In today’s class, we discussed the role of different time periods on music. As different periods passed, our perspective on what’s racist and what isn’t has drastically changed. What could’ve once been assumed to be racist now, wasn’t then even though the music might contain stereotypes about different cultures. They might have believed this depiction to be accurate because they’re real cultural exposure was limited as they learned about other cultures through paintings viewed and what was learned in the confines of their studies.

Another musical talent was the name of Mendelson who used his life experiences and turned them into art forms. This related to the conversation of racism because in his piece, “Scottish symphony” might sound racist but was only what he thought was a proper depiction of scotland from what he experienced there. Mendelson also wrote a piece that was universally well known which is the wedding march from “A midsummer Night’s dream”.

For plays, composers were paid to write “incidental music” which would be played between breaks in plays and Mendelson was one of them.  His vast educational background, allowed him to understand what Shakespeare’s plays would be most appropriate with. While this piece was intended as incidental music, it is often played by itself because of its depth and individuality.

We also compared the script of the play to the reading in Washington Square. In our discussion of Washington Square, we discussed Catherine’s physical characteristics and the actresses chosen to play her in various films. An actress of simple features would best be fit for Catherine. In this novel, James purposefully set the story back 30 years (1850) because in 1861, the civil war started which James did not want to make part of the story. Economically, 1850 was calm so no economic factors would have to be mentioned because that could drastically change the story. The name of the novel is Washington Square because it evokes a feeling of calamity because the environment is very pleasant, even today. It also makes the storyline vague because if the title was something along the lines of “The heiress”, the readers will already be aware of what the story might be about.

We started with an older movie called the Heiress. In the film Washington Square, Catherine is shown as being very awkward and the disappointment was apparent on Dr.Sloper’s face. But the lines about the significance of the dress Catherine wore was cut out, which is puzzling since it cuts out the fact that Catherine lives to impress her father. In comparison to the Heiress, this was filmed with many more angles, making Catherine seem much more awkward. But the storyline has definitely changed drastically. In the book, Aunt Penniman was supposed to introduce Catherine to Morris Townsend but in the film, Aunt Penniman only saw him after trying to get Catherine out in the open. In the Heiress, she might have been awkward but she was definitely much more elegant. Morris was also displayed as being classier in the Heiress than in the film Washington Square. Another difference is that Morris and Catherine were basically meeting for the first time but in the book and the Heiress, Morris was already aware of who Catherine was.

Today, we discussed Turandot and the first topic that came up was about Liu, who was the faithful servant. She could’ve been used as the foil character, as Naomi mentioned, to the princess because she was so selfless and didn’t see herself as worth anything whereas the princess was very aware of her high status. So her being the complete opposite of the princess was used to create a foil within in the opera. Her death was also not as relevant as the pursuit of the prince. This is common in Operas since the secondary characters don’t often get attended to as the main characters do.

Elisa noticed that while the audience applauded the actors/singers for minutes at a time, the orchestra was quick to get off the scene. This could be because playing instruments for hours at a time is even more physically exhausting than singing on stage for the same amount of time.

In regards to the music played, the music wasn’t what most would consider Chinese music today but was the 20^th century depiction of what Italian musicians believed Chinese music would sound like. The music was probably based off of stereotypical perspectives that existed during that time which would now probably be considered racist. In this very opera, certain types of intervals are used to present the impression of the scenario on set given off to the audience. For example, 5ths are used for primitive cultures which would depict them as being violent and aggressive which is a modern day example of racism. In Turandot, Liu’s music had a lot of fourths in her music in her melody making it sound quasi-Chinese allowing the listening subconscious to perceive it as being Chinese. This was present but wasn’t the main focus of the opera. It’s a challenge for the creators of operas to make it exotic but palatable and not overtly racist so they would have to be selective about the instruments used in the orchestra.

