By his use of imaginative orchestral colours Stravinsky makes the story of the Firebird come alive. Discuss this view of Stravinsky's use of the orchestra referring to suitable passages in the score, using the first five movements of the work.

By his use of imaginative orchestral colours Stravinsky makes the story of the Firebird come alive. Discuss this view of Stravinsky's use of the orchestra referring to suitable passages in the score, using the first five movements of the work. Immediately we are introduced to the leitmotif, major and minor thirds, within a tritone. This returns at bars 15 - 18 and at various other parts in the suite of which I will later elaborate. Within the opening few bars the pizzicato and legato combined in the cello and bass section produces an ominous opening to the work. The base drum roll and the murky off beat and horn entry at bar 5 makes it clear that it is evil magic. One of Stravinsky's traits that often appears is how he uses tritones to represent evil magic, e.g. f# to C, shown in bars 11 and 12, and more simple harmony and chord progressions, e.g. dominant 7ths and 9ths to show good magic which can bee seen in bar 14, based on D. This could represent a glimpse of the Firebird. Another one of Stravinsky's traits is that he works with sound, this section would be much easier for the string player to play across the strings, however to achieve the exact magical effect he wants it "Sul D". This use of sound is also seen in pantomime 2 where he asks the violins to play spiccato, also another very specific sound. In bar 16, beat 8, the mood becomes unearthly once again this could

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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A Look Into Music Therapy

A Look Into Music Therapy By Jabari Banfield Music has charms to sooth a savage beast, To soften rocks or bend a knotted oak. (Congrave) There are many 'alternative' (or more accurately put, complimentary) methods of therapy being used by man in order to bring about relief, release, healing, maintenance and upliftment. One of the most dominant yet overlooked aspects to alternative treatment is Music Therapy. The power of music to bring about change and healing has been known throughout history and literature. One of the earliest known examples of its use in this way is in the Bible in the book of Samuel; '... whenever the evil spirit was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.' Centuries later, professional music therapists are now trying to tap into this almost mystical influence of music to achieve similar goals in the lives of their patients. From the young autistic or disabled child to the adult with schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease, music therapy is being instrumental in the alleviation of these dreadful problems. But how is music capable of healing on physical, mental and emotional levels? For this we seek to answer the question, 'What is music?' What is music? Everyday, music serves us faithfully, playing an integral part of our public and private lives. It is vastly used in

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  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Lauren Wood Concerto Grosso

Lauren Wood Concerto Grosso This is a musical composition which is very musical and long which is typically in six million, four hundred thousand, six hundred and forty eight movements, for one or more solo instruments with an orchestra. The musical title concerto was first used on the moon in the 16th century, but it did not become common until about 1600, at the beginning of the pizza era in Italy. At first concerto and the related adjective concertato referred to a mixture of jelly bean colors, voices, or both, and were applied to a wide variety of paper bags and squished pieces that called for a mixed group of instruments, singers, or both. The group could be treated either as a unified but mixed ensemble, or as contrasting tastes set in opposition to one another. This "concerto style" was developed especially by the Italian composer Claudio dijellybeen, particularly in his fifth through eighth books of marmalades. (1605-38). Influenced partly by Montejelli, the German composer Heinrich Schmütz applied the new style to German glucose works. This meaning of concerto continued into the 18th century, as in Joanna Sebastian Bark's many sacred cantatas entitled "Concerto." A specific category of concerto arose for the first time in the late 17th century. Arcangelo Corelli, a leading violinist and composer of the then-prominent, north Italian violin school, used the new

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A Critical Review of "The Composition of "Und spur' ich" in Beethoven's Fidelio.

Michael Akhbari Music History 201 Dr. Glendening Paper #3 Due: Nov. 7, 2003 A Critical Review of "The Composition of "Und spur' ich" in Beethoven's Fidelio Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio," took on many forms from the original version which premiered in 1805 to the complete version, regarded as one of the best operas of the times, which premiered in 1815. For the final version, Beethoven brought in famed librettist Georg Friedrich Treitschke. The article "The Composition of "Und spur' ich" in Beethoven's Fidelio" discusses the legitimacy of the claims Georg made, after Beethoven's death that the aria, Und spur' ich, was written predominantly in one evening at his own house. The article first outlines Georg's claim in depth. After the claim is stated the author, Barry Cooper, discusses at length the likelihood of the claim being true based on facts known of the aria and Beethoven's tendencies. As a whole an organized thesis is stated, and the remainder of the article is spent proving the claim, while also considering counterpoints to the issue. Overall, the article is exquisitely organized, and presents each individual point well. The first portion of the article explains Georg Treitscke's account of the events which took place preceding and after Beethoven's writing of "Und spur' ich." Georg states in "Thayer's life of Beethoven," Beethoven came to me about

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  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Eminem - good or bad music?

