Photo: @46137
 
All kinds of music is awesome. (see hip hop and why to blog drunk: the honesty effect)
 
But there's nothing quite like a symphony.
 

In a grand musical allegory of nature and nurture, every instrument's expression is bound by it's construction and the treatment of its stewards. (The musicians)

And, of course, God. (The composer)

 
Whereas a good pop song is like a pleasurable one night stand, a symphony is more like an intense relationship – amour fou – where you're constantly discovering new, interesting things about the person.

Little nuances in their behavior may start to catch you pleasantly off guard.

Themes repeat and patterns emerge.

And the more you listen, the more his or her intricacies fit into the great whole of their personality.

The je ne sais quoi that captivates your curiosity and nibbles at your sense of mystery makes you mad with some kind of emotion.

 

To get the most out of your relationship with a symphony:

 

1. Hear all of the instruments in the orchestra and get familiar with their idiosyncrasies
 

Here's an awesome resource for doing just that!

It has most of the instruments of the orchestra complete with picture and sound samples.

Don't let the kiddy accouterments fool you – this website is legit!
 
>> Instruments of the orchestra <<
 

Some instruments can seem quite similar.

For example, the oboe and clarinet have similar timbres (pronounced “tamber”, i.e. unique tonal quality) but the oboe is more nasal and reedy and often used for a plaintive effect, while a clarinet is more agile and sounds full and dark in the bottom part of its register (called the chalumeau register) contrasted with the bright middle and festive if shrill top.

 

2. Try to pick out individual instruments during the music
 

At first you might be aware only of the effect a certain blend of instruments has but if you listen really intently, you might be able to pick out a particular instrument that kind of makes the effect stick.
 

 
In this interpretation of Dvorak's New World Symphony, you'll notice from 1:21-1:25 that the clarinet is being played in the chalemeau register, holding but a single resonant note for a very suspenseful effect.

 
3. Identify melodies and listen for them repeating in various permutations all throughout the piece
 

This part's easy.

As you listen along and make friends with certain melodies, notice how the composer transforms and bends them into new lifeforms throughout the symphony.

At 4:13 in the video above, an anxious new theme emerges. Notice how this theme starts out in the oboe and is then picked up by the strings and transformed.

Sometimes they return for a cameo in another movement, other times they play their role and disappear.

What sounded like the most tranquil violin passage you've ever heard will shapeshift into an apocalyptic omen when thrust into the brass in a minor key.
 

4. Go to the symphony!

Connect the visual and aural parts of the brain . . .

Once you see what's going on in an orchestra, you can visualize what's happening wile you're listening to a recording.

If you're a predominantly visual learner, this will be especially useful in growing your appreciation.

 
5. Listen several times (and to different interpretations!)
 

#5 is vital because a great symphony can sound disjointed on the first few listens, even to a trained ear.

After all, it's a huge, complex structure.

But as you continue to actively listen to the piece over and over, you'll begin to hear things that you missed.

Little gems of music will pop out at you.

A passage might touch you in a spot so hidden that you didn't know it existed until a tear appears on your cheek.

Different conductors will choose to bring out more of one instrument, section or part than another and will present the piece to you in a new light.

Classical music is neat that way.

A composer writes a score and leaves it to other musicians to play it as they see fit!

 
Peter And The Wolf
 

The Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote a famous orchestral piece called “Peter and the Wolf”.

A narrator tells the story of Peter in his hunt for The Wolf as the orchestra paints the action.

Each character in the piece is represented by an instrument in the orchestra that mirrors its characteristics.

The bird, for example, is portrayed by the flute – a high, agile instrument that can seem to “chirp”.

The grandfather is paired with the bassoon, which takes advantage of its low, wonky quality to paint this lumbering, buzzkill of a ‘Paw' who puts the Kaibosh on Peter's fun.

This piece has been used to teach people (most, but not all) the instruments in the orchestra since 1936.

It's as useful and fun for adults as for children.

If you're anywhere near as geeky as I am then you MUST get the CD where Patrick Stewart's the narrator.

Here's the excellent Disney version narrated by Sterling Holloway:
 

 

If you're green to the classical scene, here are some great introductory symphonies for you to peep.
 
* * * * * * * * * *
 
Dvorak's 9th symphony, often called “The New World Symphony”.

This is a remarkable work: catchy, dynamic and noble.
 

 
* * * * * * * * * *
 
This is Prokofiev's 1st and it's a riot.

It essentially parodies late 19th and early 20th century symphonic music.

Only a man of Prokofiev's prodigious genius could have written a piece making FUN of the genre, while also blithely contributing amazing music to it!
 

 
* * * * * * * * * *
 
Schumann's 1st, “Spring”.

Epic.
 

 

One of the things on my Bucket List is to compose and conduct my own symphony.

Head over to the Bucket List and share some of your incredibly awesome, outrageously exciting dreams!

Buenas Ondas~
 
Find this post useful, interesting or droll? Stumble It!