Jacques Arcadelt (1507-1568) - Ave Maria

The title of this piece means 'Hail Mary', a common title for a Sacred piece. Therefore we know that the piece is probably sacred without even looking at the actual music. However when looking more in detail at the music and text, this sacredness becomes more clear.

However, looking at the piece we can see a number of characteristics that show that it is sacred and was therefore probably sung in a mass, for example the text referring to 'Holy Mary', and Jesus and 'ora'- begging to the 'Sancta Maria'. Also 'Dominus Tecum', the Lord is with you. Finally at the end there is an 'Amen'.

In terms of the music, there are also things that show that the piece is Sacred. For example the use of three. The words 'ora, ora pro nobis, Sancta Maria' are repeated three times in a row. Also for words like Dominus, Ave Maria, Benedicta, (Master, Hail Mary and Blessed)- the most holy words in the music, there is a crotchet rest at the beginning of the bar , so that the word is sung as a triple meter bar (three crotchets), again the use of three. We know that people in early times thought that the number three was an appropriate way to show holiness because it represents the Holy Trinity. The end of the piece has an Amen. This is representative of prayers, where you say Amen at the end. Again, this shows that the piece is sacred. Also the word Amen is sung as a Plagal Cadence (V, IV), which is the very typical cadence used specifically for the word Amen. 

There is word painting in the piece as well which is typical of the period and especially for sacred music, for example often with the word Sancta, the melody rises, symbolising rising up to heaven/ God. On the word Jesus, there is a dotted minim with a pause, so that a lot of emphasis is put on the word, to make people be fully aware of it. 

Machaut Essay- Messe de Notre Dame

"Analyse and discuss what you hear in this extract in terms of the musical elements."

This piece was written in the Medieval period, probably before about 1365, which means that there are a number of elements in it that are common to the period. It is also a 'Kyrie'- sacred piece, and a movement from a mass. Because of these things, the piece is written in a specific way.

The meter of the piece is triple, because it represents the Holy Trinity. There are also three main sections in the piece, 'Kyrie', 'Christe' and another 'Kyrie'. These three sections are each repeated three times. These uses of Three all represent the Holy Trinity. The fact that the piece is sacred is the reason for these references to the Holy Trinity. People thought that this idea of three was 'perfect' and beautiful because of it represented the Holy Trinity.

There is a Cantus Firmus taken from the plainchant melody, "Kyrie Cunctipotens Genitor". It can be found in the Tenor part. Tenor means 'hold' in Latin, which is why it is used as the Cantus Firmus part. In this part there is a four-note Talea, with a dotted semibreve, a minim, a semibreve and another dotted semibreve, (however these rhythms would not have been written into the original score) This is called Isorhythm.

There are other parts of the piece which indicate that it was written in the Medieval period, for example in Bars 6 and 7, there is what is known as a DLT (double leading tone) cadence, ending in open fifths. These fifths are very typical of Medieval music. More open fifths can be found in bars 15, 21, 27, 32 and throughout the piece. The use of the modal tonality also indicates the Medieval period (The piece is in Dorian mode). Each section begins and ends with a perfect cadence, that is stable. 

The different parts have different roles in the piece. The Tenor and Contra tenor provide the upper voices with harmonies. The upper voices move quicker, with note lengths like crotchets and quavers, which the other two parts do not have. 

There are other musical features that do not necessarily indicate the Medieval period, like how there are many thirds and sixths used to give a sense of forward motion in the piece. These, however, always resolve to perfect chords in order to maintain the feeling of the mode. The text setting is very melismatic, and the voices move in small intervals (the widest interval being a fifth). In the 'Christe', both the Tenor and Contra tenor parts are isorhythmic and there is the use of 'hocketing' also.

Connecting Musical Styles using Musical Elements

Meaning

Textual Meaning

• Baroque and Renaissance  music- Word Painting
• Blues/ Jazz singing - Expressive Improvisation
• Polynesian region (Pacific Ocean) -Logogenic
• Religious Music e.g. Gospel
• Opera

Many styles of music also have meaning, but it is not expressed/communicated with words, rather with emotions caused by the music, sometimes based on previous experiences. Some alternative non-textual styles are:

• Yodelling
• In some countries, styles used for healing (without words)
• Communal music making
• Sometimes in religious music, the text is not understood by many people (e.g. Hebrew, Latin etc.) but the meaning is still conveyed

Sometimes the words are used not for their meaning, but through the meaning created through the sound of the words.

Meditation (Thais) By Massenet

This is a great piece to look at with focus on tension and release, because the piece uses a lot of it and it is always very clearly shown, usually with dynamics and also with rhythm and pitch. The first "climax" is in bar 15, where the melody reaches the highest note so far and has a huge crescendo leading up to it, so that it is played f. It is also a rhythmic cadence, because there is a dramatic change in note lengths just before it (semiquavers to crotchets and then finally a minim). This seems to slow down the melody, causing even greater tension. The semiquaver notes are disjunct also, meaning that the melodic tension is heightened. Finally, the note is on the first beat of the bar- the strongest, which adds to the climax.

