Different Music Compositions Review
Journal Entry 1
- Composer: Joseph Haydn
- Composer Dates: 31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809
- Piece: String Quartets, Op. 76, No. 3 (“Emperor”)
- Date of piece: 1797
- Medium: Sonata
Discussion
Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, op. 76, no. 3, offers an excellent example of how music can convey variation, repetition and contrast. The melody is from a song Haydn himself had written a few months earlier for the birthday of Holy Roman Emperor Franz II. The melody was so closely associated with the emperor that Haydn could not alter the tune itself, for the ideal emperor is steadfast and not subject to change. Haydn created an ingenious solution to this problem by repeating the emperor’s theme four times in succession, varying only the instrument that played it and writing contrasting musical lines to surround the piece.
Personal impressions
In my opinion, this composition is an excellent representative of its genre. The performance of the composition itself by Attack Quartet is definitely professional and polished. I liked that the melody’s tempo builds up gradually; there is a development, a culmination, and a logical ending.
Journal Entry 2
- Composer: Joseph Haydn
- Composer Dates: 31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809
- Piece: Symphony No. 100 in G Major 2nd Movement (“Allegretto”)
- Date of piece: 1794
- Medium: Symphony
Discussion
Triangle, cymbals, and bass drum figure prominently in the second movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 100. Trumpets also have a slight military undertone, and Haydn inserts a genuine trumpet fanfare in the second movement of his symphony. He also applies a pair of clarinets in C in that movement. Normally, Classical composers excluded the forceful instruments (brass and percussion) from their quiet symphonic movements; here, Haydn confronts expectations by mounting up his orchestration and throwing the attention on his added forces.
Personal impressions
I definitely liked this piece by Joseph Haydn. All the movements of the work, joining together to form a coherent artistic concept, express different aspects of life. The first movement is the most dramatic and impulsive. The second movement is an arena of lyrical experience, quiet contemplation; the third movement moves into the dancing atmosphere; the finale contains the genre music and is particularly close to folk song. In this way, each movement has its central dramaturgical function and takes part in the gradual unfolding – the disclosure of the idea of the entire work.
Journal Entry 2
- Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Composer Dates: 27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791
- Piece: Eine kleine Nachtmusik I. (“Allegro”) and III. (“Menuetto allegretto”)
- Date of piece: 1787
- Medium: Serenade
Discussion
Although Eine kleine Nachtmusik was written in Vienna, it is reminiscent of several serenades that Mozart wrote in Salzburg. Having lost one of its five primary movements, it now follows the exemplars of a standard symphony, moving from the sonata form to a slow expressive movement, a minuet, and a joyous rondo finale. The work includes several memorable melodies that have come to define our view of Mozart.
Personal impressions
After listening to this piece, I noticed a few interesting points. Firstly, the music is listenable in the same breath; it sounds like it is telling a compelling story. Secondly, compared to Mozart’s other works, this tune seems very simple at first glance. However, in this case, in the minimalism of the melody, its natural beauty is revealed.