Fantasia is based off of a piece by Mark Warhovksy. Even if he was a musician, he never wrote down any of his music until he met another musician who discussed with the bigotry of that age. Professor Sirotta is going to perform with his orchestra is by Mark Warhovsky. I learned that the words and the melody of the a certain piece can trigger past memories in its clearest form which basically states that music is as a personal as it gets. The words mixed with the tune can also convey beautiful messages as shown in “OYFN Pripetshok” which many consider the second Jewish anthem because of the deep message embedded in the tune of the piece and its words.

Many musicians use the melody to shrine the instrument and at the same time show off their skill which goes back to previous discussions about vocalists/instrumentalists trying to give off a message while showing their musical capabilities. Variations in tunes shows the change in music styles in cultures and age. Normally, the variations follow the tune precisely even if the music sounds more and more complex; basically the same framework exists with new harmonies. Sirotta, like many other pieces, brings in the variation after introducing the melody and the tune in his piece which he will perform in the orchestra this Sunday.

Yesterday, both seminar classes went to see the first opera of the year and for me, the first opera of my life. I didn’t expect it be such a big deal because I just considered it another performance at first but looking at the way people dressed, the size of the theater and the behavior exhibited, I knew that the opera was much more personal than it was a physical depiction of a story.

When I walked in, I was astonished at the number of tiers of flights there were. Even though I was amazed, I wondered how the acoustics would sound or if i’d even be able to get a proper view of the stage. But the acoustics were amazing and I gained an appreciation for the vocal capacity of the singers because even though I was so high up in the balcony, their voices had great clarity. The set was realistic and visually appealing which I suppose was used to not only amplify the scenery of the story but to make the opera that much more inciting for the audience to see. Through out the entire opera, I kept wondering how the singers were able to sing so powerfully and what seemed to be so effortlessly, for hours at a time. Then I realized that the intermissions were not only for the audience to get refreshments and walk around but for the singers to give their voice a rest for a while before they had to come back with the same intensity. The audience was a giant critic and they would have noticed if the voice sounded different so the performers have to give their best the entire time.

The story line was simple but its depiction was brilliant with the voice and the Asian/Chinese instruments combined. As I have learned in Dr.Kahan’s class, the instruments can be used as the supporting backbone or even have as much intensity as the voice, both of which were used generously in this opera.

This experience was certainly very different than any other stage performance I’ve ever seen and I loved it in its entirety.

Today in Seminar, we were introduced to the different types of voices. In the men’s range, the lowest is the bass. Four of the most famous opera piece writers are Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and Biget who wrote Carmen, a seductress with a slithery voice. Opera was created around 1600 when the idea of being vocal talents and showing off the extreme voice range became appealing in society. The range in opera requires the singers to preserve their body and lead a very disciplined way of life. When opera was first introduced, Mozart was inspired by the Cultural Revolution and wrote pieces that mocked the aristrocracy lifestyle.

There are two main types sung in Opera: Recitativo and Aria. Recitativo is used to get the speech out but is not memorable in terms of tune. Aria is more significant in which the singer expresses one expression or thought and it is where the musical talent in the vocals was shown off. The main tune is sung twice and the creativity is allowed the second time around when the singer is allowed to improvise. To get a taste of an aria, Dr.Kahan let us listen to Don Giovanni which was a light-hearted comedy about rape. Obviously, rape is no laughing matter but it was part of Mozart’s attempts at mocking and criticizing society.

Next up from bass are the baritones. Baritones tend to be the serious character while tenners tend to the comical character. An example would be Largo al factotum by John Rawnsley which is a comical song. This is a physically demanding role because of the animated performance and the fast vocals. This is intentional since it sets off a comical tone. The music is identical to his singing; quick-witted and fast paced.

Librettists are the mechanics behind vocals as they know how the vocals work and know how to use it to properly to define a character. An example is in the Opera version of “Othello” in which Iago uses his voice to explain his vicious plan of bringing down Othello. The range of the voice and the loud orchestra combine to show his malicious plans. The Aria is used after already defining the character’s motives so the audience is already aware and can now delve further into his character. This is an example of a dramatic baritone which shows how he is inflamed with his evil motives. This range definitely stresses his vocals because it challenges a man’s range.

We heard Nessum Dorma by the Luciano Pavarotti who the most famous tener in the world, 3 different times to see how his vocal talent grew from when was 40 to 58 to well into his 70s. In comparison to the first performance, the power in his voice was much stronger and finale was much longer. It was surprising to me that no matter how many times i’ve heard the same piece, I never grew tired. Instead, I loved it even more because the passion seemed more and more each time. The last time, had a much shorter finale but the passion was still intense. By his facial motions and body language, I can tell that he really connects with the meaning of the song.

The lowest type of voice for women is the alto. Since women tend to be concentrated in the soprano range, many different forms of soprano exist since women can specialize with their high range. A spinto soprano is when a voice can cut through an orchestra. Light lyric soprano is specifically for women who play the comic roles in the sopranos. Coloratura is soprano with high notes at a very fast pace.

Yesterday was the introduction to music. To start off the class, we learned the first four components of music which are rhythm, melody, harmony and timbre which is the texture of the piece. I learned how to keep an open ear to the piece because there are subtleties in the piece that are significant. In the piece “Praeludium I”, there was a constant note that was overshadowed by the melody and harmony but that’s only because I didn’t pay attention to the base notes. So when listening to the piece over again, I was able to hear it loud and clear this time. It’s almost surprising that something that seemed so clear to me the second was nonexistent the first time. I guess it means that as an inexperienced musician, I haven’t had the proper training yet to pat attention to small details which actually tie the entire piece together.

Praeludium I was very pleasant to the ears and it repetitive which adds to the overall pleasant theme. It was not written in the composition, but when portions of the piece were played louder than the rest, it almost sounded like there was a climax to the piece even if there might not have been because I associated the volume to the intensity of the emotion. It seemed even more like a climax when the loudness suddenly faded away and it returned back to its melodious rhythm. It felt as if the peak of someone’s life just finished, and the familiar feeling of leading a normal life returned. It’s as if I can create a story of someone’s successes and failures by just listening to the configuration and intensity of the notes.

Praeludium II seemed to be of the same notes but with a different configuration which changed the mood all together. I felt a since of franticness and the speed of the notes made me heart race like I had to keep up with the piece. It was certainly alarming but yet consisted of the same notes that made Praeludium I so relaxing which is quite interesting. The repetitive nature of this piece didn’t make it seem like there was a smoothness and softness of someone’s lifestyle. The repetitive nature made it seem as if someone’s life was endlessly disturbing and unsettling which is the opposite of Praeludium I. As Dr. Kahan put it,t was like a “malevolent machine”.

“Rite of Spring” by Stravinsky was tough for me because of the involvement of so many different instruments. I was confused on what to focus on or even clearly see what kind of instruments were playing when. According to Dr.Kahan, the piece starts with basses and cellos then incorporates wood wind instruments. I did hear another moment of climax though and similar to Praeludium I, after the intensity of the instruments, there was a brief moment of calamity which tells me that the peak of the tension that has been slowly building up is over but unexpectedly, the story intensified. This was certainly unique because the arrangement didn’t seem to have a flow even if it might have. Once again, I attribute this to my unfamiliarity with music.

Finally, we focused on “Camille” with Greta Garbo which was made into an opera called “La Traviata” and the one song that portrayed the scene from Camille was called “Un di felice”. This particular scene had the same content but was presented in completely different ways. What might have taken a few seconds to display in a movie, is elongated and filled with emotion in an opera. That was quite evident with this particular scene in which it took merely a few moments to let the woman know that the man loved her because it was straight forward. This might make the audience feel a certain way but it certainly doesn’t sway them like the opera does in which the depth of the love is written on the man’s face. His body language also enhanced his love and passion for her. The same confession this time tugs at the audience’s heart strings and heavily engages them which is  perhaps the reason why i’ve heard of many people crying at operas. It’s because of the incorporation of the melodious voices and the heaviness of the acting that harmonizes with the voices.

