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Ball State Symphony Orchestra Concert Review Essay

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I attended a concert of the Ball State Symphony Orchestra. Only two songs were performed during this concert but the pieces each had many movements. One piece the orchestra played was Oboe Concerto in D minor. This piece has three movements, I. Andante, II. Adagio, and III. Presto. This piece was composed by Alessandro Marcello in the year 1713. This was in the Baroque era and it was the year that Benjamin Franklin turned 4-years-old. This piece features an oboe solo and it was performed by Lisa Kozenko. This piece was conducted by Suzanne Rome, a doctoral student. There were many notable musical elements displayed in this piece. In this essay I will discuss the harmony, the expression, and the tone color of the piece. This piece has a very …show more content…

Each movement in this piece is based on a different tempo. As stated in the title, the first movement is andante, the second is adagio, and the third is presto. This is a fast, slow, fast combination that is very characteristic of a concerto. The change in the tempo is very evident when the movements are played consecutively. Once the first section ends, there is a pause, and when the music starts again the tempo is much slower. The middle sections feels relaxed, it is slow and lyrical. When the second movement ends there is another pause, and the music starts up again faster and more lively. The increase in energy is also expressed in the change in dynamics. The third movement is played predominantly at a volume of forte, whereas, the second movement was played at a mezzo piano. The first movement is played at a volume of mezzo forte. The articulation of each movement is also very unique. The first movement uses many notes that are short and detached, this is an example of staccato. The second movement is very smooth, uses slurs, and is very legato. The last movement uses staccato again and also uses a few slurs. Trills are used throughout this piece to create a unique and beautiful sound. The expression of the song is what gives the song its character and makes it a very beautiful and interesting song to listen

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The introduction part of the first movement started with a moderately slow tempo of Andante with accompaniment of violin sound. It then continued with a solemn music of brass chord which depicted the conflict between the two families. Then, there was one repetition of the sequence before it went to a heavy, angular march theme music accompanied by a dull trombone sound, which replaced the mood into a rapid tempo of Allegro with a shifting in the melody of around an octave higher, and a louder dynamic. The second part of “The Young Girl Juliet” began with the skittering play of flutes and cheerful sound of light percussion that portrayed Juliet as a young teenager, with a gentle clarinet sound perfectly represented the innocence of Juliet.

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