Part 2: Listening Log

Listening Log

John Newton: Amazing Grace (1779)

I found this piece of music to be especially interesting due to its use of the pentatonic scale.  Although this song is limited by the number of notes its scale, the stepwise motion of the melody really demonstrates the vocal range, whilst making it a reasonably simple piece to sing due to its more simplistic note intervals. 

Lupe Fiasco: The Show Goes On (2010)

This modern rap song also demonstrates the use of a pentatonic melody of G major.  Although I am not a fan of rap music, I found it interesting to see how the spoken word could also be incorporated into a pentatonic scale.   

Claude Debussy: Arabesque No.1 E-major (1888)

Towards the end of the piece we find Debussy’s use of the pentatonic scales.  I found this element of the piece extremely interesting, as it sounded ‘simplified’ and more basic than other sections of the piece.  However the use of ascending and descending pentatonic scale seems to tie together the other elements of this piece. 

Ludwig van Beethoven: Ode to Joy (1785)

Ode to Joy is a fantastic example of the use of a conjunct melodic motion.  The contours of the piece are smooth and gentle, whilst the melody reflects the full range of the instruments.  I believe this stepwise motion helps to portray the mood of the piece and brings to mind a picture a very calm and gentle setting. 

Francis Scott Key: The Star Spangled Banner (1814)

In contrast to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the Star Spangled Banner demonstrates a disjunct or skipwise motion.  Throughout the piece you can clearly hear the large intervals between notes and sudden rises and falls in pitch.  Although this piece demonstrates the full range and abilities of the instruments, it lacks in the flow heard by pieces containing largely conjunct motions. 

Research Point – Introducing Woodwind – Listening Log

Debussy Syrinx – Flute (1913)

Having had little previous experience with woodwind instruments, I was pleasantly surprised when hearing this piece.  The calm and airy nature of the composition really seems to reflect the higher range of the flute and the variations in the melody help to convey different moods throughout the piece. 

There is a definite sense of balance to this piece, contrasted with a variety of pitch changes and tempo in the middle section.  For me, this piece feels playful and simplistic, yet with darker and mysterious undertones appearing.

Having previously only encountered the flute as part of an ensemble, I feel the instrument’s personality really comes out in this solo performance.   The instrument’s ability to portray a mood is explored throughout, using pitch and tempo, and the flute’s ability to carry long and smooth notes are reflected in the large slurred sections of the piece. 

Alun Hoddinott – Lizard Variants Op. 166 No.2, for Solo Recorder (1997)

Recording found on Spotify

Much like the flute, the recorder shares the same ability to seamlessly hold and move between tones, keeping a smooth and conjunct feel to the piece.   The use of different breathing techniques also appears during the course of this piece, which gave it an interesting feel.  

The title Lizard is definitely reflected in this piece.  The soft, yet frantic melody line is interspersed with blasts of high-pitched motifs, falling to low tones before returning to the original melodic pattern.  There also seems to be an emphasis on rests throughout this piece, which contrasts well with the faster elements and serve to provide a break before a change in mood.   Throughout the composition, the mood seems to portray the playful and inquisitive nature of the lizard, but also the tension of the dangers surrounding it and the inevitable fatigue of desert dwelling. 

Gordon Jacobs – Seven Bagatelles parts I-VIII  (1969)

Recording found on Spotify

I found this piece to be one of my favourite examples of solo woodwind.  The oboe’s character really comes through in this piece as the listener is guided through different feelings and emotions.  The seven parts of the bagatelle each use different techniques and tonal ranges to demonstrate the oboe’s ability to move between mood and styles. 

Throughout the piece I found the use of dynamics to be particularly interesting.  With a wide range from fortissimo to pianissimo and with heavy use of crescendos and decrescendos this piece really shows the oboe’s ability to hold low solemn tones with graceful flicks of high slurred notes interwoven. 

Malcolm Arnold – Fantasy for Clarinet (1966)

I feel that this piece explores the nature of the clarinet well, taking the listener through a journey of dynamics and interesting reoccurring patterns.  Throughout the piece there is a feeling of magic and wonder, reflected by the use of trills and quick ‘runs’ and arpeggios up the scale. This is heavily contrasted by some of the louder sections of the piece, where the almost hornlike characteristics are seen with blasts of high tones. 

The piece then moves into a lower mood, with heavy use of soft, but regularly pulsing dynamics.  At one stage the oboe comes to a complete rest for a large section before building up slowly. 

This piece really demonstrates the agile nature of the clarinet and the slight metallic sound produced.  Although this instrument does not seem to carry the same smoothness of the previous woodwind instruments, you can easily see how its slightly contrasting sound would sit perfectly with the flute and oboe.

Paul Creston – Sonata Op 19 for alto saxophone (1939)

Having only encountered the saxophone in a Jazz and Blues setting, I was interested to see how a solo composition would work for this instrument.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear more gentle tones of the saxophone, unlike the blasts and riffs usually heard in Jazz.  The saxophone seems to follow a more smooth and conjunct melodic motion with really shows off the instruments range and ability.

Although the saxophone displayed a different range of notes, its rhythmic nature still creeps out, lending a bluesy feel to the piece.  Although I was unable to find a solo recording of this piece, I found the use of piano with the saxophone very interesting.  Having not previous thought of putting these two instruments together due to their very different characteristics, I was genuinely surprised to hear how the two could blend together so well. 

Willson Osborne – Rhapsody for Bassoon (1952)

Having never heard a solo bassoon piece before, I was surprised by its likeness to the lower stringed instruments such as the cello or double bass.  The deep, rich tones seem to carry the vibrations of the stings, yet the wide range covered in this piece really displays the bassoon’s nature.

The piece carries a solemn and melancholic feel with a conjunct melody running through the lower tones in the scale.  This is contrasted however, by the higher and more airy tones in the bassoon’s character.  As with most of the woodwind family, dynamics play a huge part in achieving the end result and maintaining a smooth and flowing rhythm. 

Vladimir Rebikov : Une Fete Op. 38 (1907)

I wanted to listen this piece, as it is a great example of the use of the whole tone scale in composition.  This piece makes use of a variety of tempo, used across a number of ‘sections’.  The use of the whole tone scale in this composition seems to give it a clumsy feel and the rhythm of the left and right hands on the piano seems entirely different. 

I must say, I am not a fan on the whole tone scale and I believe it to be quite limited in its possibilities. 

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.5 (1869)

I found the gypsy style of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance (1869) an extremely interesting and inspiring piece.  The original four-handed style in which the composition was designed really reflects the complex nature of the Eastern European style of folk music.  When comparing the same piece played by a solo pianist, it maintains the structure and feel of the piece, but seems to lose the intricacies and sense of joy and frivolity which the duet piece contains.  The orchestral versions of this composition are, however, the true reflection of Brahms’ intention in this piece.  The nature and abilities of each instrument in the ensemble is used to its full potential, guiding the listener through a journey of emotionally charges dances. 

Alois Haba: Sonata for Quartertone Piano (1947)

I wanted to explore the use of quartertones by instruments not initially designed to play such tones, and this piece is a great example of this.  Haba’s specially tuned piano gives the listener the opportunity to experience a number of notes that remain ‘unused’ in most of Western music. 

I would describe the overall feel of this piece as clumsy and amateur.  By this, I am not referring to the abilities of the pianist, but the dissonance between the notes played.  By using tones that would commonly be seen as incorrect in the current Western notation system, the whole composition, to me, just sounds like a badly tuned piano, reminiscent of an improvisation by a pianist who has never played before.