Comparison Between Piano Concert By Barbara Wieman And Sacramento Chamber
Orchestra Essay, Research Paper

Comparison Between Piano Concert by Barbara Wieman and Sacramento Chamber

Orchestra

February 20, 1997

William Strang

On Feb 20,1997, I attended a piano concert that was performed by Barbara

Wieman. The performance was held at the American River College Music Department

choir room. The choir room holds about 100 people and every seat was taken and

students were seated on the floor. The audience was dressed casual as everyone

was students trying to do their concert papers. Barbara Weiman was also dressed

casual but nice. The piano concert started at 12:20pm and was finished at 1:05pm.

The program started with a piece from L.V.

Beethoven called Sonata in F minor, Op.57. This piece can be characterized by an

intense, dramatic use of fluctuating dynamics. It was as if the crescendo was

not allowed to climax, then is aborted by a sudden change to pianissimo. The so

called Beethoven motif was used throughout the piece, very effectively I might

add. Barbara Wieman was very animated performing this piece and seemed to be

very emotional while playing. This piece was very distinct and there was an

effective use of rests that was displayed. I would call this piece very serious.

After Beethoven we were treated to F. Schuberts Impromptu in G flat Major, Op.

90, No.3. This piece was very pleasing to the ear so we could call this

consonant. The music seemed to flow and had a great rhythm. This piece was

romantic in nature and probably that is why it was written in the romantic era.

C. Debussy ?s Feux d’artifice (fireworks) was the next piece played. The

harmony was very obscured in this piece of music. The theme trying to be

presented in this piece was as if fireworks were going off. The notes were

ever changing and there was a very good uses of all the keys of the piano.

This piece was not very pleasing at all and I did not care for it at all.

From looking around the room it seemed other people would agree. After that

unpleasant piece was played we were lead into La Cathedrale engloutie (The

Sunken Cathedral). It was very slow starting but eventually started building the

tempo and then seemed to drop off and become very slow in tempo. This piece

seemed as if it were trying to tell a story. Alot of people seemed as if the

were going to sleep.

The last piece was changed from S. Prokofieff to Chopin’s Ocean Atrium piece.

This piece had rhapsodic melodies giving the illusion that the piece might

have been improvised. It was very moving and flowing using melody and harmony.

Very pleasing and also from the romantic era. What a great way to end the

piano concert. Everyone enjoyed the music so much that she provided us with an

encore. She played another piece by Chopin. I would definitely recommend to

anyone wanting to learn more about music to take your class. This has been a

great experience for me.

On Feb 15,1997, I attended a concert put on by the Sacramento Chamber

Orchestra. The performance was held at the Dietrich Threatre, Sierra College in

Rocklin. Dietrich Threatre seats about 500 people, and on that evening there was

about 300 people present. The concert dress was casual for the audience but the

Sacramento Chamber Orchestra performers were dressed in tuxedo’s for the men and

black outfits for the women. The performers consisted of 8 women and 10 men. The

orchestra was conducted by Zvonimir Hacko. Programs were provided and the

concert followed the printed program very well. The starting time was 8:00pm and

finished at 10:00pm.

The style of music played varied because of all the different musical

era’s represented. Mozart from the classical era, Dvorak from the romantic era,

Bartok from the early 20th century, and Copland from our present. The Sacramento

Chamber Orchestra consisted of Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, Double

Bass, Piano, and Harp. When combined, the performance was outstanding and

uplifting.

The concert opened with Mozart’s marvelous miniature, ?Eine Kleine

Nachtmusik? which stands for (?A Little Serenade?). Mozart’s Serenade, which is

like a tiny symphony, was conducted and played with exemplary care. The tempo of

the music was upbeat, it’s dynamics were managed thoughtfully, and the musical

form presented consisted of alterations that were superb. The ?romance? of the

second movement was hushed and tender, the finale was as light as air.

After the finale of Mozart’s we were treated to the Dvorak Serenade in E

opus 22. The Dvorak was in five movements lasting a little over half an hour.

The waltzes of the second were a bit of folk flavor, and were quite beautiful.

The third movement, Scherzo, was dance like and soulfully romantic. The fourth

movement,Larghetto, was even more soulful in mood, which deepened as its melody

passed from the violas to the cellos. The finale brought us back with a touching

recollection of the very beginning of the work.

The Bartok Divertimento was in three movements. It can be best described as

continuous, fascinating, exciting and full of action. The melodies were strong,

as were the rhythmic pulses and dissonance’s. So much was happening that all you

could do was go for the ride and enjoy it. The last major piece was by Copland,

called Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano.

The Copland piece was in two movements bridged by an unusually long cadenza

(Soloist), that lasted over three minutes. The soloist seemed to dwell on

the lyric sweetness of the first movement and then signaled the merriment of

the second movement. The first part struck me as very slow but the second part

was very rhythmic,very perky, and was passed around appreciatively by all,

while the piano and clarinet were trading ideas with each other. All in all,

this piece signaled excitement and was made very enjoyable with the clarinet

and piano. As this was my first Chamber Concert I was not sure what to expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I’m looking forward to my next concert.