...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 expecting. The symphony had the most soft and sweet chords following up with big, bold parts. The tempo would slow down just the slightest bit, the calm before the storm there was a bang of sound ringing from all around you and your almost startled but it is so lovely even at the volume and mixture of instruments you cant help but feel relaxed in the flow of notes. Stravinsky was born into a Russian Orthodox Church but soon left as a young man and though he was this origin he set a Latin text to his music, making it a more inclusive religious statement. Igor used the term “ Symphony” in the broadest sense, reflecting its etymology as the coming together of sounds, said to be why his orchestration is unusual. His melodies are stark and archaic, where...
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...The Orpheus Orchestra is unique. It is a full functioning, Grammy winning, 28 base member orchestra, formed in 1972. (Khodyakov, 2007) Orpheus’ membership is comprised of world class musicians, some noted for their solo efforts. What makes the Orpheus Orchestra unique is the fact that it practices and performs without a conductor, making it in some ways when compared with other orchestras, leaderless. But the Orpheus Orchestra has many leaders; in fact all its members are leaders. They each contribute to the creativity and innovation of the musical performances and through rotating leadership for coordination of practices and by sub groups that focus on piece delivery, the groups organizational structure promotes a form of trust and control that is intertwined, ultimately producing an exceptional output, and nurturing members whose creativity is not stifled and unlike most orchestras, have high satisfaction in their jobs. There are many lessons that large business organizations such as Kraft that can learn from the governance structure in place for the Orpheus Orchestra. Large corporations are constantly looking for ways to light a creative spark in their teams, to be more innovative and more productive. We learned how Electrolux did this in our last case study, by creating cross functional development teams. The structure in the Orpheus Orchestra also promotes creativity. Often organizations exercise control over their employees to ensure that operations run smoothly...
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...The Orchestra The orchestra is made up of 4 sections: the strings, the woodwinds, brass and percussion. The Strings Family The strings consist of the violins, the violas, the cellos and the double basses. All string instruments are made of wood and glued together instead of nailed as that will change the sound of the instruments. Strings of different lengths and thickness are then attached to the instrument and stretched to a specific length in order to sound the proper pitch. Strings are typically made of synthetic materials, sheep gut or metal, depending on the player’s preference. The Woodwind Family The woodwind section is made up of piccolos, flutes, oboes, English horns, clarinets, E-flat clarinets, bass clarinets, bassoons and contrabassoons. The name “woodwind” is sometimes misleading as about half the woodwind section is made of some sort of metal, for example, flutes are made of silver or gold, piccolos are sometimes made of silver and saxophones are made of brass. The Brass Family The brass family is composed of trumpets, French horns, trombones, baritones, euphoniums and tubas/sousaphones. Brass instruments are made of brass tubes that flare out into a bell at one end of the instrument. The bell, like a megaphone, helps to amplify the sound of the instrument, which helps make brass instruments the loudest of all the orchestral instruments. To make a sound on a brass instrument, you have to put your lips together and make a “buzz” sound into a metal mouthpiece...
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...Prior to joining the RHS Orchestra and Choir, my musicianship was rudimentary. I was not self-reliant in my performances and found myself almost always following others, lacking confidence in myself. I enjoyed playing with others, but everything changed when I came to Reading High. One of my first classes in tenth grade included Orchestra/Choir. I remember distinctly walking into Mr.Richards office. The minute I realized I was the only second violin, I chose to sit in the back by myself as far from Mr.Richards as possible. I was afraid of making a mistake in the midst of a class filled with upperclassmen, and I kept to myself. I did not want to be noticed, especially being surrounded by violinists and cellists who played much better than I did. Naturally, I also struggled with singing out in choir rehearsal when I knew the notes fairly well because of this fear of making a mistake or being wrong. This lack of self assurance created an isolation and a fear of growing musically. I was so focused on believing I needed to be perfect and while I did enjoy music, I was still uneasy with showing what I can do in fear of being judged....
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...I had a great opportunity to experience a symphony orchestra concert with my music class on October 5th, 2017. On this certain day, we went downtown to listen to a symphony at the Hilbert Circle Theatre. The star of the show, was Joshua Bell with being the violin soloist in this performance. This was an experience for me to understand other types of music with different sound and meaning. My expectations of this experience where that it was a lot more crowded than I thought it was going to be that day. The audience was surrounding the musicians on the stage while they were performing. In this certain building, they had an outstanding set-up on where the audience was going to sit. The seating arrangements went smoothly, with knowing your number to sit at during the performance. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has two floors of seating when you first arrive in the room. The higher you sat, the tickets were less expensive at any symphony you attend. They also had higher prices for higher seating above the stage. The audience was respectful while considering the music...
