Slow Tempo Throughout The Movement example essay topic

Dwa in C. Hinman Tim D. Carroll with Jim Lichtenberger and Joshua Martin November 23, 2003 Suite for Viola and Double Bass by Reinhold Gli ere Sonata in G Minor by Henry Eccles Suite for Viola and Double Bass The first movement of this piece is called Prelude. The melody of the movement sets the stage for a scary movie or a sad story. Prelude starts with the viola while the double bass is being used to set the tempo which is very slow making it a largo. As the viola and the double bass went through the music the beat was established as quadruple meter with four beats. The range of Prelude varies between a narrow and medium leaning toward the narrow throughout the movement.

With both the viola and the double bass playing different notes, but complimenting each other the texture is polyphony. The volume was very much monotone and mezzo piano in the dynamics. Gavotte is the name of the second movement. This movement seems to focus on the way the music is arranged or form of the music.

Starting with the first section of the movement and repeating it throughout the whole movement, shows that Gavotte is in ternary form. The melody of this movement is uplifting resembling a Celtic dance tune. The tempo while not presto by any means was twice as fast as Prelude. Moderato describes the majority of Gavotte with several parts that could be described as allegro or cheerful.

Crescendos and decrescendos are used throughout the movement making the volume change from a mezzo piano to a forte and back. This movement could be used in an adventurous scene of a movie. The Cradle Song or a reason to cry song set the mood for romance. With this song a star filled night sky, a boat, in Venice who could say no to any question that might be asked.

The music itself was played at mezzo piano making it soft and low. Quadruple meter is used in this movement. The texture with two very different rhythms going on at the same time is polyphonic. The range between the double bass, which was playing an accompanying melody to the viola, is wide.

This soothing love song remains at a moderately slow tempo throughout the movement. Intermezzo sounds like an internal struggle with ones heart. The rhythms of the viola and the double bass are constantly conflicting with each other. This conflict contributes to the movement's inconsistent tempo. The tempo changes from adagio to moderato and goes back. Changes in tempo create several changes in dynamics with crescendos and decrescendos throughout the movement.

Intermezzo starts out soft and reaches moderately soft to moderately loud. There is a wide range between the viola's high penetrating notes and the lowness of the double bass. The last movement was called Scherzo and was written in ternary form. Unlike the rest, it seems as if this movement's rhythm is completely different. The movement is going along in tempo at a fast and cheerful pace, with a dynamic of forte. Then the whole mood changes and the happy feeling is replaced with a lonely love song.

The tempo came down to an adagio and the movement even became quite soft. The decrescendo was dramatic and abrupt. This repetitive pattern helps create a symmetrical phrase which made this an enjoyable piece. Throughout the movement both instruments play independently, however there were several sections were they played in unison. The range is of the movement is wide with a wavelike shape which made it more entertaining. The piece Suite for Viola and Double Bass is by far not my very favorite piece of music, but it is far from terrible.

To each movement I had a different type of reaction. Prelude would make me think of a scary movie, sadness, and tragedy. The reason is because I feel that was the theme of the music due to the monotone and the dullness. I am a happy feel lucky kind of guy so as soon as Gavotte started I was in my zone, due to it being upbeat. It reminded me of scenes in movies were the hero is talking to his troops and rallying them to conquer the world or protect their homeland. The Cradle Song made me think of love and romance.

The reason is that I can see that being played in Venice on a boat. The fourth movement I did not like due to it being so confusing and not in rhythm of the others. I enjoyed the fifth movement due to how random it was and how it made me think of life and my relationship. How one minute everything is chaos and then thanks to one person things are right again. One thing that bothered me about the whole piece is the way none of the songs seemed to complement each other. All in all it was an unforgettable piece with both good and bad entwined.

Sonata in G Minor Largo the first movement of this piece shows us the piano is the slow and steady beat, or a largo, with a duple meter. It allows for the listener to here the different pitches of the double bass. The mood starts out sad, slow, and soft either being a piano or a pianissimo. Many chords are produced in this movement making a magical melody. Very peaceful and relaxing this movement was a polyphonic type of texture of music. The second movement in this piece is called Corrnete and was both exciting to listen to and watch.

The double bass is no longer the instrument who sets the beat once again that is taken care of by the piano. The tempo is set at an allegro rate grabbing the listener's attention. The fast way that this movement was played was unlike any of the movements before including the ones from the first piece. The volume stays loud probably at a forte but towards the end there is a decrescendo that allows the music to become a slight bit softer at least down to a mezzo forte. It would seem as if the melody were played with the full amount of notes for the octave so the harmony would have to be chromatic. The range that the double bass played was medium and in the higher notes that usually are not reached by the double bass.

The Adagio or the third movement starts with a very powerful. The slow pace of the music allows for this movement to be an adagio. Mezzo forte mixed with mezzo piano allowing the listener to be both moved and relaxed. This movement was homophonic because of the accompaniment from the piano to the double bass. The range is again medium due to the low notes that the double bass gets to while the piano is playing at higher level of notes. The grand finale or Vivace is kept in a quadruple meter by the piano who once again accompanies the bass but has its own melody so is polyphonic.

The only words that can describe the pace of the movement are that it was not too much like an allegro.