Orchestra Concert Report On Vivaldi

While returning home for a family emergency, I attended my younger sisters fall band/orchestra concert on October 1st. This performance was in the Auditorium of my high school, New Providence High School. My sister plays the violin and has been playing for almost her whole life. At this concert I heard a jumble of different tunes. The principal performers included assortments of string instruments, including violin, viola, cello, and bass. Also, there was an assortment of brass instruments trumpets, french horns, and trombones. The entire woodwind family was included in this performance as well. Although, The use of percussion instruments and the piano was extremely limited. The piano was only in use for certain ballads. The non professional

This first tune started off with a violins playing homophonically. The sound of the violins were warm and cheerful. The string instruments begin to play with polyphonic texture. The violins, violas, and cellos contrast with each other to create a polyphonic texture. The extravagant use of different textures keeps the reader in check. Tempo in this piece starts off andante than throughout the piece the pace changes rapidly from vivace to adagio. The next song performed was Antonio Vivaldi’s, The Four Seasons, La Primavera. To start the song, string instruments, loudly and in unison, play homophonically to an upbeat tone. The high pitched string instruments pace begins to slow and the forte sound begins to lessen. A single violin starts to play a borderline, annoying, dissonant singular high pitch noise as the the other string instruments begin to fade. Moments later the orchestra rejoins the solo violinist and begins to play the beginning of the song again but this time at a lower pitch. The song continues looping over itself, but as the song continues on the pitch goes lower and lower. Vivaldi’s spring is meant to sound cheerful and he achieves this feeling by airy playing of string instruments. Even when the tempo and pace are slow the pitch is still high and lighthearted which continues to give a spring feel. Both strictly string instrument pieces, were executed exquisitely especially for musicians under the

Vivid use of imagery painted images of these beautiful songs which helped me understand each better. Although the band was not professional these high schoolers played well enough for me to get a perfect understanding of each song. Songs performed at the concert written by Offenbach, vivaldi, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky were all pretty similar, upbeat songs with alternating pace, rhythm, tempo, and amplitude. Each song did have a unique twist. Mozart’s Eine Kline Nachtmusik, although, cheerful was slower in tempo and pace compared to the other songs. Antonio Vivaldi's “Spring” just as cheerful but the pitch of the song was much higher and the tempo kept a consistent speed throughout the entire song. Both The Four Seasons, La Primavera, and Eine Kline Nachtmusik only included string instruments while Orphee aux enfers Overture and 1812 Overture, Op. 49 had entire ensembles accompanying the string instruments. All of these song were truly exquisite overall an enjoyable and informational