The document is a concert critique essay describing the author's experience attending two orchestra concerts. The first concert featured the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performing a piece by Shostakovich. The orchestra was large and able to perform in a lively manner. All members seemed attentive to the conductor. The second concert featured the Richardson Symphony Orchestra performing a piece by Bach. The strings played with the bow hair. The orchestra increased tension and played at a pretty fast tempo.

1. Symphony Orchestra Essay
Lauren Love
15 April 2013
Professor Dewey
Music 1306
Concert Critique #1 I have never been personally a fan of the romantic orchestra music but going to listen to a concert live is breathtaking. I attended
the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Masterpieces concert with music director Fouad Fakhouri performing Igor Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and
Gustav Mahler's Symphony No.1 in D major. There was a full stage of musicians and a complete choir to back it up.
The first half of the performance was a complete orchestra of woodwinds, strings, drums, brass, excreta and a four part choir. Overall the performance
took no longer than thirty minutes to play the three–part Symphony of Psalms. This Symphony was much shorter than I was...show more content...
Mr. Fakhouri had also explained how this is one of his favorite pieces and just had to have his orchestra perfect, as they did successfully.
After a minor wobble of the director stand, a few adjustments and giggles, Symphony No.1 in D major began. The first movement started off with
an eerie introduction, with the first two notes morphing into a birdcall as well as main theme but a very magical sound. It made for a very
soothing, romantic time. Throughout the piece I felt as if it told a story as most music does, what I came to believe it was a love story. The Allegro
begins in the cello with the second Wayfarer song, "Ging heut morgen Ubers Feld," (I Walked this Morning over the Field). With a light and happy
tone in the beginning as if two lovers had just met, this was the main theme of this movement. Suddenly there was a deep, heavy part maybe one of
despair in paradise but that only lasted for a short period as it came to a victorious ending of happily ever after. (Kahn)
The second movement Scherzo, gave more of an elegant, royal ball sound. Where the women dress in gowns and the men in tuxedos, while drinking
wine and dancing the night away. This movement has the rhythm of the Landler, an Australian folk dance. It conforms to the classic minuet and trio
form though Mahler takes the first section beyond the standard repeat structure. The first three notes of the Scherzo and the Trio recall the birdcall
theme from the first movement. If
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2. Orchestra Concert Essay
The music played throughout all of the concerts adhered to be diverse. The instruments, the individuals performing, and the conductor all proved to be
outstanding. The concerts proved to be interesting as I witnessed them, first hand.
The first concert I attended was performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra had performed Shostakovich's "Symphony NO. 7,
Leningrad" from the Romantic era. The orchestra was a large ensemble (1) containing various instruments that contributed to the overall sound of the
piece. Since the orchestra was a large ensemble, just like the instrumentation common in the Romantic era, the orchestra was able to perform in a lively,
vigorous manner, probably vivace (2). The orchestra performed tutti...show more content...
All of the members of the orchestra seemed to be attentive to the conductor, which is important because every member of the orchestra needs to be
aware of what is going to happen next in the music. The brass and the string had sections in the music, where they were the most important parts.
Overall, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performed well as a whole group.
The second concert I attended was performed by the Richardson Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra performed "Passacaglia and Fugue in C
minor, BWV 582" by Bach, which is part of the Baroque era. The string instruments of the orchestra performed with the hair of the bow, in other
words, arco (7). By using lots of motion or most commonly known as mosso (8), the orchestra increased the tension of the piece. The orchestra
played at a pretty fast tempo (9), probably allegro. The piece had a distinct part where the harp played. The ensemble was large, in order to attain the
full sound of the piece. The instruments played in the orchestra did not comply with the typical orchestras of the Baroque era because it did not have a
distinct part where were the main instruments were the piano and the bass, or more commonly known as basso continuo (10).
Along with the use of basso continuo, the orchestra used ornamentation by adding grace notes (11) throughout the piece. The Baroque era also included
the doctrine of affections (12), in which the Richardson Symphony Orchestra demonstrated by playing faster
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3. Orchestra Essay
Even though the times have changed, many characteristics from the past still impact the world of art today. Characteristics from the Baroque period,
Classical period, and Romantic period have had their share of impact on today's society. In order to fully develop an overall understanding of how
defining each of these eras are, one must expose themselves to the vastly varying eras' music, and other art forms including paintings. First in
chronological order of these three eras, is the Baroque Era. The Baroque Era began roughly around the year 1600 and ended during the late 18th
century. Baroque is generally characterized as an era with eccentric redundancy and also an abundance of details. Many art forms throughout this period
resembled...show more content...
After the concert I headed downstairs for some muffins and brownies with my buddies except they were all gone by the time I got there!
Following the Baroque era was the Classical Era. Classical music often times represented complex emotional feelings in the music. The classical era
brought forth a few new styles of music composition. One is known as symphony. Symphonies are normally multi movement works(10) containing
four movements therefore resulting in dramatically longer pieces than the preceding era. Symphony orchestras contained the string instruments. To the
strings were added wind instruments, usually the oboe and bassoon and fairly frequently the flute. The clarinet was introduced and gradually became a
regular member of the orchestra. However, the brass section(11) was not yet introduced. The only brass instrument that was normally included was the
French horn. Trumpets, along with the timpani or kettle drums, were used only for reinforcing volume or rhythm. Another form that developed from
this era was sonata form(12) which was structured through binary form(13). The classical suite(14) also was derived from this era. Variety of melodies,
rhythms and dynamics using crescendo, diminuendo and sforzando(15) were more commonplace in the Classical period than they had been in the
Baroque.
On December 13, 2008, a couple friends and I took a trip to listen to
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