Willock Nicole Video Program Notes Video # 1 I. Composer: Beethoven Title of Piece: Sonata for Cello and Piano Instrumentation: Cello and Piano II. Lecture Notes This piece is from Beethovens most well known period of composing. It is some of his most engaging music. Beethoven is one of the most famous composers in history. This piece has four parts. III. Biographical Information on Composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in 1770. He is responsible for bridging the gap from the Age of Enlightenment to the Age of Romanticism. When you think about classical music Beethovens name comes to mind. His life is separated into 3 periods. His most famous works were born during the middle period of his life. Beethovens career started when Prince Liehnowsky, a musical enthusiast, took Beethoven under his wing. Beethoven experienced periods of productivity separated by periods of anguish and seclusion. When he did compose, his work ethic was very high. Beethoven realized he would completely go deaf in 1802, which is marked by the famous Heiligenstadt Testament. He stopped performing and conducting by 1813, but continued to compose until his death. Beethoven died in 1827 from a diagnosis of dropsy. Beethovens funeral was one of great magnitude and included other famous composers, royalty, and some more than 20,000 people. His music has touched the lives of people for centuries and will continue to touch the lives of people for centuries to come. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: Allegro ma non tanto - fast, but maybe a little less than fast. This piece flowed well. It had soft sounds mixed with strong sounds. At times, it sounded like a bird. I liked this piece the best. Scherzo joke. The piece had a more whimsical tone. It was more exciting than the first piece. Adagio cantabile slow, in a singing manner. This piece was definitely slower than all the rest. It was soothing. Allegro vivace fast and lively. I really liked when the piece got fast. The music started to really come alive.
Nicole Willock Video Program Notes Video # 1 I. Composer: Loeffler Title of Piece: Two Rhapsodies for oboe, viola, and piano Instrumentation: oboe, viola, and piano II. Lecture Notes: Loeffler was from France. He came to the United States at 20. He was an accomplished violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was popular as both a player and a composer. He shifted cultural preferences to French music from German. He had fondness for rich imagery. He was truly a composer of modern music and composed all genres. This piece has two parts, The Pond and The Bagpipe. III. Biographical Information on Composer: Charles martin Loeffler was born in 1861. He claimed France as his birthplace, but it is not certain where he was born. He studied in Germany and Paris and eventually became the Assistant Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He retired after 21 years there. He became a US citizen in 1887. Loeffler withheld many of his works from publication, but did compose songs, which were played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His famous chamber music, Two Rhapsodies for oboe, viola, and piano is still played today. He has composed for voice and various combinations of instruments. His music was once played regularly and is no longer known to the public. After his death in 1935, his wife donated his manuscripts to the Library of Congress. Sadly, by then, the music world moved on and was no longer interested. At one time he was Avant garde. One day he may be considered so again. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: The first piece was dreamlike at first. Soft tones all flowed together. As the music gets stronger, the instruments still flow together. The end is very strong with a crescendo. The second part of The Pond was very choppy and much faster than the first part. I liked this piece very much. The Bagpipe started out slowly. It gradually got faster and was very choppy in the middle. After that it started to flow better, and had a soft ending. I didnt like this piece nearly as much as the first.
Nicole Willock Video Program Notes Video # 1 I. Composer: Schwantner Title of Piece: Soaring for Flute and Piano(1986) Instrumentation: flute and piano II. Lecture Notes: Schwantner started his craft in folk music before he moved on to jazz and then finally classical music. He won many awards including the Pulitzer Prize. His music is lyrical. This piece has one section. III. Biographical Information on Composer: Joseph Schwantner was born in 1943 During WWII. His first musical experience was playing the tuba and guitar in American public school. He has taught at different schools around the US like many other American Composers. In 1979, won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He worked as a composer at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1982-1984. Schwantners music is widely played around the world. Schwanter is one of the worlds youngest composers and is one of the most popular in the new trend in classical music. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: The piece had a cold soft feel to it. It reminds me of horror movie music at times. It was also much shorter than the other pieces in the video.
Nicole Willock Video Program Notes Video # 2 I. Composer: Schubert Title of Piece: Quintet in A Major, the Trout, Op. 114 Instrumentation: violin, piano, cello II. Lecture Notes: Schubert spent his life writing music for himself and his friends to play. He played mainly for aristocracy. It became fashionable in Vienna to sponsor home entertainment at social gatherings. Schubert was a well known professional in great demand. III. Biographical Information on Composer: Shubert was born in Austria in 1797. He is an important link from the transition from Classicism to Romanticism. He was naturally shy and had difficulty becoming a composer. Shuberts circle of friends were in awe of his talent and tried to spread his fame that he did not get to enjoy later in life because of his death. He composed over 1000 pieces. He seldom re-wrote his compositions or worried about details. Shubert developed his musical talents at Stadtkonvikt where he became well read and well learned. Shubert started composing at twelve and never stopped. He lived the life of a musician and wrote many pieces famous including The Unfinished (No. 8), which is his most famous. Shubert died in 1828 at 31 of typhoid fever. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: Allegro vivace Meaning lively in a brisk manner. The first movement had a light feel to it. It sounds like party music. The music rises and then falls and then rises again. The same with the speed the notes are played they get played faster and then slower. It is exciting every time they get faster. The piece had a very playful tone the entire time, but it was really long. Andante Moderately slow. This movement was much softer than the first. The notes are not played as loudly. The note speed still rises and falls. This one was not as playful, but it flows continuously. Scherzo, Trio humorous triple quick time march. This was much more lively than the second part. It was continuously strong through the whole piece, even when softer notes are played and even when they were not played as loud. This was my favorite by far.
