Monthly Archives: March 2019

On March 4th I watched a performance by the UBC early music chamber ensembles. This performance showcased instrumental works from the early Baroque period. As we have studied this period in our class, it was definitely interesting to see period in live performance. The music was brought to life by watching it performed live, and was made more authentic by using the instruments that would have been used in the period, such as the harpsichord. Having never heard or seen this instrument in person, the addition of it to the performance really transported me into the experience.

The program featured music by Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Friedrich Fasch, Antonio Vivaldi, and Carl Stamitz. The pieces were mainly played by small ensembles, either trios, quartets or quintets, which reminded me of the how we learned that pieces that used big ensembles, such as the concerto grosso or B Minor mass by Bach, were only played on special occasions, and used festive orchestras. It definitely imparted a more intimate version of Baroque music than some of the grand music we looked at in class. The harpsichord mainly played the accompaniment for the strings and winds instruments that played more of the melody in these pieces. In that it played the accompaniment it reminded me of the basso continuo that we looked at in some pieces in class, playing a sparse underlying melody line that supported the soloists that were playing the main melodies on top and provided the main rhythmic structure. Some pieces also had low string instruments, such as cellos, join the harpsichord in accompanying the soloists.

The pieces fit mainly in the prima practica part of Baroque music that was described by Montiverdi, with the different instruments imitating the melodic line of the instrument that came before them, using imitative polyphony, and sounding quite fugue-like. The music was quite upbeat and lively, but also sounded measured and not too intense. I think the mixture of the  instruments, with the more tempered and steady harpsichord keeping the melody grounded and solid, against the more lively and flighty solo instruments, such as the violin in the Trio Sonata in B Minor by Telemann, and the flutes in the Sonata corellisante VI by Telemann. My favourite piece performed was the Quartetto in F Major by Carl Stamitz, as it used the most instruments of the pieces performed, with an oboe, horn, violin, cello, and harpsichord, and had a more full and rich sound due to this mix of instruments. The piece had three movements: Allegro, Andante, and Presto. I appreciated how the oboe, which took the central role of the main melodic line, sounded alongside the violin and the horn with these instruments playing in both a way that supported the oboe line, but also imitated and played off of this melodic line, morphing it into different musical ideas. The violin and cello almost did a call and response with the oboe line, with the oboe introducing a musical line, and the violin responding in a way that transformed that line.

All in all, I enjoyed seeing this performance by UBC’s early music chamber ensembles. It was interesting to see this music being performed in this intimate setting and being done in a way that aimed for an authentic experience of this music. I also greatly appreciated seeing the UBC student’s interpretation of these pieces and the craft that they brought to playing these intricate pieces of music.

The movie “The Favourite”, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a period drama/comedy set in 18^th century England. The monarch at the time, Queen Anne, has a close relationship with her friend and lover Sarah Churchill, until the arrival of Sarah’s cousin Abigail causes the two women to vie for the position of the Queen’s right hand. Blackmail, schemes, and secrets pit the two against each other, but the temper and elitism of the Queen begs the question: if you earn the Queen’s favour, have you really won the battle? While there is a comedic touch to the plot, it has many dark and unsettling moments, which are enhanced by the classically inspired, but haunting soundtrack compiled by Johnnie Burn. A mix of 20^th century compositions and well-known Baroque and Classical works, this movie walks the line between a historically accurate piece and modern entertainment.

Selections from the time period of Queen Anne’s reign, 1702-1707, include works by J.S. Bach, W.F. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Purcell. Much of this music is heard as background music to the plot: most notably, Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, HWV 325. This piece was also used in the trailer to give a hurried and anxious, yet noble and stately atmosphere. This is akin to the rest of the period music used in the movie: it gives the aura of the nobility, and yet is always somewhat unsettling because of its deliberate form in comparison to the strange, messy, and sometimes horrific scenes occurring on screen. There are two notable times we encounter music being played as a part of the plot. First, Anne observes a small group of instruments playing music in the courtyard, the piece I couldn’t identify as my rental for the movie expired by the time I am writing this. However, it was a piece for a small group of strings, had the characteristics of Baroque instrumental music at the time, and was organized by what appeared to be a composer sharing a remarkable resemblance to Handel (even though he was not technically employed by Queen Anne at the time the movie is set). In another scene, Sarah storms into a chamber where the members of the royal court are watching an opera singer perform, accompanied by a harpsichord. An opera singer is performing “Music for a While”, an English language aria from Purcell’s incidental music for the English adaptation of Oedipus. If the audience listens carefully, its meaning in regards to the movie becomes clear: all is well, while the music plays, but a vengeful and angry reckoning is on its way (in this case, a furious Sarah mauled by an ordeal in the forest, come to seek revenge on Abigail for stealing her position).

