Concert review

The general term of the word 'Music' has define as an art of sound arrangements which exists within the sequences to produce various compositions with the used of the melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003). On another hand, the terms of determining the genre of music are limitless. This is because it depends on the exposure of one towards various style of music through out his or her years and also the music background of a person. Hence, different people would have different thoughts and definition to determine the genre of music. As for my concert review, I have attended a local band performance for 'the AXN challenge' at One Utama, high street on 4th of April, 2009. There were two local bands that performed in this particular event and it was Estranged and Pop Shuvit. However, my main focus would be on Estranged and the genre that I would be examining is 'Rock'. The word 'Rock' was originated from the word 'Rock 'n' Roll' back in the year of 1954. 'Rock 'n' Roll' was actually an obvious reference to sex. Thus at the year of 1964, it was entitle again as the 'Rock Music' (infoplease.com, 2006). As for being a musician, the genre 'Rock' is the category and direction of music that I have been associated and familiarize with. Therefore, this concert review would be based on my experience, my knowledge upon 'Rock' and also certain readings that

  • Word count: 1618
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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What are the essential features of Chopin(TM)s style?

What are the essential features of Chopin's style? The two Nocturnes which form Opus 62, written three years before Chopin's death in 1846, were described by Kleczynski as 'evidence of an enfeebled creative power.'1 This essay will highlight and explain Chopin's essential stylistic features, aim to discover if they are still prevalent in this work and then decide whether the opinion of Kleczynski is valid or not. One of the most essential features of Chopin's style was 'freedom of melodic line' and this can clearly be seen in both Nocturnes.2 Figure 1 shows the first bar of the second Nocturne's opening theme and how it is varied on its two returns. Chopin's conception of rubato was to 'release the melodic part from all metrical features' and to give his melodies the 'perfect freedom of inflection found in singing.'3 The melody feels "released" and sings out over the metrical left hand which remains the same in each variation. This certainly doesn't sound enfeebled and the melody although initially simple is enjoyable to listen to. If Chopin were enfeebled then it is doubtful that he would have been conscious to keep 'exact repetition to a minimum' in each return of the melody.4 Fig. 1 F. Chopin Nocturne Op. 62 No. 2 Bars 1, 9 and 25 In the first Nocturne of the work the original theme returns with what Fielden calls 'perennial trills' and these do give the music

  • Word count: 1907
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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To what extent did the composers of symphonies in the Soviet Unionmanage to comply with the strictures of state control of music whilst retaining a degree of creative individuality?

To what extent did the composers of symphonies in the Soviet Union manage to comply with the strictures of state control of music whilst retaining a degree of creative individuality? "Soviet composers must reject as useless and harmful garbage all the relics of bourgeois 'form for form's sake' musical art. They must understand that creation of high-quality works in the domain of opera, symphonic music, song-writing, choral and dance music is only made possible by following the principles of socialist realism. Our duty is to mobilize all our creative strength and to give a worthy response, in shortest possible time, to this appeal of our Party, and to appeal of our great leader Comrade Stalin! (www.mster.macunlimited.net) Here, Comrade Khrennikov, Chairman of USSR Composers' Union delivers a message to his audience, embodying the ideals and functions to which he demands the music of the Soviet Union must adhere. The state clearly relished the notion that music could be utilised to consolidate and enforce a national solidarity that would that would embrace the national doctrine of social realism. Composers living under this regime struggled against the strictures of state control, as music for many artists represented an outlet for self-expression and escapism in a climate drenched with fear and brutality. Therefore, to do adopt a musical language of falsity, which forced

  • Word count: 2772
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Signal flow & the console

Jack Abbotts Signal flow & the console Through the next few pages I will identify and describe the different areas of a mixing console and their possible use/ uses in a studio environment. The prefixes opposite will be used in the following diagrams to show the functions of parts and show what the diagram should represent The long column on the left hand side of the diagram above would be just one channel taken from a 24 track mixing console made by behringer. From the top of the channel the inputs are shown first. On this diagram the switch (1) is to change the initial input into the channel from mic/line depending on which input is being used on this particular channel Switch (1a) is used to drop the volume of the mic input by 20dB The dial P2 is used to control the volume of the incoming signal into the channel and so therefore turning it to the right offers a volume increase whereas to the left offers a volume decrease. This is the next section down in a channel as it is directly below the input settings and it is known as the Eq section. This is where the input sound can be altered through the desk by increasing/ decreasing the amount of bass/ mid /treble boost that are altered through the desk. P (4) &P (5) are the higher end of the sounds and so moving one of these dials to the right would boost the hi end of the output sound and so would increase the hi-hats

  • Word count: 2085
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Sonic Arts Repetoire Essay- Poeme Electronique

VARESE- POEME ELECTRONIQUE STUDENT REGISTRATION NO: 080058926014 2/21/2008 MODULE NO: MUS-10026 Varese- Poeme Electronique A composition that demonstrated that it is possible to use electroacoustic sounds in producing a rational piece of music was Varese's 'Poeme Electronique' (1958). This particular piece paved the way for other electroacoustic composers to come in the future, and popularised the electronically-generated style of music for the other half of the 20th century (1900s). It was presented in the form of a prepared tape. The composition appears to be narrating some stories which supposedlyhints at the pieces title 'poeme electronique'. These stories distinguish life in the western world (i.e. countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom) which are more developed and emphasise a more modernised culture of living, as well as non-western countries (i.e. like countries in Africa), which are less developed and they emphasise a more traditional culture of living. Sounds you would hear in a city environment indicate that the story of life in the western world is being narrated. On the other hand, sounds you would hear in a jungle or village environment in third world countries indicate that the story of life in the non-western world is being narrated. This separation is illustrated by the two main contrasting electronic interpretations,

  • Word count: 2140
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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The Yorkville district located in Toronto was a village where young musical and artistic talent could gather and share their love of music during the 1960's.

