December 8th, 2020 
The concert report on a live performance has been replaced with the concert report on a recorded performance of any classical music, via YouTube videos. Please include the link to the internet performance in the report.
You must submit a report that describes the music of three or more works/movements using specific musical vocabulary.
Concert Report Should
* be a minimum of 1,200 words, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font. Please put a statement at the end of the paper to the following effect: I checked the word count for this paper using that function in Microsoft Word (or whatever word processor you used) and it indicated (fill in the blank) words.
* describe either a single multi-movement work or three different short works. For example, you may write a report on Beethoven Symphony NO. 5, Movements 1, 2, 3, and 4. Or, you may write a report on Debussy Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun,” Glinka-Balakirev “The Lark,” and Schubert “Elfking.”
* contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Concert Report Should Not
* be filled with composer biographies, histories of the works performed, or any other content not related to the sound coming from the stage. This report is about using musical vocabulary to describe a performance.
* discuss everything that was played at the concert. I want to see lots of detail about just a few movements, not a sentence or two on everything.
* be filled with opinions about the music. Save the opinions for your conclusion; this assignment is about showing me that you can use musical vocabulary.
Introductory Paragraph(s) Should Contain Basic Information.
* The date, time, and place/venue of the performance
* The type and size of the ensemble
* The name of the ensemble or performer
* The title of the works and/or movements you will be writing about, and the name of the composer(s)
You can describe the setting, dress, or behavior (of the performers and/or the audience), but do not get carried away; this report is about the music.
Body Paragraphs Should Be Descriptions of the Works/Movements.
Each work/movement should, generally speaking, get its own separate paragraph or group of paragraphs. If you want to talk about how multiple works or movements are related to each other, then that discussion should get its own paragraph after discussing the works/movements individually. Information in these paragraphs will vary, but here are some leading questions to get you started (if you took good notes of the performance, this should be easier for you):
* What is the genre of this work? What aspects of the music are typical or atypical of the genre?
* What are the most memorable features of the work?
* What instruments were used? How were they used?
* Were there any solos or featured instruments (or groups of instruments)? Were the solos long or short?
* What was the range of dynamics? Were the dynamic levels stable or constantly in flux?
* What kinds of tempos were used? How did the music transition between the tempos? Was rubato used, and, if so, what effect did it have?
* Were there any melodies, themes, or sections that were repeated? Were they repeated exactly, or with some variation?
* What was the form of music? How was it structured or organized?
* Is the work programmatic? If so, how does the music represent the program?
* How does the work correspond to the stylistic period in which it was composed?
* How does this work compare to the other works on the program or other works that you have studied?
* If there was a conductor, how were his or her gestures reflected in the music?
Questions specifically for opera/musical theater productions:
* What was the overall quality of the production?
* Describe the sets, costumes, staging, lighting, How did these aspects relate to the music and the story being told?
* Was the opera performed in the original language, or in translation?
* Were there supertitles? Did they add to the performance, or were they a distraction?
* What time period was the production set in? Was this the time period intended by the composer?
* How was the acting?
Concluding Paragraph Should Reflect on the Concert as a Whole.
You should include your general reaction to and opinion of the works performed. You might also compare this performance to other performances or recordings of the same work that you have found on Youtube.
Posted in 