Florida State University presented The University Chamber Choir directed by Dr. Kevin Fenton, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on 5 November 2015. The concert included “The Mask,” which is a cycle of five poems that encompass the mood felt during the Harlem Renaissance as well as other times in Afro-American literature. These five poems are titled We Wear the Mask, Heritage, Shadow, Worn Faces, Interlude for Natalie, and Portrait by William Bolcom. The other piece performed were Even when He is silent by Kim Andre Arnesen, and another collection of poems titled “Harlem Night Songs” arranged by Timothy Hoekman. This complete set of works was a pleasure to listen to because all of the songs were sung with convincing passion and ease. “The Mask’s” …show more content…
The overall mood received was spooky and intriguing, and the texture was homophonic. Interlude for Natalie, the fifth movement, was completely instrumental. The piano played a combination of legato and staccato pitches. Additionally, this section included a slightly jazzy feel. Although this section was only played by the pianist, Jihye Chang, the atmosphere of the music was still powerful and captivating.
Portrait was the sixth movement and the finale of the works from “The Mask.” This movement still incorporated dissonant chords, but the overall tempo was allegro. The choir primarily sang a staccato melody, while the piano played a complimentary part; therefore, the texture was homophonic. Overall, “The Mask’s” poems were organized in an entertaining manner that kept the audience attentive. Even when He is silent by Kim Andre Arnesen was sung a cappella and followed the mood of the previous works. It began at a piano dynamic and the choir sung dissonant chords that were satisfying to hear. Although most people believe that dissonant chords must sound harsh and unpleasing, the chords sung throughout this piece were tranquil and beautiful. The chord structure reminded me of something Eric Whitacre would arrange because a good majority of the chords created gorgeous
On November 16th, 2013, I attended a concert choir, fall choral concert. This event took place on the Wheaton College Campus, in the Edman Chapel at 7:30 pm. The chapel was well-lit, with long pews for the audience to be seated. The concert began with the audience looking up into a balcony, where the ensemble stood in neat rows. They watched the conductor, who stood on a stage in front of the audience, waiting for their cue.
The concert began with an incredibly brief introduction from the president of the Rochester Oratorio Society, after which the society performed a piece that is not listed on the program. After hearing the raw talent the choir displayed in their first performance the crowd praised them, and at this time a representative from the city’s mayor office took the stage and presented the society with a proclamation. The proclamation was on behalf of the city offices and expressed thanks for their 70 years of musical performances and education. Afterwards the society performed Norman Dello Joio’s “A Jubilant Song,” which served as a transition for the Houghton College Choir to take the seats of the men’s choral section. The college choir was approximately a third the size of the society choir, but still managed to perform with a lot of talent. The Houghton College Choir performed Kenneth Jennings’ “The Lord is the Everlasting God” and Larry Farrow’s “Give Me Jesus.” After a quick intermission the Rochester Oratorio Society took to the stage to perform Brahm’s Requiem, which is typically performed with an orchestra, but in their rendition a two person piano served as a replacement. Brahm’s Requiem is in German, making it difficult to understan...
Written in iambic tetrameter and in the plain English verse, the writer continually bombards the reader, through continuous repetition, the idea that the Negro hid his emotions behind "The Mask. " This is done to emphasize a sense of deception and belief that the average negro is a happy soul, rather than a "tortured [one]" (p 918,11) as Dunbar implies. The first stanza in itself is a lament of the "Negro's" conditions as perceived by the world. It is a representation of the past, in that the past is the speaker's past lament of the mask, not a past event in history/time. The first two lines of the poem, "We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-" (p 918,2) are incorporated to introduce the image White Americans see when visualizing the slave.
It is also the piece that had enough of an effect to make the evil man go away, in the film, Fantasia. My strongest reaction to this piece, is the warm and chilled feeling I get hearing it. The idea of developing “chilled” bones from music is amazing. I arrived at this certain place, by truly diving into the song. I really listened to it, and could hear the seriousness in the singer’s voice. I could hear and understand the passion that the musicians felt when they pressed the piano’s keyboards. The singing, along with the instruments complimenting, is astonishing. I caught myself listening to this piece during the interview, and I could imagine even an evil monster falling in love with this tune enough to turn good. I felt the drama and power in the singing, and the seriousness in the playing of the
Angelou’s inclusion of onomatopoeia, or her laughter, gives the audience a sense of false hope that she is fine. Throughout “The Mask”, Angelou ironically uses laughter to counteract her own suffering. She speaks to the duplicity of her own emotions, for she cries whenever she thinks about herself and her relatives. Dunbar speaks of smiling outwardly, but crying out to Christ internally. Both speakers talk of the world only seeing them when they are wearing the mask, because the world is too critical at times; the speakers would be
This concert is held by the Stony Brook University music department and is to perform seven pieces of music written by seven student composers. The concert is performed in Recital Hall of Staller Center in Stony Brook University. Since it is a small hall, audiences are very close to the performers. In fact, it is the first time I am this close to the performers and the sound for me is so clear and powerful that seems like floating in front of my eyes. Among the seven pieces, “Ephemeral Reveries” and “Gekko no mori” are piano solo, “Two Songs for Joey” is in piano and marimba, “Suite” and “Fold Duet No. 1” are in woodwinds, “Elsewhere” is played by string groups, and “e, ee, ree, and I was free” is in vocal. Personally, I like the sound of piano and guitar the best. Therefore, in the latter part I will analysis two pieces in piano, “Gekko no mori” and “Two Songs for Joey”.