While the period music is slightly unsettling in its usage, the 20^th century music is downright shudder-inducing. While watching this movie with my parents, they both commented that at some points the avant-garde music was almost unbearable, not because of its atonality but simply because of how unnerving it is! This is most clearly evident in Luc Ferrari’s “Didascalies”, which is a myriad of tones played on piano, violin, and electronic synthesizer which is unlike any other music being performed today. The singular repeated G on the viola, used often in the movie, gets louder and louder until one couldn’t even focus on the dialogue, you were so unnerved by this music. It added significantly to the off-kilter, unsettling atmosphere that the movie wanted to create by literally driving the audience up the wall with the soundtrack!

Overall, while The Favourite was a little eclectic for my typical movie taste, I appreciated the choices Johnnie Burns made for the soundtrack. He balanced memorable and period-appropriate Baroque and Classical music with the atmospheric effect of 20^th century music, which made the intention of the film clear. While I wouldn’t likely watch it again, mostly because of the ending (hint: a one-minute overlay of rabbits over the sad faces of Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman), I very much appreciated its artistic intent.

As a final note,

I’m not very well versed in the realm of more contemporary and modern music, so attending concerts like REConnected and Light and Perspective, which I attended in January, is always an interesting experience. Once again, I did not know what to expect when walking into the venue. I was surprised when I saw the array of instruments set up on stage. They ranged from drums, flower pots, a stuffed animal monkey, and a banana shaker.

A total of four pieces were performed during this particular Wednesday noon-hour concert, and they were performed by Daniel Tones on percussion and by Owen Underhill on piano. The program was made up of To the Earth by Frederic Rzewski (b.1938), A/Symmetry Ritual by Owen Underhill (b.1954), Invisible Cities by Linda Catlin Smith (b.1957), and Temazcal by Javier Alvarez (b.1956).

As Professor Konoval mentioned in class, one of the central ideas of contemporary art is confusion or being a state where you don’t really know what is going on. For the entirety of the concert, this is how I felt. There were moments where I didn’t know how to make sense of what was happening on stage, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to react. During the piece that utilized the monkey and banana shaker, I was unsure if I was supposed to join in with the laughter of the audience or remain serious, as the musicians looked extremely stern while shaking their objects up and down.

The first piece entitled To the Earth (1985) by Frederic Rzewski (b.1938) was played on a group of four instruments lines up on a table. They appeared to be clay flower pots each of varying size, and were played by a long stick that looked like a chopstick. It was very interesting to see the various ways in which the musician was able to produce so many different sounds with a single type of object depending on how it was struck.

There was also an oral component to the first peace, as Tones recited poetry along with the percussion. Majority of the performance was syllabic, meaning that each note played on the pots came with a single syllable of poetry. This created an interesting yet irregular rhythm, with no clearly defined meter.

The piece that featured the stuffed monkey and banana shaker consisted of a number of instruments. The musicians started at the back of the stage on different instruments, and eventually moved up the stage to play different instruments scattered across the stage, Each portion of this peace contrasted the sound of two different instruments at one time. This reminded me of the central idea of the concerto, as it was meant to highlight the combination of different instruments and their juxtapose their sounds.

This concert really challenged my understanding of instruments, as I have learned that there are no limitations to what can be used to produce sound. We typically think of traditional instruments as the only type of instruments, but in reality, any object used creatively can be used to create a melody line or rhythm.

