Dmitri Zelin
1003-08W zelin.dmitri@yahoo.com
CONCERT #1
The first concert which I attended was the Spring Choral Concert featuring the Concert Choir, conducted by Eddie Jones, and the Donna Voce, conducted by Kara Young, which was performed
Sunday, April 29 th
at the Walton Arts Center. As a point of clarification, I came to the understanding from the assignment outline that a choir concert was acceptable, as long as it met the requirement of collegiate or professional proficiency. The Donna Voce was an all-female choir featuring a large soprano section, a considerable mezzo-soprano section, and a small but powerful contralto consisting of three performers. The Concert Choir was split into soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass. I would argue that my listening style varied from piece to piece, but overall would classify myself as a perceptive listener.
Seven pieces were performed between the two choirs, though one did have six movements. The first was Laudate Pueri, composed by Felix Mendelssohn. This piece had a piano accompaniment, and featured an interesting melody developed by a quick crescendo and consonance. This resulted in a smooth, soothing feel that would be interrupted by several cadences. These helped in raising the musical tension and to snap the listener back to the absence of sound in what was, overall, a piece sung primarily at forte. It would end like many of the pieces that night, with a slow but steady decrescendo.
The next piece was Tautum Ergo, composed by Gabriel Faure. This performance had a heavy emphasis on the contralto section, and was dominated by the three performers throughout the piece. It had more high and low points, however, and alternated between pianissimo and fortissimo, as well as dramatic changes in rate. This was in addition to a more homophonic texture, achieving quite a different sound than the first performance.
The piece that followed was Psalm XIII “Herr, Wie Lange,” op. 27, composed by Johannes
Brahms. This was arguably my favorite performance of the evening, beginning as a monophony with a gradual rise in pitch. It featured a sharp cadence that was followed by sectional singing. This consisted of muting all but one section, gradually involving the full choir, before reducing it to one section again.
The effect struck was incredible, and this alternating between one timbre and many, I felt, was quite beautiful. One alto, in particular, had a particularly impressive vocal timbre. Though I don't know her name, her voice stood out from the choir for its clarity and power. This was, I felt, a more complete piece, and more fully demonstrated the full tonal variety of a diverse choir.
The final piece performed by the Donna Voce was Miss Sincere in Memoriam, op. 187, which in turn consisted of six movements, composed by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. The movements featured were Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. The Donna Voce was joined for this performance by two violins, a cello, and a viola. While it would be possible to write out observations and feelings on each individual movement, space constraints require that I focus on the performance as a whole. Kyrie was a slower movement, and featured quite a bit of silence from the choir, which served to enhance the overall drama of the piece. Credo served to highlight the power of the strings, and even as limited as they were, were able to stand out in the performance. Benedictus was the most dramatic of the movements, and had the most variety in pitch, pace, and rate of the evening's performances. It also featured a more rousing instrumental section.
The first piece performed by the Spring Choir was Te Deum Laudamus, composed by Franz
Josef Haydn. One thing I noticed right away is that the choir did not stand in sections, but rather, alternated individuals, placing them in a strategic manner so as to increase the quality of sound. The piano accompaniment for this performance was quite dominant, featuring a quick rate and powerful volume. Of the vocal timbres, the bass stood out, in particular. Not only were their voices quite powerful, but the selection seemed to highlight all of their vocal variety, and they sang in a number of

different pitches. This piece was best summarized as powerful, with high energy and volume.
In stark contrast was the next selection, Sleep, composed by Eric Whitacre, and conducted by one of the students, Wes King. Mr. King would come to be a familiar face over the next several nights, but his talent at conducting was demonstrated here. This performance had a much softer start, and while it had a quick crescendo later, it would die away quickly. This piece was the other in contention for my favorite of the evening. It was haunting and beautiful, with a strong tenor presence that seemed to set the melody. It was much shorter than the other selections, and my only critique of it is that it seemed rather out of place with the concert, thematically. But the quality of the performance far outweighed this small disadvantage.
