OK. Here is our next link. I want to go down the list of music attributes from our "Listening Guide" and hit "INSTRUMENTATION" first (see your squirrel packet). If you want to blog on any aspect other than instrumentation, that is fine too. What I would like you to notice however is the way that instrumentation tells the story here - oh and what is the story? Any ideas?
Listen to this once without commenting. Then listen to it again while you jot down your ideas. Please read the questions under the "Instrumentation" heading. Add this question to your thoughts: how does each instrument - or instrument section - bring this composition to its grand climax?
If you want to take all week to think about it or come back to it, that would be a great way to really get the idea of this piece. It is a lot "deeper" musically than "Handlebars".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbspyZassKk
Have fun!
I think I heard trumpets, oboe, chimes, crashing symbol, and some sot of base in this piece. You could definitly tell it was a older European orchestra song, because of the rythm, tempo, and instruments. It seems like if there was a story behind this song it would have been a victory of war song. It began as a sad song, but then became a happy ending. At the end the song became faster with more instruments, and louder.
ReplyDeletei agree with the comment above that it would be a victory song. The beginning there is a dark and kina erie feel. The combination between the oboe and the violins in the beginning is what gives that feeling for me. Sounds as if something is creeping around. its very susspensful. As the tempo starts to pick up and it starts to get louder towards the end of the song theres more of the feeling of triumphet and a victorious climax. the trumpets are whatstand out at this point, along with the clashing symbols.
ReplyDeleteThe way it starts out makes you want to keep listining and find out what happens. The story is hard...maybe someone was sad and they played music and it made them happy. I heard the clashing symbols and trumpet and chimes too.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose on one storie to this song, it would be:
ReplyDeleteThey're sneaking around, waiting to attack. Scared but excited and a little ready and a little not so ready to fight. They finally attack after the waiting, and they push to win, and keep going.. still fighting, going hard, and that's it. Victory is their's and it's all over. Time to celebrate(: The End.
OK. These are really creative guesses! Do you know the name of this piece? Can you find out what the composer intended with the song? Let's see if we can be a little more specific on the analysis of the music itself. Rhythm? Is it 3/4 or 4/4 - or something else? Which instruments are "sneaky", which are "sad", which are "triumphant", etc.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the key feeling of the piece - Minor or Major? LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR "LISTENING GUIDE". Take your analysis a step up. Listen to this piece AT LEAST twice.
You are on the right track! Keep up the good work!
The range of the dynamics go from soft to loud, the dynamics are also varying. The dynamics affect the mood by staying steady, and the dynamic changes are subtle. The music getting louder and the texture both cause the dynamics to change.
ReplyDeleteIt is very intresting to listen to this piece after watching the famous disney movie fantasia. As I listen to this song with out the visuals I can hear more of a different story line as well as creating my own visuals. I have to agree with possibility of it being a victory song but I think of it more along the lines of telling the story of a war event. For instance, the beginning starts out with sounds like a tuba and a clarinet. It starts out slow and kind of tense, just before a battle is ready to take place. As the clarinet takes it solo you get the feeling of suspicion. Then when the trumpets and tubas come in at 2:03, you get a feeling of a motivating march. When the dynamics build up into the climax at 3:03 and the drums begin to play in unison it turns into a a war chat type of music. (like FSU war chat)Once the battle has started, and the strings make their way in at 3:56, it starts to sound like a struggle as the strings go down the scale and the horns go up the scale, causing a sound of conflict. At 4:12 it sounds like a victory song. The crashing symbols make it sound like cheering and celebration. This was a very intresting piece of music because of all the moods it sends out.
ReplyDeleteI heard a variety of older symphonic instruments from europe. I.e. oboe, flute, strings, percussion and many more.
ReplyDelete"Pines of Rome" is in 4/4.
The oboe is a sad sounding unstrument and the cymbals and trumpet are triumphant.
I also, looked up the instrumentation and found out that there are subtle organ, piano and celesta.
i felt that the key of the piece was minor at first and then the relative major closer to the end.
I looked up the song and found that it represents different locations of pine trees during different times of the day in the city of Rome.
I heard a LARGE variety of different instruments ranging from a high trumpet to a timpani. All of these together create an imaginative story in your mind of anything that has to do with a series of rises and falls ending in a...dare I say...epic ending. The key changes from a minor to a major, then BACK to a minor for like a split second and then an EPIC ending Major key.
