ipl-logo

John Adams: Music Analysis

1257 Words6 Pages

American composer, John Adams, has produced some of modern music’s most successful works. In this paper, we will be focusing on Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls for orchestra, chorus, and pre-recorded material composed in 2002. This piece is approximately twenty-five minutes long; however, we will be focusing on several excerpts that highlight techniques discussed in Theory IV. These techniques include the characteristics of minimalism, quarter-tone notation, and the use of pre-recorded material. We will identify these techniques by including excerpt visuals, time markings, and an aural score. Before getting into the fine details of this composition, let us begin with a brief history of the events that inspired On the Transmigration of …show more content…

In this case, John Adams uses quarter-tones among three violin parts from measures 85-104—see figures 2.1-2.3. The intention behind these quartertones is to create a rich dissonance. These quartertones are introduced as the chorus transitions from singing text to singing “ooo’s” as if to allow the orchestra to continue the story. This technique creates a unique quality of sound that further constitutes the sensation of loss.
The aural score to “On The Transmigration of Souls by John Adams, describes the excerpt from 5:30 to 9:10 in the piece. The piece uses mostly orchestral instruments but also includes spoken words likely played from a tape recorder or other recording device. Recorded footsteps are also used throughout the piece, but in this excerpt they appear near the end. Beginning the excerpt are choral sounds along with violins creating more high-pitched sounds to start off. Both strings and voices take a soft volume and decrescendo before they drop out. The sound of church bells is faint in the background accenting certain pitches while the choral sounds and violins act as melody. Around 5:52 seconds spoken words can be heard softly under the accompanying instruments. These voices speak of people lost in the 9/11 attack and if you listen closely names are being spoken by loved ones as a …show more content…

Music has a singular capacity to unlock those controls and bring us face to face with our raw, uncensored and unattenuated feelings. That is why during times when we are grieving or in need of being in touch with the core of our beings, we seek out those pieces that speak to us with that sense of gravitas and serenity,” (Beethoven's Ninth: On the Transmigration of Souls). The common listener may not be able to identify the elements of minimalism, the use of microtones, or electronic elements let alone understand it’s importance. However, through the close analysis of On the Transmigration of Souls, we find a deeper understanding of the unique talents of John Adams’ as well as a deeper appreciation for the healing power of

Show More
Related
926 Words | 4 Pages

Uses this information, Cather wants the reader to notice that the different voices of singing correlates back to immigration. It correlates so well because when different cultures come together they seem to create something beautiful, just like when different voices of birds. In the first part of this story Ivar did a great job of making the reader understand the significance of the

Read More
367 Words | 2 Pages

Before John Adams became president, he journeyed abroad to explore and discover the world with his son. While, he was away, Abigail Adams, John Quincey Adam’s mother, wrote her son, hoping to convince him to listen to her motherly guidance. This letter from Abigail Adams employs connections and asserts an appeal to ethos to persuade her son to listen to her advice. Throughout the letter, Adams identifies with John Quincey to establish a connection with him and provide advice while he is away.

Read More
584 Words | 3 Pages

Title: Adagio for Strings (1936) Composer: Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Summary: Short orchestral work taken from the second movement of his String Quartet, Opus. 11. Perhaps Barber’s greatest composition, leaving a significant impact on audiences around the world after its debut.   Background information: This piece was composed in 1936 during Barber’s vacation in Europe.

Read More
1598 Words | 7 Pages

For many of the orchestra members, “the violin was a comforter in mankind’s darkest hour”. During their time spent in captivity, musicians were able to work in unison with other prisoners, bonding over their shared predicament through the vibratos of classical music. This redemption through music can be seen in Elie Wiesel’s Night through the character Juliek. Many of the musicians, like Juliek, felt as if their “soul were the bow”, and their “life was gliding on the strings”. Despite the fears of what was occurring around them, the musicians focused on the sheet music to get lost in their senses: envisions of their lost hopes, charred pasts and extinguished future filled their minds, but they expressed these fears instead by playing as if they would never play again.

Read More
851 Words | 4 Pages

Music is one of the few languages in the world that is universal. Regardless of your hometown, native tongue, or culture, everyone can indulge in the beautiful melodies and rhythms that are created through different methods, whether it be a unified symphony or the gleeful cacophonies of children banging on pots and pans. This gift of a universal language is what makes Rachel M. Harper's “The Myth of Music” captivating and entrancing to the reader; everyone can understand Harper’s emotions through references that allude back to the art of music. Harper’s use of metaphors linked by personification, hyperbole, and asyndeton further aids the reader in empathizing with the melancholic yet loving passion that she holds for music and her father.

