Jennifer Trost's Soprano Performance Essay

One such piece was Yankee Doddle. Undoubtedly, the power of this piece was due, in no small part, to the concertmaster Zach De Pau. An excellent violinist, his fingers seemed to glide across his instrument, even in the most complex sections. His composure was thrilling and captivating. Dressed in a white polo and long khakis, his vapid attire camouflaged his spirited finger work and vivacious movements. I was enthralled. At every opportunity, De Pau made it his duty to display his virtuosity of the violin. His initial calm composure was quickly debunked during his many

During a later part of Scene Two when the cast is dancing the movements match the music, they appeared to be doing the Waltz, so the music had abrupt changes. In Scene Three: Cadiz, the orchestra plays some sad and somber music at the beginning. As the scene progresses the music goes from dark and dismal to happy and cheerful. During one of the songs of Scene Four: Paris the Old Lady, Cunegonde and Candide were discussing a flight and the music being played by the orchestra matched the lyrics bringing the idea of a flight to life. The Old Lady has a mezzo soprano voice she executes all of her notes well in the song. At the end of scene three Candide, Cunegonde, and the Old Lady leave to go to a new place and in the song they sing there are rounds, which were well executed. It helped change the mood again which brightened up the audience.

On the night of November 11th, I attended Divahn’s performance at the Gamble Auditorium. Their music featured Middle Eastern, Latin, and Indian styles, and the vocals were sung in various native languages of the Middle East. Although I could not understand the lyrics, the music was able to demonstrate the emotions of the piece effectively, so that I could understand the content of the music.

If you are not familiar with what Show Choir is, and the amount of time and work ethic you need, then you are in for a big surprise. Show Choir has evolved over the past years increasingly. Forget the young men and women in dark jackets and dresses standing on old risers and singing nice choral pieces. Show Choir has become a mini-musical sport. Many claim that Cheerleading and Marching Band is considered a sport, why should Show Choir be any different? Yes, show choir is mostly singing and dancing, but there is much more to it than one would think. I would know this because Show Choir has been a part of my life for almost 3 years now. I have experienced the hardship, fun, disappointment, pain, time, and joy, but it all paid off at competition when we would go to awards and see how we placed. Show choir is a sport, just as much as “cheerleading” or “marching band.”

Ever since his father began teaching him as a child to play the violin and clavier, any keyboard instrument such as the harpsichord, Ludwig van Beethoven has been amongst the most renowned and influential composers of music. Despite the harsh punishments and mistreatment Beethoven suffered through while practicing with his father, he still managed to become a “prodigy” at a rather young age, having his first public recital at around seven years old. After his first recital role music played in his continued to grow, and soon after dropping out of school to pursue music “full time” he published his first composition.

I chose to join show choir because I thought it would be a good way for me to leave my comfort zone and try something new and fun. The first time I thought of auditioning for show choir was when I saw them perform during my sophomore year. They sang and danced to a song titled, "Till the Love Runs Out" and the sound and choreography they did just blew me away. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of that choir.

Cypress Lake High School presented a night full of performances by vocal majors and vocal minors. Being the Fall Cabaret one can look forward to a year filled with talented voices filling the school auditorium.

In 1894, a young, quietly colorful Charles Ives enters Yale University. He enters with a strong musical foundation provided by his father and community and a vision of what he thinks music can be. Horatio Parker, Ives’s composition professor unashamedly informs Ives that his vision of music seems blurry, perhaps even nauseating, to the astute, cultured musician. Ives quickly develops anger towards Parker’s traditional tutelage and rarely recognizes the positive effects Parker has on his compositions. Here begins the battle between new and old that Ives and Parker embarked upon during Ives’s college years, however the story starts and ends far from their four short years together.

For this assignment, I went to the Basically Beethoven Festival at the Dallas City Performance Hall. The recital was opened with a few pieces played by the rising stars Madera Wind Quintet. The main performance included Rachel McDonald on the viola, Joseph Kuipers on the cello, Grace Wollett on the violin, Scott Wollett on the oboe, and the great pianist Alex McDonald. They performed a compilation of famous composers’ masterpieces.

The arias 'Al desio di chi t'adora' from Mozart's revised “le Nozze di Figaro” sung by the character Susanna, and 'Come scoglio' from Mozart's “cosi fan tutte” sung by the character Fiordiligi were both sung by Adriana Ferrarese Del Bene at their premieres. Mozart wanted all arias he wrote for singers to “fit them like a well made garment”(?) so wrote them to fit their vocal abilities and strengths. In this essay I will be looking at the vocal abilities of Adriana and how Mozart used them in these arias to identify similar characteristics between the two arias, proving what her strengths were by being highlighted in more than one aria. First I will discuss Adriana's background, where she came from and what her musical career was like before Mozart wrote these arias for her. Next we will look at Mozart's involvement with her and what his opinion of her was. Next I will look at each aria individually and identify characteristics that are similar in each aria to show that these certain features were written to show off specifically Adriana's strengths as a singer. And last I will compare the two arias to show that there are similarities in the two which highlight Adriana's

The Shoe Horn Sonata provides an insight into the lives of two women who were made prisoners of war by the Japanese and explores the little known and horrific conditions and events the women endured. With the use of distinctively visual techniques, John Misto brings Bridie and Sheila’s experience vividly to life. Through the use of projected images, sound, music and symbolism; the horrors of war, survival and resilience are portrayed throughout the drama.

The fundamental assumption is that learning and practicing negotiation skills can be learned. Others, however, assume that diplomacy and negotiation are things that can never be learned or taught. They believe that you are either born a negotiator or you are not. Unfortunately, this is a very shortsighted assumption. The approach to this will be to use all the information that was provided in the analysis to determine the best position of strategy to save the Opera on opening day, to find a fiscal solution that will benefit both the Opera and Sally using a BATNA strategy.

For the second and final concert report, I listened to the performance of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, as played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven lived in Germany during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and was an influential figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in western music. The performance requires a large number of instruments, with woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and even a choir during the 4th movement.

On Friday November 3rd I had the pleasure of attending an evening of Opera titled Love Through the Ages with Maria Fortuna and Nancy Townsend at the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Having never been to an Opera performance I had no idea of what to expect and was looking forward to this new experience. Fortuna was accompanied by multi-faceted pianist Nancy Townsend. These two musicians showed tremendous expertise and were able to keep my attention through the extent of the program.

As we all waited in line to go into the concert there was a thrill of