Note from DKH: The TAs assembled this document in 1993.

The concert report

treats the same concert as the previous sample did.
This is a sample concert report for Music 10. It illustrates how you might
use musical terminology in describing an actual performance, and does a
pretty good job of explaining the music and conveying what it is about.
Remember, a mere description of musical events is insufficient. You must
show an understanding of the music, of how it works, and of what it is
about. You will make different types of observations about different types
of music and different concerts. For instance, a performance of German
songs might lead to a discussion of vocal performance and how the music
conveys the meaning of the words, whereas a performance of a Baroque
orchestral concerto might entail a discussion of period instruments or
instrumental performance techniques. On the other hand, certain topics of
discussion, such as tonality, intrumentation, texture, form, etc., will be
relevent to all concerts.
Make sure you read the syllabus guidelines for writing concert reports.

SACRAMENTO ORCHESTRA, FREEBORN HALL

On Sunday, May 23, 1993 at 8:00 p.m. the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra
performed four pieces by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The program included
the Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem, Op. 15, the Concerto for
Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 35, the Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op.
48, and the Capriccio Italien, Op. 45. Geoffrey Simon conducted and William
Barbini appeared as concertmaster and soloist. Although I was impressed by the
whole concert, the second half made a more lasting impression on me.
The concert opened with the Festival Overture. This piece began quietly. As the
string instruments plucked in unison, the brass instruments entered with a slow
melody. The mood became more dramatic as it progressed. The pace became faster
and the texture more intense with fugue-like entrances. The different instruments
succeeded one another until they ultimately all entered in unison. The trumpets
were the most prominent players in the overture, effectively supported by the
continuous beating of the drums and clanging of the cymbals. The trumpets were
soon replaced by the strings, while the brass instruments receded to the
background, quickly leading to the climax in the final section of the piece.
The second work of the evening was the Concerto, which began with a striking
solo violin melody, which set a lighthearted tone to the piece. Very quickly,
however, the orchestra, and in particular the lyrical strings and pizzicato cellos,
entered and provided a firm layer of support. Barbini's solo, contrasted well with
the orchestra, and culminated in a sustained high-pitched ethereal sound,
suggesting an other-worldly character. The climax of the first movement occurred
when the trumpets played a forceful hammering motive which punctuated the
beautiful main theme in the violin. This was one of the most inspiring and moving
passages of the entire concert. It occurred to me that it had almost a nationalistic

tone to it, and I would be interested to know whether Tchaikovsky intended it that
way.
In contrast, the mood of the second movement was melancholy. The string
instruments played a sad melody and the brass instruments enhanced the mood by
their constant horn blowing in the background. The interplay between the soloist
and the orchestra took on a more intimate veneer, and they appeared to be more
comfortable with each other, as opposed to the first movement where they had
appeared adversarial. The third movement began "attaca," that is without a pause at
the end of the second movement. The connection of the movements, in my opinion,
enhanced the ever-building climax at the end of the third movement. The soloist
took on a victorious role and seemed to triumph over the orchestra. The extremely
lyrical closing theme brought an element of glory to the entire concerto.
After a fifteen minute intermission, the orchestra played the last two pieces of the
evening, though it was the Serenade, and in particular the first movement, which
made the most lasting impression on me. An interesting characteristic of this piece
is that it was composed for an ensemble consisting entirely of strings. I was at first
suspicious about this, but soon realized that the absence of brass, woodwinds and
percussion instruments in no way detracted from the effectiveness of the piece. The
homogeneity of the timbre was quite satisfying, as the level of communication was
greatly enhanced by the intimacy and familiarity of the sound. The movement
opened dramatically with the entire ensemble playing together. The instruments
moved from one chord to the next, as the dynamics gradually decreased, which
fueled my anticipation of a significant event. Sure enough, after a pause, the
violins made a dramatic entrance by playing the serenade theme, while the warm
resonating sound of the cellos enveloped them in the background. The movement
became lively and energetic, as the pizzicato cellos and the short violin strokes
underscored the principal theme.
The second movement opened with a flowing melody in the violins while the
cellos murmured in the background, creating a sound similar to that of carnival
music. The interplay between the alternating violins and cellos created an
interesting dialogue which captivated my attention, as it confounded my
expectations. The effect was further enhanced at the end of the movement with
several fugue-like entrances in various parts of the orchestra: the cellos, then the
violas, and finally the violins.
The third movement began softly, increasing in volume as the movement
progressed. A vibrant sound was created by resonating cellos and the long strokes
of the violin bows. Whereas in the first movement, the serenade had opened quietly
with the sound of violins, in this movement the cellos were the forefront of the
piece, while the violins plucked quietly in the background. This was the only
movement in which the cellos were the dominant sound, and the movement