On March 18, I attended the UBC Composers’ Concert from the UBC School of Music. The concert showcased songs composed by the UBC music students, and it was my first time attending consisting only of student-composed songs. At first, I found that some of the songs seemed a bit more abstract and rough around the edges when the concert first started, but I found many of the songs endearing and to have a charm of their own, even if they’re not as ‘perfect’ as the songs we may be used to listening to. Regardless, it was undeniable the amount of talent and potential the students had, and I really do look forward to attending more or these student-composed concerts later in the future.

The repertoire consisted of five songs: “29^th Avenue Station”, “Second Beach”, “Night Piece”, “Chance Encounter”, and “Avdiutt”. These songs were mostly not performed by the composer, which I found very surprising, with the exception of “Chance Encounter”, but she also had accompaniment. I was really surprised at the amount of talent, as I noticed that some of the student composers had composed different songs performed by different instruments. I found that for their young age, they had great musical sense to be able to compose songs for various kinds of instruments.

My favourite piece probably has to be Avidutt. While the other songs had only about one to three performers, Avidutt had seven, making it the largest ensemble of the concert. There were three singers that produced very interesting sounds, some even imitating laughter. They also would repeat after each other in a manner that would remind one of imitative polyphonic texture. While, there was a short intermission as we had to wait for the string players to arrive, I think it was very worth it as the mimicking done by the singers, and the accompaniment of the strings seemed very abstract, but also representative of the creative nature of the composing student. It was a good way to end the show by displaying how talented the UBC music students really were, both the composers and the players.

I would definitely like to recommend this concert to other people and other students, as I think it’s very eye-opening to witness the amount of talent we have at our school, and it’s very inspiring to see other students be able to make contributions, such as producing new music, in their field of study from such a young age.

I attended the Brazz jazz ensemble performance on March 6. It was one of the Wednesday Noon Hours at the UBC School of Music, so it was just one hour long and during a lunch period. As someone who was not too interested in jazz, I wanted to give this performance a shot to see if it could captivate even someone like me who doesn’t usually look for jazz music to listen to. I’m glad I saw it, and in particular this one, because the concert seemed fairly informal so there was humour being thrown around and I really enjoyed how much fun it looked like the performers were having. Rather than showing a pressure to do their absolute best, it seemed more casual, which does not mean non-rehearsed, which I appreciated. It seemed like the players were very experienced in what they do, and so they were able to have more fun playing.

The ensemble consisted of various brass instruments, such as the trumpets, trombones, base trombones, french horns, euphoniums, and tubas, as well as a piano, bass, and drums to act as accompaniment. The sound was quite large for the hall size, which I believe is why many of the trumpets had trumpet mutes on, to ensure the sound would not be overwhelming. As jazz often is, the played set had very many vibrant and energetic songs, which made it fun to listen along to.

The program consisted of: “A Sleeping Bee”, “Fanfare for the Common Man”, “Jitterbug Waltz”, “El Camino Real”, “Higher Grooving’”, “Nite Life”, and “Close Your Eyes”. I appreciated that, while sticking to a fairly consistent theme throughout the concert, the chosen songs displayed different sides of jazz. Some were very upbeat, while others very a bit more laidback. Out of these, I especially enjoyed “A Sleeping Bee” because it was very upbeat and I felt that it was a really good way to start the concert and prepare the listeners to be introduced to the world of jazz. I felt that the sound seemed very diverse and rich, and from reading the program, this may be a result of the ensemble having players from various backgrounds. I noticed that some of the musicians had a jazz background, while some had a classical one. While they may seem very different, I think these varying backgrounds allowed for a richer sound and one that you wouldn’t easily find elsewhere.

I personally enjoyed this concert thoroughly, and I recommend that anyone, even someone who isn’t particularly interested in jazz, as I was, attend one of these Brazz concerts if they have the chance.