The Yorkville district located in Toronto was a village where young musical and artistic talent could gather and share their love of music during the 1960's. It was a place that launched the careers of many Canadian artists such as Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Ian Tyson, and Neil Young, just to name a few. The area began its legacy with a couple of coffeehouse's that offered live entertainment named the Half Beat and the 71. The entertainment was usually irregular with different styles playing on any given night, such as a flamenco guitarist one week and a folk-rock singing duo the next. As time went on, many other coffeehouses and clubs sprouted up along Avenue Road, Cumberland St. and Yorkville Ave., and at its peak there were over forty clubs and coffeehouses in the area.1 A "scene" was created which attracted musicians from all over Canada and the World but most importantly, solidified Yorkville as a starting point for the most talented and creative musicians in Canada. Yorkville was the foundation in a progression toward popularizing Canadian music in Canada during the sixties. Once musicians became popular in the Yorkville scene, they usually chose to migrate into the United States in search of fame and fortune, which the Canadian Music Industry could rarely provide for them. Yorkville also served as grounds for a youthful social movement which thrived through the

  • Word count: 1887
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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To what extent can The Rite's innovations be boiled down to rhythm alone?

To what extent can The Rite's innovations be boiled down to rhythm alone? The Rite of Spring, first performed to much controversy in 1913, is a ballet unlike any other of its time, before its time or possibly even afterwards. It has almost nothing in common with the idealisms of Tchaikovsky. In terms of subject matter, it is vastly different even to Stravinsky's earlier ballets. It is this difference, a plotline which is harsh and based not on fantasy or folk tales, but on supposed ancient tribal history, which separates it from its contemporaries and predecessors and is reflected so obviously in the music. The most prominent musical difference between The Rite and other contemporary works is the popular claim that Stravinsky has minimized the influence of harmony, melody and overall tonality at the expense of rhythm and meter; in other words, that rhythm is the driving force of the work. From the perspective of the casual listener, this manifests itself as the phenomenon of the percussive nature of instruments that are normally melodious. Stravinsky himself acknowledged the importance of the subject matter to the resultant music from the very start of the composition process. The idea of Le Sacre de printemps came to me while I was still composing The Firebird. I had dreamed a scene of pagan ritual in which a chosen sacrificial virgin danced herself to death. This vision

  • Word count: 1881
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Timbre as a form-building property in the music of Kaija Saariaho

Timbre as a form-building property in the music of Kaija Saariaho Candidate number: 22025865 MUS335 Individual Research Topic MMus Contemporary Music Studies Abstract This essay outlines the evolution of Kaija Saariaho's working methods from the 1980s to the present, with particular reference to her own research on timbre and form. Relatively recent music research began to address the need for new formal possibilities to suit the requirements of avant-garde composition. The main focus of this essay is on timbre as a form-building element in Saariaho's music, and her association with psychoacoustics, which examines the ways in which timbral form can be apprehended. The essay commences with a summary of the historical background to Saariaho's interest in timbre and its relation to "spectral" music. After investigating her work in this field, the essay then examines Saariaho's violin concerto Graal Théâtre (1994) in more detail, to show how the composer's working methods and range of expression have expanded, with a subtle shift of emphasis from timbral concerns towards more linear, melody-led compositions. Throughout the essay, the author locates Saariaho's music in its historical context and circumstances, and looks at her music's relationship to its surroundings, canonic origins and influences. The essay concludes with some critical thoughts on the nature of timbre as

  • Word count: 14305
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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English Assessment Task: Remembering

Advanced English Assessment Task: Remembering 1. A Fortunate Life composed by A.B Facey is a reflection of a lifetime that most would hope to forget. In complete contrast Piano a poem written by D.H. Lawrence reveals the composers joyful emotions when remembering his childhood. What both texts represent is the concept that without memory the individual could not progress. A Fortunate Life represents this with Facey remembering abuse, poverty, and war yet 'it has been rich and full', being a powerful description of the progression of life, the good and the bad times, denoting that although not all memories are pleasurable they are significant to ones 'whole' life. Piano demonstrates this same concept. Memory affects the composer, as he says 'down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past'. The composer is in fact fixated with his past, which he yearns to remember as a way of moving ahead. An aspect in which the texts completely differ in their analysis of remembrance is the need to remain obsessed with one's past. The difference between obsessed and using remembrance to progress is clearly demonstrated by the two texts. Facey remembers events but never lingers on the memories more then is necessary for his development. On the contrary the composer of Piano wants to dwell in his past, '...the heart of me weeps to belong...' the composer wants to

  • Word count: 1724
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Ontology of Music

Introduction: Recently, the central questions to the ontology of music may like these: What sort of entities are works of music; are they physical objects, ideal kinds, imaginary entities, or something else; how are the various works of music related to the mental states of artists or viewers, to physical objects, or to abstract visual, auditory or linguistic structures and under what conditions do works come into existence, survive, or cease to exist. It seems that only a few people may have a ready answer to the question of the ontological status of the work of music, some relevant considerations are built into our common sense understanding of works of music and practices in dealing with them. Normally, some scholars may think of works of music as things created at a certain time, in a particular cultural and historical circumstance, through the imaginative and creative acts of a artist, composer, or author. Once created, it can be reasonable to think that of works of music as relatively stable and enduring public entities that may be seen, heard, or read by a number of different people who may enter legitimate arguments about at least some of the work's features. While these features characterize our understanding of all sorts of works of music, our understanding and treatment of works of different sorts diverges regarding other features. In this paper, I shall analyze

  • Word count: 3092
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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