became livelier when the other string instruments finally entered, creating an
exciting climax to the entire piece.
The last piece of the evening was the Capriccio Italien. It made a lasting
impression on me because of the brass instruments, which infused the piece with
life. The piece opened with the trumpets sounding like a morning call of the
military, an effect that was echoed at the climactic end with the simultaneous sound
of cymbals, trumpets, and resonating strings.
Attending this concert made me more aware of the diversity of style and
compositional techniques inherent in Tchaikovsky's music. I particularly enjoyed
his mastery of orchestration, as he is able to combine the different sounds of the
orchestra in an effective manner. Even when the ensemble is limited, as in
the Serenade for Strings, he still manages to create interesting effects. The way he
showed the dialogue between soloist and orchestra in the Violin
Concerto heightened the dramatic tension in the piece. At the forefront of
Tchaikovsky's music, and the reason I enjoyed this concert so much, was the lyric
quality of his melodies. Simply put, his music is lovely, and it speaks directly to
me.
Much of the success of this music lay in the faithful rendering of the performance.
In this respect, Geoffrey Simon and the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra were
able to bring out the spirit of Tchaikovsky's music.
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Concert Reports
Links to sample reports at the bottom of this page.
Your course in music will probably ask you to prepare for and attend multiple concerts
during the quarter. A typical concert report is a three- to five-page essay on the works
performed, placing them and their composers in the proper historical context and
treating their style and structure. The concert reports are not reviews of the
performance: you should be primarily interested in the compositions and their
composers, not in the specifics of the performers' modes of dress or performance
techniques. Type your essay, preferably saving it on a computer disc in case revision
is required.
Attach an original copy of the concert program to your report.
The purpose of the concert reports is to help you put the principles of listening that
you are developing in class into action in true-to-life concert surroundings. It is
advisable to choose concerts where the program relates to composers and styles you
have studied (concerts of an orchestra, a string quartet, a solo pianist, an early music
group, for example). Don't report on a concert in which you yourself participate. If you
have any question as to whether the concert you propose to treat is appropriate to the
goals of the course, clear it in advance with the instructor or TA. Needless to say, it

makes good sense to attend concerts the instructor is appearing in, for the simple
reasons that that music is likely to be very much on his or her mind.
Make certain you acquire a copy of whatever program notes are distributed at the
concert, for these will doubtless be of use to you in your writing.
You should also be prepared to take notes at the concerts. Many campus concerts are
taped and are available for re-listening in the Music Library. The use of recording
devices at public concerts is strictly forbidden (because it is both offensive and
illegal).
The paper should center on your perceptions of musical style and structure, and may
well emphasize the most important work of the concert (say, a Beethoven symphony).
Try to explain the concert and its repertoire in a manner that might be instructive to a
less educated classmate. Sample concert reports will probably be available on
reserve somewhere. Aim, in particular, for:

a proper organization, with coherence, good structure, and all the rest;

a logical development, with well-reasoned lines of thought;

proper paragraphs, with good transitions;

elegant, artful sentences, varied, and pleasant to read--conversational, if you

will.

correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

You should have a good dictionary and, probably, a paperback dictionary of music.
Master, if you have not already, The Elements of Style, a famous little pamphlet by
William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White. You may want to stay nearby a set of The New
Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (see Bibliography for full citations).
Edit your remarks. Polish your prose. Cite your sources. Proofread!
Have someone else (the TA?) look over the typewritten draft of your report.

Spelling Hints

Two sample reports:

Sample 1

Sample 2

The following is put on the Web (4 November 1996) by popular demand. I simply
checked the Sample Concert Reports folder out of the Library and typed one in,
correcting the most blatant errors as I went along. I have no idea who wrote this
piece, though it clearly comes from Spring 1993.

