Wes Montgomery’s version is a fast-paced swing tune, while Duke Ellington’s is much slower and more solo focused. The rhythm style switches in Ellington’s piece changes, but is principally Latin. The bass walks at some points in Duke’s version. Wes piece features guitar with a horn line adding accents, while Duke’s features trombone, clarinet, and violin soloing, with trumpet introducing the theme and melody. Wes version features a tuba. Both songs revolve around solos after melody was introduced. Duke’s version had a clarinet playing a counter melody and adding accents. During the fiddle solo in Duke’s piece, the bass began walking and the piece changed style completely before shifting back to Latin. The legato trombone of Ellington contrasts with the sharp staccato trumpet accents of Montgomery
Friday, December 3, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Listening Blog Quarter 1 YAY
The shrovetide from petrushka starts with a solo flute playing a sweet, pleasant melody. The strings play softly in the background. Harp accents the solo, along with a stronger string melody. A trumpet solo then plays, followed by a large-scale repetition of the theme. Plucked strings are heard, then a descent into a less sweet sounding melody, which an oboe solo interrupts. These two parts switch off. A rather dainty melody is heard. Bells are heard in the background. The melody is dance like. The more serious melody is then heard from the strings. This excerpt starts off very sweet and springlike, but towards the end, more of the serious melody is heard. The dance part in the middle of the piece is rather festive (it is a fair after all). This descent from sweetness to seriousness follows the descent from happiness before lent to sadness during lent.
The crowds starts with a repetition of the theme heard in the shrovetide section of petrushka. Plucked strings precede a more staccato melody. The piece switches between the staccato section and the theme. Solo trumpet is heard above this switch. Near the end, an imposing and anticipatory section is heard. The piece continues the descent form happiness. The more serious parts are becoming more frequent, and the theme parts are becoming less pleasant. The piece flows less than the shrovetide and all-together seems more hectic. The repetitive strings build tension throughout the piece. The trumpet line is very urgent, as opposed to the more triumphant timbre used in the first piece.
A pleasant oboe solo accented by harp and strings, then solo violin, then flute and finally horn begin the princess part of the firebird. Strings continue the melody, with horn playing over them. High flute precedes the return to the original melody. Plucked bass plays under the solo parts. A crescendo is accented by horn twice. Plucked strings precede a tense section. The strings join the solo parts. Trumpet, horn and flute play over a very light string part at the end. The piece shows the princess being happy, but having some problems as well. The tense sections are not abrupt, but are built towards. Tension here is a relative term, the piece in general being very flowing and sweet.
The infernal dance begins with a timpani roll underneath an angry low bras line, where the last two notes are repeatedly accented by tuba. This line lacks a pleasant tone, instead employing a duck-like timbre. The piece seems to speed up. Large hits accent are scattered throughout. A tense section is interrupted by repeated notes from brass. A helter-skelter section ends with glockenspiel. Flute flutters are heard with random brass accents. A somewhat sweet string melody is heard, accented by trumpet. plucked strings and brass outline the theme heard at the beginning. Squakish trumpet is heard. Tension builds with an accelerando. A drone like sound is heard before the climax. A frantic string melody follows the crescendo. Finally a fast section builds towards an eerie flute and oboe melody part. This "dance" is very dynamic both in mood and instrumentation. More low parts are used to suggest the male kashchey as opposed the female princess. The king is not happy so the frantic and scatterbrained changes in the piece make sense. The pleasant string melody was a surprise, but the piece would seem too frenetic without it. The unpleasant tone of the low brass at the beginning as well as the trumpet's tone highlight the unpleasant nature of the king.
The finale of the firebird starts with a legato horn solo over strings. A harp accents the transition of the is melody to the strings. Tension is brought by other strings. A large crescendo brings the piece to a dramatic brass highlighted repetition of the melody. The piece then speeds with the melody being played by brass. The melody then slows down, with a triumphant tone from all parts. Tuba accents the end of each melodic sequence. Triangle is heard followed by a dramatic crescendo of long tones towards the end. The finale is a fitting end for the firebird. The excitement and feeling of triumph build throughout the piece. Ivan has finally beaten the king, and the 2nd half of the finale celebrates this triumph over evil. The horn solo introduces a sense of finality to the rest of the piece, and the audience knows this is the end.
The crowds starts with a repetition of the theme heard in the shrovetide section of petrushka. Plucked strings precede a more staccato melody. The piece switches between the staccato section and the theme. Solo trumpet is heard above this switch. Near the end, an imposing and anticipatory section is heard. The piece continues the descent form happiness. The more serious parts are becoming more frequent, and the theme parts are becoming less pleasant. The piece flows less than the shrovetide and all-together seems more hectic. The repetitive strings build tension throughout the piece. The trumpet line is very urgent, as opposed to the more triumphant timbre used in the first piece.
A pleasant oboe solo accented by harp and strings, then solo violin, then flute and finally horn begin the princess part of the firebird. Strings continue the melody, with horn playing over them. High flute precedes the return to the original melody. Plucked bass plays under the solo parts. A crescendo is accented by horn twice. Plucked strings precede a tense section. The strings join the solo parts. Trumpet, horn and flute play over a very light string part at the end. The piece shows the princess being happy, but having some problems as well. The tense sections are not abrupt, but are built towards. Tension here is a relative term, the piece in general being very flowing and sweet.
The infernal dance begins with a timpani roll underneath an angry low bras line, where the last two notes are repeatedly accented by tuba. This line lacks a pleasant tone, instead employing a duck-like timbre. The piece seems to speed up. Large hits accent are scattered throughout. A tense section is interrupted by repeated notes from brass. A helter-skelter section ends with glockenspiel. Flute flutters are heard with random brass accents. A somewhat sweet string melody is heard, accented by trumpet. plucked strings and brass outline the theme heard at the beginning. Squakish trumpet is heard. Tension builds with an accelerando. A drone like sound is heard before the climax. A frantic string melody follows the crescendo. Finally a fast section builds towards an eerie flute and oboe melody part. This "dance" is very dynamic both in mood and instrumentation. More low parts are used to suggest the male kashchey as opposed the female princess. The king is not happy so the frantic and scatterbrained changes in the piece make sense. The pleasant string melody was a surprise, but the piece would seem too frenetic without it. The unpleasant tone of the low brass at the beginning as well as the trumpet's tone highlight the unpleasant nature of the king.
The finale of the firebird starts with a legato horn solo over strings. A harp accents the transition of the is melody to the strings. Tension is brought by other strings. A large crescendo brings the piece to a dramatic brass highlighted repetition of the melody. The piece then speeds with the melody being played by brass. The melody then slows down, with a triumphant tone from all parts. Tuba accents the end of each melodic sequence. Triangle is heard followed by a dramatic crescendo of long tones towards the end. The finale is a fitting end for the firebird. The excitement and feeling of triumph build throughout the piece. Ivan has finally beaten the king, and the 2nd half of the finale celebrates this triumph over evil. The horn solo introduces a sense of finality to the rest of the piece, and the audience knows this is the end.
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