Experiences of Morrison concerts - Assignment Example

The piano trio, which consisted of a piano, a cello and a violin, was excellent, as was the string quartet with the special guest Mack McCray on the piano. The overall feeling of both of these musical ensembles was that there was a certain lightness to the playing, at least in spots. I really enjoy the cello, especially, as it tends to have such rich tones, and it complemented the piano on the Calyx piano trio very well. As did the violin. What struck me was that, between both concerts, the music was very similar.

There were periods where the music sounded like folk music, like Hungarian folk music, and then there were spots were I could detect a slight Celtic bent to the music. Then, there were periods of the concert when the music sounded more like modern music, with a hint of Igor Stravinsky in some of the chords. That is, there were periods where the music became allegro and the musicians played them with great passion and verve. Mack McCray was an amazing pianist. He played with a great flow and passion, and there was not a note that was out of place.

Sometimes it seemed that the concert belonged to him, more than the string quartet, but there were other spots where the quartet dominated and the piano receded into the background. I also enjoyed listening to the different influences that were heard throughout the perfomances. For instance, in the Schumann's Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, which was one of the pieces that was played in the St. Petersburg String Quartet, there were evidently influences that were classical and romantic in origin.

The piece went from a lugubrious opening with the cello dominating, then went more into the lighter parts of the piece where the piano was blended in harmoniously with the strings of the other instruments. There were periods that sounded like a waltz, but this was only in spots. The piano in the middle of the piece had an air to it that sounded very polished, and I recognized that the piece had a quality to it that spoke to me. I was also very interested in the Benjamin Britten piece, as I had studied his music extensively, and I knew of his operas.

This piece started out with an almost discordant tone to the strings, and it was definitely the product of a modern composer. That is, the staccato string that can be heard throughout the first part of this piece, combined with the discordant tones are those which are not typically heard in the classical or romantic or baroque styles. This piece actually was the piece that liked the least, because I am not a fan of the discordant style and there was something about it that hearkened to movies with American Indians.

And this is what the piece sounded like – music that should be played in American Indian movies. It was a little difficult to listen to, but I do know that this is a style that many people enjoy. The second movement of this piece, however, was much better, and struck a much more harmonious tone. What was striking, though, about the Britten piece is that it sounded almost spare compared to some of the other pieces which were played. There were very little flourishes that one is used to hearing from a string quartet with a piano.

The Franck piece, which as Piano Quintet