Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age:
The notes played 'piano' by the flutes and harp were not diatonic, which immediatey imposed the unsettling atmosphere of the piece. I thought that the way the basses crept in created more suspense and this became even harder to listen to as the syncopation was introduced. Each instrument enters offbeat, easily recognised by the oboe entry, which was imitated by the violins at a louder dynamic. Then the cor anglais has the tune, followed by the horns, so we could see a clear progression and structure.The flutes and harp do not change for a long time, creating an ostinato effect until the basses and cellos take over with their more proceeding pizzicatos. The Horn had a really good timbre for the piece and the melody was slightly easier to listen to.
I really liked the almost stretto used as the first violins entered followed by the seconds who played with the oboe. The cresecendo was really effective and the increasingly amount of vibrato used in the strings gave it a really rich sound, in contrast to the purposely unhealthy and weak sound created by the flutes at the beginning and later on when they get the melody, accompanied by pizz in the lower strings. The texture remains homophonic even as the harp enters and woodwind. Then, the brass, at an even louder dynamic, come in with the same melody. There is tension as the brass crescendo and eventually belt it out whilst the rest of the orchestra play crotchets on beat 2 and 4. What made that really effective, was that when the brass first entered, they played, diplomatically, if you like, or stately but then it became really aggressive and more and more in your face. I really loved this moment of the piece.
The syncopation makes it very difficult to listen to, but I really enjoyed it, and the climax was amazing. The tublar bells really stood out in the music, despite the melody in the lower brass.
The first violins play a few bars of quieter music to show it's over.
Again, syncopation is used between the flutes and the harp. Shortly after, a polyphonic texture is created with flutes having one tune and the brass playing the melody at a soft dynamic. Then the violins come in quitely as well.
The ending is unusual, well it's not how you would expect it to be. The violins playing in their higher register made it floaty and peaceful. The texture was more or less homophonic with the woodwind sustaining their notes too. Perhaps this was reflecting old age and the representing the more peaceful side of it and tranquility.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Jupiter, The Planets, Gustav Holst
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity,
The use of of semiquavers in the second violins quickly followed by the firsts was effective in creating a lively and jolly atmosphere. Even more so when joined by the brass, who had the melody which was syncopated. Holst used silence before the whole orchestra came in, with a crash of the cymbals and tremelos in the strings. Imitation between the brass and strings and playing around with the melody suits the title well. The accidentals did not sound out of place and the clash in the tremelo in the strings (second violins had an E and an F) worked. Holst repeats his use of silence before the start of another melody. The small accelerando made it sound jolly and the timbres of the flutes with the oboes and triangle in a relatively high register made it sound jolly.
I really liked the time signature, it changed to 3/4 and the horns had the melody with the strings playing chords at the beginning of every bar. Again, Holst puts in an accelerando. It gets exciting as the texture changes to polyphonic with the each instrument taking over the melody: the trumpets take over the horns, followed by the woodwind and then strings. The entrance of the tambourine was good too for creating a happy mood. The woodwind had triplets and then the strings joined them as well as, I think, the vibraphone whilst the brass had the tune.
The key change was very good and the timpani was really articulate which followed through to the woodwind who had the melody. Whilst they had the melody, the violas and cellos played really fast pizzicatos which created an interesting homophonic texture.
I thought the fact that Holst wrote a woodwind section which was then followed by strings worked really well in terms of structure.
The melody in the string section was really pretty and happy. I heard the modulation which was not abrupt or unnecessary. I liked that the strings were in unison and that the brass and woodwind provided accompaniment. He keeps changing that, as straight after, each woodwind instruments gets a little solo and the strings accompany them with trills. I particularly liked the oboe solo.
I also liked how Holst gave semiquavers, as in the beginning, to instruments who did not have the melody, to be played under those who did. What I especially like was the dynamics, the fact that it was kept piano told us something was coming.
The, dare I say, recapitulation (?) came back again nicely. The strucure worked. I liked how he changed the instrumentation. For example, the woodwind had the melody at the 3/4 which the horn had previously but then the horn took it again.
The next section was a little odd, with the rapid scalic passages in the violins and flutes (and piccolo?). The chromatic scale beneath the melody played by brass created a really nice almost polyphonic texture and then brought us back to the final section of the music, the end, where the time signature changes again and the upper woodwind and upper strings have the quavers with a B flat accidental and then brass have their last syncopated melody. It was a very happy piece of music and the last, forte cadence established that.
The use of of semiquavers in the second violins quickly followed by the firsts was effective in creating a lively and jolly atmosphere. Even more so when joined by the brass, who had the melody which was syncopated. Holst used silence before the whole orchestra came in, with a crash of the cymbals and tremelos in the strings. Imitation between the brass and strings and playing around with the melody suits the title well. The accidentals did not sound out of place and the clash in the tremelo in the strings (second violins had an E and an F) worked. Holst repeats his use of silence before the start of another melody. The small accelerando made it sound jolly and the timbres of the flutes with the oboes and triangle in a relatively high register made it sound jolly.
