Musicals in the West End Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Musicals in the West End - Essay Example Before presenting any logical argument, it is inherent to carry out a practical check on the shows currently running in the West End theatres and those lined up for production later in the year. According to the London Theatre Online by Darren Daglish, there are 23 musicals, 13 comedies, and 11 dramas (or straight plays if you like) currently running. Mathematically, this translates to 48% musicals, 28% comedies, and 24% drama. At this point, one might conclude that there many musicals shows than the other two classes. However, there is a list of shows lined up for production this year, including 9 musicals, 11 comedies, and 37 plays: or 16% musicals, 20% comedies, and 64% dramas [2]. Clearly, plays still dominate the theatre time if these statistics are anything to go by. While there may be repetition of some musicals such as Billy Eliot, Blood Brothers, and Jersey Boys, there is a relatively few number of repetition of plays. Actually, there are fifteen musicals repetitions with on ly six repeated plays. Thus, it would be inaccurate to say that the West End harbours more musicals than other subsidised theatres. However, one must bear in mind that musicals have relatively long runs than plays. Thus, there may not necessarily be a 64% increase in the number of plays. Dominance of musicals Another interesting statistic is that about two-thirds of the straight plays currently showing or planned for production show in subsidized theatres, with only seven and two musicals. Therefore, there will be around 30 musicals, 17 comedies, and 16 straight plays in the commercial theatres. Certainly, this is not a show of unhealthy competition and dominance by musicals! Essentially, the dominant nature of musicals in the West End theatres is a perception rather than a matter of fact. To prove this practically, try asking any average person about any showing musicals in the West End theatres and majority will mention Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, and The Lion King [3]. The person may also mention Cats and Les Mis, and probably Beauty and the Beast. Similarly, ask the people to mention a few straight plays in the same theatres would probably respond by naming just a single play and add the typical â€Å"some Shakespeare.† This highlights the enormous interest that the public has for musicals as compared to straight plays at all levels, with the exception of real theatrical devotee

Leisure and Tourism Maqnagement Project Coursework

Leisure and Tourism Maqnagement Project - Coursework Example This has implications for the events industry in general, and for the way the events industry ought to capitalize on social media trends in order to remain relevant. These developments also augur well for the industry, as they represent new opportunities that the industry can exploit in order to thrive moving forward (Neff; Smith and Zook; Kaplan and Heinlein; Agichtein et al.; Gilbert and Karahalios). Gaping holes in the marketing mix can result from events industry participants ignoring recent trends relating to the growing power and influence of social media in the lives and the finances of its customers. An understanding of the intricacies of social media as they are used to supplement or to make up the core of the important promotions and place aspects of the marketing mix can have profound implications for the events industry as a whole (Mangold and Faulds; Asur and Huberman; Xiang and Gretzel; Correa et al; Eyrich et al.; Kietzmann er al.; Thakeray et al.; Bian et al.). How does social media impact the UK events industry? What are the implications of the explosion in social media use on the events industry in the UK, as they pertain specifically to the way the industry markets itself and provides services to its customers? (Neff; Smith and Zook; Kaplan and Heinlein; Agichtein et al.; Gilbert and Karahalios). This paper aims to derive insights from recent research relating to the impacts of social media on the UK events industry in particular, and the intricacies of social media use and how such affects the way the UK industry markets itself and provides services to its customer bases (Neff; Smith and Zook; Kaplan and Heinlein; Agichtein et al.; Gilbert and Karahalios). There is the growing sense that social media is of vital importance in many aspects of businesses that have to do with facing and relating to customers, as evidenced, for instance, in

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication Physical appearance plays an important part in non-verbal communication. It encompasses all of the physical characteristics of an individual, including body size , skin color , hair color and style , facial hair, and facial features. Physical appearance is readily observed and reveals many aspects of psychosocial function  [2]. A persons physical appearance reveals a great deal about that person. For that reason one needs to take care of his/her look prior to participating in oral communication, especially in business setting. For instance, a clean, neat, appropriately dressed individual conveys a positive self-image, knowledge and competence. A dirty, careless or inappropriately dressed person conveys the message that he does not care about his or her look  [3]. The presence of body odor, poor hygiene, and badly dressed clothing may be associated with any of the following: depression, incompetence, impaired cognitive abilities, limited financial recourses, overwhelming care giving responsibilities, impaired vision or smell, or deficiency in access to or inability to use bathing facilities  [4]. Physical appearance includes physiological characteristics, such as eye color and height, as well as ways in which we manage, or even alter, our physical appearance. For instance, many people control their physical appearance by dieting, using steroids and other drugs, coloring their hair, having plastic surgery, wearing colored