Cultural Activity #3: Music/Theater
1. What musical event did you attend? (provide the location, name of musicians, titles of songs)
I went to the Utah Musical Symphony group. The concert was on November 29, 2011. It was located at Murray High School in the auditorium. The director’s name was Vladimir Kulenovic.
2. Give a summary or description of the work you heard. (at least 150 words)
The director was very informing about the beat of the music. He had the audience listen to the temp of the music and try to understand the different times the kept the music. He talked about the difference of 4/4 time and ¾ time along with the difference of 5/8 time. The director also had the audience listen to the quick tempos that we heard in the song Shostakovich symphony number five. He had us note the much faster paced tempo in comparison to the slower tempo in Beethoven’s symphony number eight. He also had us pay attention to the changing tempos in Shostakovich’s symphony number five. He noted that the tempo switches from Duplo time to 5/8 time. The was all very entertaining to listen to since I have a background knowledge of music from the three years that I was in band which made me know what the different times meant and know what to look for in changing times and tempos.
3. Would you say that this was a poor/fair/good/high quality performance? Why? Justify your answer. Did you notice any mistakes or other problems that detracted from the performance? (150 words)
I would say the performance was a high quality performance. You could tell that the performers were very professional by the attire they wore i.e. suits for the men and dresses for the women. Also by the way that they that they sat with correct posture and behaved very professional. I have seen them once before at Abravanel Hall. I think that the performance was a little better in Abravanel Hall because of the better acoustics and fancier atmosphere but they still did a fabulous job at Murray High School. The only thing that really detracted from the performance was the high school students that were talking during the course of the performance. Their talking would interrupt the music and detract from its greatness. I never heard any mistakes from the performers and you could tell that they practice all the time. Even the solos didn’t have any mistakes which is even harder to do because you are singled out and makes you more likely to make a mistake.
4. What did you find out about the background of the works, composers, artists, or others connected to this production? (100 words)
I found out that the symphony was founded in 1940. The symphony performs worldwide and plays songs from artists such as Adams, Beethoven, Schumann, Mozart, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Walton, and many others. All the works performed by the Utah Symphony are considered to be great American works. Abravanel Hall, which they perform in, is considered to be one of the world’s greatest concert halls. Abravanel Hall has won awards for superb architecture and extraordinary acoustics. The Symphony also participates in Utah’s annual productions at the Salt Lake Capitol Theater. Funding from the state makes it possible for the Symphony to perform for over 55,000 students every years all throughout the state.
5. What was your personal reaction to this performance? (250 words)
I thought that this was a great performance by the Utah Symphony. They were very professional and they sounded really good. I really liked being able to relate to the Symphony. I played trumpet in band for three years and I really enjoyed listening to the trumpets perform in the Symphony. I really liked the song where the trumpets had some solo time and I was able to listen to them and how they were able to hit notes with perfect pitch that were really high with ease. This was incredible some to the notes they were playing I am pretty sure that they couldn’t even hit those notes let alone be able to play them with perfection and ease. All of the performers were seasoned and never made a mistake as far as I could tell. I also loved to be able to recall old memories of being in band. I was able to think about the different times and tempos that our music was set to because the director singled out the time and tempo to the audience. This performance made me think of some of my favorite songs from band such as magma, phantom of the opera, crazy train, Ventura Avenue, Del Toro, and many other great songs. One of the songs that were performed reminded me of part of the song Imperial March from Star Wars. I also was wondering why the Symphony was playing for high schools because they needed to be able to afford travel and other expenses but then when I looked them up online I found out that the government pays them to go and play for the high schools which I thought was cool.
6. Would you recommend this performance or musical group to others? Why or Why not? (100 words)
I would recommend this performance for others to listen to. They did a great job with their performance and I think that anyone who enjoys music would enjoy this performance. I especially would suggest this to anyone in band or music classes because they talk about music terms and they play songs from great American classics such as Adams, Beethoven, Schumann, Mozart, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Walton, and many others. Another reason that I would recommend the Utah Symphony is because they were really good at the songs they performed. They had obviously practiced for many hours and knew the songs very well.
7. Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not? (100 words)
I would enjoy attending this type of even again. I would like to because I could hear more of their songs. I would be able to see more of their songs that they didn’t play for the high school because of their lack of time during the assembly. I would enjoy being able to listen to the extreme skill of the artists in their works. It is always fun to be able to see others share their talents with others for their enjoyment. This is part of why I love photography because I can share my views and art with the world. The Symphony was just artists of music instead of light.
