12 Feb Cosma: Euphonium Concerto: Allegro Assai

Background and Culture.

• Who wrote it? Vladimir Cosma

• Why was it written? For the enjoyment of euphonium.

• When was it written? It was released January 1, 2012

• Who was the intended audience? It has distinctive Spanish flavor which leads to believe it was meant to appeal to the Spanish audience.

• Were there any historically significant events occurring at the time this piece was composed? If so, what were they? Did these events influence the music in any way? There doesn’t appear to be any event that influenced this piece although, shortly after is when hurricane Sandy took many lives.

• Any other interesting tidbits about the piece? This concerto embodies the spirit of Paganini and Liszt for the euphonium and represents one of the most outstanding selections for euphonium and large ensemble. The euphonium player, Baumet, is also the principal euphonium player of the Parris Brass Band and member of the Saxhornia.

Sound- Polyphonic (multiple lines of melody moving separately from one another) The texture overall in middle range of audible sound. The instruments that are being played are primarily from the brass family. The dynamic of the song is fugue. The piece employs contrasting textures which are juxtaposed as it is done structurally to help build the suspense.

Harmony – Polyphonic, at least 3 or more different parts are being played simultaneously as they are also creating a 3 or more note cords. I assume that the piece is Chromatic as it is keeping a high and low octave through several notes. The harmony moves from one to the next through conventional movement. The piece is primarily in a minor scale as it does also modulate to the expected relative keys. The modulation preps itself by building suspense and then to resolve with the climax toward the end.

Melody – they melody of the song moves predominantly in a conjunct motion. The melody’s range is primarily a wide range. The tessitura of the melody is in a middle register for the instruments. The direction of the melody moves in a smooth direction as it goes into an overall dip shape.

Rhythm – For me the beat was primarily grouped together in a repetitive way, and I believe there is a rhythmic meter that is quadruple notes. I assume that the meter is simple and kept to two divided groups.

Growth – Sections are varied through repetition. I believe this is a multi-movement piece through forms of call and response. The piece follows the structural expectations with call and response as the composer keeps to a traditional flow with a build of suspense at the beginning, then proceeds to mellow out, and then finishes with a bang. I believe this works as the piece seems to play a story where the beginning is the conflict, the middle is where “the dust settles”, and it finishes with a big climax.

Sheri’s Connection Answers

This music piece is nothing like the hip hop I usually listen to. The rhythm and melody alone are complete opposite ends of the spectrum. A person would enjoy this music because it is unique and full of surprises, it catches interest very easily with its different style. This piece helped me understand why someone could like this genre of music. It proves this genre is not always a sound that will put you to sleep and that you don’t need words to feel a connection to music. Yes, everyone could benefit from this type of music because it gives you sense of connection to the purest forms of true music and because there is so much exposure to so many different instruments that we may not be used to hearing in everyday music on the radio.

1. Choose your piece of music: due module 2

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 Choose a piece of music from a genre that those in your group would not normally listen to and are unfamiliar with (Minimalist, A-tonal, music from another country/culture, Broadway, opera, jazz, impressionism, baroque, folk, religious music, etc.).The piece you choose may not be within the pop music genre. For example, it may not be something you might see on the homepage of your ITunes Store or hear on a popular radio station (except for NPR. You should always listen to music on NPR, :).

 Tell me what piece you chose and the process you went through to choose it. Submit your choice for approval.

2. Research and create a rough draft outline of your group’s approved piece: start in module 3, due module 4

Create a rough draft of your findings according to the following outline, and submit in module 4 according to instructions on that page:

I. Background and Culture of the Piece

 Who wrote it?

 Why was it written?

 When was it written?

 Who was the intended audience?

 Were there any historically significant events occurring at the time this piece was

composed. If so, what were they? Did these events influence the music in any way? •

 Any other interesting tidbits about the pieces

II. Musical Analysis

    

Sound Harmony Melody Rhythm Growth

III. Connection- Compile Answers from each group member for this portion

 How is this music different from the type of music you generally prefer?

 How can what you have learned from this piece help you to connect with/understand

someone whose preferences are in line with this type of music?

 Could others benefit from exposure to this type of music?

 Why or why not? 

IV. Sources cited

 Compile a list of four or more sources used in your research.