contact lenses, and using make-up  [5]. Physical appearance has an influence on communication since one evaluates others in interpersonal exchanges  [6]. Based on physical qualities one may make inferences about others personalities. Although these inferences may have no factual basis, they can affect ones personal and s ocial relationships as well as decisions about hiring, placement, and promotion  [7]. It is crucial since the first impression made during interaction lasts long. For instance, if a young intelligent man who graduated from the university with distinction and wants to get a job. However, every time he would come to a job interview, he would get rejected by potential employers who would reason he doesnt suit them. The real issue behind those rejections would be that he has a problem with the smell that comes out of his mouth. Besides problems with the smell of the body, the color of ones skin can also influence the outcome of communication and affect communication process. For instance, certain individuals will not communicate with persons who are of a particular race or ethnicity.  [8]  In such cases, communication will be difficult to realize, since it is a matter of choice that is already made by that person who prefers avoiding interracial communication and his opinion would be difficult to alter. There was a situation in Russia when an eleven year old school girl from Poland refused to play with a boy from Nigeria because he was black Another situation occurred in the daycare center in the USA where a small boy would not let Afro-American staff touch him as they looked dirty to him. Neither would he want to play with children of that race  [9]. Different cultures have different values of physical appearance. For instance, Western culture places an extremely high value on physical appearance and on specific aspects of appearance  [10]. Consequently, miscommunication may occur when a person with an inappropriate appearance from a different culture will attempt to conduct a conversation with a person from Western culture, who will perceive him or her incorrectly. The traditional African societies perceive full-figured bodies as signs of health, prosperity, and wealth, all of which are considered necessary. African Americans who support this value acknowledge or prefer women who weigh more than the ideal model for European American women or Caucasians  [11]. During intercultural communication, people will perceive each other differently and will demonstrate an attitude that they usually do in their culture. Improper usage of physical appearance in intercultural communication and setting such as a religious institution or a corporation may result in miscommunication or even violence. Hence, one needs to adjust his/her look to a setting in which s/he will interact in the hosting culture. However, paying attention only to how one looks would be insufficient if one has problems with bad smell. Olfactics Another aspect of the oral communication is odor of a communicator. As mentioned before, the interaction with a person who has bad smell can be the cause of failure to obtain a job. Olfactics is the study of communication via smell which is the least understood of all senses  [12]  and refers to the use and perception of smell as related to communication  [13]. Smell is a code that is almost exclusively nonverbal  [14]. It is a term for odors and scents as well as our perception of them  [15]. Smell is a very strong signal to most people, closely connected in many set of circumstances to strong emotions  [16]. The amount of human brain devoted to olfaction is a very large portion. Odor is first detected by the olfactory epithelium in the nose, which starts a chain of events that leads to an information flow to olfactory bulb and limbic system of the brain, which pays a key role in regulating body functions and the emotions. Smell is the only sense linked directly into the limbic system, which may be evidence of its being our most basic, primitive sense  [17]. A tiny organ in the nasal cavity that responds to chemicals such as pheromones and natural substances plays a role in basic human emotions such as fear, hunger, and those which are related to sex  [18]. Smells are almost constantly processed in a holistic manner  [19]. Most smells activate olfactory responses but there is a difference in perception of smell based on gender. Women can detect odors in lower concentrations, identify them more accurately, and remember them longer than men  [20]. Heterosexual men and women respond to the pheromones of the opposite sex with increased activity in the hypothalamus connected to sexual behavior. Lesbians respond with elevated hypothalamic activity to the estrogen -like pheromone of other women  [21]. It is possible to recall an event that occurred months or years ago when similar smells encountered again smell as such smells are a powerful memory aid  [22]. Hence the first impression lasts longer and that is why it needs to be good, which is why people use perfumes, soaps, and body deodorants to convey a particular image to others or to cover up natural odor which is related to hormones and DNA structures and is too a part of the olfatic code  [23]. There are many ways in which smell is applied. One of them is in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the application of oils of flowers, herbs, and plants to make people feel better, which was widely practiced in ancient Chinese, Egyptian, and Indian civilizations and is widely applied today in Belgium, England, France, Germany, and Switzerland. Besides, fragrance is used in the workplace in Japan in order to enhance efficiency and reduce stress among office workers  [24]. Another application of smell is in marketing because advertisers believe that smell is important. For instance, Mike Gatti, the executive director of marketing at the National Retail Federation stated: A lot of retail companies use it, and its purpose really is to keep customers in your store, to create this welcoming environment and it works; it does keep people in your store longer. It helps people feel better in their shopping, and in a lot of cases causes them to spend more money.  [25]  Fragrance strips in magazines enable consumers to sample a perfume.  [26]  In other words, smell is used as a method of persuasion in mass communication. Likewise, smell refers to body odor. Certain cultures are sensitive to any body odor; others conceal body odor with perfumes and colognes; and still others find the odor of perfumes and colognes unpleasant. Generally, body odor is affected by the food one eats; interesting enough, those who eat meat have a different body odor  [27]. Since Attitudes to body odor vary considerably across cultures, they can sometimes cause problems  [28]. People will react positively or negatively to other people based on the way they smell. A persons smell remains in another persons long after he or she has left the room. For instance, citizens from the United States consider body odors, bad breath, perspiration, or too much cologne to be offensive. In turn, as clean as US inhabitants think they are, many cultures consider their smell offensive. Because people of the United States eat much more meat than people in many other countries, their body odor is different from those who are from other coun tries in which more vegetables and fish are consumed. Japanese and Filipinos are raised to be very conscious of different odors and often complain about the way US Americans smell. Although U.S inhabitants tend to be uncomfortable with natural smells, Middle Easterners and Filipinos believe being able to smell a friends breath is pleasing. Without knowing how culture perceives odors and how one is expected to react to odors, one is not able to behave appropriately in business environment. Lack of knowledge in the olfactics area has affected many business transaction  [29]. Here is an example how smell can affect someones career in intercultural communication: A medical doctor from Saudi Arabia was completing an internship in a hospital in the southern United States. Problems arose when patients refused to have the Saudi doctor examine them. Interviews with patients revealed two problems: he smelled bad and he breathed on the patients. The doctors orientation had apparently failed to include the incongruence between Arabic and U.S American perceptions of smell.  [30]   In order to be accepted by people from other cultures, an individual needs to adopt the hygiene practices of the country he is visiting or in which he is conducting business  [31]  . Unfortunately, that medical doctor, being in the US, was proficient only in English and Medicine. He didnt have sufficient communicative competence to avoid the misunderstanding described above. Proxemics Besides smell, there is a need to take a look at another aspect of communication that leads people into misperception of each other proxemics. It is the study of personal space and how humans use distance in general. This term was first used in 1963 by an anthropologist and researcher Edward T. Hall  [32]. Proxemics relates to spatial distance between persons interacting with each other, and their orientation toward each other. Individuals generally divide their personal space into four distinct zones. Edward Hall identified four spatial zones: Intimate space 0- 1, 5 feet. For family members and beloved. Personal space 1, 5-4 feet. For friends. Social space 4-12 feet. For strangers. Public space 12 feet-and more  [33]. Proxemics is nonverbal communication that deals with physical distance between people. When someone moves into intimate space with another person who does not want to be intimate with him/her, that person, whose personal space is trespassed, is likely to become uncomfortable and put up barriers. This situation is also known as invading the persons space. People who feel that their space has been violated will step back or cross their arms. However, if an individual stays within the social space zone with a close friend who prefers to be in his personal or intimate space, this may result in negative feelings  [34]. Proxemics is the communicative aspect of personal space and or territory. Everyone is believed to be encircled by an invisible zone of psychological comfort that follows us everywhere we travel. That invisible zone provides persons with a lot of nonverbal information regarding the level of trust and intimacy that an individual has for other people. Cooperation is a key factor in the street negotiation and its participant must be able to read the level of comfort of the person s/he is dealing with and must take into consideration the amount of distance that an individual needs to be comfortable while being dealt with. Knowing the dynamics of personal space will also prevent one party of the interaction from unknowingly violating their counterparts personal space and causing unnecessary tension. Distance between people depends on power and authority that a person has. People who possess the most power and authority command a greater amount of personal space that they can entitle as their own. They will often distance themselves from other people of less power around them. Confident people, and people of higher status, are comfortable going straight to the center of the attention while lower status, or non-confident people, to tend to have near the exits or the back of the room  [35]. The comfort zones vary drastically between cultures. Arabs and Americans differed significantly in proxemics, the Arabs interacting with each other closer and more directly than Americans. The differences in distance between subjects from different Arab regions were smaller than those in different American regions. Arabs interact much closer to each other. Latin Americans exhibit less closeness than Arabs, but still interact much closer than Anglo Americans. Interactants stand farther apart and the frequency of tactile contact diminishes as one goes from Central to South America.

