Rameau- Zais Overture

This piece is the overture from an opera composed by Rameau, a french Baroque composer, (1683-1764). The piece is in D major and is in 2. It depicts the four elements coming of of "Chaos". The piece begins with just the Tambour playing a rhythm on just one note, C. The Tambour does not move from this note at any point throughout the piece. Soon the bassoons come in as well (0:20) and then the strings, with scalic patterns (0:58). Throughout the piece there are occasional interruptions from the drum (e.g. 0:56). Although the melodies begin quite simply, the piece soon picks up and gains speed (0:58), with the tempo getting faster and also the different parts having more complex rhythms e.g. the violins with their semiquavers. The piece again gets faster ("Plus Anime") (1:39) and arpeggiation becomes very apparent from all the parts playing. Then the piece goes into 3 beats in a bar (2:36). Next the violins have running scalic patterns which turn into sequences. The other violins join in and there is a sort of duet between both parts. Other parts come in and play chords, whilst the second violin parts drops out again. Soon enough we get the parts playing in imitation of one another, with flutes and bassoons imitating the strings (e.g. 3:04). At (3:16), all the parts play one fast, descending scale from F to the F below it, followed by a pause (due to the rests). This brings the section to a sort of cadence point, before the piece continues. Then all the parts play together for the first time, as though the cadence point has brought them all together. They are now a hubbub of motion and vitality. After only a few bars, however, the flutes have a solo, accompanied by chords in the lower parts. Then the flutes switch positions with the violins, so that the violins are playing a solo.

I used http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XziYugk4T0c
25 mins spent.

Thomas Tallis- If ye Love Me

This song was written for an unaccompanied choir consisting of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. The text comes from The New Testament, and it is sometimes described as a Motet. This is because the words are heard very clearly by all the parts and the piece is religious (because of the text used). The piece is in 4/4 and is roughly Andante (75 crotchet beats per minute). It is through-composed, because the phrases all have different melodies. The piece is all legato, which works well for a church setting, where the piece would usually be performed, because it fits the calm mood of the service and also allows for easier comprehension of the text, because it is slow and legato, so people can more easily hear the words.
The piece is in E major, and begins with the tonic chord. In the first bar, the word Love is emphasised because 3 out of the 4 parts suddenly ascend (though with varying sizes of interval). From bar 5 the parts then imitate each other, and when it says 'pray' ("I will pray the father"), word painting is used because the parts jump up, as though the person is rising up to heaven, to God when they pray. On the word comforter, the parts come to a sort of cadence which lands back on the tonic, which reflects the word, because it is comforting to come to a resting/"homely" point. In bars 14-16, all the parts have a staggered entry. In bars 19-26/27, each part says the words "ev'n the sp'rit of truth" three times. This technique of the use of 3 dates back to the Medieval period when it was used ubiquitously in Sacred music, because it represents the Holy Trinity, arguably the centre of Christianity. The piece begins soft, then in about the 4th bar the piece gets louder. This happens again in about bar 9, and then diminuendos again in bar 13 for the end of the phrase.