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...Boston Symphony Orchestra Problem Formulation The Boston Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1981 by Major Henry Lee Higginson. Higginson was the only manager of the Orchestra, so with his wealth he used one million of his own money to develop and expand. Shortly after World War I, he retired and developed the board of trustees. These trustees were Boston’s most powerful financial, corporate, legal, political, religious, and social communities. The organizational structure of the Orchestra included: the board of trustees, the management staff, the orchestra players, and the music director. Each of the personnel in these groups had different decision making for the Orchestra. The Orchestra first started off with just a winter season for their concerts. Since they were becoming more famous and more people wanted to attend their concerts, they expanded to six different musical activities. These concerts include the Boston Pops, the Esplanade Concerts, the Berkshire Music Festival, the Berkshire Music Center, and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. They traveled around the world performing concerts. During this 31-week period, the BSO played 22 weeks at Symphony hall, three weeks in Europe, and five weeks in New York, with a one-week Christmas vacation. The Orchestra also did broadcast live for radio stations and television stations and they also recorded albums there were known world-wide. The concert schedule for a particular season was quite complex, reflecting...
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...I attended a performance of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performing music made by Danny Elfman for Tim Burton films. Each piece focused more on capturing the mood the music captured in that overall movie. Instead of focusing on one composition from each movie, a medley of multiple compositions from the film was made to give an overall feel of each. Compared to the Mozart’s “Little Night Music” performance I attended a week ago, the atmosphere was more relaxed. The patrons for this specific event had dressed more casually or in costume. Since the event was hosted on Halloween, some people wore their costumes to the event. Ted Sperling conducted the performance, and he has won the 2005 Tony Award along with the Drama Desk Award for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza. (Ted Sperling) Unlike the Mozart’s “Little Night Music” this performance had the Adrian College Choir singing in most pieces. The choir emphasised on the overall mood bringing each...
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...The 8 Leadership principles of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra according to Harvey Seifter: 1. Placing the power in the hands of workers. The musicians playing in the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra make their own decisions on their musical program. That is, they decide who leads the group, how the piece will be played and who will be invited to join them (i.e. substitute musicians). They also elect the musicians that will sit on the Board of Trustees and within the management staff. 2. Encouraging individual responsibility for a better product quality . There is a shared responsibility by every musician regarding individual and collective performances. Each musician is welcome to give feedback to a colleague regardless of the instrument they play. In this way, a collective listening approach is encouraged by the common desire to achieve the mission. 3. Creating clearly defined roles. Every musician has a clear understanding of his/her role within the orchestra. Potential roles include: The Concertmaster, the first violin (among equals) who is in charge of assisting the group during rehearsals and performances. The trustees on the Board: three musicians are elected to sit on the Board for the length of three years. Three other musicians are elected to represent the orchestra within the administration staff. 4. Fostering teamwork. 5. Working in shared leadership. Every musician has the opportunity to play leadership roles such as leading rehearsals or directing...
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...Chao Feng Chinese Orchestra’s 31st Anniversary Concert was held on Sunday, 25th August 2013 from 4-6pm at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School Performing Arts Centre. Traditional Chinese instruments - Gaohu, Erhu, Zonghu, Jinghu, Guqin, Dizi (flute), Sheng (mouth organ), Suona, Yangqin, Liuqin, Pipa, Zhongruan, Sanxian, Daruan and Guzheng, joined together to perform several Chinese pieces as in ensemble conducted by Mr. Yat Ping Chan. The performance included pieces played by the whole ensemble as well as solo and duet performances. Instruments that had the chance to perform in solo performances without accompaniment included Guzheng and Guqin. Guzheng and Guqin is both plucked zither, but Guzheng has more strings and movable bridges. These instruments produce a very clear and soothing sound with a hint of sadness. However, when they are played in a faster tempo, they can sound quite cheerful and energetic. The 2 songs performed by Guzheng and Guqin were “Jackdaws frolicking in the Water” and “Phoenix Tree Leaves dancing in the Autumn Breeze” respectively. Both songs depicts a scene of birds dancing and enjoying themselves in the nature. Due to the nature of the zithers to produce slightly melancholic sound, it felt as though the happiness won’t last long. The most interesting duet of the performance was the duet by Sheng. Sheng, the Chinese mouthorgan, is always used to harmonise the song in ensembles. Thus, it is quite different to hear the instruments playing a melody rather...