The Importance of the Scaffold in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: free essay writer

  The Importance of the Scaffold in The Scarlet Letter   Since the beginning of time humans have had to confront their sinfulness. Some rely on religious faith to help with the struggle against sin while others add to their sins by lying to hide other sins. In the end, man must stand alone – as a sinful creature before God. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale struggles with his sin until he discovers the scaffold as a place to find peace with himself. That scaffold holds more importance than just somewhere to condemn prisoners. It is the one place where Dimmesdale felt liberated to say anything he wishes. In Puritan culture, the scaffold is used to humiliate and chastise prisoners, be it witches at the stake, thieves in the stocks, or a murderer hanging from the gallows. In The Scarlet Letter, the scaffold was viewed more as a place of judgment. â€Å"Meagre ... was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders, at the scaffold.† (p. 63) Indeed, it was used for castigation, but it was also a place of trial: Hester’s trial was held at the scaffold. Standing upon the platform opens oneself to God and to the world. â€Å"They stood in the noon of that strange and solemn splendor, as if it were the light that is to reveal all secrets, and the daybreak that shall unite all who belong to one another.† (p. 186) Being on the scaffold puts oneself in a feeling of spiritual nakedness- where you f eel exposed to God, but cleansed. It was the one place where Dimmesdale could find complete reconciliation.                Witnessing such an event as reconciliation is quite a fascinating experience. But without knowing what is going on, it can also be quite horrifying. â€Å"Without any effort of his will, or power to restrain himself, he [Dimmesdale] shrieked aloud: an outcry that went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another, and reverberated from the hills in the background; as if a company of devils, detecting so much misery and terror in it, had made a plaything of the sound, and were bandying it to and fro.† (pp. 178-9) Indeed, the townsfolk felt the latter. â€Å"Drowsy slumberers mistook the cry either for something frightful in a dream, or for the noise of witches.†(p. 179) They did not understand that this was his reconciliation.

Effect of Enzyme Catalese on Hydrogen Peroxide

Aim: The aim of the Assessment Task 1 is to investigate the effect of 1)temperature, 2)pH and 3)substrate concentration on the action of enzyme such as catalase on hydrogen peroxide. Background knowledge: Enzymes are organic catalysts composed of proteins that assist organisms in facilitating metabolic reactions without undergoing any change themselves. Enzymes are sensitive to their environment and so must remain within a stable range of factors ( pH, temperature , substrate concentration etc) for them to function.Any deviations from this stable state can result in decreased efficiency or even the denaturing (destruction) of the enzyme. What affects enzymes: 1)Temperature- Enzymes stop working if the temperature rises above 40? C. Increasing the temperature alters the 3D shape and so the enzyme can no longer fit the substrate. 2)pH- They work best in neutral conditions neither acidic nor alkaline. 3)Substrate concentration – Increasing the substrate concentration, increases t he activiy of the enzymes till it reaches an optimal point beyond which there is no change in the enzyme acitivity.Catalase Enzyme: The activity of an enzyme can be demonstrated using liver, which contains the enzyme, catalase. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down slowly to form water and oxygen. One molecule of Catalase can deal with six million molecules of Hydrogen Peroxide in 1 minute. This breakdown happens rapidly in the present of the Catalase and Oxygen gas evolves rapidly and can be tested with a glowing splint or rising bubbles (variable). Changes in the temperature, acidity (pH) and concentration of the hydrogen peroxide will affect the rate of the reaction.The control was to have a test tube of just substrate without any enzymes present. The validity would be to test each variable in isolation without mixing any of the 3 variables namely, the pH, temp and substrate concentration. The amount of catalase and hydrogen peroxide will remain the same in all the test tubes. Hypothesis : The hypothesis is that since hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen gas because of the enzyme, it is expected that with change in temperature of the catalase, oxygen bubbles would form.Apparatus / Equipment used: -test tubes & test tube racks -pipettes -Tweezers -Ruler -Water baths (for temperature control) -Ice bucket -Thermometer -Beakers -Hotplates -Measuring cylinder -Vinegar -Bi-Carb Soda -pH paper -pH meters Paper towels to cover up spills -Pen and paper to record results Ingredients used: -Liver ( enzyme called catalase) -Hydrogen Peroxide Equipment setup: The test tubes were setup up in a test tube rack. Ice bucket to cool and hot water bucket to warm were also kept in readiness.Experiment 1 (Temperature): Procedure: 1)I put on the work shirt, goggles, gloves and footwear as a safety measure. 2)I chopped up 3 equal pieces of liver. 3)I placed 1 piece of liver into one test tube each. 4)I prepared 3 test tubes each containing 10ml of hydrogen peroxide. 5)I setu p a water baths with 100 Celcius temperature, for temperature control using the thermometer, to ensure the correct temperature was maintained. 6)I placed 2 test tubes containing liver and hydrogen peroxide each into the water bath. )When the correct temperature was reached, I quickly transferred the liver using tweezers into the test tube containing hydrogen peroxide from the same water bath 8)I looked for any oxygen bubbles rising up in the test tube and measured the rise using a ruler 9)I repeated the above steps with 350 Celcius temperature. 