Listening to Classical Music MUS 110 Listening Packet 3 Due Tuesday November 23 2021 Please complete each set of questions prior to the class for which these examples are assigned I recommend that you print a copy of this packet to complete your assignments check your responses during class and take notes as we discuss these examples Your responses may be brief as long as you demonstrate that you understand the material Completed packets should be uploaded to Blackboard by the end of day on the date given above Accepted formats DOC DOCX PDF or JPG Please be sure any PAGES files the default format for Google Docs and other online programs are saved as a PDF prior to submission Blackboard cannot process PAGES files thus they are unreadable Photos in JPG format should be taken clearly and from a logical angle Handwritten responses are fine as long as I am able to read them easily The assignments are numbered in the packet using the following system semester week and either a or b for the weekday See Listening Packet 1 for additional details Central Connecticut State University Fall 2021 Dr Heather de Savage Week 10b Program Music in the Romantic Era Please review the textbook information and related listening guide s pp 235 49 Briefly define the following terms Program music Character piece Example 1 Eusebius and Florestan from Schumann 1833 35 Carnaval 1 How is a character piece similar to a Lied What is the biggest most obvious difference between the two genres 2 What is the general story program suggested in Carnaval 3 Briefly describe the musical style heard in these two examples from Carnaval Eusebius Florestan 4 How do the characters Florestan and Eusebius relate to the composer Schumann s personal life 5 If you were to express yourself through a particular style of music what might that sound like 1 Week 11a Program Music cont d Please review the textbook information and related listening guide s pp 244 49 250 57 Briefly define the following terms Program symphony Id e fixe Opera again Example 1 Symphonie Fantastique Please be sure to read about the program story associated with this piece Fantastic Symphony fifth movement Berlioz 1830 1 How is this symphony different from a traditional Classical symphony e g Haydn Mozart or even Beethoven 2 The term id e fixe French obsession refers to one particular melody used in each movement and its connection to the story being told the program What does Berlioz want this melody to represent for the listener 4 Please follow along with the listening guide on p 248 as you get to know this piece While Berlioz presents the id e fixe melody in a variety of transformations in the other movements but in this final movement it is played by a deliberately squeaky clarinet starting near 02 00 What does this grotesque transformation represent 5 Just something to keep in mind no question to answer here the Dies Irae plainchant heard beginning at 03 38 is from the traditional Catholic funeral service this creates a brilliant mix of sacred and pagan elements here This would have been noticed instantly in the very Catholic Paris of 1830 Listen for this melody as it comes back throughout the second half of the movement in different presentations 2 6 This movement essentially has an introduction followed by three main sections each with very different styles of music For each section I am using the labels that you will find in the listening guide on p 254 briefly describe the music as you hear it Introduction Id e fixe Dies Irae Witches Round Dance beginning at 05 28 7 Berlioz s Symphonie Fantastique is recognized as at least partly autobiographical in fact he puts himself into his story even more than Schumann does in Carnaval Pop musicians today often do that as well through concept albums stage performances etc that deliberately tell a story that is unique to their personal experience Can you think of a recent example of this Week 11b Romantic Opera in in 19th Century Please review the textbook information and related listening guide s pp 258 78 No music examples to review on your own for today s class Briefly define the following terms Music drama Leitmotif The Ring Cycle 3 Week 12a Russian Nationalism in Music Briefly define the following terms Nationalism how it might be expressed in music Kuchka Example 1 Mussorgsky Promenade and Gnomus from Note this work includes many other interesting movements to explore on your own Pictures at an Exhibition 1874 1 What was the goal of the Russian Kuchka It will help to define the term in general you do not need to memorize the five names only Musorgsky for now 3 Although Pictures at an Exhibition is best known in its orchestral arrangement it was originally composed as a set of character pieces for solo piano similar to Schumann s Carnaval Remember this is a genre of program music In general terms what is the story being told here Example 1a Promenade 1 Which instrument s give this movement its strong regal quality esp at the beginning 2 What is unusual about the meter s of this movement and how might they relate to the overall Russian style or the story being told 3 How does the composer use this movement to create a sense of unity and coherence throughout Pictures at an Exhibition Example 1b Gnomus 1 What image is Mussorgsky depicting through the music in this movement 4 2 While Promenade evokes a grand regal mood how would you describe the mood in Gnomus Is the composer effective in bringing to life that image described in 1 3 In some ways this movement is a reference to which well known ballet by another Russian composer 4 How might today s composer songwriter or artist express their own feelings of national pride through their creative work Week 12b Responses to Romanticism Brahms and Mahler Please review the textbook information and related listening guide s pp 278 88 Briefly define the following terms Concerto again Rondo form again Folk music Hungarian Gypsy fiddling Example 1 Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major III 1874 1 How would you describe the style and level of complexity of solo playing heard in this example 2 What is the exotic style heard in this piece and others by this composer 3 Why is this piece considered absolute music and how does that align with other classical trends in the 19th century 5 Week 13a Rediscovering Early Music Music of the Middle Ages Please review the textbook information and listening guide pp 44 58 Get your time machine ready We are jumping wayyyy back in time this