On Wednesday, Dr. Kahan showed us several clips from the movie “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” which made me realize that it takes observance to come to an epiphany about anything, especially something of an abstract nature. When a painter asked her to observe the clouds, she was quick to state the obvious: the clouds are white. But after focusing in, she realized that it was a mixture of colors, all the colors that had significance to her. Perhaps the yellow represented sun being hidden which means that the brightness of the sun is weak compared to the strength of the clouds. Without knowing her story, I can conclude that she might feel overpowered by a larger force or in this case, dominated by the demands of her religion/culture to cover her hair. She is also slightly dominated by the painter whose job to be creative forced her to remove the one thing that defined a woman: the covering over her hair. But the brightness was brought back to her when the painter started thinking creatively of her to use her luscious hair which made her look fiery in contrast to the paleness of her face. That’s perhaps the significance of the clouds to show that once the covering, as the clouds covered the sun, is removed a brightness shines from underneath.

I have no idea how to connect this to the title of the movie since I’ve only seen clips. Perhaps the Pearl Earring shows her brightness and how she was able to enlighten the painter with this brightness because eventually the painting that came from her uncovering her hair, became quite a beautiful and famous painting in society, even today. Similarly, the paintings in the Art Exhibit were difficult to understand at first glance, but reading into it shows its impact on culture through its representations of the brightness of the acts that people do in society. Both the movie and the Art Exhibit were inspirational to follow through with my passion and hopefully make an impact in the world.

Today in class, we viewed various paintings from Edward Hopper’s vast collection in which he depicts real life moments. I immediately noticed that he didn’t do a lot of meddling with the scene itself. He painted it as it is but of course, as many painters do, highlighted focal points through his color choices and the contours of the image itself. While these scenes might not have occurred, the viewer can witness these images all around them and is therefore able to use the relatable surroundings to bring meaning to the focal point of the painting.

For instance, in the 1921 “Night Shadows”, the painting itself is very cartoonish but the scene itself is more than common within our society. The painting  seems like a sketch but the use of the contrasting colors white and black brings immediate attention to what seems to be a very shady man in the middle of a vacant street corner. The contrasting color of white is used in between the darkness of black to isolate the man, making him the obvious focal point.  He is overpowered by the shadow of a streetlight but again, the reason why the streetlight is towering over him is not because the streetlight is of impossible disproportional measures but because our position as the critic of this particular scene is from an elevated height. So again, Hopper sticks to reality which is by using contrasting colors and different angles to bring definition to what is already present. The familiarity the viewers have with the scenario of seeing a strange man during a strange time of day, allows us to conclude that their is an abnormality with his presence. We put his small stature, which is again because of our great height with the colors used and with the towering shadow of the streetlight that dominates him, to create a conclusion that this man might be up to no good. Our understanding that resulted from this familiarity allows us to further analyze his physical use of angles, shades, and his coloring style. I personally thought he seemed sketchy from his isolation so I figured Hopper intended to use the sketch style to hint at the focal point’s “sketchy” behavior.

Regardless of the reality of the purpose of the painting, Hopper was successful in his attempt at using his style of bringing the familiarity of everyday situations to allow the viewers to make a conclusion. We are therefore able to question the endless possibilities because of the fact that we are so familiar. If Hopper were to use scenarios present only in oblivion, our thoughts might be a little more scattered because we may not be as rational as we are with his works.

Hopper seems to love the idea of mystery and ambiguity. His very own portrait has an incredible number of shadows on his own face which shows that only in reality, is he present. The viewers all know what a portrait is but the meaning behind his own is that there might be more to him than just what you see. His obsession with ambiguity is very apparent since even something so simple as a two dimensional visual presentation of someone’s face is skewed into being something that has to be further analyzed. For him, there is what a viewer sees and then what the viewer understands, making him unique because he seems to find detail and story in something that most people wouldn’t think much about.