On March 6th I attended the Brazz jazz ensemble performance, one of the wednesday noon hour concerts at the school of music. As a lover of jazz music I was excited to watch this performance, and glad I had the opportunity to see it at UBC. The ensemble, made up of all Brass instruments, hence the name Brazz, played a selection of jazz arrangements ranging from jazz standards, to a Willie Nelson number and more contemporarily written pieces. Using a vibrant mix of trumpets, trombones, french horns, euphoniums, tuba and piano, bass and drums to accompany, Brazz’s large ensemble created a rich big band sound, immersing everyone listening in the dynamic and punchy sounds of the brass instruments.

Unlike some of the other smaller jazz ensembles that I have seen, who practice more improvising and musicians taking turns soloing, this big band ensemble played more similarly to how I would imagine an orchestral ensemble, with a very rehearsed, tight sound. Despite this, surprisingly to me the conductor Fred Stride, who was also the pianist, did little to really lead the musicians, only really giving them the initial rhythm and cue to start playing, and then making sure that they all finished together. For me this really showed how professional and in tune with each other these musicians were. They worked together like a collective organ with the rhythm section providing a steady driving beat that allowed the other musicians to keep in perfect time together. This more orchestral sound, also could be due to how the musicians playing were a mixture of professional working jazz musicians, and classical musicians who would be more familiar playing fully written orchestral scores, as opposed to the more loosely written jazz arrangements.

The program included the songs: A Sleeping Bee, Fanfare for the Common Man, Jitterbug Waltz, El Camino Real, Higher Groovin’, Nite Life, and Close Your Eyes. I thought this program really showcased the range of musical textures that can be achieved by brass instruments, with a mix of more slower tempoed ballads, swing numbers, and upbeat latin inspired numbers. I particularly enjoyed the song Higher Groovin’ written by the conductor Fred Stride, as it had many changes in meter throughout the song, giving it a highly energetic sound, which you could tell the musicians were very aware of, and imparted an energy onto the audience that kept them on the edge of their seats. I was also very appreciative to hear the solo musicians that were featured in the ensemble, as they were able to take musical motifs from each song and work within the key structure to produce improvised solos. It reminded me of the cadenza that we discussed in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, in which he left no written cadenza so soloists have to write their own. Similarly jazz solos are the opportunity for the musicians to showcase their musicality and skill and create a melody that is entirely their own to add to the piece.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this concert going experience and would recommend to anyone in this class to see Brazz if they have the opportunity!

UBC School of Music hosted Wednesday Noon Hours with David Jalbert on piano. The music played on this afternoon demonstrated Jalbert’s virtuosic abilities. Interestingly, Jalbert is one of CBC’s  15 best Canadian pianists of all time. He has studied at Juilliard School and the Glenn Gould school. He plays confidently, delicately, with power and control.

The first piece was entitled “Toccata in C minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece begins with monophony and later transitions to homophony. It also contains imitative polyphony and sweet sounding harmonies. It has a dark sound or tonal quality. Although it starts with some rapid notes, it turns to a passage that is rather slow and might even feel like it is dragging on to some. It then picks up speed with one part having a greater prominence, making it homophonic. Then it becomes polyphonic as both parts have an equal level of prominence. There is a short return to homophony and then the piece ends. The piece epitomizes classic Baroque.

The second piece was entitled “Nocturne No.2” by Gabriel Fauré. It begins with a rich sound due to the low bass notes and contains dissonant harmonies. It transitions to a darker tone and is homophonic in texture. The second portion of the piece was allegro containing unique arpeggiation. The third portion of this piece was slow, like the first.

The third piece was entitled “Légende No.2 ‘St-François de Paule: marchant sur les flots’” by Franz Liszt. It begins homophonic in texture, but transitions to being polyphonic. It also features chromatic passages. It has a grand sound, as do many of Liszt’s pieces. It has a passage of very low notes that competes with the main melody. The fast passages mellow down into a Lento (slow) portion of the piece.

The fourth piece was entitled “Sonata No.4 in C minor ‘After old notebooks’” by Sergei Prokofiev. It contained some homophony and some polyphony. The first movement was Allegro molto sostenuto. It had chromatic passages and peculiar melodies. The second movement was Andante assai. It began with low repeated chords and a low melody, followed by arpeggiation and then repeated chords once again. The third and last movement was Allegro con brio, ma non leggiere. It began rather brilliantly with striking arpeggios. Throughout the piece there were extended trills. Overall this piece sounded introverted and reflective in mood. It had complex harmonies, and was serious but somewhat light in nature. It uses a very controlled sonata structure, with many melodic and harmonic points of interest.

