Musical Qualities Of A Festival example essay topic

If I had not known the name or where this piece of music came from, I would still be inclined to listen to it as program music. Even without the title, the song strongly portrays a series of powerful narratives. The first few seconds of the music serve to get our attention, we then hear a pause and the introduction of the violin. This violin acts as an introduction for the rest of the movement.

It is as if it the narrator were preparing us for the series of events we are about to take part in. The first section of the movement named "The Baghdad Festival", indeed does take on the musical qualities of a festival. The tempo is fast and the music is cheerful. Even without knowing the title to this part of the movement, the excited tone of the music brings festival-like images to mind. For example at 2: 50 I feel as if I am in the middle of a bustling carnival. The music also is very busy and gives me the sense that I am trying to escape through a crowded area, which might be the case if the character in the narrative is trying to get out of the Baghdad Festival.

At around 4: 00 minutes the direction of the music seems to change completely. Instead of a quick tempo like before, there is a slower tempo. The music creates a feeling of suspense and chaos. Unlike the beginning, now the narrative takes a darker turn. This point in the music probably represents the sea. Generally think of the sea I think of chaos and crashing waves.

The music takes on battle like qualities, which probably represent the characters battle against the sea. At 6: 14 the same melody from the beginning is repeated. This quick and light melody is interjected all throughout the movement. It is one thing that remains constant throughout the movement.

It provides a sense of stability among all the chaos. Around 7: 30 the music gets quicker and quicker. We feel like we are reaching the climax of the story. This lasts for a while until we reach calm at about 10 minutes. It feels as if a large battle (against the sea perhaps) has been won. The last two minutes of this song are somber and slow.

I believe that the violin from the beginning is repeated again near the end. In the beginning the violin may have been used to introduce the narrative, now it is being used to end the narrative. Overall, this piece of music tells an exciting story from beginning to end. There is no need for a title to be able to tell that this is a programmatic piece of music.

Just as words are able to bring images to mind, this narrative is able to tell a story through various musical elements.