Experimenting with Music in Context

Experimenting with Music in Context

Table of Contents:

1. Creation aspect: (3 compositions)
2. Performer aspect: (3 compositions)
3. works cited (bibliography)

Creation:

Composition 1 (arrangement for the cello): Stimulus piece: Vivaldi 4 Seasons Wnter mvmt no. 1 by Antonio Vivaldi

AOI 2 Piece: Vivaldi Winter Movement 1 by Antonio Vivaldi (Local Context):

I chose this piece because it represents local context, since I am performing it in a few weeks in the Skyline High School Chamber Orchestra. The song is both very aggressive, but also technical, with a fast-paced tempo, and occasional 32nd notes being thrown around.

AOI 4 Piece: Dimension by Creo (Global Context):

This song was made by an Austrian EDM composer by the name of Creo, making it global context.. This piece uses electronic beats, synth sounds, and a saxophone to give it the melody. Although the song does repeat, it’s tune is very catchy, and I feel like I could be able to compose something based off of it.

Creation (Inspired by both pieces):

For my composition, I am going to use the element of tempo from Vivaldi, providing a quick and tricky rhythm. However, the instruments which I use will all be electronic, except for the violin, since this is the main instrument in Vivaldi’s Winter. The Piece will fuse the Baroque style of Vivaldi along with Creo’s more modern approach to music, creating a piece of multiple genres and styles.
Composition 2 (arrangement for the cello): Stimulus piece: Dimension by Creo

Area of Inquiry: 4 (modern/electronic music)
Composer: Creo
Arranger: Neel Navare
Context: Global Context (Vienna Composer)

My vision for this song was to turn an electronic composition from Europe into a playable piece on the cello. I did this by not only giving multiple parts to each part in the original piece (both melodies, drums and synths, and the bass) but also added my own elements which can only be played on the cello. For example, I used the power of different articulations like slurs in order to connect notes together to produce a smoother tone, or accents for a sharper tone.

Finally, I added dynamics in order to put certain parts above the other as the melody switched around. As the song got intense however, all of the parts overall got louder while mixing with each other. the top 2 staffs mainly had the melody, but every once in a while, the middle staff would take it as well. The bottom 2 provided support as the bass notes/drums parts.

Composition 3: (adaptation for the baritone saxophone and 2 cellos) Vivaldi 4 seasons Winter mvmt no. 1 by Antonio Vivaldi and Dimension by Creo

Original Compositions: Vivaldi 4 seasons Winter mvmt no. 1, Dimension
Composers: Antonio Vivaldi, Creo (respectively)
Adaptation Composer: Neel Navare
Context: Global Context
AOIs: 2,4

I created this piece based off Vivaldi's 4 seasons Winter mvmt no. 1, and Dimension. While one piece is baroque and classical, the other one is much more modern and electronic. Combining these two by using instruments from both songs mixes them perfectly and introduces sharp melodies which resemble the original pieces. I took inspiration by making the main melody played by the baritone saxophone (representing Creo's song), which the 2 cellos support the melody (representing Vivaldi's song)

I also added articulations and dynamics in order to bring the piece to another level. This allowed the song to not only be played but flow just like Vivaldi's quick style, but also a steady rhythm like Creo. Using elements from both pieces, I created an adaptation for the baritone Saxophone and Cello which provide a clean mixture of the two genres and forms.

Performing:

Composition 1 (arrangement for the cello): Stimulus piece: Base after Base by DJVI

Base after base is a very interesting song, as it is not only composed by a very famous EDM artist, but the song it is used in many video games and is widely known among the electronic music community. I therefore decided that it would be good to be able to play the song on cello and made an arrangement for it. This arrangement has 2 parts: the melody, and the supporting line. While the there are multiple melodies played by the upper staff, the lower staff acts as a stable ground to play on, creating harmony, alongside the fast rhythm. I also decided to add in some dynamics, especially near the end. This is because EDM songs are generally known to be very loud throughout but adding an aspect of the cello and its ability to sound good even when playing quiet, I made the end in the dynamic of piano to show off the final notes of the song.

Composition 2 Stimulus piece: The Hanging Tree by Delmer Daves and Karl Malden

This song is from the Hunger Games series in which Katniss Everdeen is singing to Haymitch. This song is quiet at first but slowly builds up, which I wanted to represent with a high and low part both playing the melody, but still having different roles in a way. As the song progressed, I added dynamics in order to create a powerful effect of more things happening in the song. The shaping of the song has a main theme of 2 parts which repeat and get louder each time. However, the second time they are played, I added my own eighth notes and chords to further push the intensity. At the end of the song, I play a strong chord to represent what the dynamics lead up to, in a strong collective move. This chord properly summarizes the song.

Composition 3 (arrangement for the cello): (arrangement for the cello): Stimulus piece: Cycles by DJVI

This is also made by the same composer, but the song has a different feel. It has a sad but also hopeful tone, as if you are trying to reach for more. Cycles' melody remains the same, but the supporting part on the bottom grows more intense as the song continues. Then, at the end, its melody changes, and the supporting part slows down. I could already hear dynamics in the original version, which was new for me, considering that most of EDM is loud (besides the beat drops), which therefore made it easier for me to know where to place them. However, the articulations such as staccato, marcato, slurs, and accents were up to me. I decided where to put these from a combination of listening to the song and intuition. This shows that a song can be open to interpretation in terms of where to play based on who is creating it. Since I play the cello, I tried to shape each phrase to make the song sound more like a story.

Scores:

Creation 1: