The Romantic Age: Caspar David Friedrich's painting, Wanderer Above the Sea of Mist (1818)

     The Romantic Era sought in some way to combat the industrial revolution, to bring about a age that seeked out answers through inner thoughts and feelings. This was a revolt against science and reason, for who needed those to explain or define the great power of nature and its beauty? The Romantic Era was just as it sounded, science had done what it needed to do, it was time to let the arts to shine. 

     When looking at Casper Friedrich's Wanderer Above the Sea of Mist it is not hard to see the Romantic ideals present, or at least understand what they were talking about during this time period. The picture presents a lone figure, back faced towards the viewer, overlooking a landscape covered in fog, stretching out until it is engulfed by the mist. From the way the mist lays over the landscape its as if it was the ocean, crashing against the mountains and hills the it covers. The man looks across this divide and its infinity perhaps reflecting over a journey through these hills he has taken or is about to take. Or maybe he is just in awe over it all; taken by the raw power and awe of nature.

     Nature, so revered and knowing, so infinite and unchanging, this is what the enlightenment captured. Here we see this man looking into the great vastness of this landscape where the hills and fog blend seamlessly into the cloud filled sky. Where the future is uncertain and reason stands no ground to the pure emotion and awe of this awesome landscape. A man standing strong and yet so powerless is the power of nature, to the power of his own soul. I believe this painting shows more than a look on nature but a look into his very soul. The uncertainty and vast hopelessness of this man overlooking a endless sea of mist is a metaphor for his very being. His emotions vast and unpredictable, covered in mist and shadow, unknown and unexplored. This is what romanticism was about, emotion, uncertainty. Our feeling fade in and out of the fog like the mountains and the rock formations, never hinting when they will appear or disappear, and yet like this man we must face it and live it triumphantly. Like this painting we must all succumb to the great power of nature and our very inner being.  

Concert Report #2: Symphony Orchestra.

Saturday, October 5, 2013, 8:15 PM
Carlos Sanchez-Guttierrez (2013-14 Karel Husa Visiting Professor) Girando, Danzando (1996/2013)
André Jolivet: Bassoon Concerto 
    Nadina Mackie Jackson, bassoon
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10, op. 93

     Though I can't find my actual copy of October 5, Symphony Orchestra I pasted a copy of the program above for reference. 

     I attended the Symphony Orchestra a couple of weeks ago and I find it certainly worth mentioning in this report. It was held in the biggest hall they have, which I believe is Ford, at 8:15 p.m. It was conducted by Jonathan Pasternack who is substituting here at the college. He has conducted such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center which I thought was pretty awesome. The Symphony Orchestra unlike the Symphonic is made up mostly of stringed instruments; violins, violas, cellos, double basses. But also has trombones, tubas, drums, bassoons, and other non-stringed instruments. I had never seen a live Symphony Orchestra before so I was excited to see what the could do.
     The first piece was actually composed by a visiting professor who happened to be there that evening and gave a bow at the end of the piece at the conductors instruction. It started of simple, playing through passages and stating harmonic and melodic ideas the spun and weaved through one another. Gradually weaving in dynamics and texture. The second piece took a different mood, the parts were much more angular and bold and stood out much more, leaving me on the edge of my seat. I would almost say the second half was the "French Revolution" to the first, splitting off in new ways , throwing out the old and beginning anew.
     The second piece was a Bassoon Concerto which was composed in 1954. This piece seemed to bring about a stir in the crowd because there was seemingly a Bassoon superstar in our midsts. Her name was Nadina Mackie Jackson and she and blue hair, but that's not all, she also played the Bassoon very well. She was the focal point of the piece and though it was written so where near the Enlightenment Era, in retrospect I can see how there were certainly traits of its ideals about it. The way there was a banter between the Bassoon and the Symphony for starters. they were discussing, conversing ideas. The Bassoon would call out an idea then the Symphony would either react or accept, then they would go again and again. Until finally at the end they came to a rational solution of harmony and balance within the piece. At the end it was a celebration of enlightenment and reason and showed between the soloist and the group that they felt the same way. 
     The third piece was by far the most recognized and talked about of the night; that being Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, op. 93. I had heard the name but not until now realized was a a big deal this guy was. Quite a excellent composer to say the least. I was also surprised to see that this piece was actually composed in 1953 and that Shostakovich had been working on film scores until this time; the death of Stalin. The piece was pretty awesome and thus was the longest and most strenuous of the pieces, for both listener and players. The piece started off with this low weaving, almost haunting line that gradually rolled through loud and soft. Definitely a minor key (e minor if you want to be picky). The rest of the first movement follows this dark roller coaster and end with a piccolo solo, apparently depicting nervous whistling; pretty cool.   The second movement is pretty mind blowing due tot he fact alone that it is four minutes in length as where the first was nearly twenty five! It was syncopated and angry, chromatic, fast, life or death, military, chaos! Then the third and fourth, which have a story all their own, which I won't relate to you on the premise of time. But I will describe that there was no stopping, no polite pauses, no stroll down the lane or row down the lazy river. It was electric it was intense, to the very last second. It showed on the snarled faces of the players, on the sweat and ferocity of the conductor, in the energy of the room. And when it ended it was masterful (and the poor conductor had to come out at least three times for a bow). And that was it, the concert was over, and everyone left a little fuller than they came.
     Was it enlightened, was it revolutionary, was it a masterpiece? Yes to all these things! Was it a balanced Sonata of Mozart? A playful string quartet by Haydn? No it was not, and yet it was powerful, it was bold, it was revolutionary and expansive on the ideas of individuality and conclusiveness. It told a story based in rationality and in reason and those I believe convey the true spirit of the Enlightenment era. As did all the pieces that were played that night. For my first Symphony Orchestra I found myself quite lucky to be placed in front of some quite capable musicians, and will certainly be coming back for more.  

18th-century phrase. Mozart it is.

     The song I chose to represent the enlightenment is Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 in Eb-Major K. 447. second movement. The movement is titled Romance (Larghetto). I enjoy this piece because it is very uplifting, simple, and clear. The texture of this piece make it really work. The french horn stands above all and delivers the lines that the strings accompany. The string section includes two violins, a viola, and a nice cello for the bass. They provided a nice soft response and accompaniment to the horn. There are also woodwind instruments that provided subtle tones that almost create a chordal aspect; these are a clarinet and a bassoon. With all these instruments working together they create a lift and enjoyable atmosphere that reminds me a lot of a walk in the park on a nice warm day. The piece is in cut time which I believe also brings the feeling of the piece along nicely. The melody that the horn plays and then the strings repeat is very simple and easy to sing along to. I enjoyed how the whole form of the movement began and ended in the same place, giving the piece a relaxing and enjoyable feel. 

     I found it easy to hear the period structure within the first parts of the movement. I identified the beginning as an parallel interrupted period. Parallel because of the reoccurring theme and interrupted because I could hear that dominant chord, identifying the half cadence. The two periods are each eight bars in a very slow cut time. Each one is concise and is a great reference to what a parallel interrupted period sounds like. 

     This represents Enlightenment ideals to me through its simple and transparent melodies. It is uplifting, it is new, it sounds for all intents and purposes, enlightened. Mozart crafted a beautiful work here that sounds straight out of time period of reason and science, of form and revolution. This movement to me is romantic and bold, it stands out and pushes forward. Good tune. 

Here is the phrase structure for the beginning. (5 should be V for the chord)