9/24/12

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Today was a very interesting class and has made me look forward to the upcoming opera because I enjoyed listening to classical music and learning more about it. Just by listening to the different pieces carefully, and seeing the different patterns, I learned a little bit about sheet music today and how the different elements of music come into play in the composition of a piece.

When professor Kahan first handed out the sheet music for the different pieces of music, I was completely lost. All of the notes on the pages were a mystery to me, it was like someone gave me a novel written in Greek and told me to take a glance at it. Then when professor Kahan told us to look at the sheet while she played “Praeludium I” I came to understand the sheet a little better, which was very interesting. I saw that there was three different notes being played repeatedly, with one note being the dominant one. Then, when she played “Praeludium II,” I saw the same notes on the page and the same pattern, however the notes were put much closer together and there were more notes on the page. When professor Kahan began to play this piece, it became very clear that having these changes in the piece created an entirely different feeling to the music. Although both pieces had the same harmony and melody, they had different rhythms and textures, which completely affected the emotions given off by the pieces. The first piece had a very calming tune, while the second was described very well as a “Malevolent machine.”

On a very personal note, today’s seminar class was nice change for me. Instead of focusing on analyzing paintings like we have been, we analyzed music. I have always found classical music to be more interesting than art. I think this is because I have always had a strong interest in learning how to play an instrument.

9/24/12

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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.

9/24/12

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In the beginning of Seminar today, we first discussed the four basic elements of music. They are rhythm, melody, harmony, and timbre/texture. The only one that left me a little perplexed was timbre, which by definition means the character or quality of a musical sound or voice. After the foundation of music was laid out, we delved deeper and explained the fact that music without text leaves meaning to the imagination. When the context isn’t provided for the listener better known as the audience, it’s up to one’s bountiful imagination to put two and two together, and come up with the deeper meaning behind it all. All four elements of music work together, but in some pieces one of the four will strike you the most, making it more prominent than the others.

I think that sometimes the notes of the song sound just like what its like when it’s sung. Melodies evoke a sense of feeling that can range from happy to sad and cheerful to gloomy. For example, West Side Story is a modern take on Romeo and Juliet. It takes place in the upper West Side of New York City, which in the 1960s was controlled by lots of gangs, and bestowed the name “ghetto.” We soon transitioned and listened to various works by the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. I brought up the point that different sounds evoke a wide range of emotions. If the composer plays louder, I think it hints at the fact a climax is present. Johann Bach’s first praeludium, I think depicted emotions of calmness, and the notion of bittersweet. His second praeludium was a little different in the way that it evoked emotions such as: darkness, suspense, franticness, and dystopia. I think it’s kind of ironic that the rhythm, cords, and melody can all be the same but get different emotions because of the variant configuration of elements. One of the last works we listened to was The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. In this case, I think timbre matters because if it’s high or low, it’ll evoke different emotions; in this particular one timbre got really loud and intense symbolizing the climax. In fact, this music was written for a ballet. This particular class has definitely taught me not only the basic elements of music, but the concept that the way you see something can be completely different in the way another person views it, even though its played the exact same way. This idea relates back to Ways of Seeing, perception is everything!

I Feel Pretty, 9/24

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I have been a student for the majority of my life, a dozen years to be precise.  Throughout all of elementary school, junior high and high school, I have never experienced a student sing in any of my classes, ever.  I did, however, have music class in elementary school.  There was, technically, plenty of singing in that class but the students just muttered the words in order to get through the class.  Other than that class, it is hard to fathom that with all the teachers and broad range of classes I had, the teachers or professors never asked a student to sing.  This is why I adored this session of Seminar, something new was involved.

In order to develop a point about the elements of music, Professor Kahan asked a student to sing something from the film, West Side Story.  I mentioned the song, I Feel Pretty, which the professor seemed to like because she knew how to play the song on the piano and she asked a student to sing it.  Personally, I love the song; it is comical, simple and singing along is easy.  Nobody sang along the student though, probably because everyone wanted to sit back and listen to the student’s great voice, including myself.

I take pleasure in the fact that the class has such a light and musical atmosphere.  I would have never thought that I would experience such a whimsical class in college, especially my freshman year.  In a year full of monotone general education courses, I pray towards the next class a song like, I Feel Pretty, will be relevant.

 

Seminar 9-24-12

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I never really understood music. Music was just something that I listened to and took for granted. When listening, I never consciously paid attention to what was going on in the background. If it sounded good, I listened. That all changed after sitting through this week’s lecture. After talking about the different aspects of music, including rhythm, melody or tune, harmony, timbre and texture, I realized there was more to music then an appealing sound. Who knew that you needed all of these things to come together to form musical piece!