ReplyDeletei liked how this reminded me of the movie Fantasia and how the mood of the song shifts from a sad or uncertain theme to a more triumphant and proud theme the song writer must of wanted to demonstrate that even if you are in an uncertain environment you can still adapt to it and succeed. the fact that at the midpoint of the song that all to most of the instruments have been played shows that they are ready to shift in to a different theme which most classical instrumental do cause if they didn't they might get less fans. squirreled a little their but i did enjoy this song and more people should listen to this genre
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was of a Disney movie when it finished. It seemed timid and frightened at first, with the strings and large drum of some sort in the background. Then th oboe or something - I'm not good at picking out separate instruments - came in, and the song sounded a little more confident, but still a little sad and scared. I think that was an effect that the strings had in the background. Then the horns built a sense of growing majesty, though everything's still in the background, and it just builds until it seems to break through some sort of barrier, and it's grand and majestic. There are still strings and a more urgent, minor 'plotline' in the background. There's a sense of growing grandeur and wonder throughout the entire thing, right up until the end, the grand finale. The drums or whatever keep going in the background, and even though they're hardly noticeable, they really have an impact on the whole peice.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds very Aladdin-y to me.
this song sounds like something outa an old egyptian movie like the mummy for example (which conwinceidently im watching right now) buuut then it goes into something from like starwars around the time frame of 2:30... lol any ways a completely good intrumental i would have to say exspieceally how it has heavy/dark/light/and nice... the ending is super beasty though!!!
ReplyDeleteThe song starts out sorta peaceful, but with a very spooky feel. The strings play a mixture of peppy and spooky, like they are scared, but they are going to do something about it. About halfway, when the brass starts playing, it makes me think win. It goes with those slow mo parts in movies where the guy knows hes gonna win, and the music just emphasizes it. It's like the above comments say, it's a victory song. The guy who made it, Respighi might have made this song to represent the tough times he went through, only to come out happy.
ReplyDeleteThe instrument that stands out most to me are the timpani. Their low rumble throughout the beginning of the music really adds to the music because it is in such contrasts to the higher wind instrument. They then act as the foundation of the rest of the piece. Even though they are sometimes hard to hear, they add firm bass for the rest of the instruments in the second part. Then at the finally climax their accented hits really add a punch to the beat.
ReplyDeletethis piece was very slow in the begging i heard the timpani keep the steady beat (ba da ba da ba da) then the clarinet was reminding me of like ummmm.... oh arabian music like the guy who does the snake thing. the violins in the begging sounded like an old scary movie(wiii d wiii WIII D) <----like it got higher for awhile then stop like "oh nothing in the closet
ReplyDeleteall in all the climax was very climatcal<----new word if not a word :P
it was like a rush it took time not like just bam everything blast but you hear the tempo get faster and then trumpets come in almost one by one and the trumpets get more intense then rite at the climax intensity through roof with cymbals clshing and clashing (ha reminds me of Star Wars like at the end)
like caitlin said, the song starts off eerie. kind of like the song you'd see in that peter and the wolf movie...theres lots of brass instruments, and either a super high woodwind..or a violin, or strings of that sort. the crashes and the percussion are rockin' the timpani. this sounds like something you would hear at a philmarhomic. there's the ringing of a bell, i think..the songs seems like its in the minor. i like how it gets a little more interesting as the song comes along. its like a victory song.
ReplyDeleteThe song starts off quiet with only low-toned instruments, such as an oboe. It speeds up at the 49 second mark. The violin can be heard quite clearly and so it stood out to me the most.
ReplyDeleteThis song sounds majestic. This is accented by a nice, loud - but pretty - blend of instruments at around the 3:23 mark. The drums can also be heard clearly. This song ends triumphantly.
The majestic and triumphant sound adds to what the story might be. I think the story is about good winning out over evil. That good might win in everyday situations, or it might be a win in a war.
The artist probably chose his instruments because they sound good together and add to the story of the song.
The song has a mysterious feel of uncertainty at the start which is heard through bass cleff instruements and other low-tone instruements that play the beat. There is a violin or viola that complements that beat by adding more feel of uncertainty. At about 3 minutes in the song lightens up most likely meaning a resolve or a sudden realization. This is complemented by the violins, violas, trumpets, etc. by changeing the tone to a happier one by changein 1 or two octaves most likely. A the end the music changes to a feeling of completion like an old movie.
ReplyDeleteThe very beginning of this song starts out calm. Then it slowly progresses into this sketchy creeperish type of mood. The oboe i believe starts playing and it just amps up the creepy factor. All of a sudden around the 2:20 spot it becomes almost majestic in a way then crescendos into this amazing awe-inspiring orchestral piece that seems like it would be at the climax of a movie or play when the main characters had surmounted their obstacles!!! All the horns and chimes make it sound so fun and inspiring like I can now go and climb something really really tall and dangerous! Whoop! Whoop!
ReplyDeleteThis song is pretty "gangsta-swag." I like they way it started out slow and continued to grow, just as a mind as a child does. The most interesting instrument for me was the oboe. As Dom Dom said it sounded like an Arabian guy playing using a flute and dancing with a snake. Honestly, I do not even know if there is a message to this music. If there is I did not get it at all. At the end of the song during the climax I did hear some french horn. Its easy to pick it out because it sounds evil. The song is very powerful. My favorite part wasn't the beginning or the end. It was the conclusion of the build up to the climax. That sound had very pure texture that made it easy to listen to. I enjoyed the song very much so. As I said earlier, this song had "Gangsta-Swag."
ReplyDelete"Gangster-Swager"
ReplyDeletestarts off with graet lowbrass and lowreeds with some tapiny. soon thehigh pitch instuments come in and make it all dreary and scary and the the violin comes in show timid emoitional but behind the violin is highreeds to give it that smooth feeling then lowbrass starts of the brass solo you could say with lowbrass and highbrass sections goin back and fourth increasing volume until they meet with a huge crash and then chimes and just about everyone is playing with great confidence and volume at the end they slow down then crash roll and then son drift away till silent
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it's a great song.
ReplyDeleteI think at the beginning, it is an upright bass instead of the timpani.(It comes in later though) If you listen carefully, there is a quiet gong every few measures, you hear it especially in the beginning.
I like how the upright bass is kept throughout the entirety of the song, it adds a certain effect that I can't necessarily put my finger on it though.
To the comment above, I think the low brass might be a trombone or a tuba. If anyone knows if I am right or wrong, that would be nice.
The beginning reminds me of an old horror film from the thirties or forties with its slow tempo and sound. The peice itself picks up though as it goes on. I like the sound of the brass insturments in the piece.
ReplyDeleteThis song is very intriguing in many ways
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, very epic ending to any symphony!!! Sorry Shostakovich, YOU LOSE
something that catches my ear the entire time is how the time signature is very straight forward and remains the same almost the whole song. The flex is more towards the tempo rather than the time signature
I enjoyed the overuse of the brass section at the end, made the song so much more amazing as well as the epic harmony which was rather flawless
Overall, one of the better classical pieces that ive really enjoyed listening to
I can describe it in one word: VICTORIOUS. The brass instruments stood out to me the most. I think all of the instruments worked together for the climax because the song starts out slow and eerie-like with the woodwinds and gradually sounds greater with the percussion and brass. I think I heard Timpani, Bass Clarinet, trumpet, cymbals, chimes, etc. and possibly oboe? This musical piece is called the Pines of Rome (the title was there on YouTube). I think the instruments are at 4/4.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone find out for sure what that bass solo instrument is at the beginning? Bass Clarinet was the best guess yet - but is it correct?
ReplyDeletehi, this AJ
ReplyDeleteI liked the steady tempo at the begining, the "march" is it a trumpet i dont know. I also noticied the crescendo at the end it has to mean that they won. It was susch a dreary, almost scary tune and then at the end it sounded triumphant.
ReplyDeleteThis is an intense song it starts off slow with the strings and builds its way up to a loud victory kind of song with all the instruments i really liked it all in all great song it kind of reminds me of a old movie
ReplyDeleteit is in 4/4, the drums in the beginning... the timphany is kinda quiet and mysterious, the oboe or clarinet is kinda a sneaky sound, the trumpets are more triamphant... in the endish middle when all the instrunments are togeather its really triamphant, and the symbols really touch it off to make it sound really triumphanty... :) it was an alrightish song...
ReplyDeletei like the mood/sound i really don't know what to call it. first with the cellos/string basses and other basses its loud and deep. it almost sounds like creeping music or something. when they started add the wind/brass it great louder, though the basses are still that loud creeping sound. like their hunting animals, and when the trumpents kick in and its loud and triamphant sounding it like the hunters coming home with food.
ReplyDeletei like how this song starts off quiet and slowly starts to get louder, almost as if the whole peice is in a crescendo. in the biggining i noticed that the violen stood out tremendiously kindof drouning out the other instruments. but then in the loud part of the piece the trumpets seem to dround out the rest of the instruments. all in all a good peice of music
ReplyDeleteIm not quite sure what the message of this song is.. It sounds maybe a little victorious at the end/late middle but... not quite? Maybe more of an accomplished feel to it. The instruments I noticed were trumpets, cymbals, maybe a flute, piccolo, bells, and some kind of really deep brass instrument, but I don't think it was a tuba because it was very smooth sounding. In the beginning, there wasn't really much feeling to the overall tone of the instruments, it wasn't happy, sad, angry, or frustrated it was just sort of... there. But it crescendos near the middle and like I said, towards the end of the middle it sounds somewhat victorious or accomplished. So.. overall all I didn't exactly like it but I didn't hate it either. It was ok.
ReplyDeletethis song does sound victorious, as a lot of bloggers have blogged. it actually reminds me of the part in the Lion King where Simba is slowly, dramatically walking up the rock to roar. It's very intense, deep, and victorious. The drums and trumpet stood out to me the most.
ReplyDeleteTrumpet was the most outgoing instrament in this piece. This song starts out soft and then builds until it takes on a tone of happiness or victory.
ReplyDeletei liked it,i thought it sounded like jaws in the begining,and the it started sounding like and egyption,i could totally picture the snake comming out of the basket there!1then.like james said,it started sounding like star wars.it scared me through the middle,where the cymbals came crashing down really loud!!!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the "Pines of Rome" I could hear a wide variety of instruments ranging from timpani to cymbals, and Bass Clarinet to trumpet.
ReplyDeleteVictorious seems to be the only word that comes to mind at the end of this rendition. It is about Rome, and well, Roman soldiers had a very large amount of victory if I remember correctly, so I can see them, at the beginning, preparing for the final battle, and around the middle they fight, a final and decisive battle. They ultimately end up winning with little to no casualties on their own side, ready to fight again at a moments notice.