Getting Started
UNIT 4
Period Overview
Step 1
Use the following 2 excerpts from Puccini's Turandot to provide a free write
A. Finale
This piece is very beautiful, but it is very difficult trying to figure out what is going on the whole time. There are lots of people singing different notes, creating chords. But that also makes it feel somewhat disorganized, as everyone is singing at different dynamics and pitches. At some points I forgot that there were instruments in the background, simply because so much was occurring at once and it felt quite overwhelming. It is quite a grand finale, but it just feels too everywhere. The tempo and rhythm weren't too fast, probably a moderato or slower. The mood seems very cheerful and has the generic finale feeling, where it feels very accomplished once it is finished.
B. Nessun Dorma
This piece is also quite beautiful, and I think I like it much more than the first piece. It has constant crescendos and decrescendos and the dynamics tend to stay much louder. It is quite relaxing to listen to, and the instruments compliment the singing quite nicely. The melody, the singer, is almost always at a louder dynamic compared to everything else. The harmony, the orchestra, tends to stay much softer, but is loud enough to be heard even though the singer in much louder. I believe this is some sort of romantic song from a musical, so that is probably the mood and purpose. Just like in the other piece, I believe the tempo and rhythm are roughly the same and it seems to be around a moderato or maybe slower. But I definitely prefer this piece over the first one because it feels much more organized and peaceful.
Step 2
Describe what musical elements give Hoedown from Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring feelings and images of America and the wild west
The tempo and rhythm at the very beginning is extremely fast, giving the image of a herd of animals running in a field in older American times. They also use the instruments to their advantage to make a sound that is similar to horse hooves. There are tons of little melodies that resemble what you would picture as an old folk tune, or basically stuff from the wild west. The mood is definitely very upbeat and wild throughout almost the whole piece. Whenever it slows down a bit and gets much calmer, it suddenly gets loud and picks up speed again. There are tons of crescendos and decrescendos going back and forth throughout the whole piece. The pitch tends to stick in a nice middle area, it doesn't go too high or low. I feel like the purpose is to make people feel as though they are in the wild west of older America.
Step 3
What musical elements heard in Psycho by Herrmann are used to enhance the drama of the film?
There are lots of dynamics used to create more intensity throughout the piece. The tempo will become very fast and then slow down a bit, and then there will be tons of crescendos and decrescendos. Then, there are lots of accented beats to create a more intense feeling to the whole piece. The melody is very frantic and frightening, whereas the harmony is complimenting it throughout the whole piece. The pitch tends to stay in the higher register whenever they try to make a creepier part in the song, but it tends to stick around middle/higher notes and doesn't go too low throughout the whole piece. Towards the middle, the tempo slows down and it seems to calm the piece much more, but still keeps that eery and creepy mood to it the whole time. A repeated rhythm is used to created this very spooky effect, which is probably the purpose of the whole piece. The style seems to feel extremely aggressive throughout the whole piece. Around 4:40, there is this very creepy sound coming from the stringed instruments that causes chills to go down your spine. The shrieking sounds remind me of something similar to nails on a chalkboard, which tends to make people uncomfortable. That is probably the whole reason behind that certain section, and the composer probably included that to make people frightened and uncomfortable after hearing stuff that they're used to since there have been lots of repeated parts.
What musical elements are similar to Dance of the Young Girls from The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky?
The frantic tempo and use of accents and dynamics are very similar to that of Psycho by Herrmann. Hearing the accents on the lower notes as well as the random higher pitches inserted throughout the piece makes the listener somewhat uncomfortable. The pitch tends to stay similar to Psycho except for the lower repeated sections towards the beginning. The constant tempo changes and crescendos and decrescendos definitely resemble Psycho, and they have what feels like an almost identical rhythm. The rhythm and repeats in both of them make the pieces feel extremely similar.
Step 4
What musical elements heard in The Godfather by Fellini are used to enhance the setting of the film?
The melody sounds like a string group that does not enter a very high register, and the rhythm and tempo are not too fast. The tempo is at a very nice, relaxing moderato or something maybe even slower. The dynamics never really become too loud overall, if anything it tends to get much more softer than louder. The only time it is much louder is whenever is strings group enters again around 1:18 and 2:13. The mood throughout the whole piece has a very romantic feeling to it. I have no real idea as to what this film is about, but this musical piece makes it feel as though it is a romantic movie set in Europe, possibly Italy.
