. During the slavery era, enslaved African American became the musicians of choice for white and black celebrations because they were recognized as the best “musicians” around. Enslaved Africans…

New York City’s main concert hall. Steinway promoted its pianos with famous musicians using its “Concert and Artist Program” to attract top artists from around the world. In any given year, over 90% of all classical music concerts featured a piano soloist performing on a Steinway Grand piano. - SWOT Analysis: Strengths: 1- Superior Brand among the world. 2- Cost advantage. 3- A loyal group of wealthy…

The 1920’s and 30’s were significant decades for America. The Roaring 20’s are often characterized with great effervescence; a time of speakeasies, flashy parties, excessive wealth, good fortune, and jazz music. Jazz music, at the time, was the rhythm of the people. It moved with their joy and beat with their jubilance. But in 1929, everything changed. Tragedy struck, and the Great Depression befell the country like a suffocatingly thick blanket, smothering the flame of the American people.…

Cool fall air blew through a little town in Illinois. The distinct smell of pumpkins covered the town, and the leaves were starting to change from green to a vibrant red. At 7:45 sharp a group of friends met at the faded stop sign between their houses. Once they got to the stop sign they all headed off to Sandy Elementary School. That group of friends was Bobbi, Malory, Anthony and Mason. The four of them hung out all the time and were practically inseparable. Bobbi had big, ocean blue eyes and…

“...Something strangely artificial, or even deformed” : Mauro Giuliani's Bold Attempt to Legitimize the Classical Guitar. While he mainly referred to himself as a violoncellist, Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) was the leading guitar virtuoso of his time and still stands as one of the leading composers in the repertoire of the instrument. A well respected and well connected musician in early 19th century Italy, Giuliani was regularly seen performing, dining and in the entorages of the likes of Haydn…