I really liked the time signature, it changed to 3/4 and the horns had the melody with the strings playing chords at the beginning of every bar. Again, Holst puts in an accelerando. It gets exciting as the texture changes to polyphonic with the each instrument taking over the melody: the trumpets take over the horns, followed by the woodwind and then strings. The entrance of the tambourine was good too for creating a happy mood. The woodwind had triplets and then the strings joined them as well as, I think, the vibraphone whilst the brass had the tune.
The key change was very good and the timpani was really articulate which followed through to the woodwind who had the melody. Whilst they had the melody, the violas and cellos played really fast pizzicatos which created an interesting homophonic texture.
I thought the fact that Holst wrote a woodwind section which was then followed by strings worked really well in terms of structure.
The melody in the string section was really pretty and happy. I heard the modulation which was not abrupt or unnecessary. I liked that the strings were in unison and that the brass and woodwind provided accompaniment. He keeps changing that, as straight after, each woodwind instruments gets a little solo and the strings accompany them with trills. I particularly liked the oboe solo.
I also liked how Holst gave semiquavers, as in the beginning, to instruments who did not have the melody, to be played under those who did. What I especially like was the dynamics, the fact that it was kept piano told us something was coming.
The, dare I say, recapitulation (?) came back again nicely. The strucure worked. I liked how he changed the instrumentation. For example, the woodwind had the melody at the 3/4 which the horn had previously but then the horn took it again.
The next section was a little odd, with the rapid scalic passages in the violins and flutes (and piccolo?). The chromatic scale beneath the melody played by brass created a really nice almost polyphonic texture and then brought us back to the final section of the music, the end, where the time signature changes again and the upper woodwind and upper strings have the quavers with a B flat accidental and then brass have their last syncopated melody. It was a very happy piece of music and the last, forte cadence established that.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Holst, The Planets
Holst, The Planets
Venus: I liked the horn solo at the beginning. It is very peaceful and the monophonic texture is effective. The chords in the woodwind worked really well and I thought the imitation of that in the strings after the second horn solo was very good, the different timbres helped it to sound magical.
I thought the use of the piano dynamics was really good and the crescendo into the second horn solo was good because it made it varied.
I loved, loved, loved, the oboe solo at the key change and it thought it sounded so pure and beautiful. The syncopation in the woodwind made the piece varied and, to my surprise, it was not out of place or inappropriate. The cello solo, which was an imitation of the oboe solo sounded really good and I was happy that Holst did not write it an octave or two lower, I enjoyed the leap and the- almost- gliss to that top note.
The chromatic chords in the strings was very interesting because
1) the strings were in eight parts, homophonic texture
2) it was "piano"
3) the passing modulations made it sound mysterious
At the end of the piece I really liked the triplets, I think it was, in the second violins and the vibraphone. It really did make it sound like Venus, the Bringer of Peace.
Uranus:
The forte brass notes were a very good introductory line for The Magician. The "piano" basson part was very good; the rhythm was interesting. I liked how the strings took over from that and the time signature changes work really well and suit the title of the piece.
I liked the playful pizzicato in unison with the oboe. The horn and violins at the forte gets really wild and the marcato cello and syncopated instruments gave a real edge to the piece.
My favourtie part was when the crescendo into the fortissimo second theme of the piece where almost the whole orchestra was in unison and the bass instruments provided a bass line which fit really well with the melody.
Venus: I liked the horn solo at the beginning. It is very peaceful and the monophonic texture is effective. The chords in the woodwind worked really well and I thought the imitation of that in the strings after the second horn solo was very good, the different timbres helped it to sound magical.
I thought the use of the piano dynamics was really good and the crescendo into the second horn solo was good because it made it varied.
I loved, loved, loved, the oboe solo at the key change and it thought it sounded so pure and beautiful. The syncopation in the woodwind made the piece varied and, to my surprise, it was not out of place or inappropriate. The cello solo, which was an imitation of the oboe solo sounded really good and I was happy that Holst did not write it an octave or two lower, I enjoyed the leap and the- almost- gliss to that top note.
The chromatic chords in the strings was very interesting because
1) the strings were in eight parts, homophonic texture
2) it was "piano"
3) the passing modulations made it sound mysterious
At the end of the piece I really liked the triplets, I think it was, in the second violins and the vibraphone. It really did make it sound like Venus, the Bringer of Peace.
Uranus:
The forte brass notes were a very good introductory line for The Magician. The "piano" basson part was very good; the rhythm was interesting. I liked how the strings took over from that and the time signature changes work really well and suit the title of the piece.
I liked the playful pizzicato in unison with the oboe. The horn and violins at the forte gets really wild and the marcato cello and syncopated instruments gave a real edge to the piece.
My favourtie part was when the crescendo into the fortissimo second theme of the piece where almost the whole orchestra was in unison and the bass instruments provided a bass line which fit really well with the melody.
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