There are also many places in the piece where smaller climaxes are reached, for example in bar 23, where the dynamic is piu f, however although this is "more than forte" (therefore bigger than the big climax before), the context means that it does not seem so big. This illustrates an important point, that context is very important in defining climaxes/ tension.

There are also small climaxes each time the main melody returns, the B, C# and D is a climactic phrase (with the D being debatably the most tense of the three). Just before it there are triplet notes that create greater tension because they are disjunct.

The piece is written for solo violin and orchestra, which means that on the more tense notes the other strings come in and create extra depth to the sound and thickness to the texture, which is much more tense and grand.

Waltz no.19 in A minor- Chopin

The first page of the piece

• The piece's contour: 
• First section: Undulating
• Second section: Undulating, then an Ascension
• Range: very broad, from E to the E 3 octaves above it in the melody, and the accompaniment goes down to a low A.
• Tessitura: It is neither easier nor more difficult to play really high or low on a piano (other than the physical effort of having to move that far), therefore the performer is not "exploited" much. 
• The scalic pattern in the second section is the loudest part of the piece (forte). This is because it is the main buildup of tension, the "summit" of the piece.
• Slurs in the piece usually mark out phrases, for example, the crotchet-quavers-crotchet rhythm from bar 1 that keeps returning is slurred, to indicate that it is a small phrase. The bigger phrase goes up to bar 8.
• The piece is very typical for a waltz, because of the repeated 3-crotchet rhythm, comprised of a single note and then two chords in the accompanying part.

For Now- In-Depth Study

Background
From the musical Avenue Q
Wikipedia: 'Avenue Q is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood.' 
It is basically designed to be the "flip-side" of the show Sesame Street, so whereas Sesame street features and is for children, Avenue Q features and is for adults. The problems in Avenue Q are not easily resolved and the ending, which epitomises this, is the song For Now.

Meaning 
For Now is about how most things in life are temporary, and thus, how even the "Things we cannot avoid" do not matter in the end, because they will go away, even if they aren't resolved. Whereas in Sesame Street, the characters have small problems which are quickly and easily resolved, in Avenue Q the problems are bigger, like "What is my purpose in life?" "What is the point of loving? Is it just a waste of time?" Neither of these is resolved in the show. 

Some Illustrative Quotes

• "Nothing lasts, life goes on"
• "For now there's love"- referring to the question before: "What is the point of loving? Is it just a waste of time?"-answering that it doesn't last anyway, so what does it really matter?
• "Don't stress, relax, let life roll off your backs, except for death... everything in life is only for now"
• "Each time you smile it'll only last a while"
• "Life may be scary, but it's only temporary"
• "Everything in life is only for now"

Musical Tools

• Call and response amongst the characters
• Repetition of the title (For Now) in the lyrics
• Structure: Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Verse 4, Instrumental, Ending instrumental
• Many different parts - homophonic
• SATB voices (all types of voice)
• Flute, Piano, Drum kit, Saxophone, Metallophone 

Concerts I've Been To 2013-

Concerts I've Been To 2013-

Evelyn Glennie and EAChO 21.9.13

Dame Evelyn Glennie is a world-famous solo percussionist, and the first ever to maintain a full-time career of it. She gives more than 100 performances a year and has played with many different ensembles, from Bobby McFerrin to Sting to the East Anglia Chamber Orchestra, with whom I saw her perform. She plays with incredible vitality and 'pizazz', which is one of the things that makes her such a pleasure to watch. As well as that her immaculate sense of rhythm and tone stood out for me. Glennie is completely deaf. She "listens" instead to the vibrations made by her playing.

In the concert, EAChO played two pieces, before and after Evelyn Glennie's appearance (by Kodaly and Beethoven). Jacques Cohen, the conductor, was incredibly vibrant and on a few occasions, actually jumped up into the air. Glennie played Eric Ewazen's Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra. She wore only flip flops, so that she could feel the vibrations and therefore "listen". 

What most struck me during the concert was the realisation that in music, most people hear but do not listen, but Glennie listens and does not hear. She was more connected with the music than I have ever seen in a musician. The only way in which she could know how her playing sounded was to feel the vibrations, something which she did for every single note.


Peter Fisher (violin) and Peter Hewitt (piano) 29.9.13
Fisher and Hewitt played three Brahms Sonatas (G Major, A Major, D minor), a movement of the FAE Sonata and as an encore; the famous Brahms Hungarian Dance. I had played the Hungarian Dance before on the violin and it was truly inspirational to see how a professional interpreted it.

Peter Fisher is an incredibly talented violinist, with a huge range of abilities- not something that can be said for all professionals, let alone all musicians. His lively sections were a pleasure to experience and his calm sections told wonderful stories and aroused a sense of great joy-de-vivre. He had a wonderful way of communicating the music that was enhanced by his friendly personality.

This was a fantastic concert for me to have attended, because there were both my instruments in it, so I was able to learn things from both of them, for example Fisher had incredibly soft hands the whole time, something every string player aspires towards. Hewitt's listening skills were so precise that even when Fisher played just a few notes at a slightly different tempo, Hewitt was able to follow him almost instantly so that for almost the entire performance, both were very together.

