Author Archives: George Emihe

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About George Emihe

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Preview: Batch at Carnegie Hall (3/28)

Piece: Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Matthew Passion BWV 244

Venue: Carnegie Hall, Manhattan, NY

Performers:  Orchestra of St. Luke’s;  Conductor; Iván Fischer, Soprano; Dominique Labelle, Mezzo-Soprano; Barbara Kozelj, Tenor; John Tessier, Bass-baritone; Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Musica Sacra, Music Director; Kent Tritle.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-miQ6_FTtN0

In this piece, the instruments bring a touching vulnerability to the performance. The combination of flute and oboes is uniquely beautiful. The intimacy of this St. Matthew Passion is reinforced by the size of the choruses. Originally the St. Mathews passion employs two mixed choruses, two orchestras, and another group of boy singers for the preexisting melody used as the basis of a polyphonic composition for the first chorus.

The St. Mathews passion represents the climax of Bach’s music for the protestant church.This piece is a setting of the Passion story from the Gospel of St. Matthew and was first performed on Good Friday. The gospel of St. Mathew allowed Bach to express his own fervent devotion to Jesus here.

While Bach was working on this piece, news had reached him that his dear former patron prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen had suddenly passed away, and was expected to perform music for the memorial service the following spring.  Bach saw that part of his sublime new work seem to be the appropriate piece for this event. Something I found very interesting about this piece is that Bach composed the St. Mathews Passion not as an independent oratorio, but to be heard in a specific liturgical context.The ariosos, arias, and choruses convey the emotions of the unfaithful watching the unfolding of the imposing drama.

A distinguishing factor I liked about this piece compared to his St. Johns passion I also listened to, was the indication of great importance Bach attached to it in terms of the vast musical forces needed to perform it.

I don’t think there was any information that i wished I had known before seeing the concert. However, I think biography and history matters when listening to a piece of music because, studying the Biography of composers can give a better understanding of the chronology of compositions, as well as influences on style and works. In addition, it can also provide important background to the interpretation by performers or listeners of a piece of music.

Sources: Bach, The Culmination Of An Era. Edited by Karl Geiringer in collaboration with Irene Geiringer. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966

kanye west – “Runaway.”

 

This song is in a triple meter, with a moderate to fast tempo. The rhythm is grounded by a steady C-minor scale of low pitch piano keys playing a low note.

 

The verses are all made up of 8 lines, and each line is 8 measures long. While the chorus is made up of 12 lines, each grouped in 2s, which means that it feels faster than the verses even though the tempo remains constant.

The type of texture used in the song is that of a homophony. With the piano keys as the melody while the cello, drums and percussion are its accompaniment

The song possesses a ternary form of three sections each starting from its downbeat.

The instruments used remain the same all through the song, however at the beginning of the song, the low pitches of the piano were the only instruments played before the accompaniments were introduced at 0:56.

But at 3:30 the drums and percussion were removed leaving only the cello, which could be heard more clearly as it gained strength and power being the only accompaniment of the main melody.

The song has a simple harmony as the pitches combine when played simultaneously. The keys are minor and are consonant with each other.

 



Comments:

"yeah. it is hard to tell if it was a duple meter or a triple meter. and i wasnt to sure if there was a string instrument involved. because it seemed like the accompanying instruments used mixed in, hence quite confusing but one that i clearly could hear were the drums."
posted on Feb 24, 2013, on the post kanye west – “Runaway.”

"good song. it puts me to sleep. its hard to describe the exact instruments. but it sure has one main melody as u said with many accompaniments. good choice"
posted on Feb 22, 2013, on the post Frank Ocean- Thinking About You

"i love the instrument used ie the use of piano keys. i was wondering if her voice was the accompaniment while the pianos was the main melody. since the piano started playing before she joined in in singing. however, i like the way her voice rises gradually from a low pitch to high pitch. good choice"
posted on Feb 22, 2013, on the post Adele – “Someone Like You”

"i agree with. i like the use of the drums in the song. and the way the accompanying instruments blends in with her voice. however, its hard to tell if it was a triple meter or a duple. anyway, one can definitely here the dissonance at the end as the pitches clash with each other. good choice"
posted on Feb 22, 2013, on the post SHAKIRA- “Hips Don’t Lie” ft Wyclef Jean