You should write your report as soon as possible after the concert so the details remain fresh in your memory. In your paper, you should address all of these questions:
1. The concert: What, when, who, and where.
2. The audience and ambience: Dress and demeanor of audience, the concert hall and environment, the particular demographics of the audience, if any (age, ethnicity, gender). Was the concert venue appropriate to the event?
3. The performers: Their dress and demeanor, were they instrumentalists or vocalists, what was their level of accomplishment in your opinion.
4. The music: (This should be the largest section in your report.)
a. What pieces were performed in this concert. (Do not merely recopy the program.) Comment briefly on each of the pieces performed, describing the music to the best of your ability. Were any of the pieces or composer’s names familiar to you? If so, which ones and from what source? What did you like (or dislike) about each composition?
b. Choose the composition that you liked the best.
Discuss the following:
1. The name of the composition, the composer, what was the performing media: (chorus, vocal soloist, instrumentalist etc.)
2. Why did it appeal to you?
3. What was general mood of the music (serious, morose, cheerful etc.?) Did the character change, or remain the same throughout the composition?
4. What was there about the music that gave it the character you described above?
5. Discuss the composition using at least 6 of the terms we discussed in class: (Harmony, counterpoint, texture, melody, consonance and dissonance, orchestration, form, meter, accent, instrumentation or orchestration are just a few of many.) Underline them. You must use these terms in a way that indicates that you understand their meaning.
6. Discuss the musical style of the composition. Was it Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, 20th century classical music, jazz, blues, etc. What is there about the music that makes you feel it is the style you’ve chosen? When was the composition written?
c. Write about the last piece on the program. Discuss all the questions listed in 4b.
5. The experience and your opinion of it. Was it as you expected, or different? Did you enjoy it? What did you like about it? Would you go again if you did not have to for a class assignment?
