1 Assignment Create Your Own Examples Using the RealAudio Player Controls, play Handel's See Here the Conqu'ring Hero Comes (CD 1). Then, follow these directions to create your own examples: 1. Watch the counter and pause when you hear the beginning of a musical idea (A or B). 2. Click the "pause" button and write down the counter time at the beginning of the idea. 3. Then, click the "play" button again and listen for the end of the idea currently in progress. 4. Click the "pause" button when you hear the end of the idea, and write down the counter time. 5. Write down the letter of the musical idea (A or B). 6. Continue writing down the order of musical ideas A and B (including their start and stop times) throughout the entire piece, and try to identify any pattern you see. Submit your list of beginning and ending counter times for each musical idea as it occurs, identifying the "A"s and "B"s associated with those times, and the recurring pattern (if you were able to identify one). Also, explain how Handel uses dynamics and timbre to achieve variety in the examples that you created. On the Submit Web Query Assignment page, type your answer into the empty box. When you are ready, click Submit to send your answer to your instructor. Have fun! Important Hint We highly recommend you type your answer using any word processor (PC Users: You can use WordPad or NotePad. Mac Users: You can use TextEdit.). Please make sure you save your work as you go along. When you are done, CUT and PASTE your answer into the empty box. That way, if for any reason you loose your internet connection in the middle of typing your answer, you won't lose all the work you have done up to that point.
Assignment 2 Listening Assignment: Introductory Concepts To complete this assignment you must choose a listening selection from Section 1: Basic Musical Concepts (any of the classes from "Unity and Variety" up to and including "Folk Music, Art Music, and All That Jazz"), and write a two-paragraph summary.
Your summary must include the following to receive full credit:
The name and composer of the selection. The location of the selection. (e.g. Introductory Concepts: The Structure of Music) A short analysis of the piece from the point of view of a Referential Listener. (Read the description of the Referential Listener, and use the attributes listed to analyze the selection.) Finally, indicate what musical "concept" is illustrated by the selection (e.g. musical idea, ensemble, solo performer, variation, etc.), and state intelligently whether you think the selection was effective in doing so.
On the Submit Web Query Assignment page, type your answer into the empty box. When you are ready, click Submit to send your answer to your instructor. Have fun! Important Hint We highly recommend you type your answer using any word processor (PC Users: You can use WordPad or NotePad. Mac Users: You can use TextEdit.). Please make sure you save your work as you go along. When you are done, CUT and PASTE your answer into the empty box. That way, if for any reason you loose your internet connection in the middle of typing your answer, you won't lose all the work you have done up to that point.
Assignment 3 Analysis Assignment: Putting Things Together The principles of Unity and Variety apply to all music, regardless of composition style or historical period. Now that you are familiar with the concepts in the first section of the course (Basic Musical Concepts), and you have seen how they work on different pieces of music, try your hand, mouse, and ears, at finding how they operate in a piece you haven't heard yet in this course (although you may have elsewhere). To do this, I will ask you to look at Manha De Carnival (CD 1) by Sigman and Bonfa, arguably one of the most popular Brazilian pieces in the repertoire. Your analysis should include:
The number of different musical ideas in the piece (can we say, for example, that there are two ideas A, and B? Or is there only one?) The timings (start and stop times) of different the sections of the piece. (Hint: listen for changes in musical ideas and timbre (CD 1), e.g. points where different instruments come in or give way to others) How unity and variety are exemplified in those sections through the use of: 1. Dynamics 2. Timbre 3. Pitch
Whether, although there are sections that feature one instrument over others (CD 1), you think this is this is a piece for solo performer or for an ensemble. A list of the characteristics of the musical style closest to the one this piece exemplifies. (Hint: look at the last lecture in the first section of the course) Whether you think this piece serves, or could serve a specific purpose. Whether or not it has any specific connotation/s for you.
On the Submit Web Query Assignment page, type your answer into the empty box. When you are ready, click Submit to send your answer to your instructor. Have fun! Important Hint We highly recommend you type your answer using any word processor (PC Users: You can use WordPad or NotePad. Mac Users: You can use TextEdit.). Please make sure you save your work as you go along. When you are done, CUT and PASTE your answer into the empty box. That way, if for any reason you loose your internet connection in the middle of typing your answer, you won't lose all the work you have done up to that point. Assignment 4: Research Your Favorite Instrument On The Web A. Task To find and submit ten (10) Web sites related to ONE instrument you choose to research. You may choose from any of the instruments mentioned in the course (examples of valid intruments are, therefore, the oboe, the mezzo-soprano voice, or the guitar). Your assignment submission needs to include:
Two sites for each one of the categories listed below, and A short paragraph presenting a summary of the research in each category.
The categories are:
1. History and/or Manufacturers:
Information about well-known makers and the instrument's history. If you choose the voice, you can obviously skip the manufacturers, and concentrate on the history.
2. Famous Performers:
This one is quite self evident. You are not restricted to any particular period or style. For
example, if you favorite instrument is guitar, you can choose Eric Clapton and John Williams.
3. Famous composers:
Another self evident one. Again, you are not restricted to any particular period or style. One example from the class is the Leonard Bernstein site at the Library of Congress. Did Bernstein, for example, write any pieces for your favorite instrument?
4. Repertoire:
What are the most famous pieces written for your chosen instrument? Submit a list of five famous pieces written for the instrument, and two (2) sites that were sources for the information. Here's a site that might help: www.naxos.com
5. Famous Orchestras:
Your favorite instrument will likely, but not necessarily, be part of a traditional symphony orchestra like the one you studied in the Orchestral Timbres class. You should submit and comment on two (2) orchestra websites. B. Process
Decide which instrument you are going to research. The choice of an instrument should be made AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in order to allow the most time for research. Do research on the selected instrument: Research two (2) sites in each of the five categories in (A) above. Submit the 10 sites you have come up with in your research, along with a paragraph for each category summarizing their content and why they were chosen.
Good luck, and remember: Start this assignment as soon as you can! On the Submit Web Query Assignment page, type your answer into the empty box. When you are ready, click Submit to send your answer to your instructor. Important Hint We highly recommend you type your answer using any word processor (PC Users: You can use WordPad or NotePad. Mac Users: You can use TextEdit.). Please make sure you save your work as you go along. When you are done, CUT and PASTE your answer into the empty box. That way, if for any reason you loose your internet connection in the middle of typing your answer, you won't lose all the work you have done up to that point.