Concert Report - Paper Sample

Introduction

In July of 2019, at 7 pm, I attended classical concert in the theatres of Champs-Elysees in the astounding city of Paris. The concert was 48minutes long performed by the Orchestra of the 18th Century, conducted by the famous conductor Frans Bruggen, making it a very special performance for any music lover. The classical orchestra included symphonic sounds from flutes, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, horns, bassoons, violins, cellos, violas, timpani, and double bass. The orchestra was in harmony, giving it an outstanding performance that left me with an utter sense of satisfaction.

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Four Movements

The concert consisted of four movements of adagio-Presto, Andante, Menuetto: allegretto, and Vivace in the finale. The theatre was brought to life by a slow and stately tempo; adagio, created by a rising scale motif, which saw the band light up in symphonic notes. This melody was able to captivate my attention, and everyone else's to the music. This was indeed one of the best pieces created by Haydn. The tempo then adapted a quick execution that gave way to the rising motif, which ended dominantly. The second return of the first section in the main theme was marked by the entrance of the brass and timpani for the first time. This was louder with the modulation to G minor. The elaboration of the symphony was done by the antiphony and another change in modulation.

The second symphony being the main movement, began andante embeds a ticking motion all through the loud and dramatic music. This second symphony of the evening was introduced by the subtle ascending scales of violins, which go from the diminished chords to the E minor and finally the E major. These sounds are graced with the short melodic idea, which gave rise to the second string. This is what introduced 'the clock' nickname to this particular London symphony. The ticking skipped back and forth over two octaves and between the barking bassoon and the high flute giving it a unique sound, making a return to the main theme (Huscher 7). The ticking theme was then played by the bassoon, cello, violin two, and the bass.

The third symphony, the minuet, was the longest in the piece. The timpani gave a solo show in the middle of the minuet. This sounded mellow and booming with the unison of the partner instruments and careful regulation of the instrument. The octaves provided a variety of notes, very high notes, and low notes as well. The elegantly dressed gentleman swayed with every rhythm coming from the instrument.

With the finality of the best pieces I have ever heard, the orchestra finishes the music in a homely inspired simplicity from the dramatic high notes. The vivace of the tempo was fast and lively; the main theme was altered with every occurrence (Huscher 9).

Sense of Professionalism

During the concert, the conductor and the orchestra portrayed a sense of professionalism, artistry, unison, passion, and perfect cadences, which earned my admiration not only for their talent but an appreciation of Haydn's 101 pieces. The depiction of perfection in the exchange and flow of symphonies made me believe in the preparedness of the orchestra for this special edition. The crisp articulation of the adnate particularly is what impressed me the most in the performance. However, the timpani player during the solo was unable to depict the various intonation after the missed cue. The orchestra displayed brilliance in the night, honoring one the greatest composers of classical music, Haydn.

This type of concert experience is new to me; I had never been to a formal concert before, aside from the ones I have attended at various schools. The experience has proved to be insightful to me, parking the ultimate desire I possess to pursue music professionally; the poise, confidence, and elegance displayed by the members of the orchestra inspired me. I have also gained a good listening ear to how the symphonies are coordinated in music. Watching the performance also left me nostalgic because of the memories of my great uncle with who I grew up listening to classical music. The theatre was full capacity, leaving no imagination to how the appreciation of music and art in the society is profound in Paris. The appreciation of the artists on the stage was very evident on this night.

Attending the concert left me both entertained and impressed by the synchrony in sonata; the exposition, development, and the recapitulation displayed by the conductor and his team was awarded by a round of applause from the audience after the amazing show.

Main Theme

The main theme of the symphony included eight bars, which had two complementary phrases, each four bars long. The harmony and tonality of the piece depicted perfection, clear progressions in the cadences making the ticket worth every penny.

This piece created by Haydn was a masterpiece, elaborated by the symphonic string quartets who seemed to have a decade's worth of practice with each strike of the cord. The symphonic composition by Haydn represented the classical era he dominated between the 18th and 19th centuries. Sitting in the theatre during this amazing performance shed some light on the thematical and structural composition of this piece that earned Haydn the nickname 'father of symphony.'

The mood created during the performance resulted from manipulating the relative minor, which enabled the feeling of energetic, joyous, anxious, exuberant, and frantic moods throughout the piece. The adagio in the first movement creates a celebratory creation that paves the way to fast playing tones. This piece has an outstanding balance through the use of dominant and tonic chords. Haydn used the standard three-cycle movements to pace the symphony of the orchestras; fast-slow-fast.

The overall movement of the symphony is G major, which triggers the alterations in tone. The texture of this piece is polyphonic- the instruments can create an elaborate interaction of melody, tempo, and harmony despite their rhythmical difference to produce an outstanding piece. The form emulated by the symphony is sonata rondo, which is a blend of both sonata and rondo depicted by ABABA. It has a combination of fast, lively, and playing pieces.

Conclusion

I was hypnotized during the entire performance, but afterwards, I could not help but compare the concert and other previous performances that I have attended. Compared to school concerts, this was a more elaborate and sophisticated event with talent highly developed through nurturing and patience.

This piece was composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, who was talented in composition and singing, achieving over one hundred compositions known worldwide. He died in the year 1809 has set a precedence for the forthcoming generations. His dedication to the music industry brought steady strides in the advancing of classical music that we can enjoy until today, for learning and entertainment by his masterpiece.

Works Cited

Haydn, Joseph, "Symphony-No.101 in D Major: The Clock," Jun 2014. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Qtu15FLTM&t=984s

Huscher, Philip, "Program Notes. Symphony No. 101 in D Major (The Clock)," (nd). Retrieved from https://cso.org/uploadedFiles/1_Tickets_and_Events/Program_Notes/ProgramNotes_Haydn_Symph_101.pdf.