To illustrate all of these aspects coming together, Professor Kahan asked Naomi to sing a few lines of “I’m So Pretty” from West Side Story. (She really did a great job being put on the spot like that!) This demonstrated how each element contributes to the finished piece. The singer provides the melody. The piano or music provides rhythm to keep the singer in time while increasing the texture of the piece. When it all comes together correctly, the harmony is fantastic! I had absolutely no clue that music had so many variables.

Another piece we examined was “Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky. The piece started out very soft and relaxing, as if I was alone in a peaceful forest. All of a sudden, it sounds like someone is tiptoeing softly towards me. The first thing that came to mind was Elmer Fudd in “Rabbit Season” with Bugs Bunny. After a few seconds of this soft music, the tempo increased and I felt like I was reliving a scene from “Jaws“. The change in tune and tempo invoked several different emotions in me throughout the piece.

Now, we were asked to take everything that we discussed about the pieces and apply it to an opera. As a class, we watched a scene from Camille, a 1936 movie about a man professing his love to a courtesan at a social engagement. In the scene we watched, it took the man about 35 seconds to explain to the woman that he was was madly in love with her. We then watched a scene from La Traviata, in which a man essentially does the same exact thing, however it took the singer 10 times longer to express that same emotion with the same amount of enthusiasm. Yet, the amount of emotion invoked in the opera viewer is incomparable. I guess that that is what makes the opera the opera. The heartfelt emotion and enthusiasm of an opera can make anything feel more beautiful and romantic!

Stephanie Solanki, 9/24/12

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I thoroughly and completely enjoyed today’s class session. I am a musician; I play guitar and sing in my church’s band every Sunday and can also play guitar classically. Music theory is something that I’d love to get into. I think that this was a very toned-down type of theory class, which made me so happy.

The four fundamental components of music are rhythm, melody, harmony, and timbre/texture. I knew what the first three were very well, but timbre/texture were knew terms to me. I loved listening to the different pieces and seeing the different combinations of the “Big Four” components. It was so interesting how a little change in one of the components sets it apart from all other pieces.

“Praeludium I” was heavenly. I notices a very distinct rhythm set by the 1st and 5th notes. the bass notes add a depth in the middle of the song that contrasts the dominant high notes of the melody. The homogeneity created a soothing feeling, like a lullaby. There was no climax. Volume and dynamics create a climax, but this piece was very tranquil.

“Praeludium II” was not calming. It was rather suspenseful. Dr. Kahan said it was like a “malevolent machine,” a concept that I’ve never thought of before, but I realized how well it  fit the piece. Different configuration of basic elements of music create a different sound. Dissonant notes in this piece set it apart from the first piece in which the notes were consonant.

In the “Rite of Spring” by Stravinsky, I noticed a very strong bassline. There was a dominant, repetitive melody broken up by they elimination of the bass to transition from one melody to another. I thought it was interesting that the harmonies among the instruments created an eerie sound. There was a very futuristic sounding strings part paired with a basic 1-2 bass rhythm. I also noticed the contrast of the staccato baseline paired with very long sounds in the background.

In Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” I thought it was so interesting that Dr. Kahan said “more humanity, as represented by more instruments, is added to the tune.”  There were different musical events occurring under the dominant melody in the piece. The staccato bassline contrasts the fluid dominant melody provided by upper string instruments. The climax in the piece was a departure from the standard tune of “Ode to Joy” and is brought on by the fast beat of the upper strings.

We then looked at the use of music in productions, like in a movie and an opera performance. In “Camille” with Greta Garbo, there was quicker pace. In “Un di felice” from “La Traviata,” the music was like a waltz. It was an aria. It had a slower pace, which made the content or text of the song more dramatic and realistic. It illustrates the process of him falling in love with her, rather than just a love-at-first-sight type of infatuation in “Camille” where he remembers what she was wearing.

 

 

Introduction to Music: 9/24/12

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Let me begin this post by saying that music is a hobby for me.  I can’t play any instruments or read music, but I do enjoy listening to music, regardless of genre or artist, and I am always willing to listen to new types of music.  Today in Seminar, we began by identifying the Four Basic Principles of Music, and applying them to Praeludium 1 and Praeludium 2.  Dr. Kahan played both pieces of music on the piano for us, which was beautiful to listen to.  We were asked to describe what emotions the two pieces of music brought about when we heard them and because the two pieces were slightly different, so were the responses and feelings that the music evoked.  Praeludium 1 was soft, pretty, calming, the undertone to the song, Ave Maria.  It was repetitive, but it also had a climax that everybody was able to recognize.  Each of us thought of a similar but slightly different scene which could be put to this piece of music.  For most of us, it was a romance scene, with the climax being a conflict, for example, a reason the two lovers could not be together.  I thought that Praeludium 1 was enjoyable and relaxing, and I could easily put the image of a love story to the music.  That was great for me, since I’m a very big fan of romance stories.