It's an average concert report: not especially good, not especially bad. See my
remarks at the end.
--DKH
SACRAMENTO SYMPHONY: ALL-TCHAIKOVSKY PROGRAM
On Sunday, 23 May 1993 at 8:00 p.m. in Freeborn Hall the Sacramento Symphony
Orchestra performed four pieces by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. I was very anxious to
attend the concert because they played the Serenade for Strings in C Major, op.
48, which is one of my favorite pieces. Geoffrey Simon conducted, and William
Barbini appeared as concertmaster and soloist.
The Sacramento Symphony opened with the Festival Overture on the Danish
National Anthem, op. 15. It began quietly. As the string instruments plucked in
unison, the brass instruments came in with a slow melody. The piece became more
dramatic as it progressed. The pace became faster and the music more intense, with
fugue-like entrances. One type of instrument was followed by another and then
they all played at once. The finale was the climax of the piece. The trumpets were
the forefront of the overture, with the continual beating of drums and clanging of
cymbals in the background. Then the string instruments became the dominant
sound with the brass instruments playing in the background. The second piece was
the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, op. 35. In the first movement,
the main theme was Barbini playing a solo on a violin. In the background was the
plucking of cello strings and the string instruments playing a soft melody. Barbini's
solo was a high screeching sound, like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard,
followed by the sound of a rubber band. In the second movement, the mood was
melancholy. The string instruments played a sad melody and the brass instruments
enhanced the mood by their constant horn blowing in the background. The last
movement came to a climactic end with its fast tempo. The plucking of cello
strings was followed by a pause and repeated three times to bring the movement to
a close.
After a fifteen-minute intermission the Sacramento Symphony performed their last
two pieces for the evening, the Serenade for Strings in C Major, op. 48, and
the Capriccio italien, op. 45. Both pieces made a lasting impression on me because
they were full of life, but the first movement of the Serenade for Strings in
C Major, op. 48, was the most memorable.
The Serenade for Strings in D major, op. 48, consisted of four movements, the
"Pezzo in forma di Sonatina; Andante non troppo; Allegro moderato," the
"Valse: Moderato, Tempo di valse," the "Elgie, Larghetto elegiaco," and the

"Finale (Temo Russo): Andante, allegro con spirito." The first movement opened
dramatically with all the instruments playing at once. The instruments moved from
one chord to the next, going from a loud sound to a soft one. After a pause, the
violins made a dramatic entrace by playing a serenade witt the resonating sound of
cello strings in the background. The movement became lively and energetic with
the plucking of cello strings and the violins unsing short strokes of their bows.
The second movement opened with a flowing melody. The violins were the
forefront of the piece, with the cellos in the background. They created a sound
similar to carnival music. Then, the violins and the cellos alternated playing in a
sort of call-and-response. Towards the end of the movement there were fugue-like
entrances. The cellos began to play, then the violas, and finally the violins. The
movement ended with all the muscians plucking the strings of their instruments.
The third movement began softly and then increased in volume as the movement
progressed. The vibrant sound was created by the resonating cello strings and the
long strides of the violin bow. Then, the violins played a sweet sounding serenade
with the plucking of cello strings in the background.
The last movement of the serenade opened quietly with the sound of violins. It
became livelier with the addition of the other string instruments. In this movement,
the cellos were the forefront of the piece with the plucking of violin strings in the
background. This was the only movement of the piece that the cellos were the
dominant sound.
The last piece of the evening was the Capriccio italien, op. 45. It made a lasting
impression on me because of the brass instruments. They piece opened with the
trumpets soundlig like a morning call when you are in the army. The sound in this
piece was full of life. The piece came to a climactic end with the sound of cymbals,
trumpets, and the resonating of strings all at once.
At the end of the performance, I was glad I had attended. It was an itnteresting and
entertaining performance. What intrigued me the most was the conductor, Geoffrey
Simon. I was fascinated by how gracefully his body moved with the music. He
reminded me of Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.
----GRADE: pass (possibilities: high pass, pass, low pass, no pass)
HOW IT'S GOOD: Au. clearly went to the concert and enjoyed it. S/he got into the
music, at least as far as indentifying the interplay of the instrumental force. S/he is
making progress as a commited listener.

HOW IT'S NOT SO GOOD. Au. fails to talk about anything, much, besides
orchestral deployment, and for all the talk about plucking strings, doesn't seem to
know the term pizzicato. The descriptions get quite repetitive, always talking about
who's in the forefront and who's in the background (or, as we might say more
elegantly, "accompanying"). There are quite a number of grammatical errors,
including lots of missed commas for compound sentences, as well as the lovely
line: "the main theme was Barbini playing a solo on the violin."
I thought the part about the fingernail-on-the-blackboard and the "rubber band" (a
band made out of rubber?, I asked myself) not especially felicitous. I thought the
last line a zinger.
But what would really make it better is to talk about (1) concerto
form/process/treatment in the Violin Concerto, (2) sonata principles everywhere
else, and (3) at least a little something about the historical context.
--DKH
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nitip : https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/music-popular.htm