Week #2 - The Mozart Effect... Sure...
Playlist:
Mozart - Piano Concert No. 23 & 21, Requiem
Ives - Three Page Sonata
Janacek - From the Streets, On the Overgrown Path
Scriabin - Fifth Sonata & Piano Concerto in f#
Glass - Einstein on the Beach
Reich - You Are (variations), Cello Counterpoint
Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
Animal Collective - Feels, Sung Tongs
Psapp - Tiger, My Friend (Incredibly impressed with this!)
Prefuse 73 - Prefuse 73 Reads the Books
Deerhoof - Runners Four, Green Cosmos
Bright Eyes - Lifted
Sigur Ros - Takk
Royksopp - Melody A.M
Killowatts & Vanek - Rawq
The scores were passed out. Ah, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, I recollect that my friend told me they were going to be playing this same piece in Orchestra this semester. The play button was hit, and at that same moment I was taken back in time to my youth. I first heard this piece as well as Mozart's 21st piano concerto usually every weekend as my mom knit, spun, cleaned antiques, or did chores around the house. It occurred to me that this along with some Vivaldi, Handel, and Beethoven were literally some of the first music I truly ever remember. My musical DNA in imprinted with these incredible composers; like many people my age in Western Society all of our musical DNA is imprinted with classical greats transmitted to us by many different outlets and learned by association over time. The average person's exposure to classical music by their twenties ranges dramatically due to your upbringing, if you payed attention in your elementary music classes, or just watched TV or movies. It is amazing how so many people my age can associate with classical music but cannot put a composer or name to a song. I am just as guilty in some cases as anyone else in this particular musical 'crime' (I mean this in the loosest and comical of terms). The exposure to classical music through movies, tv, commercials, other instances is great and leaves the listener with and idea of the piece, for example the "I know that, but what is it" syndrome is the response most of the time. As time has passed exposure to music leaves the general public with a demand to hear these pieces. When maturity and appreciation occur classical music is more tangible to its once questioning audience.
Sitting down and staring at the score to the Piano Concerto is probably like staring at David or the Mona Lisa, complex to the point of simplicity. I have been practicing the second violin part for the Piano Concerto and every time I play I hear and see absolute perfection of melody. Mozart was a melodic monster, he was obsessed with the perfect melody. Each phrase fits perfectly in its place, if it was changed just by one or two notes the piece would become slightly off balance. As I play and then listen to the piece many times I begin to hear complexity in the melody which is then followed by the realization of simplicity. An ascending or descending scale here, arpeggiation there, staccato, energy, emotion, use of modulation to draw one in and then away, imitation between piano and strings. Instantly within twenty seconds of listening all of these traits seem to arrive out of phrases so perfect, it could only be done by the Wunderkind himself.
The first movement is featured in Sonata form of Exposition Development and Recapitulation. The first theme is timeless and evokes images of springtime, vibrancy of color and life. The interaction between the strings and the winds are an imitative, call and response. The second theme takes the same form of call and response as well. The piano imitates the strings and intertwines briefly with them throughout the piano section. Brief periods of tension arrives late in the exposition which is a transitional point into the development. Throughout the development the strings and piano interact but the piano dominates ascending and descending modulating, creating tension, the strings respond and then to arrive back at the familiarity of the main themes in the recapitulation. Though we did not listen to the second movement in class, I must note that it is one of the most somber pieces I have heard from Mozart and has traits that would be appropriate in the Requiem. Mozart develops a theme that pulls the heart strings and draws the listener into the almost spiraling piano part at times.
to be continued...
Mozart - Piano Concert No. 23 & 21, Requiem
Ives - Three Page Sonata
Janacek - From the Streets, On the Overgrown Path
Scriabin - Fifth Sonata & Piano Concerto in f#
Glass - Einstein on the Beach
Reich - You Are (variations), Cello Counterpoint
Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
Animal Collective - Feels, Sung Tongs
Psapp - Tiger, My Friend (Incredibly impressed with this!)
Prefuse 73 - Prefuse 73 Reads the Books
Deerhoof - Runners Four, Green Cosmos
Bright Eyes - Lifted
Sigur Ros - Takk
Royksopp - Melody A.M
Killowatts & Vanek - Rawq
The scores were passed out. Ah, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, I recollect that my friend told me they were going to be playing this same piece in Orchestra this semester. The play button was hit, and at that same moment I was taken back in time to my youth. I first heard this piece as well as Mozart's 21st piano concerto usually every weekend as my mom knit, spun, cleaned antiques, or did chores around the house. It occurred to me that this along with some Vivaldi, Handel, and Beethoven were literally some of the first music I truly ever remember. My musical DNA in imprinted with these incredible composers; like many people my age in Western Society all of our musical DNA is imprinted with classical greats transmitted to us by many different outlets and learned by association over time. The average person's exposure to classical music by their twenties ranges dramatically due to your upbringing, if you payed attention in your elementary music classes, or just watched TV or movies. It is amazing how so many people my age can associate with classical music but cannot put a composer or name to a song. I am just as guilty in some cases as anyone else in this particular musical 'crime' (I mean this in the loosest and comical of terms). The exposure to classical music through movies, tv, commercials, other instances is great and leaves the listener with and idea of the piece, for example the "I know that, but what is it" syndrome is the response most of the time. As time has passed exposure to music leaves the general public with a demand to hear these pieces. When maturity and appreciation occur classical music is more tangible to its once questioning audience.
Sitting down and staring at the score to the Piano Concerto is probably like staring at David or the Mona Lisa, complex to the point of simplicity. I have been practicing the second violin part for the Piano Concerto and every time I play I hear and see absolute perfection of melody. Mozart was a melodic monster, he was obsessed with the perfect melody. Each phrase fits perfectly in its place, if it was changed just by one or two notes the piece would become slightly off balance. As I play and then listen to the piece many times I begin to hear complexity in the melody which is then followed by the realization of simplicity. An ascending or descending scale here, arpeggiation there, staccato, energy, emotion, use of modulation to draw one in and then away, imitation between piano and strings. Instantly within twenty seconds of listening all of these traits seem to arrive out of phrases so perfect, it could only be done by the Wunderkind himself.
The first movement is featured in Sonata form of Exposition Development and Recapitulation. The first theme is timeless and evokes images of springtime, vibrancy of color and life. The interaction between the strings and the winds are an imitative, call and response. The second theme takes the same form of call and response as well. The piano imitates the strings and intertwines briefly with them throughout the piano section. Brief periods of tension arrives late in the exposition which is a transitional point into the development. Throughout the development the strings and piano interact but the piano dominates ascending and descending modulating, creating tension, the strings respond and then to arrive back at the familiarity of the main themes in the recapitulation. Though we did not listen to the second movement in class, I must note that it is one of the most somber pieces I have heard from Mozart and has traits that would be appropriate in the Requiem. Mozart develops a theme that pulls the heart strings and draws the listener into the almost spiraling piano part at times.
to be continued...