10)I repeated the above steps with 350 Celcius temperature. 11)I allowed the test tube contents to cool down before disposing off the liquid waste into the sink with plenty of water and the solid waste contents carefully into the appropriate bin. 12)I rinsed all apparatus used and dried them for future use.Results of Experiment 1: It was observed that with 100 C, the temperature was too low and there was not enough heat for Catalase to cataly se the reaction well. At 350C temperature, the bubbles produced froth and it appeared like all the enzymes were catalyzing reactios. When the temperature rose to 500C, the bubbles went down, indicating that the temperature was too high, resulting in a breakdown of the enzyme called denaturation. The results when plotted resulted in a bell shaped curve. As temperature increases so to does the kinetic energy of the enzyme and substrate molecules which randomly collide.The frequency of collisions increases as the temperature increases thus initially increasing the rate of reaction. This occurs up to a maximum rate of reaction and the temperature at which the maximum rate of reaction is reached is referred to as the optimum temperature. Beyond the optimum temperature, increasing temperature increases the kinetic energy of the molecules to the point that the three-dimensional shape of the enzyme can be lost. Thus the shape of its active site changes and can no longer bind to the substrat e, reducing the rate of reaction beyond the optimum temperature.

The Baroque Period

The Baroque period happened between 1600-1750. The word â€Å"baroque† comes from the Portuguese word barroom which meaner â€Å"misshapen pearl†; it is a negative description of the elaborate and heavily ornamented music of this period. Baroque music forms a major portion of the classical music canon, being widely studied, performed, and listened to. Composers of the baroque era include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederic Handel, Antonio Vivaldi and George Philipp Telltale. The development of functional tonality happened during the baroque period.Functional analogy is the relationship between chords (cadences – perfect, imperfect, interrupted). This also led to elaborate ornamentations in music (e. G. Trills, structural, glissando). It changed the way we wrote music and new styles of techniques were invented. Baroque music expanded the size, range, and complexity of instrumental performance, and also established opera as a musical genre. An important techniqu e used in baroque music was the use of ground bass, a repeated bass line.Modes (Modes – Any of the eight scales of the medieval music, each extinguished by its ending note, its arrangement of pitches in intervals, and its range. ) were replaced by the major and minor key system (Diatonic scales). The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church. Opera's were fist composed in the Baroque period. The first opera was written in 1597, called ‘Deafen', and was composed by Perl. The first truly great opera was composed by Monteverdi in 1607, and was called ‘Refer'. The music heightens the dramatic impact.There was a lot of instrumental routinely (Italian for return, and meaner when a section returns). Before each verse of the aria (song), we hear an instrumental routinely. Here are some examples of operas overture's from different countries. Italy – Scarlatti operas often began with an overture in three sections: quick, slow, quick. This was the Italian Overture (an overture is an instrumental introduction to an opera). Scarlatti designed the arias in his operas in dad capo form, I. E. ABA. Another name for this is ternary form.France – Lully's operas began with a French Overture. Slow, quick, slow. This is the other way round to an Italian Overture Oratorios were also first formed in the baroque period. This is vocal music which at first was very similar to operas. (They had arias, choruses and recitatives) The main difference was that an Oratorio was based on a sacred story. Eventually oratorios ceased to act out, and were given musical presentation only. Handel's Messiah, Samson, Israel and Egypt are all Oratorios. Also in oratorios there was a passion.A assign is a special oratorio telling the story of Chrism's crucifixion. Besides recitatives, arias and choruses, Bach also included settings of chorales (German hymn tunes). During the Baroque period, the orchestra started to take shape. The string section became a self-contained unit. To this composers would add other instruments in ones and twos: Flutes, Recorders, Oboes, Bassoons, Horns, and occasionally trumpets and kettle drums. Monarchs/nobles employed composers because they wanted to show that they are richer than the others. The Baroque Period The Baroque Period The Baroque term comes from the Portuguese word barroom, which meaner misshapen pearl Jean-Jacques Rousseau defined baroque music as that in which the harmony is confused, charged with modulations and dissonances, the melody is harsh and little natural, the intonation difficult, and the movement constrained. The Baroque period was highly decorated and it reflects on the elaborate nature and complexity of the music compositions. Others have likened Baroque music to listening to multiple people having a conversation at the same time.Baroque music as also applied to other forms of fine art, including architecture It was thought to have started in about 1570 as the music of the Renaissance changed to a more Baroque style There is more agreement that the Baroque period ended at the middle of the eighteenth century. The Baroque music era was a period that witnessed many advances in