Ed Zanders 1

History Elective - Listening Diary

(Ed Zanders)

Monteverdi: LOrfeo

Montiverdis opera is typical in many ways of late renaissance and early baroque music in
general, the instrumentation of the whole piece revolves around strings, harpsichord and
early brass instruments (pre-cursors to trombones, or sackbuts, are used frequently to cite
on example). The whole work begins in the form of a toccata, with resonating fifths
opening the entire opera in the brass section. Perhaps a pertinent link between the
renaissance sound world and the a baroque style can be made in these opening bars as
the fifths of the brass are eventually elaborated and decorated by the strings and
harpsichord. The sinfonia movement that re-occurs several times within the scenes of act
three, acts as a sort of set of variations, with its first rhythmic features elaborated on in
subsequent repetitions (at one point, even a slower minor variation takes place). This
sinfonia is predominantly scored for the brass, and has a fanfare feel to it in places.

Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia

The Barber of Seville is perhaps one of Rossinis most enduring works, and is full of
incredibly memorable melodies scored with deft comic timing and lightness of touch. The
orchestration of the famous overture matches this description, with perhaps the most
famous tune of the entire opera occurring about half way through the movement. The
scoring is for conventional classical orchestra, and given the comedic nature of the opera
(or opera buffa) there are many witty touches to the music including a lightness of timbre,
in particular an extensive use of short playful phrases of flutes and bassoons set to fast
chugging string lines, which creates a farcical and humorous feel to the score. Perhaps the
most famous aria is Figaros in the first scene of act 1, which contains fast, and
demanding, patter singing of the singer to the comedic whimsical effect typical of the score
in general.

Wagner: Tristan and Isolde

Wagners opera begins with a highly romantic prelude, which builds and builds but which
(famously) lacks any tonal bearings. The tristan chord is heard at the very beginning of
the whole piece and sort of resolves on to itself, creating an endless melody that Wagner
extends out throughout the entire work. The music builds but never quite resolves or
reaches its proper climax unless the end of the work, which creates an extraordinary
sense of tension in the music. The final moments of the entire opera include the famous
tristan chord which, instead of resolving into seemingly endless chains of melody, resolves
to a tonic chord - providing a lasting sense of resolution, and true operatic completion. The
scale of the orchestra is evocative of the time in which is was written, and Wagners own
innovations in terms of orchestral forces. The sheer size of the orchestra is huge, and the
scoring is suitably epic, making use of the full set of orchestral colours available to
Wagner.
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J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion

The St Matthew Passion is an important work of Bachs, and one of only two surviving
passions he ever wrote. Given the sacred text, Bach responds sympathetically to certain
words, emotions or ideas musically, particularly in his recitative sections. The forces used
include double choir and orchestra, creating a spaced out sonic effect for the listener.
Amongst the instrumental forces involved or recorders, oboes and the traditional inclusion
of a basso continuo. The entire work starts with an instrumental passage followed by the
whole choir in a dramatic entry which sets the tone for the entire work to come. It is in
many ways typical of Bachs output, as a composer of almost entirely sacred music (or at
least always motivated by divine forces) it is perhaps an archetypal sacred work of Bachs.
The entire work ends just about as it started, with the use of full choral and orchestral
forces available, ending in the minor key.

Mozart: Jupiter Symphony

Mozarts 41st symphony in C major, otherwise known as the Jupiter symphony, starts with
a firm statement of the tonic and is overall fairly typical of the high classical style, in terms
of both harmonic outline and forces. Although this is the case, it is the longest symphony
Mozart ever wrote, and can often feel quite dramatic in its scope. The first movement
appears to be in sonata form, with the recapitulation made obvious by the famous theme,
that is explored extensively in a rapid and fast moving development section. The two
middle movements are in 3/4 time, the former in F major and slow, the latter being a
traditional fast minuet. The finale is in two time and caps the symphony off in the tonic key
of c.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Beethovens final symphony is perhaps his best known, with the notable inclusion of a
chorus and solo singers in its final movement. The final movement is the largest of the
four, and contains the ode to joy melody, which starts incredibly quietly in the double
basses and reprises in various guises, including full chorus. There are four soloists, one
for each voice type, who sing various interludes between instrumental and chorus
passages, before leading to a blazing finale in Dmajor (contrary to the fact the whole
symphony is titled as being in Dminor). The second movement is a scherzo is compound
time, with another famous opening motif, and includes various exposed timpani solos. As a
whole it is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music, and is a true hallmark piece
of the orchestral cannon.
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Mussorgsky: Night on the Bare Mountain

This is a tone poem by Mussorgsky, meaning there is a story being told through the music.
As a result, Mussorgsky treats the orchestra vividly, characterizing various elements to
make a highly dramatic work with great amounts of contrast. There is a thundering theme
in the lower brass at the very beginning of the work which contrasts the quieter strings,
which jitter quickly in fast figurations to counterbalance the force of the brass. The
orchestration is large, but conventional. There is a lot of thematic material in the work,
which repeats and works, in a way, like light motif, characterizing various elements of the
story being told.

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6

Tchaikovskys final symphony, number 6 or pathetique, is considered by some a sort of

requiem to himself, and has many dark elements to its musicality. Perhaps the most stark
and surprising, for the time of composition and performance, is the ending which fades
away slowly and mournfully - quite the contrast to the loud, brash finales of many
Romantic period composers who chose to end with grandiose finales. The whole
symphony starts with a small repeating figure in Bminor which builds to a large, brass led,
climax before entering into an extremely lyrical and romantic section led by the strings and
winds. This section contains a highly romantic melody typical of Tchaikovskys style and
output, and the scoring matches this - it is for a large Romantic period orchestra.

Chopin: Nocturne in C# Minor

Chopins nocturne in C# minor is a piece for piano, and reflects the dark and reflective
nature of its title (Chopin wrote many such pieces, and became famous for doing so). It
mirrors the feel of night time in that it is slow and of a minor key, also the haunting melody
and extremely simple arpeggiated accompaniment provide a sort of sparseness to the
texture, which is calm and spacious. The main theme re-occurs at various points during
the piece, and forms the basis of variation at other points, with fast scalic passages near
the end drawing the work to a conclusion before ending on a major chord.