Listening Example #6
Overture from The Marriage of Figaro
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
The Marriage of Figaro was based on a subversive political play by French playwright Beaumarchais, which was said to have ushered in the French Revolution. As a comic opera it is innovative in both music and content, and it was an instant success. There were so many encores on its first three nights that the emporer had to issue an order restricting the number of times the audience could request a replay. From the very first scurrying bars of the overture, we know that this, perhaps Mozart’s greatest and most entertaining opera, is going to be full of action and intrigue. There is no moment of rest or repose, as the music pursues its dizzy course, and Mozart prepares us to live out one crazy day in the life of Figaro, one of opera’s great larger-than-life characters.
from Mozart: Musical Masterpieces - MMV
Your critique is due on Monday, April 2nd 2007 by 5:00pm.
March 27th, 2007
31 Comments Add your own
1. rw | March 29th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Overture from The Marriage of Figaro was not one of my favorite pieces written by Mozart. This piece had many changes in its tempo and dynamics throughout the song. I also noticed that there were no drums used. I think that in order for a song to be good it at least has to have a beat. Personally, I didn’t like it. For one, there were no drums. Also, I like songs that are simpler. I also like lyrics.
This piece was written for a full orchestra. Although I can’t name all of the instruments that make up an orchestra, I know that I heard a violin and a flute.
This song was only four minutes long, but it felt like I was listening to it for at least seven minutes.
2. L | March 29th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Today and yesterday, we listened to The Marriage of Figaro. It was based on a play by Beaumarchais, which was said to have ushered in the French Revolution. The play was an comic opera that held music and content and it was a big success. Many people found it to be very intreresting.
In this opera, i can not tell shich excact intruments were played but i can tell you i heard a lot of winds and strings. It was peaceful and very enjoyable to listen to.
So far, this peice is my favorite. It is so joyful and seems like it was a very happy time and did not seem as dark as the past two. In this one i saw pleasant scenes. In the others i saw bunnies being chased by a predator. In this i saw beautiful flowers and it made me happy when i listened to it. I really liked this piece the best over all.
3. E.G. | March 30th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
The Overture from The Marriage of Figaro was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This song is an Overture, which is a song that is made up of many other musical pieces in an opera. This opera was comic which made it very popular. This opera is one of Mozart’s best, and was loved by everyone. After the opera first opened, there were so many encores that they had to restrict the amount of encores! This song was created in a time in which operas were the best entertainment around. That is why most were so enthralled in The Marriage of Figaro.
The Overture from the Marriage of Figaro is a fast paced song. There are many points in the overture in which the volume suddenly plummets and rises. These points are very important to the song for the reason that they catch the listener’s attention and they make the song much more individual. This song is made up of string instruments, trumpets, French horn, woodwind, and the orchestra. The song, Overture from the Marriage of Figaro, is very repetitive. With it’s skipping beats, the song keeps people attentive and interested.
For most of the songs that Dr. Frankel forced us to listen to in class, this is may all-time favorite. This song really grabs my attention and makes me more alert. The difference between this song from all the others is that it has such large drops and increases in volume. These changes in volume are what makes this song more exciting than the others. Although these changes make the song more difficult to listen to, that is what i enjoy about it. The other melodies that have been played, I find to be dull and tiring.
4. JS | March 30th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
In class, we listened to The Marriage of Figaro. This piece is made up of many other musical pices. This opera had “funny music jokes” in it. In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s time they had humor thru thier music.
This piece is made up of string instruments, trumpets, French horn, woodwind, and the orchestra. The song, Overture from the Marriage of Figaro, is very repetitive. It also skips alot of beats which makes it interesting.
I think this was an interesting piece. It is not my favorite that we listened to in class but, it is very interesting. It keeps you inerested because it changes volume dramatically.
5. jp | March 31st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
In class, we listened to the Marrige of Figaro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was an overture, meaning that the piece we heard incorporated many pieces and strung them together to make a new piece of music in and of itself. The piece has an evident neverending cycle of quiet, loud, quiet loud, continuing on for the duration. This technique illustrates a sense of progression and continuity, as I wait for the louder sections of the music that are seperated by quiet and soothing fragments. I enjoyed this idea, as it kept me interested in the music as i was listening to it.
Many string instruments were used, as well as woodwinds. The group that performed The Marriage of Figaro was an orchestra. This means that, althought there was a french horn and a trumpet among string instruments, no low brass were included. Periodically, a timpani could also be heard.
This was a good piece of music that i enjoyed listening to. However, this was not surprising to me, since many people speculate that Mozart was the greatest composer in the world
6. S.M | April 1st, 2007 at 8:43 am
The Marriage of Figaro is an opera composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais. We listened to the Overture from Marriage of Figaro in class the other day.
By listening to this piece of music I could hear instruments such as string instruments, woodwind, French horns, and trumpets. I believe these instruments work well together in creating a great piece of music.
The Overture from the Marriage of Figaro is a great example of Mozart’s talent as a composer. Everything from the dramatic changes in volume and the “quickness” of it make it a piece to be remembered for centuries.
7. NK | April 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm
The Marriage of Figaro, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is an opera based on the play by French playwright Beaumarchais. This was meant to be a comic opera, which was instantly successful for its music and content.
In this play I heard a numerous instruments. Srringed instruments of the viol class, clarinets and flutes, cornets and trombones, and drums. There was a lot of volume change, and pace change. The string instruments played very fast. There was a lot on diversity in the beats and rhythms of this piece.
I believe this piece was very interesting. It was probably my favorite out of the three we listened to. Opera is not my favorite type of music, but the way Mozart put together this piece is incredible. The instruments were put in this piece perfectly. There was a good diversity in beats and rhythms which kept the song interesting. There was a pretty tone from the instruments throughout the piece. The flow of this song was beautiful. This piece helps me to better understand why Mozart is such a famous composer.
8. l.s.=]. | April 1st, 2007 at 5:02 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for an opera. In class, we heard the overture, which Mozart began writing 1785 and finished in 1786. It was produced in Vienna, and based on a stage comedy written by Pierre Beaumarchais.
The piece is performed by an orchestra. There are quite a few different dramatic dynamics, and it mostly uses violins, basses, and woodwinds. Ocasionally a timpani contributes to the sound. This piece is lively overall and has a pleasant sound to it. It is also fairly familiar to most ears.
In my opinion, The Marriage of Figaro is very well written and has an energetic but also peaceful sound. I enjoyed the use of multiple instruments and diverse melodies and themes. Although, again, I would not choose to listen to it in my spare time, the piece is not at all irritating, and I definetly was pleased when I heard it each time.
9. Aly | April 1st, 2007 at 6:08 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for an opera. During our classtime, we heard this overture, which Mozart began composing in 1785 and was finished with it in 1786. This piece written by Mozart was produced in Vienna, and based on a stage comedy written by Pierre Beaumarchais.
When listened to, it becomes obvious that this piece is performed by an orchestra. There are a variety of change in dynamics, and playing is mostly basses, violins, and woodwinds. To contribute to the overall sound of the overture, the timpani ocasionally sounds. Although this song is lively, it also has a sweet, pleasant sound, which makes it enjoyable to most hears.
I believe that The Marriage of Figaro is well written, and has a great composition. Unlike some of the past pieces we listened to in class, this piece is not irritating, but enjoyable to listen to. THe Marriage of Figaro has unique melodies, and multiple instruments are played. Overall, I liked this piece.
10. SeB | April 1st, 2007 at 6:33 pm
A couple days ago we listened to Overture from The Marriage of Figaro in class. This comic opera was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and it probably was one of his most famous and pleasant successes. The Marriage of Figaro was based on a French subversive political play which has been said that sparked the fire of the French Revolution.
This famous opera was lively and energetic. This piece was preformed by an orcherstra of woodwinds, violins, and basses. French horns and trumpets were also heard, and ocassionally a timpani could be heard.
In my opinion, it was okay. I know that others woulf agree and some diagree. Though only four minutes long, I thought the song would never end. But other than that, it was better than other songs we have listened to.
11. R.A. | April 1st, 2007 at 8:06 pm
The Marriage of Figaro, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for an opra. In class, we heard the overture, which Mozart began writing 1785. This opera was comic which made it very popular. This opera is one of Mozart’s best, and was loved by everyone.
This famous opera was energetic and lively. There are quite a few different dramatic dynamics, and it mostly uses violins, basses, and woodwinds. Ocasionally a timpani contributes to the sound. The song, Overture from the Marriage of Figaro, is very repetitive. With it’s skipping beats, the song keeps people attentive and interested.
In my opinion, it was okay. Unlike some of the past pieces we listened to in class, this piece is not irritating, but enjoyable to listen to. but I would not choose to listen to it in my spare time, the piece is not at all irritating, and I definetly was pleased when I heard it each time.