knowledge and changes in culture. Protestant Reformation had changed the landscape of reli gion and theology in Europe. Europe had turned toward rationalism and humanism to guide policies and philosophy.The Baroque period is he first to be among the musical pieces that people today are generally familiar with. Characteristics of Baroque Music Composers and musicians during this time thought of themselves more as craftsmen than artists. They often made their living through patrons or individuals who supported them in exchange for their music. Patrons included not only the wealthy in society, but also the nobility and the church. The music of this period was often composed for specific circumstances, whether it was a party or a religious event.Some composers also worked as music tutors, composing easier compositions for heir students. Because of the deliberate and specific reasons for compositions, individual pieces were not generally thought of as great compositions that would be played over and over and have a lasting impact. The pieces that were like the improvised music we find in society today that unique pieces of music to be played, but not generally remembered beyond today. Figured Bass The music during this time was actually quite diverse and varied.Scholars often separate and categorize Baroque music into early, middle, and late Baroque music or into Italian, German, French, and English music. In both music and art of the period, artists were concerned with describing emotions and feelings. Figured bass- A musical notation using numbers to indicate chords, intervals, and other aspects in relation to the bass note of the music. Basso continuo- a harmony of the music, an instrument that was capable of playing chords played the basso continuo, such as a harpsichord, organ, or harp.The musician playing the basso continuo structure would play the bass note indicated in the harmony and then add in other notes on the chord as needed. The figured bass then helped the musician playing the basso Antonio by giving numbers under the bass note to indicat e which chords should be played in that spot. Ornamentation and Orchestras Ornamentation- the use of non-necessary musical flourishes, such as trills and grace notes, to the basic melody or harmony. Many composers used extensive ornamentation in their pieces. Grace notes are notes that are not counted in the total time value.Baroque music also tends to focus on one emotion in a single piece. The emotion that the piece is trying to capture or describe is the music's effects. Orchestras- larger instrumental ensembles or groups that contain brass, string, recursion, and woodwind instruments. Forms of Baroque Music Baroque music featured a number of different forms or types of music. Music scholars call the plan that a composer has in mind when composing a piece of form a form. Form helps to give structure to a composition, and composers often combined one or more forms of music as they created new types of music.Opera Poppers can be defined as a dramatic work in which singers and music ians use both a musical score and a text or libretto. Composers combined a broad comedy with tragic elements. The comedic operas come to be known as opera buff Opera series- A very stylized and puts a greater emphasis on the experienced and masterful singer. Oratorios- Similar to operas. They are concert pieces rather than a form of musical theater. They tended to be more serious and dramatic. They were large-scale compositions, including soloists, choirs, and orchestras.The Instrumental Suite Instrumental suite- A series of dances Prelude: This is a shorter piece that comes before the other parts of the instrumental suite. Allemande: This piece is a moderate tempo dance which derived from German dances. Originally, this was the first piece of the instrumental suite, but over time, the ruled took the first spot. Often regarded as a serious dance, the allemande was characterized by couples forming two lines and parading back and forth in the room. Current: This piece is a triple mete r, fast-paced dance.Literally, the word current meaner â€Å"running. † Serenade: This piece is usually a slow triple meter dance, slower and more grave than the original Spanish dance that it is based on. Segue: This piece is a fast dance in 6/8 time. Originating in the British Isles, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Irish Gig. Some compositions included additional pieces, such as some of the ones listed here: Hornpipe: This piece is a fast, lively dance. It is said to have been created aboard English sailing vessels and the movements are those that a sailor might do as part of his duties.Minuet or Minuet: This piece is one of the best known of the Baroque instrumental suites. The minuet is a social dance for a couple. Gavotte: This piece has a moderate to fast tempo. The dance is French in origin. Air or rare: This piece is simple and written for either instrument or voice. English lute Ares were popular in the court of Elizabeth I during the sixteenth century. Bourne: Thi s piece is played at a moderate to lively tempo. Handel often used a fast tempo in the pieces that he composed. Of French origin, the Bourne is similar to the Gavotte.Paean: This piece is a slower processional dance. Baroque Composers Claudio Monteverdi- His work serves as the point where Renaissance music ends and Baroque music begins. He was a transitional figure between the two eras, using characteristics of both musical time periods in his work. He also wrote one of the earliest operas. He was born in northern Italy and his early learning in music came about through his participation in a cathedral choir. His earlier pieces includes sacred madrigals He composed and published a book of this musical form.The Taboo Libra, was his eighth madrigal publication, and