The main purpose of the current assignment is to analyze one of the performances related to classical music and classical arrangements of modern compositions. In particular, the following paragraphs will discuss and analyze the performance by El Capitan High School Symphonic Band, “Pre-Festival Concert”. It is worth stating that overall performance has been conducted on a considerably high level from the technical point of view despite minor technical peculiarities, which could have been improved and eliminated.
The concert included four compositions – First Suite in E Flat by Gustav Holst, Armenian Dances, Part 1 composed by Alfred Reed, O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen and the concert ended with famous Star Wars Main Title composed by John Williams, representing the main theme of the respective movie. The greatest advantage of this performance has been its similarity to a professional ensemble performing pieces of classical music despite the young age of the musicians – the students of the aforementioned High School. The serious attitude and level of skill of these musicians is definitely similar to the same of professionals performing such music for decades. Still, it is also worth admitting that the trumpet section of the band sounded weaker in comparison to the rest of the ensemble, as their sound tended to be not exactly and not properly intoned. As a result, some parts of the compositions sounded slightly distorted with dissonances from the side of the trumpets. Still, it is also worth reminding that the performance has been conducted by the High School Band; thus, such issues will definitely be improved and eliminated in future once the musicians gain significantly more experience.
Considering the age of the compositions, it is worth stating that all of the aforementioned pieces of music have been composed in different time periods, both representing the age of the current performers and the age before their birth. For example, the First Suite in E Flat was composed in 1909, but performed for the first time in 1920 (Holst). The Armenian Dances, Part 1 was composed by Reed in 1972 (Sutherland), O Magnum Mysterium – in 1994 (Teachout) and the Star Wars Main Title was composed by Williams in 1977 (Lynch). Thus, all of these compositions and pieces of music were composed in 20th century, in different decades representing particularly different cultural and musical trends. All of them served a different purpose in terms of representing a particular cultural significance and value, as these varied significantly from the Christmas songs to military songs for marching bands; furthermore, one of them represents one of the most popular musical pieces present in the culture of science fiction and the popular culture in general. The main theme from Star Wars has been performed and covered thousands of times by an enormous number of musicians from different genres playing different instruments.
Nevertheless, the current performance has offered its listeners the traditional and classic interpretations of all of these compositions, which highlights the intent of the ensemble to sound professionally and not to risk with experimenting with the arrangements of the compositions. The same can also be understood by the fact that the ensemble represents a traditional classical orchestra playing pieces of classical and popular music in traditional manner. In other words, the listeners willing to hear something new or hear the old pieces of music in a different way will be slightly disappointed by this fact. Still, it is worth reminding that despite the aforementioned fact, it is necessary to highlight that the traditional interpretation of the music sounded professionally, nevertheless.
As for the overall variety of the sound of the performers, it is worth stating that this particular aspect of the performance remains unclear due to the fact that regardless of the variety of compositions intended to represent different types of mood, appeal to different emotions of the listeners, the majority of time the band sounded rather monotonous. In other words, if there were not any pauses between the compositions and introduced to a listener, who is not aware of the names of the compositions and who also does not know, what he is going to hear, he would have heard rather monotonous and continuous variations associated with classical music that are transformed to the theme of Star Wars in the end. Certainly, any listener would identify the composition from that movie, still, it is also worth reminding that the rest of the compositions sounded mostly the same. The mood was neutral, which left an impression of the musicians who do not know what do they play about and what kind of emotion they want to deliver. It just sounded right from technical point of view, but provoked no strong emotion; instead, hearing the performance was rather boring and waiting for the last part of composition to begin instead.
Combined with the overall neutrality of the sound, it also appears obvious that the musicians were also rather neutral in expressing themselves. Even taking into consideration that the ensemble represented a classical orchestra playing traditional and contemporary classical compositions, their body language or slight movements could have positively complemented the overall performance. Obviously, the current concert does not need the stage divings and head-banging similar to the performances of modern popular music. It is explained by the genre and the conditions of the overall performance. Still, the overall impression of the performance was the conductor being active and expressive indicating the particular parts to be played, tempo etc. before an ensemble of mannequins with musical instruments. It appears that the musicians have been too much focused on the technical side of the performance and have forgotten about the emotional appeal of the music, which creates the overall impression. It is worth reminding that the music is not only the mixture of sounds performed by different musical instruments, it is also the emotional appeal that is being delivered through the composition. Maybe the students of the orchestra have been taught to perform this way, but it is still worth stating that all they cared about is the notes to be played and not the meaning behind them.
The performance included no vocals or choirs singing on the top of the accompaniment due to the fact that traditional performances of the aforementioned compositions simply do not presume the inclusion of vocals. Still, it could have been a great experiment for the orchestra to try with the vocalists or the choir to perform some of the compositions. Moreover, due to the fact that the current concert represents the performance before the festival, which they aim to take part in, they could have tried such approach at least in front of their native audience of the school they performed. Thus, such inclusion could have not only diversify the overall sound of the band, but also add to the emotional side of the performance, as well.
Flutes, Clarinets, Bass Clarinets, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones, Trumpets, Euphoniums, Trombones, Tubas, Percussion – all these instruments have been played by the respective musicians from the El Capitan High School Symphonic Band and Grossmont College Concert Band. Their conductor was Russ Sperling and the concert took place in Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Theater on the 2nd of March, 2016.
Correspondingly, summarizing everything that has been stated, it is worth concluding that the current performance served a perfect example of classical music being played nowadays along with the audiences intended to listen to this music. First point to mention is that the ensemble performing on the stage has not made any attempt to appeal directly to the listener, as the overall performance has been conducted and held in a traditional and conservative manner with the musicians from the ensembles sitting still on their places and playing exactly what is written on their sheets. As for the conductor, particularly, his engagement in the overall process was not clearly visible either. Certainly, from the technical point of view he has done his job perfectly, as he kept the compositions’ tempo along with pointing on a particular section of the ensemble to fit in, to sound louder or softer or to diminish the sound at all. However, the emotional appeal towards his ensemble has also been forgotten.
Consequently, it appears obvious that the representatives of the traditional classical approach towards music tend to prioritize the technical side of the performance, as they apparently believe that clearly fitting the notes is everything that really matters. However, they do forget about the rest sides of the music that make it significant and make the performance important, as well. There is not need to perform the same music in the same way and with the same neutral face in front of the listeners, who can listen to the same music with their music players. The difference between the recording and live performance regardless of genre is the presence of performance and their own expression and explanation of the music they are playing. It is still worth reminding about the unclear and distorted sounds of trumpets that sometimes spoiled the overall sound, even from the technical point of view.
Thus, it is worth concluding that the current ensemble still has much work to do despite their professional approach and high level of skill shown in the current concert. In particular, they need to think differently about the music they play. They need to understand that it is not the combination of symbols translated to sounds, just like it has been stated earlier. It is also the emotional expression that matters and that makes each particular composition unique and memorable. Maybe the students have been told to concentrate on the clearness of the sound, maybe they are forbidden to move somehow during their performance, we will never find that out. However, what really matters is the combination of technical musicianship multiplied by the emotional expression of the musicians trying to deliver the mood of the composition along with their own meaning of it.
References
Holst, Gustav. "First Suite For Military Band". Imslp.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
Lynch, Joe. "What Makes The 'Star Wars' Theme So Epic? John Williams' Legendary Theme, Deconstructed". Billboard. N.p., 2015. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
Sutherland, Lori. "Armenian Dances, Part I By Alfred Reed". Tonal Diversions. N.p., 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
Teachout, Terry. "The Best Composer You've Never Heard Of". WSJ. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
