Mark Hyman

Aural Theory
2 October 2016
Listening Log

Cello Suite No, 1 in G Major

This beautiful cello suite by Bach is a truly classic piece of cello literature that most
people have heard many times in films, live, and in many cases through their own listening and
know by heart. Though much of the work simply makes use of the arpeggiation of the chords,
the challenge of the piece is to really express the passion conveyed through the movement of
the beat and dynamic contrast. In particular, at the climax of the long chromatic run, the player
stretches the beat before resolving into the restatement of the melody. The long draws of the
bow help to outline the phrases and the listener is able to predict and feel exactly where the
music will go next. The abrupt low notes are ingeniously planned to separate each statement in
the melody and also help to shape the direction of the phrases. Bach also trades the role of the
pedal note and the melodic line between the higher and lower registers to create a sort of
dialogue and feeling of anticipation that ultimately leads to the feeling of finality that is
received in the final two chords.
Sonata No. 14 Moonlight in C-sharp minor
This piece by Ludwig van Beethoven is easily one of the most recognizable pieces of
piano repertoire in existence. It is played by musicians of all levels around the world and is even
used many times as a lullaby for young children. Its captivating melody paints a vivid picture in
my mind of the moons light shining over a lake in the middle of the woods. The music almost
seems at times to be three parts all playing in unison with the melody on top being the
gentleness of the light, the bass responding to the melody as the depth of the darkness, and the
arpeggiation being the landscape that connects the two. The music starts slowly as the moon
rises and becomes more intense through tempo, dynamics, and tonality as it reaches its climax
in the sky before descending over the opposite horizon. The descending line at the end of the
piece is the edge of the moon falling over and the last two chords of the piece remind me of
church bells that chime early in the morning as dawn sets in and the sun rises.
Requiem: Lacrimosa
Mozarts Requiem is a popular piece for choir and orchestra, though it has been adapted
for a wide range of instrumentations over time. One of the beauties of this piece is that the
choir and the orchestra act as though they are in two separate but dependent units and no one
voice in a unit is more important than another. The choir is meant to rise and fall together
which adds immense power to the melody. To strengthen this even further, Mozart has the
strings underneath responding to the choirs lines in a sort of mimicry in order to highlight the
motif. Mozart also makes use of dynamic contrast by writing crescendos push through to the
end of the phrases and then writing in a unison subito piano to set the path for another phrase;
he also uses variations of tonality through the use of major, minor, and diminished chords.
Though the orchestra sounds as though it is setting the mood and style for a waltz type dance,
the piece is meant to be done in a church and accordingly ends in a plagal cadence with a
powerful amen. I also love Mozarts use of distinctive roles for the brass and percussion in
this piece.
Recorder Sonata in A Minor, Op. 1, No. 4
George Frederick Handels Recorder Sonata is a classic example of solo bravura with
harpsicord accompaniment. Handel was a master of Baroque era music and was one of the
most prominent composers of the time. The solo in this sonata has clear direction and shaping
through the phrases that give it life, but because of the Baroque style that Handel employs, the
soloist also has the freedom to add embellishments like trills at the end of phrases and vibrato
to ornament the music. Generally, in this Baroque style, the scheme includes a repeat of each
section that allows for these embellishments, but Handel excludes the repeat and allows the
soloist to improvise in a manner that defines the phrases. The harpsicord underneath is meant
to provide a tonal background for the soloist. Handel does however employ ornamentation of
the harpsicord part to make it more interesting and also to allow the soloist comfort in
improvising. These embellishments are also common tools like non-chord tones such as passing
tones used in order to develop the music further and create a clear harmonic direction that
drives the piece.
Sonata for Flute and Basso Continuo in F Major: III. Alegro ma non troppo
This solo for flute by Anna Amalia of Prussia blew my mind with the intricacies and
difficulty that it displays. In my opinion, this piece is a perfect mix of classical and baroque
styles. The harpsicord underneath adds harmonic context for the solo and accentuates some
stylistic elements in the flute part. It is used to repeat and restate certain lines in the flute part
and sometimes it is even used to continue a melodic line that is then received and continued
once again by the soloist. The flute part also has many scalar runs that vary in dynamics and
articulation. The articulation alone ranges from tenuto to staccato styles and from single to
double and even triple tonguing. Embellishments range from the typical vibrato and trills of the
baroque era to grace notes and octave leaps. The piece starts out smooth and connected, but it
develops and changes style as seen in many classical pieces with each of the movements. To
me, the flute is the perfect instrument for a part like this due to the range, color of the timbre
of the instrument, and the access provided by having pads that are close and light for fast
passages.