Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev is considered one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century. Not only was Sergeyevich an accomplished pianist, but he was an outstanding and famous conductor as well. He was infinitely skilled at a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti, operas, program pieces, film music, and ballets. His works were considered both ultra-modern and innovative for their time. Ironically, Prokofiev died on the same day as Stalin - 05 March 1953.
"Posterity will not be able to understand our difficult and glorious period of life without intently listening to the works of Sergei Prokofiev, and contemplating his extraordinary fate." - Ilya Ehrenburg
Orchestration: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (triangle, wood blocks, tambourine, snare drum, maracas, cymbals, bass drum, glockenspiel), harp, and strings.
Introduction: The piece begins with a major syncopated rhythm played by timpani and percussion, along with strings, then there is a modulation to minor. The brass plays a descending sequence, and the syncopated rhythm continues as the French horn plays the melody, using sequences. There is a crescendo as the orchestra repeats the melody. Pizzicato strings play a descending chromatic scale, and this is followed by the strings playing the horn melody. This is then repeated. The main melody is repeated in a variety of ways, with the maracas and snare drum in the percussion section becoming prominent. There is a crescendo with a roll of the timpani. The orchestra plays descending scales, and then there is a huge crescendo with the whole orchestra. Bass instrumen...
... middle of paper ...
...re the flute returns accompanied by a string sequence. The tonality alternates between major and minor continually. The strings play an arpeggio melody, in major, as the oboe plays a descending chromatic scale with a diminuendo and perfect cadence
Dance: The large percussion section, with timpani and snare rolls opens this section, along with the woodwind. The flute plays an atonal allegretto melody, accompanied by a rhythmic ostinato by the percussion section. There is a crescendo as more instruments join the accompaniment and the strings take over the melody. The music climaxes with the brass playing the melody, still accompanied by the ostinato and the triangle. The strings play the melody again as different percussion instruments are used. There is a crescendo again with brass fanfares and snare rolls. There then is a rallentando with the percussion section.
Schwartz, Boris. Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, 1917-1981. 2nd edition. Indiana University Press, 1983.
The music begins by introducing all the fundamental/primary material which the entire movement is based on. In bar 7 the violins play the first theme (in D Major) which includes the two-note descending motive and lasts until bar 25. In the last beat of bar 25 the "famous Mahlerian" major-minor duality becomes evident. The contrasting minor key theme is introduced.
It has a very nice combination of the woodwind and violin. The music goes slow for first three minutes and suddenly it goes fast with the sound of violin and slows down again with the melodious sound of the flute and violin and repeats again giving the feeling of nature and after eleven minutes it is in very high notes. And again, from the 14 minutes, begins the second movement with the melodious sound of violin followed by other instruments. This part is very sad and attractive part of the orchestra too. It feels tragedy and sad music. The music is slow and in low notes. The flute in the fourteen minute is so attaching and alluring. I felt like listening to it again and again. The third movement then begins from twenty-three minute which also feels sad music. It reminds me of the good old childhood days. After the thirty minutes comes the most powerful and weighty part that is the fourth movement. It ends comfortably in F major. Among the four symphonies by Johannes Brahms, I liked the Symphony no.3. And I would like to thank Mr. Madere for giving us with such assignments which help us relax and get free from our
Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 was his last and longest symphony he composed. While listening to this breathtaking piece of music, one specific aspect of this piece stood out to me; this being the instrumentation. In this symphony, many different instruments were used. While listening, I recognized many of them. A flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings make up this famous piece that is known world-wide by millions of people.
The next work of the program, Courtly Airs and Dances, is a multi-movement work composed by Ron Nelson. The piece is split into six movements: Intrada, Basse Danse, Pavane, Saltarello, Sarabande, and Allemande. Each of these present distinct characteristics that separate it from each other movement, yet all are united by being a style of dance. The first movement, Intrada, presents a fanfare-like opening to the multi-movement work. The trumpets and brass section as a whole lead this, as they create a sense of nobility. The key is major and the tempo is one that could be described as allegretto—it is not a fast tempo, yet more brisk than an andante pace. The texture is homophonic, as there are different parts being performed by different
Morales, Ed. The Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo, 2003. Print.
