listening assignments

8/13/2019 Listening Assignments

1/5

Matthew Rauco

Listening 19

Mozarts Symphony No.40 was a very interesting piece. It seemed to switch pace and themes a lot

throughout. But the majority of the time this piece reminded of a chase scene from an old Looney Toon

cartoon. This piece is written in rapid sonata-form. The persistence and intensity used in the opening

creates a sense of urgency from the very start of the piece. Throughout the piece it slows down to just

violins or flutes lightly playing and then they pick up pace until the whole orchestra joins in. however as

the piece continues it ends with a sad and touching feeling.

Listening 20

Haydnspiece symphony No. 94 is a funny piece. I completely understand why they use the word

surprising in this piece because those random blasts from the brass always make me jump. The first one

always gets me because the music starts off so pianissimo and I can barely hear it until it blares a

fortissimo note from the brass section. This piece is written in the style of themes and variations. Haydnalso used a countermelody to get the full affect from this composition. The times that the violins are

playing by themselves are always very peaceful.

Listening 21

Mozarts Eine kleine nachtmusik was a very soothing piece. This music made me think of in the older

times when they had the huge extravagant balls and the women would wear huge dresses and it made

me see all of them floating across the dance floor. This piece was only for the string instruments and

used every instrument in the family. This hit various pitch levels but for the most part was very

consistent. It started off with a stately melody and then switched to a gracious legato phrase and then

back to a stately.

Listening 22

Beethovens String Quartet in C minor wasa solid piece and very interesting. This piece like how its

name mentions uses only four instruments. Those four are the 1st

violin, 2nd

violin, viola, and the cello.

The c minor that is used creates a playful theme with quick upward rushes. The speed at the end of the

composition is mainly fortissimo. Also towards the end of the piece he uses several crescendos. The

song basically picks up speed as the composition goes on. I have become a really big fan of all of the

string instruments.


2/5

Listening 23

Mozarts Don Giovanni was a kind of chilling and eerie piece for me. The orchestra with the voices just

made it all to real. I could visualize everything that was going on in this composition. It was written

perfectly for like I said it really painted the picture. The molto allegro and the crescendo in the beginning

kind of gave me a feeling on where this piece was going. Seeing the Don attempt to rape the girl and getdragged to hell was what really made it that much creepier and the orchestra did amazing with using

music to emphasize certain parts.

Listening 24

Mozarts piano concerto No. 23 was not my favorite piece at all. I just dont like the piano concertos for

some reason they just dont impress me enough. My favorite part of the movement was whenever the

strings and the brass were used. Even though the only brass was the French horns I would have liked to

hear way more from them. This piece was written in sonata form. It was also in quadruple meter. There

was a part in this piece that sounded like it was from Don Giovanni the clarinet part which I though was

very strange.

Listening 25

The first movement of Beethovens Symphony No. 5 was very enjoyable for me. This movement is

written in Sonata form. Beethoven also wrote this song in duple meter and in C minor. I like it a lot more

when all of the families are used together in one composition without one family overpowering the

other and this composition does that very well. It has single rhythmic motive. My favorite part is always

when the strings can showcase the huge variations that they can do with their instrument in terms of

pitch and tone.

Listening 26

The fourth movement is fairly similar to the first movement. The fourth movement of the Beethovens

Symphony No.5 was also very enjoyable to me. Just like the first movement this was written in sonata

form and also written in C minor. This is the climax of this symphony. It provides the feeling of being

triumphant. The two powerful cords at the very end were very memorable and very dramatically done.

The trumpets were the instrument that impressed me the most in this movement they seemed very

versatile.

Listening 27

Schuberts erlkonig was a very disturbing and dark piece. I really have never heard anything that is as

dark and scary as this piece. Listening to the boy beg for his life and screaming for his Dad but yet he

does nothing was very eerie. With the piano solo that begins it sets the pace of being very dark. This is

one of the earliest examples of romanticism. The pianos opening rhythm is used to try and create a

sound similar to that of horses trotting.


3/5

Listening 28

Schumanns Carnival Estrella is an awesome composition. I was very disappointed how short I was

actually able to listen to it. This has a very upbeat and fun tone to it. The theme for it does seem like it is

a carnival or a ball rather. This piece is written in A B A form. The two A sections are more forceful and

the middle one is more soft and soothing. It seems like it would have a waltz-like accompaniment andwritten for a dance theme.

Listening 29

Schumans Reconnaissance is even better then the carnival Estrella. From these pasttwo pieces I have

created fond bond with listening to other Schuman pieces. This one, like the last, is written in the A B A

form. He uses the piano in a very unique way. I dont think I have ever heard the piano used in this sort

of way. This piece is described as to be set up to resemble something of a reunion. I was surprised by

how short the last section seemed to be.

Listening 30

Clara Schumanns piece Romance was another very well written composition. This piece was written in

A B A coda form. Although I am not a very big fan of the piano, the flow of this piece is very impressive.

