Composer- Robert W. Smith is one of the most popular and prolific composers of concert band and orchestral pieces of music. He has composed and published over 700 pieces of music that have been played by all types of ensembles all over the world!!! His educational compositions such as The Tempest, Encanto, and the Great Locomotive Chase have been used for developing bands all throughout the country. His music has been played on major television networks as well as included in multiple motion pictures. He was born in Daleville, Alabama and went to Troy State University where he played lead trumpet in the Sound of the South Marching Band. He later went on to study composition at the University of Miami and then was hired by Columbia Pictures Publications and Warner Bros.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Tempest
The piece is based off a play written by William Shakespeare. The Tempest was written in 1610–11, and is thought by many to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place after they were sent and stranded on an island for twelve years. He creates a storm, the tempest, to lure his brother Antonio and the King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, Prospero's plans bring about the resolution of conflict with those on the deserted island as well as the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.
Program Music
As suggested by the title, the music portrays the violent storm that leaves the boat stranded and deserted on the island as depicted in The Tempest. From the music, you can hear the high winds, hail, and rain beating down on the boat. This genre is called Program Music. Program Music is when music describes, characterizes, interprets, or is inspired by a non musical event, object, or idea. Knowing this can help us as musicians have a better understanding of what we are playing and how we can play it more effectively.
The Tempest
The piece is based off a play written by William Shakespeare. The Tempest was written in 1610–11, and is thought by many to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place after they were sent and stranded on an island for twelve years. He creates a storm, the tempest, to lure his brother Antonio and the King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, Prospero's plans bring about the resolution of conflict with those on the deserted island as well as the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.
Program Music
As suggested by the title, the music portrays the violent storm that leaves the boat stranded and deserted on the island as depicted in The Tempest. From the music, you can hear the high winds, hail, and rain beating down on the boat. This genre is called Program Music. Program Music is when music describes, characterizes, interprets, or is inspired by a non musical event, object, or idea. Knowing this can help us as musicians have a better understanding of what we are playing and how we can play it more effectively.
Articulation- The Tempest provides many opportunities to explore articulations. Articulation refers to the musical technique that affects the start or continuity of a single note, or between multiple notes or sounds. In the first theme, the students need to master the accent. Here, the notes need to have appropriate weight and emphasis without being too harsh or heavily tonged. An accent should stick out of the texture and be very abrupt. In contrast, the second theme requires the students to understand how to play with legato tonguing. The players need to use their air to connect the notes while using no tongue to switch between the notes. The notes need to flow from one to the next. Finally, the last articulation that needs to be addressed is the staccato. The staccato is a light, short note with lots of space and tongue. The rhythmic ostinato uses the staccato marking. In this piece, it is important to understand which articulation markings you are using and the appropriate steps that should be taken to effectively play that marking.
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Timbre- Timbre is the quality or characteristics of a sound or the color of the sound. It is different for every instrument however we want to try and blend the timbres of the different instruments to create an effective overall sound. In The Tempest, we want to create a dark and mysterious effect during the introduction because we are portraying the arrival of a storm. The composer uses the lower range of many of the instruments to create this dark sound. It is our job to understand the introduction and other sections of the piece and how the timbre of our sounds can portray a different quality of the storm.
Form
Introduction m. 1-4, 5-8 Introduced by the clarinets, bassoon and then the flutes, oboes, and saxophones Theme 1
m. 9-12, 13-17 Introduced in the clarinet, alto saxophone, and horn while all other instruments reinforce concert G. Later the theme is restated by the flute oboe, alto saxophone, trumpet, and horn. Theme 2 plus Ostinato
m. 18-35 Ostinato introduced by flute, clarinet, and percussion And theme presented in horn, saxophones
Theme 1 repeat
m. 36-44 Theme 2 and Ostinato Repeat m. 45-62 Coda 69-end |