Sunday, December 8, 2013

Chapter 7: Finding Inspiration in the Classics
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a great Russian composer. He lived during the Romantic Era and the Twentieth Century, and is an example of both era's compositional trends.  In 1901 he composed Piano Concerto No. 2 (opus 18).


 Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAK2J05Vmhc  

Eric Carmen borrowed Rachmaninoff's theme and composed the pop hit "All By Myself" which was made famous by the Canadian singer Celine Dion.

"All By Myself" by Eric Carmen, performed by Celine Dion


John Lewis did the same with JS. Bach's composition Prelude No. 16 in G minor. John Lewis turns the 18th Century piece into a jazz composition titled "One Diamond"

Chapter 7: the Role of the Conductor

The conductor is the leader of the orchestra, band, choir, or other performing group.
Eugene Ormandy, the conductor of the famous Philadelphia Orchestra loves to conduct Johann Strauss II's waltzes, such as the "Blue Danube Waltz". It lends itself  to conducting with rubato, which is the free treatment of tempo(speed) within a musical phrase.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSulONzgewQ 

Marin Alsop was one of very few female conductors. She was the conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She received the Barrier Breaker Award for achieving the position of conductor of a major symphony, in this male dominated world.

 
Chapter 7: Theme and Variations:
Theme and variations is a musical form in which a melodic idea (a melody) is stated (played) and then varied (changed a little) in a succession of statements (and many of these slightly changed versions are played, one right after the other).

Here is the original song called, "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya" which dates back to the early 1800's.


"Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya"
  
As Irish immigrants fled the great potato famine in the 1849's and moved to America, they brought this song with them. 15 years later during the Civil War, many of these men who had come to the states from Ireland ended up fighting in the American Civil War. The song became adapted to what we know as, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again."


"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v2mW21M0cw 


 "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" was revamped for orchestra by Martin Gould in 1943 and titled "American Salute". It was very popular and Martin Gould transcribed it for band. Martin Gould's version is a classic example of theme and variations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gdjVelqk4A 

Finally, the modern group, the Dropkick Murphy's performed a rock version of the original, "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEUmJR3-Um8
 
The differences between composing, arranging, and transcribing:

 composing: creating musical works
EXAMPLES:



Gustav Mahler
Duke Ellington
Bright Sheng

arranging: reworking existing musical material
EXAMPLES:
Benny Goodman composed "Sing, Sing, Sing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW2nkA0vjTU 
William T McDaniel arranged "Sing, Sing, Sing"  for Marching Band. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMvQv7pxpxk 


transcribing: transferring music from one medium, or key to another 
EXAMPLES:
J.S. Bach composed "Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major"  for organ.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FilzIfTf8O4 




John P. Paynter transcribed it for the United States Army Field Band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spP48ntFKOI

Saturday, December 7, 2013


 Theory Practice, Chapter 7
Music Theory Exercises that will help you.
Click on the link to Music Theory. Net and
choose from pitch and rhythm symbol recognition to
keyboard scales and chord practice.
http://www.musictheory.net/exercises

Friday, December 6, 2013



Music In Our Lives: 12/9-12/19 
Making Musical Decisions: This chapter is about the differences between composing, arranging and transcribing music. There are many listening selections posted below with the accompanying vocabulary and key ideas.


 Musical Decisions About Melody

"Are You Sleeping Brother John?"

I.  Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 1
Mahler chose to write this piece in D minor.
 A symphony is an extended work for orchestra with several contrasting movements.
He converted a traditional French folk song, written in a major key into a classical composition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5A5tFyXQio





II.  "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) by Duke Ellington, performed by Sarah Vaughan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PF3xog09X8

This song uses the octave displacement which jumps from one note  or more 8 steps higher. Duke Ellington used this to create the "hook" or the melodic "main idea" of the song.


Musical Decisions About Timbre
Timbre is the special tone and sound of an instrument or a person's voice.

III. Seasons:Three Songs for Pipa and Cello by Bright Sheng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2YR4SSrptQ

Interview of Bright Sheng about his experiences during the Cultural Revolution in Communist China
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R0S2wq_jIYd



Musical Decisions About Rhythm
Felt time is the aspect of music that control's the 
listeners sense of how much time has passed.  
Pieces can feel hurried, calm, spirited or tense.  The next 
two examples have a distinctive "felt time".

IV. Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KylMqxLzNGo

V.  "Badinerie" from the Orchestral Suite No. 2 by
J.S. Bach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAw-I5TFXQM

Changing the meter is another decision that can be made
about the rhythm. Meter is how the beats are grouped
and counted. There are 2 examples from American pop culture
were the meter was changed.

VI. Super Bowl XXV, in 1991 Whitney Houstan sang the

national anthem in duple (2) meter instead of triple (3).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drDSALCKH_Y

VII. Ray Charles sang "America the Beautiful" so slowly
and gracefully that it sounded as he changed the meter 
from duple to triple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OTRRzSuWro  




Thursday, December 5, 2013

Mark your calendars! Winter Concert  is December 17 at 6:30                                     Admission is free!                                         Bring your family for an evening of great music and student performances!