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...Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn in B-flat Major, Op. 56a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall Johannes Brahms himself directed the debut of his Variations on a Theme by Haydn with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Bavaria in 1873, making our experience of attending a performance by the same ensemble in Carnegie Hall more than 140 years later all the more special. The program directed by Latvian Andris Nelsons also included, besides the aforesaid work, Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.90 in C Minor, Johannes Brahm’s Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op.90 and Johann Strauss’s waltz Seid Umschlungen, Millionen (“Be Embraced, You Millions”) –which was actually dedicated to Brahms- as a surprise encore. Also known as Saint Anthony Variations, Brahms composed his Variations during a summer stay in Lake Starnberg near Münich during a time where he had finally, after the premiere of A German Requiem in 1868, achieved recognition throughout Europe. He based his work on a theme in Chorale Saint Antoni originally attributed to Haydn, although in the nineteenth century this was questioned and the piece remains unattributed to this day. Brahms composed two versions of this work –one for two pianos, the other for orchestraboth of which consist on a theme on B-flat major, eight variations and a finale in passacaglia form. The night started with Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.90 in C Major, a piece in sonata form composed for one flute, timpani, viola, cello, bass and two oboes...
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...I have enjoyed playing my instrument, the violin, for over three years. I began playing when I was ten years old, as a fifth grader. In one year, my class had three different orchestra teachers, each one with a very different teaching style. I participated in the school orchestra for my entire fifth grade year. After the school year ended, I homeschooled and I took private lessons all throughout my sixth grade year. Right before I began seventh grade, I moved from El Paso, Texas to North Carolina. I instantly joined the middle school orchestra, which I am still currently in. All of these quick changes and transitions have motivated me to keep playing. Despite moving, and going back and forth between public schooling and homeschooling, I have...
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...breathlessly awaiting the arrival of The Beatles onto the stage like those thousands to teenagers watching The Ed Sullivan Show. My husband and I arrived somewhat early and as we were walking into this magnificent venue, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I made up a very creative story to convince my husband to come along with me, so we were there inside The Hilbert Circle Theatre admiring its infrastructure and trying to figure out if we were the only ones wearing jeans and where our seats were. We grabbed one of the programs and began to read about The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, which quite honestly I have heard before but never even attempt to listen as we were getting ready to enjoy. As I read on page 51 of our class book “Music Listening Today” by Charles Hoffer, ‘the concertmaster is the last player to enter before the conductor,’… and he points to the various sections of the orchestra, as they play the long tone to tune their instruments to the standard pitch of A440. Well these random sounds were really loud, and somewhat confusing, who would’ve thought that they could play so beautifully. The concert began with a melodious 10 minute medley featuring wonderful musicians and the conductor Jack Everly, who is an experienced veteran in the symphony arts, as they concluded their introduction the audience rose as one to give it a long standing ovation. And then, Classical Mystery Tour arrived onto the stage wearing suits reminiscent of those tribute band comprised...
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...Concert Review: Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra On September 26, 2015 the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra from Brooklyn, New York visited SUNY Oswego for a performance. WSO is a group of musicians from Brooklyn, New York that combines the traditional sound of native salsa with the modern twist of pop and hip-hop to create a very unique sound. Their large set list was composed of bands such as The Black Keys, TV On the Radio, LCD Sound system and others. Many scholars have argued that WSO’s debut album “resets the boundaries of the art form” and “contains some of the best young players on the scene”. The band seemed to really connect with the audience, creating a familiar vibe with modern songs with such a balanced touch of salsa sound to grab...
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...the idea in earnest. Although both Parker and Peterson were committed to the idea of the merger, they were not completely without their reservatio ns. As Peterson explained: “There was no precedent for a merger between a major symphony and an opera working. The Utah Symphony was by far the leading orchestra in the eight Rocky Mountain states and among the 20 leading orchestras in the country. Utah Opera, on the other hand, was a good region al opera company, but it had not yet reached the status of the symphony.” In early 2001, Parker and Peterson met with Ewers; William Bailey , chairman of the board at the opera; and Herb Livsey, the incoming chair and board member at the opera, to discuss the possibility of a merger. Bailey described his initial response to the merger idea: One concern expressed by opera trustees was th e financial strength of the opera vis-à-vis the symphony. The opera had a reserve fund and was financially stable and because of the business model could be flexible and adjust the size of the opera or eliminate projects that had not reached their fund-raising goal. The sy mphony, on the other hand, was a 52-week orchestra that did not have that flexibility. Another concern was that even though the opera...
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...Many symphony orchestras; as a result, attempted to promote the overall development, as well as the general idea that the music and overall experience of an orchestra concert can be considered quite applicable to a wide range of people. While the symphony orchestras and concerts of today often have an attached stigma of being a general activity solely associated with that of the highly élite upper class; however, this is not always the domain of those with the high–born, aristocrat, nobility status and superior musical knowledge; as well as the greatness that was bestowed and thrust upon...
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