Music
June 21, 2013
Music Appreciation
Writing Assignment #3
Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas Henry Purcell offered us sadness with minor keys and happiness with major keys. I really do not have much experience nor really understand keys but, I think Purcell’s uses of the minor and major keys makes since because minor means low and unimportant and that is how you feel when ever you are sad. While, major stands for important and significant and when the feeling of happiness domains your spirit, you feel on top of the world. I think it was very effective his technique of key usage to make the audience feel sad or happy. If you hear a low key you feel depress, low energy, and sad and when you hear a major key blasting thru the auditorium I am sure it inspires you, put you in a happy mood. The two famous aria in Dido and Aeneas are 'Ah! Belinda' and 'When I am laid in earth' (Dido's Lament) which use the ground bass technique. The ground bass technique is a bass line, which repeats itself over and over, while the other parts change over the top. Another example of a piece that uses the ground bass method is Pachabel's Canon and Claudio Monteverdi, Zefiro torna. The first video I watch of Emma Kirkby singing the aria with baroque instruments was very depressing. Even if she was singing in a other language other then English, I still understood she was very upset. She portrays plenty of sorrow and pain. I did not enjoy the video. However, I do think the baroque instruments helped her get her pain across to who ever were watching. Jessye Norman’s version was more intense. Her terrific voice give you chill. She has a very strong voice that gives her a lot of power on stage. She definitely imprisonments the pain and suffering that Dido had to go through. I think her voice is perfect for these emotional plays. I enjoy the piece Alison Moyet performed. I think this modern presentation gives us a different perspective. I like that the piece was in English and was
Music Appreciation
Writing Assignment #3
Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas Henry Purcell offered us sadness with minor keys and happiness with major keys. I really do not have much experience nor really understand keys but, I think Purcell’s uses of the minor and major keys makes since because minor means low and unimportant and that is how you feel when ever you are sad. While, major stands for important and significant and when the feeling of happiness domains your spirit, you feel on top of the world. I think it was very effective his technique of key usage to make the audience feel sad or happy. If you hear a low key you feel depress, low energy, and sad and when you hear a major key blasting thru the auditorium I am sure it inspires you, put you in a happy mood. The two famous aria in Dido and Aeneas are 'Ah! Belinda' and 'When I am laid in earth' (Dido's Lament) which use the ground bass technique. The ground bass technique is a bass line, which repeats itself over and over, while the other parts change over the top. Another example of a piece that uses the ground bass method is Pachabel's Canon and Claudio Monteverdi, Zefiro torna. The first video I watch of Emma Kirkby singing the aria with baroque instruments was very depressing. Even if she was singing in a other language other then English, I still understood she was very upset. She portrays plenty of sorrow and pain. I did not enjoy the video. However, I do think the baroque instruments helped her get her pain across to who ever were watching. Jessye Norman’s version was more intense. Her terrific voice give you chill. She has a very strong voice that gives her a lot of power on stage. She definitely imprisonments the pain and suffering that Dido had to go through. I think her voice is perfect for these emotional plays. I enjoy the piece Alison Moyet performed. I think this modern presentation gives us a different perspective. I like that the piece was in English and was