Praeludium 2 was the same repetition of notes, and had a similar configuration, but it was frantic, rapid, and not at all soothing.  This compilation consisted of dissonant chords, whereas Praeludium 1 consisted of consonant chords.  Praeludium 2 had the distinct sound of something like a mechanical machine.  It was also very repetitive, but the sound was much harsher and “crunchier” than Praeludium 1.  While I found Praeludium 1 to be soothing and enjoyable, I also enjoyed Praeludium 2.  It was exciting and fast – moving, and in my head, I imagined it to be the music for a chase, or something adventurous and interesting.

While I enjoyed analyzing both pieces of music, and listening to Dr. Kahan play them with such elegance and skill, my favorite part of class was beginning to look at the opera.  We were first shown a clip from the movie, Camille.  In this clip, we see a man telling Camille, played by Greta Garbo, that he loves her, and the following scene finds her telling him not to love her, because she likes her life the way it is, and is not capable of love.  We then saw this same scene, but in an opera format.  We were shown a clip from La Traviata, by Guiseppe Verdi, starring Placido Domingo, a famous tenor.  This scene is showing the same conversation as Camille – a man expressing his love for Camille and her turning him down.  However, in the opera, it is expressed with much more feeling and emotion.  In the movie format, the whole scene takes about 3 seconds. In the opera, this conversation takes about 3 minutes.  The opera has the ability, I think, to take any scene or conversation, and make it beautiful and emotional.  It gives the audience something more than the mere drama of the movie screen.  I enjoyed seeing both versions of the story, but especially the opera, and I became interested in seeing what happens in the rest of the story.

I look forward to our continuing lectures about music – its form, its compilation, and everything that contributes to the art of music.  Just as with art, I find it interesting to analyze different pieces of music and uncover what they contribute or contributed to society.

Wednesday 9/19

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When Dr. Liu prepared the class for the art gallery that featured the work of Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, he made me excited to see the collection; Dr. Liu explained that Scheuchzer incorporated art, science and religion in his work and I was curious as to how someone can combine his different passions in such different study areas to create a masterpiece.  When I initially glanced at the art, I only saw a direct depiction of biblical verses; however, upon further inspection, I discovered the intricate details of the people, animals and plants that only one knowledgeable in the science behind them would know to include.  In a depiction of Genesis Cap I. V.26, Scheuchzer includes images of skeletons and fetuses.  His knowledge of science is evident in the details of the anatomy; every bone is taken into consideration and accounted for.  In fact, it is the science behind the work that makes the art so great; like the Greeks who valued the beauty of the human body, Scheuchzer uses the beauty of anatomy to create art.

I think it is inspiring that the artist was able to pursue his different fields of interests and create a masterpiece in the process.  I hope that during my four years in college, I too will be open-minded to the different areas of study and will “expand my frames of reference.”

Seminar Sept. 19, 2012 – Dr. Liu’s Discussion

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During class on September 19th, Dr. Charles Liu came and spoke to us about the art gallery that was on display at CSI. In his discussion, he mentioned how hundreds of years ago, people could potentially master all fields of study. Now, however, it is impossible to do so. If I recall correctly, he said that every 15-20 years or so, the amount of collective knowledge doubles. And so now, there is simply not enough time for one person to study everything in a lifetime. There’s just too much to know. That simple thought stuns me, honestly. This world really is a huge place, and it just continues to grow. I am likely going into business, and so my education will be tailored towards that as I move along in my college career. Others are going to go into different fields and their educations will be tailored towards whatever it is they choose to become. I think it’s a shame that we can’t really learn everything. There are so many fascinating things out there, and there’s just too little time to take them all in. However, it’s not impossible to do more than one thing. I play guitar and sing in my free time, and I’d like to take some music classes to try to enhance my musical knowledge (and hopefully my musical ability), even though I don’t plan on becoming a musician when I’m older. And so, I definitely think that other people can try to study other things on the side as well. There are endless possibilities in this world and while we can’t know everything, we can delve into multiple things at once.

Lecture and art gallery Wednesday 9/19

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In class on Wednesday, we discussed how two polar opposite subjects such as religion and science can be united through art. Dr. Liu’s lecture before we visited the art exhibit was very interesting and I found his ideas to be applicable to my own life. He posed an interesting point: a few hundred years ago it was plausible that one person could be an expert in all fields of study and seemingly “know everything”. However, today that is clearly an impossible feat, a lifetime can be spent studying one thing. He said that many people feel trapped in one particular interest or passion, but how that should not be the case. He discussed his passion for astronomy, physics and other fields of science, yet also for art. I have always been very interested in science when it comes to academics. Recently I began to play the guitar and create my own music and art. The idea of finding a balance resonated well with me, and my appreciation for all kinds of art has increased. The lecture also made the art show much more enjoyable and understandable.