MUSIC APPRECIATIONUnit 3 – From the Audience’s Perspective

Four Levels of Listening◦ Oblivious (Subconscious)– Music as background

noise◦ Emotional (Conscious)– React to the emotion of

the music◦ Perceptive (Analytical)– Listening to answer the

question – “What is going on in the music right now?”

◦ Peak (Revelatory)– Combines Perceptive and Emotional – ultimate response to music (“goose bump” feeling)

◦ Each level is valuable for different reasons

PERCEPTIVE LISTENING

Listen to John Williams’ “Liberty Fanfare” which celebrated the 100 anniversary of the Statue of Liberty

How does the composer command our attention? Write your thoughts in your notebook – Be prepared to discuss your answer

Listen again and answer◦ 1. Does awareness of what is going on in the music

help you to get more out of it?◦ 2. What is the function of this music?◦ 3. Who is the intended audience?◦ 4. Does knowing this help increase your response?

LISTEN PERCEPTIVELY

Listening to music in public requires personal attentiveness

Reaction to music should be based on type of music performed, where it is played and how it is being used◦ Football game◦ Dance◦ Orchestra Concert◦ Rock ConcertThe music of any style can be listened to with a

serious or a light-hearted mood

BEING AN AUDIENCE MEMBER

CATEGORIES OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Also includes brass instruments as well

Trumpets, Trombones and Tubas are aerophones

Aerophones◦ Instruments that produce

sound by a vibrating column of air

◦ Usually these consist of a pipe made out of wood, metal or plastic with a reed attached

◦ Examples Flute Oboe Clarinet Sax Bassoon

Idiophones◦ Simple, solid

instruments that produce sound when struck, scraped or shaken

◦ Examples Gongs Cymbals Rattles Xylophone

CATEGORIES OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Membranophones◦ Instruments that

make sound when a stretched out skin is struck

◦ Examples Snare drum Bongos Tympani

CATEGORIES OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Chordophones◦ Instruments that

create sound when a string is struck, plucked or bowed

◦ Examples Violin Cello Guitar Piano

CATEGORIES OF INSTRUMENTS

Electrophones◦ Instruments that

generate sound from electricity Examples Electric Guitar Electric Bass Synthesizer

CATEGORIES OF INSTRUMENTS

Composed in 1946 by English composer Benjamin Britten

Purpose to introduce instruments of the orchestra to students

Theme is based on a melody composed by Englishmen Henry Purcell (lived in 1600s)

Theme is first presented by entire orchestra

A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Next, each section presents the theme◦ Woodwind Section◦ Brass Section◦ String Section◦ Percussion Section◦ Full Orchestra

A Young Persons…cont.

Next, there are several variations played by instruments

Variations change the melody in terms of rhythm, mood, dynamics, etc.

Woodwinds are first◦ Var. 1Flute and piccolo◦ Var. 2 Oboe◦ Var. 3 Clarinet◦ Var. 4 Bassoon

A Young Person’s …cont.

Next set of variations feature the strings◦ Var. 5 Violins◦ Var. 6 Violas◦ Var. 7 Cellos◦ Var. 8 Double basses◦ Var. 9 Harp

A Young Person’s …cont.

The brasses are featured next◦ Var. 10 French horns◦ Var. 11 Trumpets◦ Var. 12 Trombones and Tubas

A Young Person’s …cont.

Percussion is featured in Vat. 13◦ Tympani, bass drum, snare drum◦ Tambourine, triangle, wood block◦ Xylophone◦ Castanets and gong◦ Whip◦ Entire ensemble

A Young Person’s …cont.

A new tune is played by piccolo The other instruments enter, each playing

the same tune After woodwinds, strings, brass and

percussion have their turns, the theme returns in the brass and the piece concludes

A Young Person’s…cont.

Composer Benjamin Britten

Create a 5 slide power point presentation on the instrument of your choosing

You may work with a partner Be sure to include at least four different pictures of your instrument Your slides should contain

1. Range of the instrument2. Brief history of the instrument3. Uses of the instrument4. Classification of the instrument5. How the instrument is played

UNIT 3 PROJECT

Directions: Listen to the following musical excerpts and identify all the timbres and instruments producing the sound you hear. Then, classify the instruments according to the appropriate category(ies). (All five are represented)

IDENTIFY INSTRUMENTS

1. Bluegrass band Bill Monroe

2. Sextet: woodwind Fancis Poulenc and the Philadelphia Quintet

3. Blues Band B.B. King

4. Brass quintet Canadian Brass

5. String Quartet Budapest Quartet/Hayden

6. Motown group The Temptations

7. Double Reed soloist Thomas Stacy

Listen to two versions of Bach’s Toccata in D Minor and determine which you like best

Determine which category fits each version. Write each description and place an “O” if it describes the organ version or “S” if it describes the symphony version◦ 1. Obvious contrast of dynamics (loud and soft)◦ 2. Use of crescendo/decrescendo◦ 3. Tempo (beat) is steady◦ 4. Variations in tempo (ritardando)◦ 5. Smooth almost sluggish articulation◦ 6. Crisp articulation◦ 7. Limited dynamic range◦ 8. Expansive dynamic range◦ 9. Limited tone color◦ 10. Expansive range of tone color

COMPARE PERFORMANCES

Answer the following questions in your notebook 1. Bach might have performed his Toccata on the organ

of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. This long, narrow and high building had a reverberation (echo) of 3.5 seconds. How does Stakowski take that phenomenon into consideration in his orchestral transcription?

2. Bach, who was acknowledged as the greatest improviser of his day, probably created this brilliant Toccata on the spot as a prelude or recessional to the religious service. How does Stakowski’s transcription, which was intended for the concert hall, take away from or add to the sacred and mystical character of the composition?

COMPARE PERFORMACES II