Overall it was a night of reasonable variety. My favourite piece of the afternoon was the “Toccata in C minor” by Bach as it was traditional Baroque music. It was interesting trying to follow the imitative polyphony and enjoying the complex parts and rich harmony. Also interesting was trying to follow the sonata-form present in Prokofiev’s “Sonata No.4 in C minor”. It was a challenge, but there were some recognizable portions. Jalbert did an excellent job at expressing these pieces –  I would recommend attending his events.

This was my first time going to see the UBC Symphony Orchestra and I was blown away! This particular day they performed A Northern Suite by John Luther Adams, Jean Francaix’s Clarinet Concerto and Claude Debussy’s La Mer.

The first piece was rather abstract. More instrumental in comparison to the others. It had five different movements that were all very ‘atmospheric’. The movements were trying to create a feeling of being in a cabin in the mountains during the winter. It was definitely something that is trying to create a mood or feeling related to human senses. Contrary to sonata form, I feel like every movement in this work didn’t alter their tempo. New themes weren’t introduced in such a way that would suggest sonata form either. Rather, ambiguous sounds, often without any rhythm, painted a picture of a snowy, wintery wonderland.

The second piece preformed by Carlos Savall-Guardiola and originally composed by Jean Franciax was a lot easier to identify themes and movements. The Clarinet Concerto has four different movements that really showcased Carlos’ virtuosity. The first allegro movement introduced the initial theme which is jumpy tune. Homophonic in nature, as there is only one melodic line, the initial theme is accompanied by the bass horns very well. I feel like using the horns that have a little more bass complement the clarinet quite well. As the clarinet is very sharp and juxtaposed the roundedness of the bass. The first movement concludes with the orchestra giving the clarinet a recitative of sorts. This solo is very operatic and tells a story with little use of ostinato.

The second movement of the Clarinet Concerto is in triple meter and at a tempo that is moderately fast but definitely slower than the first. The rhythm is controlled by the string section. To the ear you predominately hear the strings minuet contribution supporting the clarinet. As the theme develops, some horns come in to contribute to the 1, 2, 3. I also did notice some horns that weren’t contributing on every beat but only on the one to provide more depth.

The third movement was andante or andantino. It almost is like the clarinet is a dandelion seed floating in the wind. The orchestra, to my ear, supports the clarinet by switching back and forth from major and minor modes to create a story. After the first theme, the orchestra seems to be playing the primary melody as the clarinet plays many virtuosic arpeggios to create this whimsical feeling of flying. All in all, a very relaxed section.

The last and final movement is the last ‘hoorah’ simple because the tempo is even faster than the first section. The meditation that was occurring during the andante movement is violently interrupted by the pace and dissonance lead by the clarinet. It showcases violent violin jabs and breaks that allow the clarinet to contribute a trill.

The third and final piece of the day entitled La Mer was another instrumental/atmospheric composition that had no specific rhythm or meter. Like the titles of the three parts of the composition suggest, La Mer dramatizes the relationship between the earth’s elements by creating a dialogue within the orchestra. Especially in the second part of the piece entitled Play of the Waves is just that. The movement starts off relatively slow. Like a sunrise peaking out from the horizon and gleaming on the calm ocean. Then it picks up. Like the afternoon swells that can tip a freighter.

Preformed by a trio consisting of pianist Jane Coop, violinist Joan Blackman and horn player Oto Carrillo, Horn of Plenty showcased three different pieces. The first piece was Beethoven’s Sonata in A Major for piano and violin. The second being John Harbison’s composition entitled Twilight Music. And finally, Johannes Brahms’ Horn Trio in E flat major. I will focus on Beethoven’s sonata as I think I can only describe one with the word count allotted.

