Author Archives: ROSS AHLERS

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Rigoletto – April 24th Metropolitan Opera

http://http://youtu.be/pMKNfEsDPC8

Venue: Metropolitan Opera, Manhattan NY, NY

Composer: Giuseppi Verdi

Librettist: Francesco Maria Piave

Current Producer: Michael Mayer

Additional Notes: While the original Rigletto takes place in the 1500’s, the current production directed by Michael Mayer takes place during 1960’s Las Vegas.

 

Rigoletto

Giuseppe Verdi wrote Rigoletto towards the end of his career. Already famous at the time Verdi wanted to perform an opera that was new and different from his others. The original idea Verdi had was to do Triboulet but was shut down by higher people in Venice. Verdi then changed the names if the characters around to become Rigoletto.

When composing Rigoletto “In the adagio Verdi particularly wanted the second verse ‘more beautiful’ then the first- acknowledging his own penchant for increasing the movements as it proceeds.” (Budden 1973)

After the play was performed for the first time it was an immediate success with the people but not with the music critics of the time. That did not discourage Verdi. Verdi described the piece as “revolutionary.” The music and style was different from much of the music and operas of the time. “The elements in themselves mostly traditional, but they are fused together in a new exciting way.”(Budden 1973)

Led Zepplin-“Ramble On”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvQ2oKSLIGQ

This song is in duple meter. This song has a moderate tempo. The rhythm at the beginning of the song is kept by an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar. At the chorus the first of which starts at 1:04 an electric guitar and drums help keep the rhythm which ends at 1:23 and enters again in the song periodically.

This song has very strong dynamic changes . It starts off with Robert Plants voice in a lower, softer pitch. The acoustic guitar also has a lower pitch. In between the song Robert Plant’s pitch continually alternates from low to high as he sings for example when sings “and it’s headed my way” or when the lower pitch he drags out ” sometimes I grow so tired” then instantly lifts the pitch ” I know one thing I gotta do”. The acoustic guitar stays the same pitch. When the chorus comes around Robert Plant’s voice stays in a  consistently high pitch then back to soft at the end of the chorus. At the chorus the melody changes with the additions of the electric guitar and the drums.

The harmony for most of the song is a simple chord progression on the acoustic guitar as well as the bass guitar which sounds as if it is playing down a scale. The entire song is played in a major scale. I feel as there is an example of dissonance at 0:47 when the acoustic guitar is playing in a lower key and Robert Plant’s voice gets forte “For now I smell the rain”.

There is not much accompaniment in most of the song. In the non chorus the bass guitar is accompanying the acoustic guitar, the bass almost sounds like it is playing down a scale. During the chorus an electric guitar begins playing. As well at the beginning of the chorus the drums start to play. At the end of the song there are two voices singing which I believe to both be Robert Plant’s.

At the beginning of the song the timbre is very peaceful, almost as if to feel like you are wandering around the woods . The chorus is very energetic. Almost as if you went from walking in the woods to starting to run.



Comments:

"I definitly agree with you on the timbre. It is also worth noting that during the chorus the tempo gets faster then slows again after the chorus."
posted on Feb 21, 2013, on the post Green Day – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

"This is a great song. I think you're right, I feel it is uncommon in rock and worth pointing out that the bass guitar plays the same riff as the guitar and almost louder then the guitar itself. It has a very almost futuristic timbre."
posted on Feb 21, 2013, on the post Rush – Tom Sawyer