On Sunday 20th of October, I attended an afternoon music recital. The Recital Hall was located in the Center for Performing Arts at Prince George’s Community College. Nakia Versner, Richard Anatone et Gary Kirkeby all performed in the faculty recital. Musical instruments like the harpsichord or piano were performed, along with vocal performances. Gretchen am Spinnrade by Schubert was my favorite piece. Franz Schubert (1797-1828), one of the early masters of romantic art songs, is regarded as a pioneer. Born in Vienna, he was the son of a teacher and became a court chapel choirboy at age eleven. Schubert, who was gifted musically as a boy, was given a scholarship by the Imperial Seminary. In his late teens Schubert was employed at the school of his father, but he hated it. Gretchen am Spinnrade was his first major work, inspired by his love of art music. Schubert never held an official position but earned all his money from performing musical compositions in the homes Vienna’s middle-class. A friend of his expressed to him that he was devoted to song composition, saying: “I am here for nothing else but to write.” He wrote over 600 songs, including symphonies. Schubert died young at age 31. Many years after Schubert’s death, his works became popular. Gretchen Spinnrade is a musician who incorporates a variety of musical elements. The large variety of dynamics in this piece adds to the emotional effect. The composition in this piece grows louder at one point. The piece reaches its climax at this point, and the intensity of the yearning increases. It’s obvious that the woman gets louder until she loses control.
The final part of the tune uses dynamics to show her shame. She says “and on his lips I would die!” This part contrasts with the soft refrain which emphasizes her misery. As her emotions change, the tempo changes. Gretchen is heard saying “and Oh!” as two dissonant harmony chords are played. The piano then slowly returns to its original motion. Gretchen am Spinnrade is homophonic. This is because the piano accompaniment to the melody makes it homophonic. The melody is the main focus, but there are also sounds that support it. Each stanza has a similar melody, with only minor differences. The rippling keyboard part that is heard at every beginning of each piece is meant to represent Gretchen spinning a wheel while she sings. At the beginning of the 4th stanza Gretchen describes Gretchen’s lover in terms of his physicality. Gretchen is expressing her positive emotions with consonant chords. Gretchen’s moods and emotions are reflected in the modulation. Gary Kirkeby’s performance and that of Nakia Verne, the faculty performer gave a remarkable performance. Verner has a good musical training as her high-pitched voice did not sound thin. She could make a beautiful tone even when singing in two octaves. Kirkeby’s abilities at the keyboard show how well he is trained. He played with confidence and never made a mistake. Both performers have shown that they are professional performers through their practice. Verner communicated emotions to the audience through his singing and gestures. The performers told a story before performing to help the audience follow along. They maintained eye contact with their audience as they described the background of the performance to demonstrate how well-prepared they are for it. The concert featured songs from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods. Songs from the Modern period were not included in any of these discussions. In the Baroque era, homophonic textures dominated polyphonic ones. Baroque music composers used dissonances to convey extreme emotions.
Tu lo sai (Torelli) was one of the pieces performed during the recital. Instrumental music took precedence over vocal in the late Baroque. Classical music was characterized by its classical characteristics. Baroque compositions convey emotion whereas classical works fluctuate in mood. Polyphonic textures predominated in late Baroque but homophonic were the preferred textures during the Classical Era. Basso continuo also became obsolete during the Classical Era. The Romantic period saw pieces with greater variations in pitch, tone, and dynamic range. Romantic music is characterized by a wider vocabulary, which links it to other art forms. The poetry read at Franz Schubert’s recital Du bist die Ruh is a good example. The romantic period placed a lot of emphasis on unstable and colorful chords. Modern music tends to have dissonant rhythms and dissonant harmony. The course’s popular contemporary music is similar to the classical pieces heard at the concert. It tells a compelling story and captivates the audience. Musical elements vary between pieces. We have discussed the beginning of sound, the identification of pitches in a piece of music, the quality and color of the tone, and the degree dynamics. The contrast between moods can be used to tell a story through music. This course, as well the concert itself, will show you how tempo affects emotion. It also shows the impact of using a wide range of dynamics. Gretchen am Spinnrade was one of Schubert’s best-selling pieces during his lifetime. This was the only musical composition in which Schubert made a modest income.
Music is an art form that involves the organization of sound. Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade was one of his most successful works. Only after Schubert’s death was his work recognized. This piece is enhanced with a wide range of pitch, dynamics and tempo. The live performance allowed the listeners to relax and refresh their minds. The performers’ professionalism made this experience more enjoyable as they exchanged ideas with their audience. This recital offered the chance to identify different styles of music from various periods.