The rendition of Beethoven’s sonata written for piano and violin began like almost all sonatas do with an allegro pace. The first movement, allegro vivace was very ‘bouncy’. The main theme of the movement highlights the partnership between the two instruments. Making very good use of triplets, the violin accompanies the melody played by the piano. As the theme later develops, it kind of feels like an argument of sorts. However, it is in a major key. As it is argumentative dynamically, it sounds rather jovial. As if the argument is being done by a couple still in their ‘honeymoon phase’. Contrary to the first theme which primarily had the primary melody played by the piano using monophonic texture (in a major mode), the second theme uses polyphony as well. The minor theme uses more syncopation to emphasize the jovial, free flowing nature of the tonic theme is over. Assisted by some modulation, the theme is more desperate in feeling. The notes themselves seem to descend, then possibly chromatically ascend, only to descend again. Like someone taking a step forward and taking three steps back. This theme complements the first because of how much it contrasts it. Because the first theme is longer and faster, the second theme creates a much needed struggle to an otherwise overly happy initial tonic.

The second movement is were you can finally have a sip of the water you so desperately needed after the first. Although there are some instances where triplets are used that reference back to the movement, they are much more relaxed in nature and less syncopated. If the allegro is an argument, the development stage is a conversation. It does have dynamic changes that make it feel like there still is conflict carrying over from the first movement, but overall it feels more relaxed in nature. A lot more polyphony here, as the violin and piano seem to be on the same page.

Finally the third movement was my favourite of them all. The rondo is rather uplifting and is at a tempo that resides in-between the first two movements. For me it was hard keep tract of all the themes that are presented in this rondo. But it is so pleasant I didn’t seem to care. Both the piano and the violin go through these arpeggiated runs that are very virtuosic. We had the initial argument, the developmental conversation and now we have the finale which showcases how the two instruments can work together as a team. The section is very complimentary and highlights the fantastic relationship between the violin and the piano.

The first concert that I attended for the class was the Brazz jazz ensemble during the music program’s Wednesday noon hour. I was pleasantly energized after witnessing some of the best jazz I have ever listened to, let alone seen in person. The ensemble preformed seven different pieces that varied from classic blues/jazz pieces from artists that lived in the early 1900s to a Willie Nelson tune.

The ensemble was composed of eighteen musicians. Fourteen horns in total attributed to a sound that was always full and dynamic. With no saxophones, their sound relied heavily progressions played by a combination of french horns, trumpets and trombones. A euphonium and tuba were also in the back providing support. Every piece showcased a soloist that was either a trumpet or trombone. The percussion contributed a variety of tasty fills and meter changes throughout the performance as well.

Before going into detail of the pieces that stood out to me, the thing that pleased my the most was the atmosphere this type of ensemble created for the listener. Firstly, the emphasis put on the horns was an interesting sound which is very different from a full orchestra. Without the presence of strings, the horns fill that void and support soloists by playing chord progressions behind the focused homophonic theme presented by the player being showcased. The ensemble was also unique as it was kind of a different take on jazz. Usually free flowing, filled with new, emerging themes and the use of ostinato to form more spontaneity; this jazz was very rehearsed. The musicians themselves were still playing off of each other similarly to a jazz band but not with the same spontaneous manner. They were playing off of each other because there was a lack of a conductor (which was sometimes played by the role of Fred Stride, the pianist, at some points of the performance). The genre of music and the fact that the were arranged by members of the band made it feel spontaneous. However, their tightness can be attributed to how the pieces were arranged and rehearsed.

The piece that stood out to me was an original arrangement done by the pianist named Higher Groovin’. The play on words paid homage to the original piece, Grooving High which was composed by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. The performance also paid homage to the original by showcasing the ensemble’s trumpet soloist Derry Bryne. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker wrote the original with alto sax and a trumpet. The arrangement done by Brazz did use the primary theme from the original. The arrangement did also have many instances in which the meter changed. When looking on, it was fun to see the bassist and drummer nod with resolve when returning to the original theme after a break. The use of staccato was very present during this piece. The horns used staccato as a dynamic tool at some points, and the percussion section noticeably syncopated the beats more and more which provided a sense of tension throughout the latter part of the piece.