Concert Review: Die Fledermaus A Comic Operetta

{The curtains open to a scene with the backdrop of a train station platform. The background music starts the minute the curtains open and plays under the dialogue. Raul drives the taxi with full speed and reaches the next train station. Ashley and Raul run towards the platform}

The first concert I attended was performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra had performed Shostakovich’s “Symphony NO. 7, Leningrad” from the Romantic era. The orchestra was a large ensemble (1) containing various instruments that contributed to the overall sound of the piece. Since the orchestra was a large ensemble, just like the instrumentation common in the Romantic era, the orchestra was able to perform in a lively, vigorous manner, probably vivace (2). The orchestra performed tutti

When the concert first began, the three instrumentalists walked with energy despite their age. The first song, “Sonata I in G-Major Op. 2, Nr. 1” by Michel Blavet, was a Baroque Sonata. There were five movements and was played by the harpsichord, flute, and cello. All movements of the song were polyphonic because of the three instruments that had different parts and equal importance. In the first movement, I noticed that the flute tended to rise in pitch. In the second movement, I noticed that the melodies often repeated. Throughout the rest of the song the tempo changed from fast to slow and the flute would usually take the lead. On the last movement, the cello and the harpsichord

various moods in the mind of the audience, in Act I. In Act I we

The concert I attended was called the Faculty and Student Recital, which took place in the Cisco Auditorium on April 11, 2017. The music that was on the program was mostly what is called “classical” music, as well as a Chinese Folk Song, an electronic composition, and variations on an Indian Tala. In the classical pieces, the instruments that were used were the violin, the piano, the cello, and the oboe. In the electronic composition, the computer was used to make music. In the Chinese Folk Song, the piccolo was used to imitate the unique timbre of a Chinese flute. In the Indian tala, drums from Ghana were used to imitate the rhythm and sound of Indian drums. The piano, the violin, the cello, and the piccolo all originate

Shakespeare uses humour, action and romance all in Act One and it is this variation that keeps the audience's attention. The play begins with a prologue that is written in the form of a sonnet. The Prologue gives a summary of the play but does not give away too much of the plot, in order to keep the suspense. Shakespeare tells of the great tragedy that will follow.

The music from the beginning always seems to be on in the background, sensory supplementing the themes of the play, mystery. In episode 1 it seems to becoming brighter emphasising the unity of time in the play. We are also introduced to Teiresias who enters from stage left towards the Kingdom, the chorus stand around the main centre in a semi-circle whilst Teiresias enters and takes a standstill in the

The western classical concert that I have chosen to review is A Tale of Two Symphonies.

On Sunday, May10 2015, a concert was held in The Broad Stage. The concert was played by Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra, whose conductor is Dr. James Martin. For this concert, I would identify myself as a referential listener at this concert. I say this because I am not an expert in music, therefore it would be hard for me to be a critical listener. I wouldn’t be able to tell what went wrong with a performance even if some incorrect notes were played. I was more of a referential listener because the music was soothing and brought my mind to peaceful thoughts. This essay will tells my experience of the concert in order to persuade my friend to  attend a classical music concert with you in the future.

The first half of the concert was only instrumental. There were two violins, two violas, and two cellos. They sat on stage with the violins one my right, then the violas in the middle, and the cellos on the end. The violins played a few songs solo. The second half of the concert was only the choir and a piano. Their performance started with the song Daybreak. The song Daybreak also had a few girls playing percussion, one of them had a tambourine. Using SHMRG, the Harmony of most of the choirs songs were very homophonic. The Melody of most of the songs were mainly slow, though a couple songs were very fast, and upbeat.

On Sunday December 6th I attended a performance of a concert version of the operetta, which is a short opera, usually on a light or humorous theme and typically having spoken dialogue, "Die Fledermaus" which translates to "The Bat" and was originally composed by Johan Strauss II, by the Brooklyn College Opera Theater, accompanied by the conservatory orchestra. The performance took place in Whitman theater, and the small audience seemed mostly to be relatives of the performers. The operetta had 3 acts, and the operetta also included classical solos from some of the members of the Conservatory singers.

On Wednesday July, 8 I attended a concert at the Mimoda Studio located in Los Angeles the concert started at eight o’clock. On that day there was a group of four Instrumentalists performing a cello concert. The performances consisted of acts of big composers such as David popper the cellist also Alexander Konstantinovich ,it last about an hour. The show did not include programs so I will have to go off my notes some of the pieces that were played for David popper were Serade, Ballet scene, Gavotte, and La Chanson villageoise. The pieces played from Alexander Konstantinovich were impatient, land of heroes. There were also some Armenian chants played from the medival times, that were either composed by Sahakdukht orkhosrovidukht.

The curtain rises on a rocky terrain with a frightened Prince Tamino crying for help (‘Zu Hilfe!). A terrible serpent is pursuing him, and the key of c minor emphasizes his fear. The orchestra lays the scene with descending scales and sudden dynamic changes until the Prince succumbs to his fright and passes out. Three handmaidens of the Queen of the Night slay the serpent and resurrect the key of Eb (‘Triumph!’). As they inspect the fallen Tamino, each maiden develops a love for him and a brief Allegretto in 6/8 time ensues. Mozart shifts to G major for this section, possibly because this key rests a third above Eb major. This forms a quasi-tonal triangle, which began in c minor, ascended a third to Eb major, and rose a third time to G major.

At the Salzburg Festival in 2005, Valery Gergiev conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in its performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov‘s Scheherazade, Op. 35 (Classical Music db 1). He is a highly achieved, accomplished and revered conductor and is considered to have “attained a level of worldly power perhaps unmatched by any living classical musician” (qtd. by Alex Ross 1). All the wile, this orchestra is considered to be one of the premium orchestras in the World (Moderato 1). Between the two, a performance is created that instantly catches one’s attention with its gentle opening by trumpets, followed by a cello solo, and then the flutes follow with their soft, fluttering sound that makes the listener gently sway with the music. Images of a soft ocean breeze come to mind and its audience is mesmerized.

In contrast to the rather solemn prelude, Act 1 begins with upbeat dance music. The Duke begins flirting with Countess Ceprano with the first song Questa o quella. The strophic form and simple tune portray the shallowness of the Duke. The song reflects the Duke’s idea that all women are the same and his lack of moral character. Count Monterone then enters the scene very distraught because his daughter was seduced by the Duke. He begins singing Voi congiuraste which has a lurching, jumpy quality about it. He then curses both the Duke and Rigoletto. As Rigoletto walks home, he is approached by Sparafucile, an assassin, who offers his services. Rigoletto then begins an aria reflecting on his current situation and his similarity to the assassin. The string and woodwinds help to convey the solemn mood and we begin the to see the depth beyond Rigoletto’s facade.