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” is a lyric poem in which the point of attraction, the mask, represents the oppression and sadness held by African Americans in the late 19th century, around the time of slavery. As the poem progresses, Dunbar reveals the façade of the mask, portrayed in the third stanza where the speaker states, “But let the dream otherwise” (13). The unreal character of the mask has played a significant role over the life of African Americans, whom pretend to put on a smile when they feel sad internally. This ocassion, according to Dunbar, is the “debt we pay to human guile," meaning that their sadness is related to them deceiving others. Unlike his other poems, with its prevalent use of black dialect, Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” acts as “an apologia (or justification) for the minstrel quality of some of his dialect poems” (Desmet, Hart and Miller 466). Through the utilization of iambic tetrameter, end rhyme, sound devices and figurative language, the speaker expresses the hidden pain and suffering African Americans possessed, as they were “tortured souls” behind their masks (10).
On Wednesday, May 23rd, I attended the College Choir concert in the Reamer Campus Center. The choir performed a variety of songs, ranging from pieces in Latin to traditional American folksongs. Two of the pieces featured solos, and one even featured percussion instruments. Mrs. Elinore Farnum provided piano accompaniment for each of the songs, and performed beautifully. I was extremely impressed by the talented choir members and their ability to sing such a varied range of songs.
“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson are two poems that depict how many people hide their feelings from others. The two poems are similar in theme, but are told from different points of view and differ in plot.
...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.
The first line indicates that “the world” does not need to worry about the true sufferings and feelings but recognized them while they wear their mask. This creates the illusion that is beyond the dissembling of society but the sake of dishonesty and duplicity. Following this line is rhyme once again over wise and sighs. From the opening stanza of the poem, it presents a speaker who then one speaks in first person plural. The poem as a very indirect tone towards the audience. In this stanza, the writer also begins to develop a character. The characters being between us and them are becoming more developed. The term “we wear the mask” is not only the title of the poem but it is repeated throughout the stanzas three
The music accompaniment to this piece comes from one or two pianos which work in almost perfect collaboration with the dance so that neither one overshadows the other. While no other instruments are used, the melody of the piano changes from scene to scene in order to depict Jooss’ emotional responses. During the scenes with the politicians, the air of the piano is light-hearted and almost comedic. The purpose of this was to show the detachment of these men from the war. They are in a safe situation, unexposed to war and death. When the scene changes and we see what’s happening in the lives of citizens, this vaudeville-like tune is transformed into a thunderous and eerie song that haunts the audience. The reason for this change is to reveal Jooss’ feelings about the unnecessary brutality and death that always comes with a war, and how politicians don’t understand the horror of it.
...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.
Lines 14 and 15, “But let the world dream otherwise, we wear the mask!” shows us that the worldly responsibilities of these people are just being brushed to the side and are being dreamed upon like it doesn’t matter. The speaker is showing us once again that it is easier for them to just accept the mask and avoid the truth rather than just facing them and accepting them as who they are unselfishly. Whereas the people wearing the masks are not dreaming at all, they are more so in a nightmare than a peaceful dream.
To begin, the sound of this poem can be proven to strongly contribute an effect to the message of this piece. This poem contains a traditional meter. All of the lines in the poem except for lines nine and 15 are in iambic tetrameter. In this metric pattern, a line has four pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables, for a total of eight syllables. This is relevant in order for the force of the poem to operate dynamically. The poem is speaking in a tenor of veiled confessions. For so long, the narrator is finally speaking up, in honesty, and not holding back. Yet, though what has been hidden is ultimately coming out, there is still this mask, a façade that is being worn. In sequence, the last words in each of the lines, again, except for lines nine and 15, are all in rhythm, “lies, eyes, guile, smile, subtleties, over-wise, sighs, cries, arise, vile...