Symphony Orchestra Concert Paper Example

Introduction

On March 14th, 2018 I attended a concert at California Symphony Cascade Theater hall, conducted by Dwayne Corbin. At the show, three music pieces were played: Fourth Symphony by Beethoven, Violin Symphony, Op. 35, by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 'Titan.' The show was performed using many types of instruments such as violins, drums, trumpets, tuba, clarinet, saxophone, and flute. The concert hall was huge, before the commencement of the concert the audience had already occupied the seats fully. The Orchestra stage setting was well-ordered, well organized and demonstrative and instruments were adjacent to one another in a unique way.

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Music Pieces Analysis

The first piece performed was Symphony No.1 'Titan' by Gustav Mahler's, performed in D major. This Symphony was unique in that it integrated variety of sounds into the music, for example, dance tunes, bird songs, and bulge call thus creating an extensive variety of color tones. The symphony commenced with a two-note 'hunting call' and strings with a thick-textured undertone which were preserved through the piece (Hund, 2014). Furthermore, there was a bright ordeal in the trumpets, accompanied by a light descending melody played by the whole orchestra. Later, a strong fortissimo rhythm begins to emanate from all instruments, tension gradually increases, thus giving rise to a muted trumpet solo. The remaining movement was dominated by strings, with a smooth melody connection distributed from the 'cellos by Alisa Weilerstein and Joshua Roman to the violin by Anne, and, lastly, to the basses.

The increasing essence of the drums marked the beginning of the third movement; the orchestra moved along in a clear duple meter. The drums presence became less significant after a 'ritardando,' bringing back the light melody to the woodwind instruments (saxophone and clarinet). All the way through the third movement, cliched polyphony was the first texture as other various instruments reverberated the strain created in the woodwind (Patynen & Lokki, 2016). Its dismal and dark tone categorized this part. Earlier the absence of the drums had left a suppressed meter and a weak tempo. The third movement finish line began with a repetition of opening movement parts, which later moved to a brass cymbal crash and trumpet blast thus building too many crescendos. I felt the orchestra was close to the last notes of the symphony one to hear an additional note restart the process. The piece wind-up also integrated the descending notes and the fresh two-note 'hunting call' in the horns.

The second piece performed was the Violin Symphony, Op. 35, by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed in D major, the featured soloist was violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. This piece was shorter than the first one, and it had three movements, Allegro moderato as the first one. The Sonata opened with the orchestra playing a crescendo until the appearance of the soloist, who brought forward the principle melodies (Patynen & Lokki, 2016). Afterward, the symphony texture speckled amongst the monophony of the single violin and the homophony originating from the orchestra as a whole. The melody presented by the violin was then reiterated in different instruments with huge divergence in crescendos and rhythm, though the steady beat was allegro. The return of solo violin was escorted by various violins playing on the disconnected notes background. A high point of the opening movement arose when the solo violin made a tremendously high tone in low loudness and descended to a motionless speed, thus showing Anne instrument ability. The movement concluded with the full orchestra playing very loudly with a resilient tempo.

On the subsequent movement of the Masterpiece, it began in the saxophone with a smooth and connected melody punctuated by one note played by the horn. Generally, this movement stayed muted with periods of enthusiasm, showcased by a lively pace originating from the orchestra. Descending pizzicato note scales were donated by violins. The tune then became a smooth and connected solo, which commenced in a slender double-reed instrument and was later handed to the bass (Patynen & Lokki, 2016). The song then reverted to the violin, beginning adagio and then aggregating the speed for the orchestra as a whole. The climax arose when two hastening crescendos alternated with two 'ritardando' growing quieter.

The final piece was Beethoven's Symphony #4, performed in B-flat Major; the section begins with a quiet starter which has a plodding rhythm. The violins play with a light plucking staccato sound. The rhythm escalations as the percussion and brass take part. The flute and (oboe) the slender double-reed instrument have a solo. The author creates a disparity by having some notes played which are then succeeded by the rest, and there is also a repetition of the technique. The strength declines and then rises, a clarinet solo is heard towards the movement end. (Lockwood, 2015).

The second movement arises very slowly with playing instruments violins, oboe plays two notes repetitively, and the clarinets enters and plays the same notes. Thereafter, the action continues in a comparable technique, though there some additional dynamics variation and instrumentation. In the third movement, the power and the rhythm of symphony escalate, making the music very sparkling. The oboes and the French horns play a soft tune and the strings answer, the melody is recurring all the way through, and the intensity of the music grows, and the movement ends (Lockwood, 2015). The concluding movement starts with a very energetic beat and sufficient intensity. Despite the increase in power and the rhythm of the music, other appearances of the music remain somehow similar. The oboe has a little solo, and the intensity declines, but later increases. Before the ending of the symphony with high-intensity oboe plays four single notes.

On my stay at the concert, being a perceptive listener, I ask myself several queries such as: which symphonies features makes me feel this way? Is it the way the music is interpreted by the performer? Is it the because of the temple or volume? Is it because it has unity and variety of the right balance, due to instruments or is it due to both combinations? If it is true, what arrangement is at play?

Conclusion

In the concert, the orchestra performed all the three music pieces exceptionally, I had a great experience, and I look forward to being present at another music concert. The extraordinary concert expression made one comprehend the nature spirit in harmony. This concert has a broad scope of resources for lots of people and students eager to learn further regarding music. The show broadened my knowledge and further emotion understanding to the musical world. The authors of all the three symphonies are very talented and composed their music with a lot of passion.

References

Hund, J. (2014). What is the discipline of music appreciation? Reconsidering the concert report. Journal of Music History Pedagogy, 4(2), 255-72.

Lockwood, L. (2015). Beethoven's symphonies: an artistic vision. WW Norton & Company.

Patynen, J., & Lokki, T. (2016). Concert halls with strong and lateral sound increase the emotional impact of orchestra music. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 139(3), 1214-1224.