Music Bj Ergasia

7/28/2019 Music Bj Ergasia

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MU 1000Toufexis Dimitris Music ReportKapatsoulias George 129230Spring Semester 2012

Music Report

On Romeo and Juliet

by Sergei Prokofiev


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Contents

Type of Event .....................................................p.2

Description of Event on Stage (before start)..........p.2-3

State the Pieces Heard............................................p.3-4

Focus on Pieces or Movement...............................p.5-6

Description of Movement......................................p.6-7

My Conclusion.......................................................p.7-8


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instrument had the main tune, and the others tried to tune in their instruments to

accomplish the same sound. Their goal was to tune their instruments in order for them to

be ready for the main act, and not waste time during the ballet for tuneing. What was

curious to me that I hadn't reckoned before, was the ballet orchestra which was placed

under the stage. This was something different from what I had seen before, and it had

astonished me, I can say.

State the Pieces You Heard

The event Romeo and Juliet was seperated in 2 parts which was seperate with

the interval. The 1 st act consisted of Scene 1 which contained the: 1) Introduction 2)

Romeo 3) The Street Awakens 4) Morning Dance 5) The Quarrel 6) The Fight 7) The

Prince Gives His Order a.k.a. The Duke's Command 8) Interlude . Afterwards, Scene 2

had, 9) Preparing for the Ball (Juliet and the Nurse) At the Capulets' (Preparations for

the Ball) 10) Juliet as a Young Girl The Young Juliet 11) Arrival of the Guests (Minuet),

12) Masks (Romeo), Mercutio and Benvolio in Masks), 13) Dance of The Nights , 14)

Juliet's Variation 15) Mercutio 16) Madrigal, 17) Tybalt Recognizes Romeo, 18)

Gavotte (Departure of the Guests), 19) Balcony Scene 20) Romeo's Variation 21) Love

Dance.

The 2 nd act starts off with Scene 3 having these parts: 22) Folk Dance 23) Romeo


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and Mercutio 24) Dance of the Five Couples 25) Dance with Mandolins 26) The Nurse

27) The Nurse Gives Romeo the Note from Juliet. Scene 4 was 28) Romeo at Friar

Laurence's 29) Juliet at Friar Laurence's. Scene 5 consisted of 30) The People Continue

to Make Merry 31) The Folk Dance Again 32) Tybalt Meets Mercutio 33) Tybalt and

Mercutio Fight 34) Death of Mercutio, 35) Romeo Decides to Avenge Mercutio's Death

36) Finale of Act II. I think in this part of the event the interlude came, and people rose

from their seats.

After this was act 3 where scene 6 continued. It contained: 37) Introduction 38)

Romeo and Juliet (Juliet's bedroom) 39) Farewell before Parting 40) The Nurse 41)

Juliet Refuses to Marry Paris 42) Juliet Alone 43) Interlude . This is when Scene 7 was

placed. 44) At Friar Laurence's 45) Interlude. Scene 8 was up next 46) Again in

Juliet's Bedroom 47) Juliet Alone 48) Morning Serenade 49) Dance of the Girls with

Lilies 50) At Juliet's Bedside.The last act is the 4 th in which ends with scene 9. Its contains: 51) Juliet's Funeral

and the 52) Death of Juliet.

Focus on One or Two Pieces

What really gave me the chills and what confined my interest was Sergey

Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights , also known as the Montagues and Capulets. With the


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strong horns and bass on the bottom and a powerful and electric melodic line played by

strings, these dark and brooding sounds can send chills up your spine and set your heart

racing . I had heard of this piece, but I wasn't exptecting anything like this. There's no

denying that Dance of the Knights is definitely an emotionally charged piece of music.

The tempo that indicates this song is Allegro Pesante. At first the violins wher slow and

adante. The tempo is rather slow, showing royale. I imagine the "Middle Ages" or the

period of "Renaissance" with this song. Suddenly Juliet arrives, and a flute or something

rather soft and smooth openes her entrance. Violins start playing, but the main theme of

the part is there. Gradually, the music becomes darker and suddenly there is a blast of a

pause. Romeo and Juliet start dancing, wearing the same colored tone clothe.

Another astonishing moment was at the scene with Juliet's bedside. This was the

final piece of the act. It started with the chilling sounds of the violins, really high in

pitch. The tempo was rather adagio. The scene felt really sad, with the upcoming of thetwo tragic deaths. There was a smooth and harmonic stage throughout the whole scene

with no sudden changes. This main theme was meant to show sadness, and this it had

accomplished.

Describe in Much Detail of What You Heard

The instruments playing where about 5 families. In the Woodwinds area there was

a piccolo, some flutes and oboes, an English horn, clarinets and bassoons. Overall I


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think they where 15 instruments perhaps. In the Brass area there where 5-6 horns,

trumpets, trombones and one tuba. Probably about 10 instruments here. Another family

is the keyboards (actually I am not sure if it is a family on it's own). There was a piano

and an organ. Finally there are the strings, which comprise of a viola, mandolins(i

think), violins, violoncellos, a harp and a bass.

I could define the elements of music in the whole, which I can say made me

understand more of the play. The play had a mostly slow moderate tempi in most the

time. Adagio and moderato was mostly in the 2nc act of the play due to its sad moments.

There was also a fast vivace tempi when Juliet had some of her joyfull moments. The

tempi in the scene of the fight is presto, showing the anxiety and fear. The dynamics in

the whole act where both loud and soft. When showing the sadness of the play, the

dynamics where piano, whereas when anxtious, forte. The crescendo and the

decrescendo where very perspicuous in the tragic moments of the event.

Conclusion

Nowadays people underestimate the brilliance of classical music. They haven't

given any thought of the concepts and the originality. I have to say that I wouldn't go to

an event of classical music, but given the chance I did and for surely I have to say I was


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fascinated. I would ofcourse want to go to another concert. The music was so live,

nothing you can compare to any stereo or computer. Performers of the play where very

consistant and concentrated. The performers of the opera where so highly structiored and

this was their perfection. All in all this performance was one of a lifetimes experience.

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