Step 5
Use the following 7 excecerpts to guide your responses for Holst's The Planets
A. Excerpt 1
God: Hermes
Dynamic: Piano
Tempo: Vivace
Minor/Major: Major
Instruments: Flutes, Piccolos, Clarinets, Trumpets, Chimes, Violins
Description: I believe this piece is trying to represent wind, the sky, and flying. That is a great piece to represent Hermes, who is the flying messenger. This piece has a very light and airy feeling the whole time, and is never too loud. It is always very soft and peaceful, which is how the wind usually is.
B. Excerpt 2
God: Eirene
Dynamic: Pianissimo
Tempo: Adagio
Minor/Major: Major
Instruments: French Horn, Flutes
Description: This is a very peaceful melody that you could probably easily fall asleep to while listening to it. There aren't any loud noises and the tempo isn't fast. Eileen is the goddess of peace, and the song represents that in a fantastic manner. When representing peace in a musical format, this is exactly how I would represent it. The pitch tends to stay within the higher register and never gets lower or depressing.
C. Excerpt 3
God: Ares
Dynamic: Mezzo Forte/Forte
Tempo: Allegro
Minor/Major: Major
Instruments: Cellos, Trumpets, Tubas, Trombones, Timpani, French Horn, English Horn, Oboe
Description: This piece gives off the feeling of a very intensive march. The very strong, loud notes make you feel like you are about to enter a very extreme and important war. This is a great representation of the Greek god represented, Ares, the god of war. All I can picture while listening to this is a very old war and army such as the Romans. The song never seems to die, but becomes more intensive as time goes on. This makes me almost feel frightened since it is such a powerful sound throughout the whole piece.
D. Excerpt 4
God: Jupiter (Juno)
Dynamic: Fortissimo
Tempo: Presto/Vivace
Minor/Major: Major
Instruments: Violins, Trumpets, Viola, Cello, Timpani, French Horns
Description: Jupiter's planet rotation is very fast, so the composer related the piece's tempo to the planet's rotation. Not only that, but Jupiter (Juno) is the god of jollity. The definition of jollity is lively and cheerful activity or celebration. This means Jupiter was probably the leader for all parties and celebrations. This song really represents that since it sounds very cheerful and happy the whole time, as well as being very fast. Usually speed is associated with feelings, and a faster speed can be associated with happiness.
E. Excerpt 5
God: Saturn (Saturnus)
Dynamic: Transitions between Mezzo Piano and Forte
Tempo: Legato
Minor/Major: Minor
Instruments: Flutes, Harps, Double Bass, Trombones, Trumpets
Description: Saturn is the god of old age, and so this piece is very slow and feels as though time is slowly ticking along. It feels as though a funeral march, and then it transitions into a frantic mess. It sounds as though church bells are ringing and the dynamics greatly increase to cause a grander impact. It then proceeds to slow down again and calm down, like an old father clock is ticking again, as though nothing ever happened and the frantic mess did not exist.
F. Excerpt 6
God: Hecate
Dynamic: Transitions between Piano and Forte
Tempo: Transitions between Moderato and Allegro
Minor/Major: Major
Instruments: Trumpets, Flutes, Clarinets, Tubas, Timpani, Cellos
Description: This movement feels very magical and mystical. Yet it also feels very powerful and strong, just like a magician. It then becomes very frantic, almost as though mice are running around from some sort of threat. Calming down for only a short bit, after the "mouse section", it becomes very powerful and almost aggressive again. But this isn't as aggressive as Mars, and it does not have the same power as Mars. Mars sounds like a very aggressive war song, whereas this just sounds like what you would picture for an aggressive magician.
G. Excerpt 7
God: Poseidon (Neptune)
Dynamic: Mezzo Piano
Tempo: Adagio
Minor/Major: Minor
Instruments: Clarinets, Trombones, Flutes, Chimes
Description: This piece feels very mystical. It almost feels like you're wandering through a forest with oddly patterned and colored trees and bushes. It feels magical and not threatening at all, as though you've entered the world of Alice In Wonderland. The song leaves me feeling in wonder and mystery, because it does not have as much of a straightforward feeling compared to the rest of the movements. But it is a nice ending song, and it greatly represents Neptune because it is a very mysterious and peculiar planet.
Modernism Between the Wars-Chapter 22
Step 1
Notes: A lighthearted piece for piano
and small orchestra, the Piano Concerto in G is Ravel’s tribute to jazz (his most outspoken tribute, but not his first; like Debussy and Stravinsky, Ravel was fascinated by jazz long before he
came to the United States in 1928 and haunted music clubs in Harlem). Growing up in
Hungary in the 1890s, the young Béla Bartók was first swept away by the international avant-
Step 2
Listen Site Reading Quiz & Listening Quiz:
