Most works of music are broken up into “movements”. Like rock bands, sometimes a player leaves (and the usual gossip ensues as to why) and a new one is ushered in. Usually an established chamber group is featured too, and you can tell they’re performed together for a while – they breathe together, they phrase together, and that’s a beautiful thing to hear, too. It’s fun for them to play more chamber music than their usual concerto or solo recital gigs, and there’s a buzz in the air, seeing soloists come together like this. Chamber music festivals, often held in the summer, are a lot of fun – the atmosphere tends to be more relaxed, the venues more intimate, and you’ll often hear established soloists together. If a pianist is involved, a page-turner is often required. There is no conductor for chamber music, as the players are expected to work it out themselves. Almost every symphony concert will feature a concerto, and all symphony presenters try and get the most glamorous soloist for their opening night concerts in the fall.Ĭhamber music features a small group of instrumentalists, often three or four, but sometimes up to around eight, with one instrument to a part.
A concerto highlights both soloist and orchestra, and it’s a chance to see what both can do independently and together. The concerto pits a soloist (usually pianist, violinist, or cellist) against the whole orchestra. Most cadenzas are pre-written, but back in Mozart or Beethoven’s day, it was common to compose your own, or if the soloist was like Robin Williams, was improvised on the spot. With an understood musical cue or eye contact, the conductor cues the orchestra to join the soloist to finish off that movement. At the end of one or more movements, there comes a dramatic moment where the orchestra stops playing and the soloist goes for it – technically, lyrically, or interpretively, strutting his or her stuff.
The cadenza is a chance for the soloist to show off by him/herself during a concerto (see “concerto” definition below). They’re often filled with exciting high notes and the audience goes berserk afterwards. Any opera “hit” you’re familiar with is usually an aria, often lifted from an opera and presented in a symphony concert or a concert featuring several singers, each performing arias from various operas. While it may serve to dramatically enhance the storyline, it’s really for the singer to milk the applause for all it’s worth. This is the moment in an opera where a lead character shows off his or her vocal chops. Here are the Top 10 Classical Music Forms – meaning types of works – you’ll see in a concert program.
#Types of musical compositions series#
If you’ve never been exposed to classical music, and are curious to learn more, I’ll be posting from time to time a “guide to …” series to introduce you to the world of this complex and long-standing art form. Most people who know a thing or two about classical music took private lessons at some point during their formative years, so they have an idea of what’s going on. Classical music is pretty daunting and has a bad rap for being unapproachable and elitist.
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