Oiseaux Tristes by Ravel- In-Depth Study

Background

Ravel was standing by a dark forest and heard a bird calling out. He transcribed exactly the repeated call that he heard and used it as the basis for this piece, which is about a "Sad Bird" in a hot, damp forest. It is thought that the bird goes into a frenzy during the 'D' section of the piece.

Structure

An AABCADEA sort of structure, but the only thing that hints at any sort of structure is the "bird call" rhythm that keeps returning. Otherwise there are just many different musical ideas, depicting the various adventures of the bird.

Interpretation

As any piece of classical music, this piece can be interpreted in a million different ways. Throughout my time studying it (the past year and a half or so), I have constantly been finding new ways to play different parts. Here are some main aspects of that interpretation journey:

This is part of my score, I like to annotate my scores so that I remember just how I want to play things.

• I have tried out many different ways of playing the first notes- the "bird call", varying the dynamics, tone quality and articulation. In particular, I have experimented with mood, deciding whether I want it to be optimistic to begin the piece with, or desperately sad. I have now settled on a slightly sad, but mostly thoughtful mood for the bird here.
• In general in this piece, I have experimented a lot with dynamics, especially in places where none are marked. When dynamics are marked however, I often find that I stray somewhat from what is written (I know this is bad) especially when I'm playing through the piece on my own. This happens when I get so caught up in the music that I stop thinking enough for what is required.
• I started out playing the piece with a lot of rubato, as it is "impressionistic" and of the 20th centruy. However, after two masterclasses on it, one with Katherine Stott and the other with Charles Owen, I found out that actually, Ravel wanted the piece to be as simple as possible and completely in time. 
• I have tried out playing parts of the piece slow, like melody line, and fast, like flurries.
• The last line is my favourite section of the whole piece. It begins with the lowest Eb on the piano. I play this as darkly as I possibly can. The following melody is a dark, almost sadistic shadow of the beginning. The piece then ends just the same way as it began, with the same rhythm and notes as the second time that the idea was heard, but this time it is different. After the bird (and the audience) has been through a dynamic roller coaster of a journey, we hear this sad thought for the last time. It is as though the bird has it's last words and is asking us "Do you remember my life? What was it all for?"

My Listening

 

Listening

Piano Listening

• Prelude & Fugue Op.87, No.5 by Shostakowitsch
• Miroirs: Oiseaux Tristes by Ravel
• Fandango Del Ventorillo by Rodrigo
• Le Rappel Des Oiseaux by Rameau
• Rumanian Folk Dances by Bartok

I listen to my piano playlist when I am feeling truly happy. It is predominantly calm and beautiful music and it reflects my mood, whilst also affecting me a bit to make me even more relaxed and/or focused.

Rock

• Billy Talent:
• Billy Talent-
• Lies
• River Below
• Billy Talent II-
• Red Flag
• Pins and Needles
• Billy Talent III-
• Devil on my Shoulder
• Rusted From the Rain
• Saint Veronika
• Tears into Wine
• White Sparrows
• The Dead Can't Testify
• Dead Silence-
• Runnin' Across the Tracks
• Stand up and Run
• Dead Silence
• Cure for the Enemy

I listen to Billy Talent when I'm upset or feeling rebellious, because it uses a "shouty" timbre of singing and the lyrics are mostly about rebellion and revolution.

• Green Day:
• American Idiot-
• American Idiot
• Holiday
• Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• Give me Novacaine
• Extraordinary Girl
• Wake me up When September Ends
• Dookie-
• Welcome to Paradise
• When I Come Around
• Nimrod-
• Uptight
• Good Riddance
• King for A Day
• Jinx
• Take Back
• 21st Century Breakdown-
• 21st Century Breakdown
• Know Your Enemy
• Peacemaker
• Last Of The American Girls
• American Eulogy
• Murder City
• 21 Guns

I listen to Green Day most of the time that I'm listening to music, because there is a huge variety between albums. However I am quite new to the idea of "Listening to Music" in this cultural way and I still don't listen to this genre very often.

"Showtunes"- from Musicals

• Wicked:
• Popular
• Defying Gravity
• Avenue Q
• South Park Movie
• Hairspray
• Aladdin
• Grease
• Chicago

I love listening to musicals when I am really happy, but more hyperactively than when I listen to my piano music. They make me feel excited about life and give me a great sense of "Joie de Vivre", because the music in musicals is meant for people to enjoy, otherwise they wouldn't go to see them, it is very lively and happy.

Other

• Jon Cozart:
• After Ever After
• Harry Potter in 99 seconds
• Flight of the Conchords:
• Flight of The Conchords (whole album)
• Bret, You've got it going on
• Sugalumps
• Vampire Weekend:
• Diplomat's Son
• Oxford Comma
• All American Rejects:
• Dirty Little Secret
• Move Along
• Gives you hell
• Back to Me
• Regina Spektor
• Stephen Jerzak
• A Child's Introduction To Ballet (Main themes of ballet music)
• Old Disney Channel Favourites:
• I found a Way (Drake and Josh)
• If that's not Love (Naked Brother's Band)
• Makes me Happy (Drake and Josh)
• Jon Lajoie 
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Nancy Sinatra