White Concert Critique Sample

On March 30th, 2017 I attended the Lower Brass Ensemble at White Concert Hall at Washburn University. The concert consisted of trombones, bass trombones, euphoniums, and tubas. The program included two sections by different conductors. The first section, conducted by Jason Tacker, played “Fanfare,” “Adagio for Tubas,” and “Prelude in C-sharp Minor.” The second section, conducted by Karen Ballard, played “Sonata a Quattro,” “Down in the River to Pray,” and “Habanera (from Carmen).” I chose to attend this particular concert because I wondered how dynamic the selections would be with only one family of instruments. I was surprised at how the music did not fall flat and was still vibrant with only brass instruments. The area the performance did fall short was the performers did not seem engaged in the music and were just going through the motions. In-between a few selections, performers would switch seats, which I felt broke up the performance. Also between the two sections, the performers exited the stage, which I felt was awkward because you could hear the performers talking behind the stage. However, both conductors were fluid with their motions and bowed between each selection to mark the completion of one selection and the beginning of another. There were not a lot of visual effects in use of this performance. During a few pieces the lights would
dim with the playing of the trombones, which created a dramatic effect. I think there could have been more visual effects that would have added to the performance. The audience was very small and mainly consisted of the parents or other family members of the small low brass ensemble. They followed traditional conventions, including clapping between pieces, although, the audience was not expected to participate. It was difficult during this concert to recognize the different elements of the music.
I think it was due to the fact that I have been used to watching concerts and different excerpts online during which I know what to look for. “Adagio for Tubas” and “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor” were my favorite pieces of the concert. “Adagio for Tubas” has a slow tempo, however it utilized cadences to create contrast as different brass instruments would add to the melody after each cadence. “Prelude in c-Sharp Minor” is fortissimo and dramatic. The piece creates dissonance in its harmony, which I thought created an interesting
sound. Overall I preferred the first section of the concert. The pieces were more dynamic and I enjoyed the melody. I would recommend fellow Washburn students attend a concert by the lower brass ensemble. It is much different comparing the concerts I viewed online by professionals to this concert by students. However, the ensemble put on a good performance and I think other college students would appreciate the music.