Assignment/Worksheet 3 ​​MUS 101/102

 

This week’s assignment requires no reading.  It is all listening!  Please listen to the following six musical works.  As you listen, think about how the music is demonstrating the things we have been studying so far: listen for TONE COLOR (TIMBRE), BEAT, RHYTHM, DYNAMICS, TEMPO, HARMONY and MELODY.  How is the music displaying these different elements?  Does just one element or two dominate the music, or does the music display all the elements equally?  Is there a particular focus on one element that draws you into the music?  There are no right or wrong answers: it’s all about how YOU hear the music!  Think about the questions above and for each musical selection, write a few sentences or a short paragraph about how you hear the music as a performance of the different elements.  Don’t worry about being right or wrong–just be true to how you hear the music!

 

There is no separate worksheet document this week.  Please type your descriptions on the lines below each selection.  There are 6 selections in total.

 

Selection #1

This is a part of a work called Chamber Symphony No. 2, by the composer Arnold Schoenberg.  

Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKU08fSdS8&ab_channel=OrpheusChamberOrc 

Write your sentences here:

 

The beginning of the musical work gradually get faster in tempo as the orchestra harmonizes together. The tone color of the woodwinds and strings work well together to create dynamics. This musical work displays the elements differently.

Selection #2

This is “Dance of the Reed Flutes,” from The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky.  The original music is a ballet.  Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y04elcETYU4&ab_channel=ByingtonScucuglia 

Write your sentences here:

 

I like how this musical work which began with the flute and some of the woodwinds. The woodwinds, strings, and brass harmonize within the same beat and tempo in my opinion. The one thing that draws me into the musical work is the way the flutes kind of draw in the other instruments into the beat.

Selection #3

This is the song “The Hardest Button to Button,” by the group, The White Stripes.  It’s a music video.

Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4dx42YzQCE&ab_channel=whitestripes 

Write your sentences here:

 

This musical work mainly works with tempo of the drum and electric guitar as well as the pitch of the vocals. This musical work is more of a rock tempo and the drums draw you into the music more.

Selection #4

This is the first movement of Symphony #6, by Gustav Mahler.  YOU ONLY NEED TO LISTEN TO THE FIRST 10-15 MINUTES (MORE ONLY IF YOU WANT TO)  If you would like to see and hear the power of a HUGE orchestra, watch the last 20 minutes!

Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9uw5p2yc2A&ab_channel=SinfonicadeGalicia 

Write your sentences here:

The woodwinds and the brass intensify the musical work bringing the woodwinds to a softer dynamic. The tone color of the instruments all together to amplify the harmony. I like how the woodwinds dynamics are softer and the strings are louder.

Selection #5

This is the song “Phoenix,” by the artists, Daft Punk.  It’s from their album entitled Homework.

Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AJ8yHebaok&ab_channel=DaftPunk 

Write your sentences here:

This musical work has a simple one note drum beat. The melody of this song starts with the bass. There is no element that really draws me into the music.

 

Selection #6

This is the Prelude to the first act of the opera, Lohengrin, by the composer Richard Wagner.

Here’s a YouTube link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyodILZEQFg&ab_channel=ИванШариков 

 

Write your sentences here:

The beginning of this musical work starts with a softer and slower dynamic and melody with the violin. The woodwinds harmonize with the strings. Once the drums are played the woodwinds and strings tempo get a little faster. I like instruments end the tempo the way it started.