After watching the video concert above, write a 500-word (approximately 2-page) report in which you review and/or comment critically and creatively on the experience. Please see the “Concert Report Requirements” below for information on what is required in the report.
Introductory Paragraphs (who, what, when, where, why, 20%)
This paragraph should state what concert you attended, who performed, when and where the concert took place, and why you chose to attend this concert. You may want to include additional information such as the occasion of the concert, how the musicians were seated on the stage and dressed, the size of the audience, and/or anything else you found interesting.
Body (descriiption of two pieces, 60%)
This section should be the largest portion of the paper. Describe each piece on the program, including each movement individually. Begin your descriiption of each piece by providing the title of the piece along with the composer’s name. Explain what you heard by describing how the music made you feel and what aspects or parts of the music interested you most. Also describe how the composer employed various elements of music we’ve learned about in class. Use terms and knowledge you have learned in this course in your descriiption to get full credit.
Here are some suggestions to get you started
— Character: Find some adjectives to describe the general mood of the music. If this were the soundtrack to a film, what would be happening in the film? Think about how the composer manipulated the sound (utilizes the elements) to create this feeling.
— Melody: What instrument has the melody? In what part of the instrument’s range is the melody? Does more than one instrument have the melody? Does a theme, motive, or idea recur throughout the piece? Is the melody “singable” or easy to remember or it disjoint and unpredictable?
— Rhythm: Is the beat easy to distinguish? Can you tap your foot to it? Does the tempo stay steady or does it fluctuate? What would be the appropriate tempo marking?
— Dynamics: Is the piece generally soft, loud, or somewhere in between? Does it stay at one dynamic level, change gradually, or change abruptly throughout the piece/movement?
— Harmony: Is the piece generally consonant or dissonant?
— Texture: Does the piece have one main melody with an accompaniment or more than one melodic idea occurring at once?
Concluding Paragraph (your reaction, 20%
This final paragraph should describe your overall reflection about the concert. Give specifics about your experience of watching the concert. What was your favorite part? What was your least favorite? What was most surprising? What did you learn from the experience? Would you choose to go to another concert like this again? Would you recommend your friends see a concert like this? Why? Be as specific as possible.
