This week's listening offered a good contrast of the ups and downs of blues and swing music.
W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" is an interesting mix of blues and Tin Pan Alley. The form adds an unexpected C section at the end after the AABA form of the refrain. The typical blues harmony exists, but a new melody appears. Bessie Smith's performance adds additional "blues" notes to Handy's composition, bringing a larger element of emotion and expression to the performance.
Fletcher Henderson's "Wrappin' It Up" is a good example of swing music techniques, including a "walking" bass (where the bass plays on every beat) and the bass drum playing all beats as well. The piece has a good forward motion, with a saxophone and trumpet solo. I find the moving bass line to be a strong contributing factor to the feeling of movement in the piece. It never gives the listener time to "settle" on one musical event. We're always moving on to something else. I found the tutti chromatic movement immediately before the trumpet solo to be incredibly interesting, well written, and well played.
I found "Taking a Chance on Love" to be a charming piece of music. The form, after the introduction, was pretty straight forward, with a standard AABA section taking center stage with the singer. The same form returns after an instrumental break, this time with multiple instruments taking the lead. Although this tempo is slower that "Wrappin' It Up," I still feel as though the walking bass line gives the music a sense of forward momentum throughout.
Glenn Miller's arrangement of "In the Mood" is probably one of the most well known songs of the Swing Era, perhaps in American music history. The form is sort of an extended ABA (with repeats) and has a very famous extended ending with a repeated rising pattern in the horns. I found the reading in the text on this piece to be very interesting, in terms of his familiarity. We are so far removed from World War II that understanding the kind of comfort this piece could have brought is lost on us. It was a very profound piece of writing and analysis.
I wish I had not read about the Mills Brothers' performance of "Paper Doll" prior to listening. When the men break into 3 part harmony prior to the refrain, it was absolutely delightful. Their attention to blend and balance was very nice and, as a singer myself, I appreciated their attention to unification of vowel sounds and intonation. The piece starts off with the refrain, sung (seemingly) slowly. To a first time listener, this would not appear that this is the refrain. When it returns with the double time feel, it is strangely familiar. I did not believe it when I read that the words from the first refrain and second are actually moving at the same speed. It's truly amazing how much of a difference a change in the bass line and/or percussion to make to a melody.
I enjoyed this module's listening very much and am looking forward to Module 4.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Listening Journal - Week 2
The pieces this week included songs that, to this day, are considered to be "standards." It was very interesting to dive into these pieces and explore what contributes to their endurance.
James Reese Europe's "Castle House Rag" is a typical example of the ragtime form, though a bit more complex. While typical ragtime form might be AABBACCDD, this goes a bit farther with Intro-AABBACCDEEF. It could have been the quality of the recording distorting my interpretation, but I did feel as though the drum did not have a significantly interesting part to play. Many times (especially in the A sections), it sounded as though the drums were simply beating eighth notes. I thought the bells in the C section (also without drums) added a sweetness that was a nice contrast to the more energetic sections. The most fascinating aspect of this recording was actually the recording itself. Since it was recorded in 1914, it did not have the advantage of electronic microphones for sound mixing. The performers were most likely performing in front of a large cone or horn, which would carve the grooves into the record. This would, obviously, lead to some instruments being louder than others and (in the case of percussion) distortion of the sound.
Donadlson and Whiting's "My Blue Heaven" is a good example of the Tin Pan Alley form, with the refrains following the AABA format. The lyrics are written to appeal to the public at large, evoking scenes of calm and peace. The recording itself is simple, with only piano, cello, and voice, which reflects the tranquility of the lyrics. Unlike the previous recording, Gene Austin recorded this with an electronic microphone, which allowed a subtlety of performance not yet considered "normal" and was therefore quite effective.
I thought it was very interesting to have two recordings of the same song by the same artist, so many years apart, as in Silvers and DeSylvia's "April Showers." For his recording in 1921, Al Jolson was singing a brand new tune. By 1932, it was already well known, and he had an opportunity to make the performance more "his own" by then, also giving fans a reason to buy a song they no doubt already owned. Musically, the refrain is a less used, but still common Tin Pan Alley ABA'C form. The 1932 performance is particularly dramatic, in a way that was often parodied by the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes (if I recall correctly). Nowadays, it seems almost silly, but back then it was quite effective. Another striking difference between the two is the quality of the recordings. Even though only 11 years had passed, the advances in microphone technology are evident in that the 1932 recording is much clearer and crisper.
