Music Assignment
On Saturday October 27, at 7:30 PM I attended a Senior Half Recital given by the Department of Music at Ohio Northern University Getty College of Arts and Sciences. The director was Hannah Harding a pianist who was assisted by Alma Whetsel also a pianist. This recital focused on four musical selections which were Fantasia No.3 by Mozart, Prelude No.20 and No.4 both by Chopin, Piano Sonato No. 8 by Beethoven, and Morning Mood by Greig. I was extremely drawn to the style, sound and mood of the melody generated by Prelude #4 and Morning Mood.
The first piece of music that I immensely liked was Prelude #4 created by Frederick Chopin and focused on the piano as the key instrument. The term prelude means a piece or movement that serves as an introduction to another section or composition, or in the case of a piano piece of music, refers a similar but independent composition for the piano. This selection starts off with a deep steady pace created by the base keys of the piano. As the base keys play, a deep harmony is achieved in the background as it frames the abysmal sounds of the leading melody. The texture of the sound reminded me of a beating heart trying to contain itself as it was in the presence of someone it was drawn to but was not familiar with them. The tone was very steady and had heaviness to it with dynamics that held a predictable pattern after listening to the rhythm as it repeated itself a second time.
Although this is a very beautiful piece it has a haunting mood attached to an arpeggio of steady sounds that can be romantic and lonely at the same time. I found it to be amazing how one instrument could carry such a tone and create mixed emotions of romance and loneliness at the same time from a few cords that were being repeated in a steady but slightly off balanced pattern. The melody is conjunct - straightforward, simple and oscillating - and technically, the piece appears to be easy to play, but the complexity lies in the music itself.
The first piece of music that I immensely liked was Prelude #4 created by Frederick Chopin and focused on the piano as the key instrument. The term prelude means a piece or movement that serves as an introduction to another section or composition, or in the case of a piano piece of music, refers a similar but independent composition for the piano. This selection starts off with a deep steady pace created by the base keys of the piano. As the base keys play, a deep harmony is achieved in the background as it frames the abysmal sounds of the leading melody. The texture of the sound reminded me of a beating heart trying to contain itself as it was in the presence of someone it was drawn to but was not familiar with them. The tone was very steady and had heaviness to it with dynamics that held a predictable pattern after listening to the rhythm as it repeated itself a second time.
Although this is a very beautiful piece it has a haunting mood attached to an arpeggio of steady sounds that can be romantic and lonely at the same time. I found it to be amazing how one instrument could carry such a tone and create mixed emotions of romance and loneliness at the same time from a few cords that were being repeated in a steady but slightly off balanced pattern. The melody is conjunct - straightforward, simple and oscillating - and technically, the piece appears to be easy to play, but the complexity lies in the music itself.