Tema e variazione This part starts out similar to the second piece. Then varied parts are very strong and sporadically mixed with the original soft sad tone. The fist time there was a change, it made me jump. It was really unexpected. It was choppy during parts and at the end; it was in a lighter mood again. Allegro giusto The Finale has a light tone, it was similar, but different from the other movements. It doesnt have the dramatic changes like the fourth movement, but it does have some. It was not as long as I expected it to be.
Nicole Willock Video Program Notes Video # 2 I. Composer: Ravel Title of Piece: Chansons Madecasses Instrumentation: piano, flute, cello II. Lecture Notes: Ravels Chansons Madecasses is based on the writings of Evariste Desire de Parmy. He is said to have translated them and compose the piece. Some scholars think Ravel made the poems up because he had never been to Madagascar and didnt know the language. If he was a fake, it was not uncommon for a composer to play a hoax on the public. III. Biographical Information on Composer: Ravel was born in France in 1875. He is Frances most famous composer after Claude Debussy. He is French music at the turn of the century. His style is classified as Impressionism or a very ratified form of late nineteenth century Romanticism. After WW1, the trend in music left Romanticism. Ravel responded to the trend as well as that of Impressionism. He has composed many different pieces that fit into many different categories including Chansons Madecasses in the exotica genre. He also composed Concerto in G for its utilization of American jazz. Ravel died in 1937 at 62 after an operation on a brain tumor. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: Nahandove This is the first piece with singing, but it is not what I expected. This sound has a slow and soft tone. It is what I would expect from a love song. The music speeds up and gets more exciting as it does. It does slow back down toward the end. The instruments seem to disappear at times from the womans voice and all you hear is her singing, but it doesnt seem as if all you hear is a voice singing. It itself is presented as an instrument. Mefiez vous des blancs This movement was strong and loud right from the beginning. It definitely was a war cry. It has a much more forceful tone than the first movement. There were softer parts, but you could tell that she was singing about serious angry stuff Her tone was much different from the first piece. II est doux de se coucher This sound was much softer than the first two. It was definitely more relaxed. I liked it the best.
Nicole Willock Video Program Notes Video # 3 I. Composer: Origins of Jazz; various. Title of Piece: Sambob, Along came Betty, Interior Line, Stella by Starlight, and Work Song Instrumentation: sax, piano, bass, drums II. Lecture Notes: Jazz came from blues, Ragtime, Marches, and Others. It was pioneered by African Americans. During the first 40 years, it was indistinguishable from the times popular music. After WWII, it moved into concert halls and classrooms. Some say Jazz is Americas classical music. III. Biographical Information on Composer: It is hard to find a specific event that started jazz music. Its early signs are from ragtime and African-American music. The major role of jazz musics existence is played by the African American musicians who started it. Jazzs home can be considered New Orleans. When mixed classes of people called creole of color were forced into the same social class as freed African American slaves, they found themselves fighting for the same jobs. The creoles taught the freed slaves how to play better, and the freed slaves in turn showed them their freely improvised music. The pair mixed music into what is now known as New Orleans Jazz. By the 1920s jazz had reached maturity thanks to heroes like Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong. Armstrong is considered one of the best. IV. Musical Description and Personal Reaction: The jazz music is definitely a change from the classical music before. The first song, Sambob didnt seem very long at all. It was relaxed and just was jazz music should be. Along came Betty Very soft. It reminds me of elevator music a little. It is funny, but they play jazz music in elevators, so it would make sense. The melody was a little hard to follow for me. I dont normally listen to jazz music like this kind. Interior Line - I liked that this part was faster and more like swing music than the other two. It is still a little difficult for me to keep up with the music when I am really listening to it. Somewhere in the middle it changed and started to remind me of nightclub music from the Frank Sinatra era. I really liked the repetition of the piano right in the middle of the song.
Stella by Starlight Started out very slowly, and stayed that way. I think of being outside under a starry sky when I hear it. It is almost as if the instruments are singing to me. It has a very classy feeling to it too. Work Song It makes me think of when I was in the marching band. The song starts just as it stays throughout the song. It is also makes me think of the popular songs on the radio. The repetition of the saxophone is catchy. I liked this piece the best.