The songs I downloaded did not seem to include Ethel Merman's performance of George and Ira Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm." A quick YouTube search revealed this recording which appears to match the listening guide in the text: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTsKhool5g
This piece is probably the most well known tune of the bunch, and has been performed thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of times in the 84 years since its publication. The change in tempo from the introduction to the verse, then to the refrain is extraordinarily striking and exciting. The band is really rolling along with Merman throughout and the excitement never lets up. Having been written at the beginning of the Great Depression, it appears the lyrics have a "keep your head up" quality to them.
I have enjoyed the music of this week's listening activities and am looking forward to exploring Swing and The Blues next week!
James Reese Europe's "Castle House Rag" is a typical example of the ragtime form, though a bit more complex. While typical ragtime form might be AABBACCDD, this goes a bit farther with Intro-AABBACCDEEF. It could have been the quality of the recording distorting my interpretation, but I did feel as though the drum did not have a significantly interesting part to play. Many times (especially in the A sections), it sounded as though the drums were simply beating eighth notes. I thought the bells in the C section (also without drums) added a sweetness that was a nice contrast to the more energetic sections. The most fascinating aspect of this recording was actually the recording itself. Since it was recorded in 1914, it did not have the advantage of electronic microphones for sound mixing. The performers were most likely performing in front of a large cone or horn, which would carve the grooves into the record. This would, obviously, lead to some instruments being louder than others and (in the case of percussion) distortion of the sound.
Donadlson and Whiting's "My Blue Heaven" is a good example of the Tin Pan Alley form, with the refrains following the AABA format. The lyrics are written to appeal to the public at large, evoking scenes of calm and peace. The recording itself is simple, with only piano, cello, and voice, which reflects the tranquility of the lyrics. Unlike the previous recording, Gene Austin recorded this with an electronic microphone, which allowed a subtlety of performance not yet considered "normal" and was therefore quite effective.
I thought it was very interesting to have two recordings of the same song by the same artist, so many years apart, as in Silvers and DeSylvia's "April Showers." For his recording in 1921, Al Jolson was singing a brand new tune. By 1932, it was already well known, and he had an opportunity to make the performance more "his own" by then, also giving fans a reason to buy a song they no doubt already owned. Musically, the refrain is a less used, but still common Tin Pan Alley ABA'C form. The 1932 performance is particularly dramatic, in a way that was often parodied by the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes (if I recall correctly). Nowadays, it seems almost silly, but back then it was quite effective. Another striking difference between the two is the quality of the recordings. Even though only 11 years had passed, the advances in microphone technology are evident in that the 1932 recording is much clearer and crisper.
The songs I downloaded did not seem to include Ethel Merman's performance of George and Ira Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm." A quick YouTube search revealed this recording which appears to match the listening guide in the text: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTsKhool5g
This piece is probably the most well known tune of the bunch, and has been performed thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of times in the 84 years since its publication. The change in tempo from the introduction to the verse, then to the refrain is extraordinarily striking and exciting. The band is really rolling along with Merman throughout and the excitement never lets up. Having been written at the beginning of the Great Depression, it appears the lyrics have a "keep your head up" quality to them.
I have enjoyed the music of this week's listening activities and am looking forward to exploring Swing and The Blues next week!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Listening Journal - Week 1
The recordings this week included some very familiar tunes, some of which I couldn't quite place for a while. The first tune, the British-turned-American ballad "Barbara Allen" is a tune that is used in the Lutheran Church as a song to be sung during the presentation of gifts following the offertory ("Accept, oh Lord, the gifts we bring"). It took me ages to figure out where I had heard the tune before. It became clear to me as I searched jwpepper.com for choral arrangements of this tune. The melody used in the many arrangements is what caught me as familiar. Jean Ritchie's performance was incredibly haunting and beautiful. Her ornamentations speak greatly about her upbringing in Appalachia. I found the acapella performance to be particularly moving.
