Listening Diary: July 12, Essay Example

On Monday I listened to Chicago’s WFMT online from just before 10:00 to about 11:30. The presenter from 10:00 on, was Lisa Flynn.  Flynn was very good at explaining which pieces would be coming up, which had just finished and who the composers and players were for each piece.  One of the pieces I particularly enjoyed was Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question,” which was played by the St. Luke’s Orchestra.  I liked how gradually the orchestra built the song up, the way the orchestra played high notes without making their music shrill and the sad, mysterious quality of the entire song. It reminded me, at times, of a very sad, dramatic movie. There were, however, some moments when the instruments seemed to clash, creating a jarring sensation, but this helped build the piece’s mood, rather than detracting from it.

I also found the Chopin Mazurkas in E, C, F and D pleasant to listen to and I know that I have heard at least parts of them before. The Montreal Symphony’s Chopin Piano Concerto #2 was also well worth listening to. I particularly liked how dynamic the piece was, starting out slowly and softly but then becoming grander and grander before again slowing down. During the louder, more energetic parts, it was easy to imagine people dancing to the Concerto, or perhaps even marching to it. Its fast pace during these parts would have made it ideal for such active measures.

Yet, toward the middle of the piece, the music became more like that of a music box.  Later on, the piece became rapid again, with the piano taking a more major role. It was so fast paced that it was almost like a jazz routine. Still later it became somewhat like a church’s hymn, then went back to sounding like a music box – but the ending was full of piano and strings and every imaginable instrument. It was energetic, loud and fast and sounded as if every player was giving everything he had into his instrument. There were occasional commercials, but they did not detract very much from the program.