Analysis of two Musical Selections - Essay Example

Analysis of two Musical Selections Introduction Music enthusiasts often go for classical musical selections when performing an analysis, however, contemporary music can also form good specimens for analysis. Hence, this paper will seek to discuss versions of the song titled “I will always love you” by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton and make clear the rhythm and Melody for each while also trying to convey the mood each piece seeks to evoke and how. Tempo This song version done by Whitney Houston was intended for those individuals who had lost the virtue called love, albeit of a romantic kind or life celebration of an individual(s) who had a profound effect on the life of the singer. For the most part, this version speaks of deep loss that the singer will never recover from and the difficulty occasioned by the prospect of "moving on". This is depicted by the tempo which increasingly moves from Adagio, then gradually to andante, moderato and finally culminating in a faster tempo near the end and finally climaxing with an adagio. The tone expressed here tells the story of a miserable and disillusioned life while also bringing out the passion and emotions that exist. Dolly Parton's version of the song, however, paints the picture of a more resigned singer, who readily accepts fate while still acknowledging that the love still exists, is more realistic to the prospect of moving on after the loss. As depicted by the tempo which is slow and easy at the beginning: otherwise referred to as andante, while gradually condensing into a moderate tone at the middle of the song and ending with a tone that is neither too fast or slow. The tone expressed here is sincere, while still acknowledging the presence of a strong love by the singer for the lover. It remains detached, but also acknowledges elements of appreciation and not regret as is the case with the other version of Whitney Houston. Rhythm The rhythm is depicted by some elements of consistency at the start of both songs while tapering off at the start of the Chorus where each voice takes on a different distinctive pace. The rhythm in Whitney Houston’s version is approximately two times slower than the Parton version and the extra emotions that are expressed in the song are made known with the care and slow pace exhibited in every vocal sang. Dolly Parton's version, however, consists of a tone that gradually and consistently makes known to the listener an understanding of the end of the relationship and the resolve to move on. This is depicted by the refrains which are in a low tone but loud enough to make out the picture of heartbreak, that is eventually resolved. “I will always love you”, which is concisely repeated in both songs serves the purpose of reinforcing the theme of the song; in addition, it also evokes emotions or an extreme kind. Accelerando/ Retardando The version of the song by Whitney Houston is depicted by a tempo that increasingly accelerates at the end and finally culminating in an adagio. The opposite is true for the same version by Dolly Parton which starts with a somewhat fast pace that gradually decelerates into a tone that is neither too fast nor too slow. This is otherwise referred to as retarded. Refrain "I will always love you" which is repeated throughout the song and most prominently at the songs tail end expresses a feeling of continuity that will remain long after they part ways. Expression The general theme that is expressed in the version by Whitney Houston is one of love, albeit of a romantic kind. The song also expresses regret in losing someone that the poet cannot do without. It paints the picture of a disillusioned soul. A soul troubled by personal events that are for the most part catastrophic to her life. This version speaks of a tragedy that, to the singer is hard to forget and hard to get by after. The prospect of moving on, therefore, becomes something very hard for the singer. In real life, it was a song that was written prior to a very emotionally draining divorce in the life of the singer with also singing sensation and husband Bobby Brown. This is made quite clear by the extra pauses that exist before and after the pronunciation of every vocal that is sung. The version here is two times longer than the original version which was done by Dolly Parton. This is depicted by the tempo which increasingly moves from Adagio, then gradually to andante, moderato and finally culminating in a faster tempo near the end and finally climaxing with an adagio. The tone expressed here tells the story of a miserable and disillusioned life while also bringing out the passion Dolly Parton's version of the song, however, paints the picture of a more resigned singer, who readily accepts fate while still acknowledging that the love still exists and, is more realistic to the prospect of moving on after the loss (Campbell, 305). The tempo which is slow and easy at the beginning: otherwise referred to as andante, gradually increases condensing into a moderate tone at the middle of the song and ending with a tone that is neither too fast or slow is highly representative of a resigned mind. The tone expressed here is sincere and still acknowledges the presence of a love so strong; however, it also remains detached but also shows elements of appreciation and not regret. This version takes a much shorter time of approximately two minutes from the beginning of the song to the end, which is a stark contrast to the other version by Whitney Houston which takes twice that period of time. Conclusion The two songs are generally similar as they share a central theme which is love and this is seen throughout both. Although the central theme is more pronounced, stylistic devices employed in most songs and among poets like repetition, accelerando, refrain among others make out this particular differences on the theme love. Works Cited Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on. , 2012. Print. Read More