Music Analysis
According to Baxter et al (1985), exposure to music and film content, directly and indirectly, affects human behavior by modifying cultural norms. However, little attention has been given to understanding music and musical instruments. This report analysis seven selected music and film contents to give a deeper meaning to the selected pieces. It provides the observations made on different sections of the orchestras, the conduct of the performers as well as conducting techniques. Moreover, it provides qualitative observations on the selected pieces.
The Kronos Quartet play Sigur Rós led by fragile vocals and the hauntingly bowed Jón Thor Birgisson guitar leaves the traditional form of songs on another level, with the less magical plane, shifting instead to the ever-shifting sound environment. Sigur Rós deploys the somber lullabies with symphonic grandeur, extending its arching melodies, building emotional and tonal colors around them, and ultimately conceding to timed fading to black. The song relates to the parable of sacrifice and salvation, in which an unnamed narrator tries to rescue hapless fly a lake from the jaws of a salmon. The piece is coolly beautiful, occasionally unsettling, and very inspirational.
Haydn’s Op. 77 no 1 is a Jerusalem Quartet by Joseph Haydn String Quartet which is brilliant and thrilling. The diversity of fluid texture is the major noticeable aspect of the Viennese style and Hayden. In the piece, impressive counterpoints are put side by side to homophony and dramatic unisons. Virtuosic concertante solos are followed with the response and call interactions to turns into long harmonic sequences and canons for good scene interchanges incorporating the late ornate. The opening movements are brilliant, with a definitive form of the sonata that has a two-beat drive of marching and three-beat motion of perpetual dance. Additionally, the slow movement in the piece is polarly contrasting.
In the Canadian Brass “Flight of Tuba Bumblebee is another brilliant and thrilling piece. Each of the performers in the piece has solos that give a seductive flugelhorn, a highly screeching trumpet, and a smooth sounding trombone performance in the way. The opera begins with a song of the swam-bird. However, the vocals are melodically and unimaginatively a bit sluggish. The group consists of a wonderful blend of fine musicians that makes the piece more entertaining. The primary instruments used in the piece include a symphonic orchestra which consists of tubas, trumpets, contrabassoons, Flutes, clarinets, piccolo, and oboes.
“Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565,” is produced by Johanna Sebastian Bach and is composed in two parts. The piece follows a simple structure that comprises a free opening session, a fugal session, and a closing session. It begins with the upper ranges of the keyboard, dominated by a single voice that is subsequently doubled at the octave. It is followed by a diminishing seventh chord that makes one note at a time, revolving into the D major. The second session is made up of several figurations that give very little connections. In the final session, the piece is dominated by reiterations consisting of the three-figure note almost similar to the opening session. It ends with D minor which follows a small pedal flourish.
“Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix song applies a slow and sensational tempo. This is an essential factor to consider as most of the music lovers listen to music to get away with the live reality and as a healthier alternative. Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing skills which make the piece sensational is very perfect. Additionally, the artist’s voice completely complements the song. It is very delicious since it creates an impressive introduction to the song thereby showing it’s a great mix. Through the recital chorus, Hendrix mentions “Foxy Lady” in the background, and an echoed whisper is heard repeating the phrase and thus giving the sensational feeling the song needs.
In “Piano Trio – 3rd mov” by Bedřich Smetana, the piece begins by towering force despair and anguish starting with a devastating and broad gesture that tightens and continues to accelerate until the final bars. The principles of sonata contrast the piece trajectory with something completely different. It includes a second theme raising gracefully and lyrics with gracious onslaughts. Unlike the opening session, the middle session is more troubled rather than devastating. The conclusion of the piece is swift and dashes rondo with powerful evocations of the music program for Smetana. The piece ends with a higher plane that flourishes for purely musical reasons.
The last in the list is “Ugrós” performed by the “Borealis Wind Quintet” that is characterised by the scarcity of dance-forming motifs. By taking a closer look at the piece, there is a striking prevalence of a three-step motif on varying legs supported by musical rhythm (1.02). The piece emphasizes on important musical aspects sensationally. Additionally, it employs a very cool technique and thus neat at setting. It is evident that the performers are playing to a recording that has memorized rhythm and rhyming style.
References
All Man Corp. “FOXY LADY By Jimi Hendrix, For String Quartet”. YouTube, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8WyRVB2Bk. Accessed 24 July 2020.
Basskz. “Jerusalem Quartet Joseph Haydn String Quartet Op 77 N 1 I Allegro Moderato”. Youtube, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS_TFgdh_8A. Accessed 24 July 2020.
Baxter, Richard L., et al. “A content analysis of music videos.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 29.3 (1985): 333-340.
Canadian Brass. “Canadian Brass – “Toccata And Fugue In D Minor” – J. S. Bach”. Youtube, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX0Jhk6e2Uw. Accessed 24 July 2020.
Canadian Brass. “Flight Of The Tuba Bumblebee – Canadian Brass”. YouTube, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OO7sityUwE. Accessed 24 July 2020.
Tmwts30 “Kronos Quartet playing Sigur Ros”. Youtube, 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW43jE7Oj_0 Accessed 24 July 2020.
Unrenderedfilms. “Ugrós” Performed By The Borealis Wind Quintet”. YouTube, 2007, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D743z4wOJrA. Accessed 24 July 2020.
Zagreb International Chamber Music Festival. “ZAGREB KOM 2 • Bedřich Smetana: Piano Trio – 3Rd Mov”. Youtube, 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha9JiHLFC-I. Accessed 24 July 2020