Research Proposal on "Concert Report the Performance"

Research Proposal 5 pages (1604 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Concert Report

The performance that I chose to attend was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Special performance of the Inca Trail. This performance was chosen because it differs from their usual baroque and classical faire. The performance was supposed to have a Latin feel to it. It transported the audience to another place and time. The following summarizes my impressions of the performance on that night.

The concert took place in the fabulous Symphony Center. The center was built specifically for concerts of this type. The round seating with the domed ceiling creates an acoustical experience that is none but awe-inspiring. The space presents the illusion of being so large that it is difficult to comprehend. The experience of being in this space is a highlight of the evening itself. Even though the seating of the audience can make them far from the orchestra, everyone still has an excellent experience of sight and sound.

The elegance of the Symphony Center sets a tone of formality for both the audience and the performers. When the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays at the Symphony Center, it is always a black tie event. The Symphony has a strict dress code, no jeans allowed. People were quite and polite at all times before, during, and after the concert. They sat appreciatively throughout the concert.

The musical menu consisted of a number of pieces that were supposed to be reminiscent of the Incan Empire. It was classical, with instrumentation such as the claves and panpipe to add a South American feel. My favorite piece was Illapa, by Gabriela Lena Frank, which used traditional South American instruments and mysterious melodies and rhythms to bring the feel of the jungle to your seats. This piece is billed as a tone poem for flute. It does not follow any of the known classical forms.

A like this piece best because it is always a surprise. It is not predictable in the least, like many of the true classical forms. The music makes you think of a tall mountain with lofty clouds floating by. One can picture ancient Incan ruins, the jungle, and a winding path going up into the clouds. The imagery is quite vivid during this piece. That is one of the key reasons why I liked it so much. The mood is peaceful, yet playful at the same time. If I did not know that the piece was about South America, it would have evoked oriental or Asian imagery.

The performance that I liked best was Coleccion de Musica virreinal (Collection of Vice-Royal Music), by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. The music sounded grand, with a distinctive South American flavor. The performers were energetic and lively throughout the performance. They made animated gestures and smiled much of the time. The timing of the piece was difficult, yet they managed to make it sound easy. The conductor kept excellent eye contact with the various sections of the orchestra, which was essential to the success of a complex piece such as this. The orchestra, as a whole built the piece with dynamics and crescendos to add excitement.

The music that I liked the least was El condor pasa, by Alomia Robles. The beginning of the piece sounded like a medieval dirge, using classical motifs. Then it changed to something that sounded like the death march from a Spaghetti Western. At times, one could hear a hint of Slavic motifs; once again, they reminded one of a dirge. The downfall of the piece was the mixing of too many musical motifs and styles in a way that did not work with the traditional melody. /

This was supposedly an ancient, traditional Peruvian folk melody. If one follows the beginning of the piece, one can hear it set against the heartbeat of the drum. However, as the strings chime in and then the oom-pa, oom-pa-pa of the French horns is added the simple Andean melody begins to lose its simplicity and traditional musical flavor.

El condor pasa was supposed to remind one of an elegant condor soaring overhead, but the only images I could conjure were of a funeral procession marching past. It was a sad and depressing beginning to the concert. It felt like you just had to walk on, and on, and on to a place unknown. The driving heartbeat of the drum was the only thing that gave unity to the piece. I think that a little brighter brass in the composition would make it have a more majestic feel than the low, somber flute.

The performance that I like the least was Fiesta, by Lopez. It was an excellent piece with tension created through minor keys, racing rhythms and trumpet interjections. The piece could have had much more energy than the performers had to give. A look of concentration was on many of the faces, particularly the percussion session. At times, the percussion missed cues, as did the conductor. It ended with a lackluster crescendo that just seemed to trail off in the end. This could have had much more energy for the end of the concert than it did. The orchestra seemed relieved to be free from frantic runs and rhythm that went all over the place.

I thought that the piece sounded like it would fit better into a performance of Rodeo or even Oklahoma. One could hear hints of Gershwin at times. The theme of the concert was supposed to be South American, but I did not feel that this piece had a Latin feel at all. It was more like a movie soundtrack. The musicians struggled through the piece, and so did the audience. The music was supposed to be a twentieth century pop piece, and that is what I would say that it is. It did have a few Latin rhythms sewn throughout, but they were set against a modern backdrop. The audience was not in the peaceful, lofty Andean Mountains anymore. It is difficult to tell where they are at this point. The performance evoked a sense of chaos that never resolves to order.

Attending a concert is not a new experience to me and I have attended a number of performances in a number of styles. This is one of the most spectacular venues that I have attended. Hearing a concert in Symphony Center is enough to make the experience unique. The acoustics of the building are phenomenal. The audience can hear each tone and nuance, regardless of how minor the sound. It is like surround sound on steroids.

The concert had quite a few surprises for me. I expected that because the title was the Inca Trail it would be strictly Latin-style music. My preconceptions about the concert were that I would hear some South American instruments, like the claves, maracas, bongos, and pan flute. Those were there, but they were not as prominent as I expected. The musical selection was quite different from what I expected. I did not expect to see the modern style pieces that were prominent throughout the show.

I feel that this was a difficult concert to perform because the musicians and the conductor had to breakaway from traditional patterns and thought processes. This was not like classical European music where the entire piece is driven by a strict metered rhythm. The pieces in this concert required precision timing or it would sound like garbled mush. Although, one could tell that the musicians were struggling at times, it never got out of hand and they always seemed to maintain order, even when no order was present in the score.

Some of the musical styles in the concert were completely unexpected, particularly the last piece. I would have placed this piece in the middle of the concert, rather than using it as the finale. I think that Coleccion de… READ MORE

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