The two versions of "Soldier's Joy" presented two very different versions. In addition to the instrumentation and singing, the entire feel of the pieces was different. The Skillet Lickers' version was, of course, geared towards dancing. The opening lyrics include dance instructions (according to the text, they were lifted from another popular song of the time). The percussive quality of the guitar adds to the drive of the piece and I found myself tapping my foot along to the music. Tommy Jarrell's version, while still impressive, has less of a dance feel, and more of a "home-like" feel, perhaps to be played with family.
"Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" is a tune that is well known to me for several reasons. When I was in middle school, my choir sang a medley of Stephen Foster songs which included this tune. Of course, the other reason is because Bugs Bunny sang this song in an old "Looney Tunes" cartoon that I saw as a child. It's always stuck out as a moment from those shows that I remember. It's amazing how sophisticated and full of adult humor the Warner Brothers cartoons were. I imagine it is a testament to Stephen Foster's writing that I remember that tune so much. Musically, the tune follows a standard AABA form and also has hints of late Classical/early Romantic harmony.
What struck me the most interesting about "After the Ball" was Joan Morris's choice to narrate the last verse, rather than sing it. It adds variety to the form of the piece that, while standard, can become a bit repetitive by the third verse. While the song was incredibly popular during its time, I found it (in general), to be less memorable than the other songs on the listening list. It is very possible that this particular song structure has become so well known in the last 100 years that the piece sounds cliche, even though at its time it was not.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all of the music this week. Some of the songs have a more "sophisticated" air about them, but each piece and performer show significant musical skills. I think that sometimes, classically trained musicians look at folk and popular musicians as a lower form of performer or writer. I wholeheartedly disagree. These recordings have cemented my opinions that all types of music require technical and expressive ability. The same can be said for the composers themselves. Whether written in a studio in New York City, at a conservatory in London, or passed down through the mountains of Appalachia, the level of musicianship and artistry can remain the same. I am looking forward to exploring more music in the weeks ahead.
The two versions of "Soldier's Joy" presented two very different versions. In addition to the instrumentation and singing, the entire feel of the pieces was different. The Skillet Lickers' version was, of course, geared towards dancing. The opening lyrics include dance instructions (according to the text, they were lifted from another popular song of the time). The percussive quality of the guitar adds to the drive of the piece and I found myself tapping my foot along to the music. Tommy Jarrell's version, while still impressive, has less of a dance feel, and more of a "home-like" feel, perhaps to be played with family.
"Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" is a tune that is well known to me for several reasons. When I was in middle school, my choir sang a medley of Stephen Foster songs which included this tune. Of course, the other reason is because Bugs Bunny sang this song in an old "Looney Tunes" cartoon that I saw as a child. It's always stuck out as a moment from those shows that I remember. It's amazing how sophisticated and full of adult humor the Warner Brothers cartoons were. I imagine it is a testament to Stephen Foster's writing that I remember that tune so much. Musically, the tune follows a standard AABA form and also has hints of late Classical/early Romantic harmony.
What struck me the most interesting about "After the Ball" was Joan Morris's choice to narrate the last verse, rather than sing it. It adds variety to the form of the piece that, while standard, can become a bit repetitive by the third verse. While the song was incredibly popular during its time, I found it (in general), to be less memorable than the other songs on the listening list. It is very possible that this particular song structure has become so well known in the last 100 years that the piece sounds cliche, even though at its time it was not.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all of the music this week. Some of the songs have a more "sophisticated" air about them, but each piece and performer show significant musical skills. I think that sometimes, classically trained musicians look at folk and popular musicians as a lower form of performer or writer. I wholeheartedly disagree. These recordings have cemented my opinions that all types of music require technical and expressive ability. The same can be said for the composers themselves. Whether written in a studio in New York City, at a conservatory in London, or passed down through the mountains of Appalachia, the level of musicianship and artistry can remain the same. I am looking forward to exploring more music in the weeks ahead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)