the musical madness in symphony no. 1 in eb major

Rebecca Kile Music 1010

Salt Lake Community College

The Musical Madness in Symphony No. 1 in Eb

Major

Alexander Borodin’s Life (slides 2-8)

Composition History (slides 9-11)

Bibliography (slides 12-13)

Listening Guide (slides 14-19)

Presentation Guide

Born November 12, 1833

Illegitimate Birth

Died February 27, 1887

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin

Chemistry bound

Studied at St. Petersburg Medico- Surgical Academy

Studied abroad

Gained respect with aldehydes, etc.

Borodin’s Chemistry Career

Began young with piano & cello

Took composing lessons to further his career

One of the most accomplished Russian composers

Musical Career

Biggest influence was Mily Balakirev

Used simple Russian Folk songs

Part of the “Five” or “The Mighty Handful”

Musical Career 2

Some 45 different works

Symphony No. 1 in Eb major

Symphony No. 2 in B minor

Prince Igor

Symphony No. 3 in A minor

Borodin’s Works

Died February 27th, 1887

Age 53

A ball in St. Petersburg

Unfortunate Events

Production 1862-1867

First major premiere in 1869

Major influence was Mily Balakirev

Composition History

Begins minor and slow

Transitions into a lively tempo

Style can be seen as Russian

History Continued

National Philharmonic Orchestra

Borodin: Symphonies Nos. 1-3

Recorded 1977 reissued in 2004

Album Selection

Author Unknown. Biography of Alexander Borodin. http://www.classiccat.net/borodin_a/biography.php (Accessed February 2014)

Schwartz, Steve. Alexander Borodin. http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/borodin.php (Accessed February 2014)

Reel, James. Artist Biography. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexander-borodin-mn0000794181/biography (Accessed February 2014)

Bibliography

Sanderson, Blair. Album Review. http://www.allmusic.com/album/borodin-symphonies-nos-1-3-mw0001867364 (Accessed February 2014)

DeQuis, Mona. Description Symphony No.1 in E Flat Major. http://www.allmusic.com/composition/symphony-no-1-in-e-flat-major-mc0002366668 (Accessed February 2014)

Bibliography

0:00-0:30 Introduction- Begins minor with the cellos and contrabasses. Tempo quickens, introducing flutes, oboes and violins

0:30-1:00 Repetition- a brief repetition of the previously heard melody

1:00-1:30 Verse #1- Woodwinds and horns create the verse with several versions of ascending and descending scales

Listening Guide

1:30-2:00 Verse #1- The verse nears completion with a solo from the oboe section with accompaniment from all of the strings. The percussion plays a loud rumble accenting the verse.

2:00-2:30 Verse#1/Chorus- The verse comes to an end with the horns and percussion. The chorus begins with the obvious melody heard in the beginning of the piece.

2:30-3:00 Chorus ending/ Verse #2- The violins mimic the woodwinds. The form of the piece is better displayed here.

3:00-3:30 Verse#2- This part is very march like played by the entire symphony with percussion playing the upbeat. Suddenly the march stops and a beautiful melody continues.

3:30-4:00 Verse #2- A new theme is introduced but is soon broken up by the horns.

4:00-4:30 Melody Variation/ Chorus- The original melody moves to minor played by the cellos and bass.

4:30-5:00 Mimicking Variation/ Chorus- Each section mimics each other while the other sections accompany.

5:00-5:30 Verse#3- This is a completely different verse with a new melody. However the original melody makes its way back.

5:30-6:00 Repetition- The third verse repeats.6:00-7:00 Dynamics- This is the section where

dynamics carry the whole symphony. Soft tones from the flutes are contradicted with harsh tones from the horns.

7:00-8:00 Chorus- The chorus from the beginning is repeated with out any variations.

8:00-9:00 Verse#4- In this verse we hear a new melody giving the contrast the piece needs to stay appealing to the audience.

9:00-10:00 Verse#4- The verse continues with only the use of a variation of the melody in a different key.

10:00-11:00 Scales- This segment is all about scales. A variety of scales make their way into the piece.

11:00-12:00 Ending- A tempo change is the only modification in this section. A slower tempo could foreshadow the ending of the song.

12:00-End Final goodbyes- The tempo slows significantly and the melody ends with the same instruments as it began with. A short scale leads up to the final chord played in major.