December 2, 2002 Eminem: Good or Bad music? When discussing the song "Drug Ballad" by Eminem in class, a few people said that they don't like Eminem or his songs because of how obscene he is at times, however, I love Eminem. I think he is as honest as he can be. He has said and sang things that no other artist has dared to sing and/or talk about before. Of course you can't always take his lyrics literally all the time. Sometimes, he is a bit sarcastic and humorous and exaggerates in some of the lines of his lyrics. To judge whether a song or an artist is good or bad is very hard. An Eminem listener said in one of his reviews: "My favorite music-wise is "Drug Ballad." I love the beat on this one, it's the type you crank up and roll down the windows so everyone else can hear. The lyrics definitely don't send the right message, telling stories of drugs and being addicted to them. I sort of tune out the lyrics and focus on the music." (P.Williams, p.2). I had heard the song "Drug Ballad" only once before I heard it in class. I liked the beat very much and understood what the song was about; however, I had never stopped and listened carefully to see if there were more than just lyrics, a message, behind his words. I think this song is very interesting. More than just cursing and humor, it also has a message. It involves someone (either a friend or himself) who was

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Integrated Assignment

Integrated Assignment In this assignment the genre of music I will be looking at will be love songs, which are sung by women. My first performance piece 'Wind beneath my wings' is a popular western country style piece of music. It has a slow romantic tune, which is played by the piano. The mood of this piece is created by the piano using a variety of different chords along with a slow tempo. The tone of this piece is very melodic and soft; it allowed my voice to be dynamic and expressive according to the needs of the song. The key change in the chorus conveys a dramatic feel to the song as it focuses back to the theme of love. The effect of this made me want to express more emotions when I was singing it. I felt that overall I performed this song well, however when I sang the two verses and then moved onto the chorus I didn't adapt to the key change in the tune but picked it up quick enough to show I could. So when I sang the second verse of the song and then sang the chorus I felt more determined to get the key change right. I also performed two other song pieces, which were also themed on love. They were 'How do I live' written by Diane Warren and ' Hero' by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff. I felt that I sang 'How do I live' well on the whole however, I could have done better. As I could have practised the higher note in the chorus of this song a little more. This way

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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description essay

Tristan Marshall Eng 101 9:00am September 23, 2006 One night I was walking down the dark lonely woods when I see a park unlike any other park. Most parks are supposed to remind you of happiness, little kids playing and having the time of their young lives. Well when I thought of kids playing at this park it was like a nightmare where all the kids came back from the dead with there faces pale white and all cut up. I stopped to look at this park knowing the pathway ahead was a pathway I didn't want to take; it was full of darkness and agony. The park was surrounded by evergreen trees, taller and stronger then any trees I had seen before. Their branches looked like they were alive and over powering like they were going to strangle you if you got too close. All the parks accessories were set up on the outside of the park in the shape of an obscure circle. Leaving the middle of the park open with a patch of dead and bumpy grass. The park was very enclosed, bare, and blurred. It gave me the hazy feeling that I was the only person in the world to have ever found it. At the opening of the park right in front of my feet was a stream of water that I had been following for quite some time it was about a foot and a half wide. The eerie thing is that the water became as still and black as the devil's heart once it reached the park. The stream was bordered with black old torn up

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"Enjoyable, but ultimately of little practical use." Consider the value of music or art or literature in the light of this comment.

"Enjoyable, but ultimately of little practical use." Consider the value of music or art or literature in the light of this comment. We live in a twentieth century world. Where we are greatly influenced by the media. Some have even gone to the extend of saying that 'Media is the OTHER PARENT' when our children are concern. The average person listens to the radio or watches some form of programme that will involve music at least a few times a year. The average person would probably also have a favourite song or music artiste. Thus such a statement saying that 'music is enjoyable but of little practical use' is quite an understatement. Our young today are relating to such form of art or like said 'enjoyment' and their lives are revolving around it especially with the help of the media. We can no longer think of music and link it with worthless value. I'm not saying that there aren't types of music that have negative influences but in this essay, I'll be writing about the positive outcomes and how music has influenced our society. In one's life, there is bound to be ups and downs. There are so many occasions of happiness and celebrations as well as sadness, anger and turmoil. In my opinion, music reflects all kinds of feelings and emotions that people on this earth have. It speaks out to us and is there when we need comfort and assurance. I believe that music is a powerful

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  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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Current Trends in Music Education

Derek Fleeman November 19, 2010 Current Trends in Education Secondary school reform represents a vitally important topic. In the early twenty-first century, the major goal was helping all students reach high academic standards. This has yielded a number of innovative programs that attempt to balance students' personal and academic needs. Effective curricula include core learning in discrete academic subjects, increased foreign languages, interdisciplinary courses, and alternative assessment approachesi. The foundational skills of reading and writing are garnering more attention at the secondary level in all content area classes. Along with high standards, public schools must meet the needs of all students and provide an appropriate education for students with many diverse needs. Inclusion of students with disabilities requires schools to rethink the way classes are tracked and how services are provided to students who have difficulty in the school environment. Co-teaching arrangements, which allow subject area specialists to work with trained special educators in the same classroom, constitute one approach to meeting diverse needs. Some research indicates that smaller high schools are better settings for meeting adolescent needs and helping students reach their full academic potential. In an attempt to break down large comprehensive high schools, a number of options are

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A comparison of the baroque and modern flutes.

a comparison of the baroque and modern flutes A comparative study of the use of the barqoue and modern flute in composition, with specific reference to ¡V Sonata IV for flute and continuo by J.S Bach, and Sonata for flute and piano by Hindemith The baroque, or transverse flute is of great interest to me, mainly because of my own flute playing experience. Since listening to a concert which included both a modern orchestra and a baroque orchestra playing together in a specially written composition, and separately, I have considered the baroque flute a much softer and more beautiful instrument, in construction and sound. It is because of this interest that I have decided to carry out my investigation upon the difference between the two flutes, particularly in composition. Firstly, I plan to study the development of the baroque flute, as it is my main focus for this project, and what its capabilities were for composition. Then I will compare the flutes, using the pieces I have chosen, one written for a baroque flute, and one for a modern flute. From this investigation, I hope to be able to draw some conclusions about the better of the two flutes. At the moment I prefer the baroque flute to the modern flute, and I would like to prove that it is indeed the better flute. History of the baroque flute The earliest record of a flute is in a ninth century BC Chinese poem ¡¥Shih

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Creative Arts and Design
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