...ude: “Concerto for Flute in G major, Op. 29”, “ Concerto for Viola no 1 in D major”, “Symphonie Concertante for Violin and Viola in D major”, and “Quartets for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 19: no 2 in B flat major ”.
...re was very interesting transitions between the variation, for example, string section plays the variation from low to high, when they reach the highest note, the brass family takes over and continue with the scale and make it more higher. Tremolo style was used in this piece, which is a quick ups and downs stroke mode. The music were very soothing and attracted the audience. Lastly, they end the piece with the same variations that was played at the beginning.
Horton , Andrew J. . "The Forgotten Avant Garde: Soviet Composers Crushed by Stalin." Central Europe Review 1.1 (28 June 1999): n. pag. Web. 19 Mar 2011. .
The tempo can sound unclear at the start as it sounds a bit like 6/8. The song has frequent syncopation in the vocal and instrumental lines. The song starts with a use of cross rhythms created by a hi hat. The piece is entirely diatonic and is in the key of G Major with a modal feel.
The brass plays an ascending sequence, followed by pizzicato notes played by the strings, and an ascending and descending scale on the harp. Strings and oboe play the rhythmic melody, whilst the trumpet plays fanfares in syncopation. The oboe is then replaced by the flute. There is an ascending scale played by the strings, then the brass section repeats the string and oboe melody with cymbal crashes at cadence points. The orchestra then plays a loud melody with cymbal crashes and drum rolls. There is an interrupted cadence, followed by crescendo with cymbal crashes and a brass ostinato. The piece ends with a perfect cadence.
Sergei Prokofiev was an innovative composer born on the 23rd of April, 1891 in Sontsocka. His mother taught him piano and his father taught him to play chess when he was young. Both activities were major hobbies of his and allowed him to improve his intelligence. His studies were led by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and he graduated with some of the highest remarks of his class at St. Petersburg Conservatory (1914), and received a grand piano because of them. After the Russian revolution, he went on concert tours across Europe and the US. While in New York in 1918, he met a Spanish vocalist named Carolina Codina. They were married in 1923 and had two boys.
...chestral introduction with an imperfect cadence. A strong rhythmic ¾ allegro passage, with sequences and descending scales is played by the orchestra, with timpani and cymbals. The music modulates, and a short, quiet woodwind passage is then alternated with an orchestral passage with dotted rhythms, creating a `terraced dynamics' effect. Part B begins with a major clarinet melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. A minor flute sequence follows, and is followed by a repetition of the oboe melody. A string sequence is then played, imitated by the oboe. There is a crescendo, then the rhythmic orchestral melody returns, alternated with a short flute passage. There are suspensions, descending scales and a crescendo, followed by a strong rhythmic passage with the timpani playing on the beat. Imperfect cadences are played, before the piece finishes with a perfect cadence.
...atin American popular idioms. Sonia Possetti is a leading contemporary tango artist that has formed a sextet including the unusual addition of a trombone. POssetti is receptive to the possibility of assimilating outside influences, as she is fully aware of the political implications of creating and performing tango in a country controlled by globalized economic and cultural interests. She uses the standard percussion with djembe, cymbals, bongo, and wood block. Possetti’s “Bullanguera” is based on a milonga rhythm that first sounded in the djembe, a large African hand drum. She layers a salsa clave pattern in the percussion over the milonga foundation. Jazz techniques, improvised solos and sixteen bar progressions add new dimensions to the piece. Her conception remains true to the roots of the tango, yet engages with a sophisticated range of current popular musics.
... then plays allegro passages of semi quavers, accompanied by timpani and descending scales in the woodwind. The clarinet, takes over the main melody whilst the cello accompanies with sequences. The French horn takes over the melody, accompanied by the strings. The flute briefly plays the melody before the cello plays octaves, accompanying the woodwind as they play a reprise of the DSCH theme and the timpani crashes. Repeating the themes in the first movement, the cello plays the DSCH motif followed by the "tate ta, tate ta" rhythm in the strings. The horn then plays the theme in augmentation, whilst the cello plays passages of ascending and descending scales, and the theme is heard again in the strings. The movement builds up with the motif appearing increasingly often in the woodwind and strings and climaxes with octaves by the soloist and a boom from the timpani.