Read More
808 Words | 4 Pages

In his hole he says “there is a certain acoustical deadness in my hole, and when I have music I want to feel its vibrations, not only in my ear but with my whole body” (Ellison 7). In his hole, he is lifeless and meaningless, but music makes him feel alive. The meaning of music makes him feel less invisible. He understands the history and importance of the music and “not only entered the music but descended, like Dante, into the depths” (Ellison 9). Like Dante’s Inferno he goes deeper into the music and finds the meaning.

Read More
1225 Words | 5 Pages

This melody is the medieval chant Dies irae which is traditionally 8 sung in the mass ceremony for the dead. The chant melody is soon shifted up to a higher register and is played by woodwinds and pizzicato 9 strings in a quick dance-like rhythm (Kamien, 2014: 297). Alterations with the violas in the beginning of the witches’ dance, followed by low tubas and bassoons in forte playing the Dies irae in long even notes. Higher horns and trumpets starts the beginning of the Dies Irae, but this time played faster (Kamien, 2014: 298).

Read More
467 Words | 2 Pages

As one of the most noteworthy performers and musicians of his time, and more specifically of the era of 20th century classical music, Glenn Gould (1932 - 1982) has certainly earned his widespread recognition that has extended across decades since his passing in 1982. While his body of work is extensive, and within that body of work lies several characteristics worthy of discussion, perhaps the most noteworthy of Gould 's performances lie within his interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) 's music. Having been performed throughout his life, Gould influenced the development of classical music in Canada and changed the approach of many musicians towards the Baroque era of music. With his passion for contrapuntal craftmanship, it is clear that that Gould garnered influence from

Read More
1076 Words | 5 Pages

The opening piece for the evening was “Entry of the Gods into Valhalla” written by Richard Wagner. This specific song was taken from Das Rheingold and was written in the Romantic Era. “Entry of the Gods into Valhalla” starts with deep mysterious music

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

The introduction of the piece is the same as that of “The Raiders March”, but with strings playing in the background. The A melody begins with the trumpet as the strings fade out (0:07). The first minute and a half of the song is played the same as that of “The Raiders March”, though due to differing sound equalization, some parts stick out more or less than they do in the original. For example, in the third repetition of the A melody, one can more clearly hear the xylophone accompanying the melody here than in “The Raiders March”. The piece begins to differ more significantly after the break following the third repetition of the A melody when the piece modulates down a half step instead of up like in the original (1:37).

Read More
1545 Words | 7 Pages

Upon listening to the few minutes of John Adams’ piece, On the Transmigration of Souls, my memory was immediately brought back to the emotions I felt while standing at the reflection pools at Ground Zero. Not until reading the playbill from the New York Philharmonic’s production of Adams’ piece did I realize that the piece was in fact created as a meditative “memory space” for those who suffered a loss from the attacks on September 11, 2001 and any other loss humans experience. John Adams’ piece creates a “memory space” those suffering a loss from the horrific events of 9/11 but also for those enduring losses from all aspects of life. Through the noise from the city streets, repetition of the word “missing” and “remember”, reading of victim’s names and text from missing-persons posters, listeners enter into a time

Read More
1253 Words | 6 Pages

A B C D C B A. Rhythmically this work has two distinctive features: the regular pulse of the piano and percussion and the rhythm of the human breathing in the vocal and wind parts, and the interaction between them brings about a remarkable effect of wave motion. The vibraphone player in this piece functions as a “conductor” by indicating when the players have to switch from one section to the next, or when the harmony or melody should change within a

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

There were many musical elements heard throughout these pieces and it was interesting to hear how they varied in each song and suite. In Intermezzo, it began with a quieter violin solo melody creating a monophonic texture. Soon after, it became accompanied by the other violins and cellos, then the full ensemble came in creating a moderate, flowing melody at about mezzo forte and switching to a polyphonic texture. Next, there was a harp solo at forte with many crescendos and decrescendos. The full ensemble enters again raising the dynamics to forte before decrescendoing and slowing down to end with a held note and final tone.

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

For assignment 2, I choose the piece “Lohengrin: Act III: Prelude” composed by Richard Wagner. This piece is located in the “Types of Listeners I: Introduction and Casual Listeners” section. This piece really caught my attention because of the overall composing which reminded me of a cartoon story during my childhood days, particularly the Disney animation Mickey Mouse. This leads to my interest in analyzing it as a referential listener. The title of the piece is Lohengrin: Act III: Prelude which emphasizes that the piece is an introductory to a bigger performance, which in this case indicates a story of tension and conflict.

Read More
1458 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place.

Read More

More about John Adams: Music Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document