The final piece performed was Regina Coeli, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This performance featured four soloists, one from each section. The piece began with full choral involvement at a powerful volume, before a crescendo took it even higher, then becoming stable. This would set the tone of the piece, even as the choir's volume entered a slow decrescendo. They would return to the original volume several times over the course of the piece. It was also featured a much faster rate than the previous selection. Overall, the piece was punctuated by the soloists, whose contributions would take place between choral dominance. All four, naturally, sung, but the bass and soprano were the most involved. Moreover, there were sections where all four would sing simultaneously. Nevertheless, this was my least favorite selection of the evening, as I felt the soloists broke the natural flow of the music and the piece was rather jarring in its rapid alternation of rate.
Some notes on the overarching evening that transcend individual selections are in order, also.
The first thing I noticed was that it was quite challenging to differentiate words, particularly in the
Latin pieces. I am an admirer of the language, and love music featuring it. I even pride myself on being able to sing it alongside some of my favorite songs, and have an extremely limited understanding of the language. Nevertheless, many of the words became nothing more than vowels, with the consonants either glossed over or overwhelmed through a lack of enunciation. Also, some voices were hard to point out, to the degree that I wondered whether they were just whispering or simply being drowned out by their neighbors. Moreover, in the Spring Concert, the contraltos seemed rather flat, and during both concerts, some few members never seemed quite in sync with the choir. I was unsure if this was by design, but they were almost perpetually a half-note or so behind.
CONCERT #2
The next concert I attended was the Spring Concert featuring the Concert Band, conducted by
Benjamin Chamberlain (two students would conduct individual pieces, also) and the Wind Symphony, conducted by W. Dale Warren (one student would also conduct a piece). I was in attendance on
Monday, April 30 th
, at the Walton Arts Center. The Concert Band had a six-strong flute section, three oboes, two bassoons, six clarinets, two bass clarinets, three alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, a baritone saxophone, eight trumpets, six French horns, six trombones, three euphoniums, four tubas, a seven-strong percussion section, and two individuals on piano. The Wind Symphony had a piccolo, six flutes, three oboes, one English horn, three bassoons, one contra bassoon, one E flat soprano clarinet, ten clarinets, three bass clarinets, one contra alto clarinet, four alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, one baritone saxophone, six trumpets, six French horns, six trombones, three euphoniums, three tubas, one string bass, a seven-member percussion section, one piano, and one synthesizer. I would say, upon reflection, that my listening style was, overall, perceptive. I certainly had more reflective moments than

in the first concert.
Nine pieces were performed between the two bands, with one piece consisting of three movements. Of humorous note, but not strictly related to the concert, was my arrival. When I arrived in the concert hall, several tubas were warming up by playing the Imperial March from Star Wars. The first selection was Fantasia in G, composed by Timothy Mahr. This piece had an opening featuring sudden, dramatic, and high-volume percussion. It was joined by a single clarinet, then by more. This remained at a low-volume, even as the entirety of the band joined in. When the tubas joined the melody, it sparked a gradual crescendo that spiked when the trumpets began playing. This selection featured a fast rate, high, sharp pitches, and primarily a high volume. It evoked images of a happy, bustling countryside during a harvest season. It was punctuated by a rousing ending that had the entire band playing together.
The second piece was Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, composed J.S. Bach. This was a much slower selection, and was defined by the segmented structure where individual sections, and sometimes even players, would alternate in playing the melody. It was also much softer, though there was one exception in the form of a sudden and dramatic crescendo. I felt the piece was interesting, but I did not care overmuch for it.
The next piece was Morning Alleluias for the Winter Solstice, and was conducted by Wes King.
It featured the evening's first piano accompaniment, and the opening tones were were slow. I felt that they became discordant, almost cacophonous, with what seemed like overplaying by the trumpets.
Through these tones however, a melody did gradually develop, accompanied with a steady crescendo.
The piece had a fairly quick rate after this opening, but one side effect was drowning the piano out almost entirely. I did not much care for this selection, either.
The piece that followed was Chester, composed by William Schuman. This selection featured notable crescendos and decrescendos, which occurred with relative frequency and demonstrated the band's ability as well as the masterful structure of the piece. The rate varied also, between moderate and quick. Two things stood out in exception, though. First was one particular, jarring cadence broken by the steady rhythm of the bass drum. The second was the enthusiastic, very skillful conducting by Mr.
Chamberlain. This was my favorite piece of the evening.
With that, the Concert Band broke apart and was replaced by the Woodwind Symphony. Their first piece was the Festive Overture, op. 96, composed by Dmitri Shostakovich. This was, as the name implies, a very festive selection. It featured a rapid rate and high volume, and evoked the image of care-free times of days past. It was quite easy to lose myself in this piece's powerful imagery, enhanced by the lack of any real cadences and a rate that never seemed to change much. The piece as a whole was summed up in the finale, which involved full band integration and was quite overwhelming. The conducting of Mr. Warren bears mentioning, also, for it was very energetic and crisp, and can be described only as masterful. Moreover, Mr. Warren never even glanced at the sheet music before him, though he did turn the pages as the piece went on. Mr. Warren's conducting would continue to impress.
The next selection was The Seal Lullaby, composed by Eric Whitacre and conducted by Mr.
King. I noticed how Mr. King did not have a conductor's baton for this performance (though he had them for all previous conducting experiences), and am still unsure as to why. This was a much slower selection, featuring long, soothing melodies. It also had a much more noticeable piano presence, which did not get overwhelmed as it did in many of the other pieces. There were far fewer moments of full band integration, and instead, the selection focused on the clarity and beauty of individual instruments.
It had a tapered, soft ending, and was one of my favorite selections from all four concerts.
The third piece was The Passing Bell, composed by Warren Benson. This piece began interestingly enough with heavy usage of non-drum percussion throughout the opening. This rose to eventually include much of the band, and led in turn to a gradual decrescendo that was maintained by the trombones. While the piece did feature a variety in volume, rate, and pitch, I did not care for it. It felt somewhat stilted, and something in its elements seemed unpleasant to me. It just did not seem like

a coherent, complete piece. I did enjoy one particular element, a cadence followed by a steady crescendo through the woodwinds. Nevertheless, I would say that this was my least favorite piece of the evening.
The fourth piece was Precious Metal: A Concerto for Flute and Winds, which had three movements, Silver Strettos, Platinum Sheen, and Gold Rush. It was also joined by soloist Ronda Mains on flute. Also worth noting is that much of the band departed for this piece, leaving a much smaller composition. As before, there is much to note on the various movements, so I will limit my observations to the more cogent. I was impressed with Ms. Main's abilities, which were demonstrated in all of their variety throughout the three movements. The band presence was designed to highlight the flute, and though there were naturally moments where she did not play, they also seemed to punctuate the flute. During the second movement, there did seem to be some mis-plays by the percussionist on what appeared to be a metal drum.
The final piece from this evening was Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, composed by
Leonard Bernstein. It featured a staggered introduction, followed by the band performing some snapping of the fingers. Of note, though not particularly relevant to the performance at large, was the audience member behind me who thought it appropriate to join them, and though never actually in sync with the band, he certainly did keep trying. This piece featured heavy use of the snare and bass drums, and had a feel I can best characterize as “jazzy.” Heavy use of the brass instruments with more subtle woodwind playing brought character to what was music I had heard during the musical. The piece featured, as a whole, a fairly fast tempo and clever integration of the various instruments. It did also feature several sections that were softer and had a much slower tempo. This was my central argument in opposition to this piece. It did not seem like a singular selection, but rather a series of separate pieces spliced together into one. Had they been performed individually, I likely would have been able to appreciate them. Instead, I found the flowing structure of the selection rather irritating.
This was my least favorite concert. I only cared for several of the nine pieces of music, and while I could appreciate the endeavor from a technical standpoint, I came to the abrupt realization that I don't particularly care for the brass section, and have only a mild enjoyment of woodwind. I yearned to hear strings, which would not occur until the final concert. I was, however, impressed by the ability of several band members to play multiple instruments (not at once, of course). I had always thought each band member was highly specialized, but to see them capable of equal adeptness at more than one instrument left me truly astounded.
CONCERT #3
The third concert I attended was the Spring Concert of the Campus Band, conducted by W. Dale
Warren (with three student conductors taking individual pieces), and the Symphonic Band, conducted by Christopher Knighten and Benjamin A. Chamberlain. I found myself at this concert on Tuesday,
May 1 st
, at the Walton Arts Center. The Campus Band had a piccolo, seven flutes, three oboes, three bassoons, eleven clarinets, four bass clarinets, five alto saxophones, three tenor saxophones, two baritone saxophones, ten trumpets, seven French horns, six trombones, four euphoniums, five tubas, and seven percussionists. The Symphonic Band has six flutes, three oboes, two bassoons, seven clarinets, three bass clarinets, three alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, one baritone saxophone, eight trumpets, six French horns, five trombones, one bass trombone, two euphoniums, three tubas, and seven percussionists. I would consider myself a critical listener on this particular evening, though I did attempt to put away that mentality and try to enjoy the evening. Part of the problem was poor planning

on my part – four concerts in four nights proved to be rather disruptive, as I gradually became first desensitized, then irritated during performances. Moreover, this was again two bands consisting almost entirely of brass and woodwind, two sections that I did not, and do not, care for. This can be seen through my notes on the evening. Previously, they had been detailed, inclusive, and considerate. They gradually shrunk, were less observant, and in some cases only discussed the piece's introduction.
Ten pieces were performed that evening, with one consisting of four movements. The first piece was Triumphant Fanfare, composed by Richard Saucedo. This piece is rather easily explained through the name alone. It began with a percussive entry, then quickly gave way to brass domination with a slight woodwind accompaniment. It was loud, boisterous, and demanding. It drained me fairly quick, and it was fortunate that it was rather short. The piece held almost no variety in volume, and I thought it rather average.
The second piece was Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, composed by Ralph Vaughan
Williams. This piece consisted of a clarinet accompaniment to the melody carried on by the band as a whole, which alternated between crescendos and decrescendos. This was a much slower piece, and held a much larger variety in volume. It brought images of sober dealings between steadfast men. It was summed up in a very gradual ending that slowly trailed off. I had little opinion on this piece, though I do prefer a slower rate to the music I listen to.
The next piece was Introit, composed by Fisher Tull. A trend began that would continue for the rest of the evening and through the next also, and that was the band pounding their feet on stage as the student conductor took to the podium. The piece itself I liked, and featured a heavy trumpet introduction. It was a fairly slow piece, with rather gradual band involvement. Small sections played individually, alternating, and sometimes combining to form new melodies. I thought this quite creative and audibly appealing. There was, throughout the selection, a heavy focus on the percussion section, with much involvement from the snare drum, the wood block, and the bongos.
The fourth piece was Americans We, composed by Henry Fillmore. This was a louder piece, with a soft percussive accompaniment throughout. The cymbals, in particular, featured heavily, and were used regularly throughout the piece. This was a rather short selection, and I did not much enjoy it, though there was one brief point where the band grew in a powerful crescendo highlighting the trombones.
The following piece was The Lark in the Air, composed by Clifton Taylor, conducted by Mr.
King, and with flute soloist Catalina Ortega. This piece had a tuba introduction that was eventually joined by the soloist. It was, overall, quite a slow piece, though punctuated at points with very rapid flute solos. These solos were fairly soft in terms of volume, though they clearly were the focus. What little percussion there was during this piece was similarly quite soft. As the piece began its terminus, the band took to a sweeping melodic accompaniment as the flutist slowed her playing. This resulted ina gradual decrescendo that finished the piece. This was my favorite piece of the evening, almost purely for aesthetic reasons.
The final piece played by the Campus Band was Scootin' on Hardrock, composed by David
Holsinger and wonderfully conducted by Mr. Warren. As the name implies, this selection was fast and loud. It featured primarily the trumpet and trombone, as well as the drum. Interestingly, a set of drums more at home in a rock concert than a symphonic concert made their appearance here, and were the focus of the percussive elements. It featured repeating decrescendos followed by the trumpets picking up the melody. Near the end, a sudden cadence was followed with a more gradual melody, which led to sudden, pounding rhythms. The piece then returned to its rapid, almost jazzy melody before ending with full band integration.
The Symphonic Band took the stage with their first piece, Fanfare from “La Peri,” composed by
Paul Dukas. This, like the previous fanfare, was quite short and loud. This piece, however, was of an average rate and played entirely by the brass. It was also purely average, for nothing particular struck me about it, good or bad. Partially, this can be attributed to my increased desensitization, for I found it

quite difficult to concentrate on the music at this point in the evening.
The second piece was Shortcut Home, composed by Dana Wilson. This selection was, as a whole, rather boisterous, with a rapid tempo and high volume. It did feature a few softer moments, but the tempo remained the same for almost the entirety of the piece. It began with a series of rapid trumpet notes, then was joined by a beat played on the bongos. This was also a fairly short selection, and as with the previous, difficult to find anything of particular note within.
The penultimate piece was Hold This Boy and Listen, composed by Carter Pann. This selection saw a soft introduction, followed by heavy use of the saxophone. It was characterized primarily by longer, soothing tones. The music evoked a sense of finality, an idea of termination. This was a key reason I thought its placement here was questionable, instead of the terminal piece. Nevertheless, it was rather enjoyable, with steady, regular cadences followed by resumed playing at an average volume.
This piece also demonstrated the use of unorthodox instrumentation, as the brass section used a number of attachments, from what looked eerily like plunger caps to metal inserts, to alter the sound of their instruments. I noticed the difference with some right away, but I still can't tell the difference with the metal inserts.
The final piece that evening was Symphony Number 6 for Band, composed by Vincent
Persichetti. This piece consisted of four movements, Adagio-Allegro, Adagio Sostenato, Allegretto, and
Vivace. These movements were, as the names imply, rather quick in tempo. They featured heavy bass drum punctuations that seemed to cap off rhythmic patterns, and the first movement demonstrated the beauty of rolling percussion, in general. The first movement, in particular, was quite dynamic, alternating in tempo and volume. The second was notable for its emphasis on the flute, which generated a quick, playful air. The last movement is noteworthy for its sharp, crisp notes. Few lingered or were sustained, and the piece sounded rather abrupt.
This concert was similar to the second in terms of style, instrumentation, and my enjoyment of it. I was still considerably impressed with Mr. Warren's conducting, though I was a bit disenchanted when he delivered a speech about the graduating students that was nearly identical to the one from the night before. A final note on this evening is that it would be the last time I would see Mr. King perform, whether as conductor or player. Over those three nights, I saw him conduct, sing, and play, and was quite floored with the man's talent and ability.
CONCERT #4
The final concert was the University of Arkansas University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Robert Mueller. I attended this concert on Wednesday, May 2 nd
, at the Walton Arts Center. The orchestra consisted of a flute and piccolo, two oboes, two English horns, two clarinets, three French horns, two trumpets, four trombones, one tuba, one timpani, twelve violins in the first violin section, fourteen violins in the second violin section, ten violas, fifteen cellos, and four bass players. I brought my younger brother with me this evening, thinking (correctly, as it turned out) that momentary distractions during the drive and intermission would allow me to renew my focus on the performance.