it is regarded by some to be the perfect example of this form of music His music is divided into different parts covering the themes of love and war. For many years he served in the court of Mantra At first he served as a m usician and singer, before becoming a court conductor Later in his life he became a priest and he continued to compose He died in 1643 Antonio Vivaldi- Is regarded by many to be one of the greatest composers during the Baroque period. His influences spread across Europe and he was well known for his instrumental concertos.One of the most famous violin concertos is The Four Seasons He was born in Italy in 1678 He was ill child but still managed to learn how to play the violin and began to study for the priesthood at 15 years of age. He became priest in 1703, when he was 25 years old. With the color of his hair he got the nickname â€Å"The Red Priest† Vivaldi At age 27, he published his first sonatas He was well known for working at an orphanage teaching the children there music ND composing works for them to play He created forms there and the forms included solo motets as well as large scale composition.In Venice he wrote several operas as well as â€Å"The Four Seasonsâ₠¬  It features the sounds of birds, running creeks, ice skating, storms,and winter fires. At the end of life he experienced financial issues and moved to Vienna, and became a pauper. He died in 1741 at 64 years old He died of internal infection His music is characterized as innovation and creativity J. s. Bach He composed music in many different forms, including both sacred and secular works.His works are mastery of the compositional techniques of the time, and many feature expressive melodies. He grew up in Germany, he was born in 1685 He family was all composed of musicians. He was orphaned at the age of ten and moved back in with an older brother before he got a scholarship to a music school at 14 years old Johann Sebastian Bach Graduated in 1703 He became the court organist in Whimper and later the choirmaster for Duke Wilhelm When he took a position at SST.Thomas Church he composed mostly religious works, including a few masses, even though Bach himself was ;Lutheran By 1749, Bach Egan to experience failing eyesight After the surgery, it didn't work so he ended up being blind after the surgery He died in 1750 at 65 years old from a stroke complicated by pneumonia Stages of his life Early work 1708-1717 Bach's organ music Middle work 1718-1723 Bach's instrumental works Late work 1724-1750 Sacred choral music His work was mathematically precise, his work had technical mastery that many other composers could only hope for.He tended to write down the basic notations on the melody, giving musicians and singer the ability to add embellishments of their own music. He tended to write out most of the notation in his scores. This gave him greater control over the complex textures and embellishments that he added to his music. He also tended to leave some of the instrumental notations more basic in his work, particularly some of the longer pieces.George Frederica Handel German born Known as best composer Born 1685 He began studying law, his father's profession Afte r his father died he gave up law and studied music 1704 He began working at Hamburg Opera house His first two operas were performed He was involved with the founding of the Royal Cad. Of Music in London In April 737, he experienced a stroke, but lost strength in his right arm but ended up recovering and performing again He died in 1759 and was buried at Westminster Abbey His accomplishments 42 Operas more than 120 cantatas, duets, and trios Conclusion In this module, we learned more about the music of the Baroque period.In doing so, we learned about some of the influences on Baroque music and the characteristics of Baroque music. We learned about several of the popular forms of Baroque music, including operas. Finally, we examined four composers who exemplify Baroque music and who helped to influence and direct the creativity of this time period. The Baroque Period The Baroque period originated in 1600 and ended in 1750 2. The Peterson is the estate of Peter the Great, in SST. Petersburg Russia. Bartholomew Reasserts models it. This building was key symbol of the era. 3. Baroque painters used various colors and deep shadows to create a rich texture this can be seen in the piece Rembrandt painted The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. 4. In the baroque period there was a intense dispute over religion.John Bunyan (1628-1688) was an English Protestant writer and a Astor. He is most famous for composing The Pilgrim's Progress. Another important Protestant writer of the time is John Gill. He was an English theologian who wrote A Body of Doctrinal Divinity in 1767. 5. Three famous baroque scientists were Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilee and Francis Bacon. Galileo Galilee was an astronomer and invented the telescope, Isaac Newton created the laws of motion and Francis Bacon invented the bacon method 6.An opera is a play where everything is vocally reduced alon g with orchestral accompaniment and incorporates many aspects of spoken theatre such as acting. An example is Jus Boggling and Robert Merrill, the pearl fisher's duet. 7. Music was used as entertainment at the courts of the nobility. Music was very scarce and was treated very valuably as there was no way of listening other than live music. 