The changes in melody through the different sections really help the piece standout. This piece is

written in E minor for the piano. The ending that has the slowing of the tempo and the two questioning

minor chords were my favorite part. The ending I think was the best part. This pitch is very constant and

it sounds very consonance.

Listening 31

Chopins Etude was a very inspirational piece. During the time that this com position was being writtenthe Russian takeover of Warsaw was full in effect. This was written in A A coda form. It begins with a

dramatic outburst using high and dissonant chords along with rushing of the passages. The only

instrument in this piece is the piano once again. The tempo and pace of the song increases as time goes

on. This piece ends with a very fortissimo with very powerful closing cords. This piece was also written in

duple meter of 2/2 and supposed to resemble the revolution.

Listening 32

Mendelssohns concerto for violin and orchestra is another one of my favorites. This piece is written in E

minor. It is also written in sonata form and in duple meter. I really like this one because of the emphasis

of the strings that is on display in this composition. This piece was a very impassioned allegro.

Mendelssohn did something very unique in the sense that he opened this song with a soloist rather than

a whole group. He opened with a violin solo and then would end with the full orchestra. The crescendo

at the end was really amazing.


4/5

Listening 33

Berilozs symphonie fantastique was a very interesting piece. The opening used a lot of percussion and

the tempo and the beat of the song made me think it was a march of some sort. Then later in the song it

seemed to switch to what seemed like the sound of a battle and a dance put together. I thought it was

interesting choice to mute the French horn that was a unique sound for me. I thought it was funny howat the end a solo clarinet is playing a work when it dramatically interrupted. It had a very constant fast

tempo throughout. I enjoyed the timpani roll at the end of the piece to make it sound like the battle was

won.

Listening 34

Smetanas The Moldau is such a one of a kind composition. Each one of the parts is named and the

music that he has written for it makes it sound like the title. Somehow he makes the instruments sound

like the different types of water; he brings a very pleasant atmosphere to the wedding part and a

dramatic piece to the hunting part. The brass that is used in the hunt makes it sound like a dramatic

chase through the woods. He uses many crescendos throughout the work normal at the end of each

theme.

Listening 35

Dvoraks symphony No 9 was a piece that I like a lot! This piece is written in E minor and in sonata form.

I thought that this piece would have maybe been a little bit better if it had percussion in it too. But I

loved that each instrument got to show off their own skills. The first part of the song was very slow and

used several downward phases. But then in the second part of the composition it seemed to pick up a

little bit into a more playful rhythm mixing in crescendos and decrescendos. I love how in the end of the

piece all of the instruments come together for a powerful ending.

Listening 36

Brahms symphony No. 3 was a piece that was just average to me. I personally didnt think it was the best

one I have heard but all symphonies are still really impressive. This composition is written in A B A coda

form. It is also written in c minor with triple meter (3/8). This piece is moderate in tempo and intensely

lyrical in character. Like the last song this one was missing percussion. I feel as though when it is missing

one the families the song is incomplete. It is lacking a key component in the music. The music is limited

and is less versatile then if all instruments are present. The song changes tone colors throughout as well

which is original.


5/5

Listening 37

Puccinis piece La Bohemeis a very touching piece. This is a play that focuses on two characters. Those

two characters are Rodolfo and Mimi. They are two people who as the act goes on and the more they

interact with one another the deeper the fall in love. It is very touching to see how the characters just

simply fall in love with one another. The few instruments that are used in this play add a huge elementto the play and make it easier to feel the love. They are played in the background to help add the tune to

the play.

Listening 38

Wagners Die Walkure was a very dramatic music drama.I really did enjoy this piece because it is

written in such an interesting dynamic. The way the music is written is amazing that both the characters

and the music work off each other and create such a strong theme. I would have liked this piece a little

bit better if it was written in English because I think that it takes an aspect away because I dont

understand them. The tempo of both the singer and the instrument are on an equal pace. When the

singer raises his volume the instruments play louder. They exists hand and hand and make you feel the

love they have for one another.

Listening 39

I was glad that it got back to a somewhat more traditional orchestra. Thats what made Debussys

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun so relieving to hear. It was written in a very moderate tempo and it is

also written in E major. The form of the song is A B A. It uses all of the orchestras families but the

woodwinds were defiantly used the most. I really like the crescendo that takes place in the middle of the

piece while the woodwinds are playing. I also like the end of the first part where the violins crescendos

and is accelerando to the climax. It was also very unique to hear antique cymbals used in a composition.

Listening 40

Stravinskys Le Sacre de Printemps was such an important symphony. The size of his orchestra was

incredible. He included over 30 chairs for the different instruments. He also included 8 french horns

which is very impressing because I have not heard another orchestra that used that. At the end of the

piece there is a trill of violins and a trill in flutes.

Listening 41

listening assignments

Documents