This allowed me to attend as a perceptive listener, as I came to appreciate the music that evening for its many facets.
Three pieces were performed that evening, though one consisted of four movements. The first piece was the Egmont Overture, op. 84, composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. This piece began with the entire orchestra playing short notes interrupted by brief cadences, an interesting and dramatic, if

somewhat jarring, opening. This then led to a steady construction of the primary melody, which consisted of slow, lingering notes. As the piece evolved, soft and low notes would help punctuate this melody. The selection itself was beautiful, both in composition and execution, and the protracted use of violins was wondrous to behold. Mid-way through the piece, there was a sudden and dramatic rise in both tempo and volume, and the development of a violin accompaniment to the clarinet. This accompaniment consisted of sharp, sudden notes, and it was interesting to see the players using their hands to still the strings and cut the notes off quickly. The piece ended in a long cadence that led to renewed playing by the horns, followed by a sweeping finale involving the entire orchestra.
The second selection of the evening was the Piano Concerto Number 3 in D Minor, op. 30,
Sergei Rachmaninoff. The program confused me a bit, because there was clearly a break between what appeared as two separate movements, but the program only acknowledges Allegro Ma Non Tanto. As the concerto title would imply, a piano was brought to center stage and Olga Zelevinskaja took her position. This selection would leave me absolutely astounded, in wonder, and completely impressed with Ms. Zelevinskaja's abilities. The piece began with a rapid bass beginning, joined by the piano after several moments and was fairly simple to execute. However, as time pressed on, the piano portions became immensely difficult and challenging, but there did not seem to be a single mistake by Ms.
Zelevinskaja. Indeed, she appeared to be thriving. Over the twenty-some minute long performance, she only took several, very short rests from playing, and these periods of piano silence only served to emphasize her playing. As the piano's intensity rose, the orchestra and the piano began to alternate periods of rest, which continued to build the drama and tension. The piece culminated in an incredible, very long piano solo that set the audience's hearts in their throats. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ms.
Zelevinskaja received a rousing standing ovation punctuated by cheers for her supreme performance.
This was easily my favorite piece not only of the evening, but of all four concerts.
The last selection was Symphony Number 8 in G Major, op. 88, composed by Antonin Dvorak.
This piece consisted of four movements, Allegro Con Brio, Adagio, Allegretto Grazioso, and Alllegro
Ma Non Troppo. The first movement began quite slowly, with cellos and bass playing predominantly.
There was a sharp rise in tempo and volume, however, that would remain until near the end of this movement. When the decrescendo did arrive, it was accompanied by trombones that seemed to ease the piece to its quieter role. The fairly monochromatic nature of this movement, though, made it my least favorite of the night. The second movement was much softer than the first, even as it rose in volume. At its highest point, the piece maintained the illusion of softness. It also featured short sections that quickly died down and had no lingering notes. There seemed to be a cyclic structure to this piece, where a low tempo and volume would give way to an increase, which would in turn fall back down.
My favorite portion of this piece was the third movement, which expounded on a wonderful theme of longer melodies. It began with rapid violins that were joined by the cellos and basses, but gradually gave way to longer, sustained notes that would permeate this selection. There were fewer tonal shifts, but I actually found this quite to my liking. The final movement was rather quick in rate, and I found it to be quite average. It did not hold my interest for long, and I was glad that it was shorter than the other movements.
This was, without a doubt, my favorite concert. The integration of a full orchestra, with a heavy focus on the violins, alongside truly wonderful piano playing made the evening quite enjoyable. One notable fact was the conducting this evening, which came entirely from Dr. Mueller. It was obviously quite effective, but it was unlike any I have ever seen. It was almost spastic in style, with Dr. Mueller appearing to throw things at his orchestra with every other gesture. So many of the subtleties and nuances I observed with other conductors seemed to be lost in the sheer energy and effort that Dr.
Mueller was exhibiting, but as I mentioned, it was undeniably effective, producing some absolutely wonderful music.