8. Baroque music in churches was sung by choirs, often with organs, wind string and percussion instruments complementing them. Most people were taught in orphanages to study and play music, although musical instruments were only for the rich and privileged The Baroque Period Opera – â€Å"drama presented in music, with the characters singing instead of speaking† Joseph German, p. 87): One cannot speak of Baroque opera without mentioning the name of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Monteverdi has the distinction of being known as the first great composer in the genre of opera, as well as the last true madrigals of his time. He began writing his madrigals at a very early age and composed operas well into his seventies. Although much of his music has not survived to this day, one very important assistance did; The Coronation of Poppa.This opera is done in recitative style as well as aria. Recitative is when the characters half sing, half recite the words presented in an opera while being very careful to follow accents and rhythms of true speech closely. Aria is part in an opera which is penned for soloist and orchestra. The recitative is used to demonstrate plot action, dialogue, and other dramatic situations within an opera. Arias are used in an opera when elaboration of a piece is needed. The soloist can be more melodic, more consistent with the rhythm, clearer and better understood by the audience, and is usually accompanied by all of the orchestra.It gives the soloist great use of word-painting. This is a very notable Italian opera by Monteverdi as it is relating the adulterous liaison of Poppa and Nero which triumphs, although history records that the victory was hollow. It is also very notable because of its exquisite use of recitative and arias to tell the story. This is a great piece of secular composition for the era. Concerto – One of the â€Å"most important orchestral genres of sacred music during the Baroque era† Joseph German, p. 120) (the other being concerto gross). Concerto is the contrasting of the orchestra and soloist.This contrast pits the power (along with the stability) of the orchestra against virtuosity and vocal styling of the soloist. Three ways in which composers used concerto in orchestras during the Baroque period was through the various movements which they created in their music, the reiteration form which typically started off the movement, and the Baroque variation form which shows the Baroque need for predictable and structured movements. Movements essentially are sections of music which are self-contained but, are part of a larger piece.In multi-movement works, movements â€Å"will always show variety in meter, tempo, key, mood, and musical form† Joseph German, p. 121). The reiteration form concentrates on the contrast between orchestra and soloist. While the solo piece is faster and brilliant, the reiteration orchestral piece is heavier and forceful. Lastly, the Baroque variation form is the continuous, nonstop repetition of a single clear and precise musical unit, with changes that keep the audience interested without losing focus of the original musical theme. It should be further noted that Baroque variations have patterns.They tend to be resent over repeating bass patterns. These repeating bass patterns are called basso station. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was the best of the best in concerto. His Violin Concerto in G demonstrates this clearly and evidently in its first movement. It is a triple-meter movement done in reiteration. There is a contrasting solo violin, virtuoso solo violin, then it becomes more expressive, then even freer, very fast, then he pulls it back in line at the end. It is a great representation of orchestra using the reiteration form.Oratorio – â€Å"an opera on a religious subject, such as an Old Testament story or the life f a saint† Joseph German, p. 144). This genre of music was the most operatic of any other religious music during the Baroque period. This a sacred genre of music. Oratorio is comprised of chorus, orchestra, and the all important solo voices. Also, oratorios were usually done without the benefit of scenery, costumes, or even acting for that matter. They were n ever stage as operas were, but had plots which were narrative, several acts, real characters, and action which was implied.The text of an oratorio is based upon scripture and takes over the operatic features of recitatives ND arias. However, it also uses the chorus which played little role in the Italian operas of the era. Most religious genres of the time were written for church services but, the oratorio was more like a second musical religious service in that it was primarily used as a form of entertainment instead of opera for religious services such as Lent. Since it was not intended for liturgical uses, oratorios could be performed in churches as well as concert halls.George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) was the one who popularized oratorios after Italian opera began to meet its demise. He was the composer of the Messiah which is still performed today and, can be noted that it is the only composition of that era that has continually been performed since its original appearance. The Messiah is a wonderful piece of oratorio, full of enjoyable nuances in the orchestral as well as the choral parts. It is those nuances which bring emotion to the theme redemption as well as the theme of salvation. It contains melodies of interspersed choral with soaring soprano solos mixed with, alto, tenor and bass.When you listen you will note that there are clear-cut melodies throughout, which alternate between the previously mentioned soaring notes and pomp and circumstances of nobility. It can be heard that brass plays a very great role in the orchestra. It is still one of the most famous classical pieces that exists. I believe this might be due to Handel's almost flawless use of oratorio form. Not typical of other oratorios, Messiah does not rely on characters to depict the story in recitative and arias, but the text is Biblical. This makes it a piece from the sacred genre but, a piece that has endured the ages and still delights the multitudes.