12. Wooj | April 1st, 2007 at 8:20 pm
On march 28th we listened to a piece called The Marriage of Figaro which was composed for an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At first it started out slow, then burst out into a higher tempo with more dynamics and drastic changes in volume. Considering all the traits of the composition, it must have been a heck of a marriage. It kept a constant tone that hinted that the marriage must have been grand and happy for everyone, as marriages usually SHOULD be. The playing is mostly done by woodwinds, violins, basses, etc. It was a very interesting piece, much different than the others we listened to. However, I believe the only good thing about this composition was its familiarity. While some may have enjoyed the spastic changes of volume, the only purpose I saw was an attempt to shatter eardrums. I’m sure Mozart has created great pieces, but I just can’t say i enjoy this one.
13. JNM | April 1st, 2007 at 8:49 pm
The famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the Marriage of Figaro. This overture was based on a political play by a French playwright. The immediate response to this uplifting piece was overbearing. In fact, an order had to be issued, limiting the number of times an audience could request an encore! There is no doubt that this piece, which has survived for centuries, has been, and most-likely will always be, a people-pleaser!
In this piece, Mozart used a variety of instruments, and he changed the tempo several times. All of this contributed to the appeal of the Marriage of Figaro. We could hear French horns, trumpets, and woodwinds. The overture went from soft to loud, and simple to complex.
I can certainly see why Mozart was such a famous composer. He not only had unbelievable talent, but such a passion for music. This piece was, by far, the best one we’ve listened to in class yet!
14. C.A. | April 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
In class, we listened to the Marrige of Figaro, by the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. is an opera based on the play by French playwright Beaumarchais. This was meant to be a comic opera, which was instantly successful for its music and content. It was an overture, meaning that the piece we heard incorporated many pieces and strung them together to make a new piece of music in and of itself. The piece has an evident never ending cycle of quiet, loud, continuing on for the duration. This technique illustrates a sense of progression and continuity, as I wait for the louder sections of the music that are seperated by quiet and soothing fragments. I enjoyed this idea, as it kept me interested in the music as i was listening to it.
In this play I heard a numerous instruments. Srringed instruments of the viol class, clarinets and flutes, cornets and trombones, and drums. There was a lot of volume change, and pace change. The string instruments played very fast. There was a lot on diversity in the beats and rhythms of this piece.
I believe this piece was very interesting. It was my favorite out of the three we listened to. Opera is not my favorite type of music, but the way Mozart put together this piece is great. The instruments were put in this piece perfectly. There was a good diversity in beats and rhythms which kept the song interesting. There was a pretty tone from the instruments throughout the piece. The flow of this song was beautiful. This piece helps me to better understand why Mozart is such a famous composer.
15. Z.G. | April 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
The Marriage of Figaro, or Le Nozze di Figaro (in Italian) was written by Wolfgan Amadeus Mozart in 1785. This piece was produced because Mozart was told to write an opera by Emperor Joseph, for Vienna. Mozart was known as one of the, or the best composer at the time period in the world. This opera was based on some type of stage comedy that was by Pierre Beauchmarchais. Pierre’s version was banned, but Mozart’s wasn’t. and this became one of Mozart’s most succesful works. This place is often played as a concert piece.
During the piece I heard some violins that played mostly throughout. The beat of this song is quick, and it goes in and out, or loud, then soft. By the middle of the piece I could hear the full orchestra playing, which sounded really cool when they all played together. At some parts, the piece was very loud, while at others it was very quiet.
Overall, this piece was okay, and I really didn’t enjoy it that much. It does seem thought that Mozart put a lot of effort, and didnt just throw together a bunch of junk. I wouldn’t put this piece in a top ten on ITunes, but this sond was pretty decent. It seems to me that most of the song during this time period begin to sound very much alike to eachother, but all in all, a whole amount of effort was put into The Marriage of Figaro.
16. mjw | April 2nd, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the genius behind the famous, “The Marriage of Figaro.” This opera, based on a play by a French Playwright, was instantly accepted, and received so many encored on the first three nights, that soon a permitted amount was put into effect. Immediately, the audience knows that this opera was made famous for its soon-to-come action, intrigue, and complex melodies. With all of this in mind, this opera was bound to become one of Mozart’s most famous operas.
Within this piece, “The Marriage of Figaro”, the audience can hear a number of string instruments. In addition to this was woodwinds, timpani, trumpets, and french horns. However, there were very few, if no, low brass instruments included in this piece of music. Throughout the entire piece there is a series of crecendos and decrecedos, in which not only does the music become louder and softer, but the tempo in which the instruments play also varies. Overall, the tone of the piece is upbeat and complex, which creates an image in the audience’s mind.
While listening to “The Marriage of Figaro”, yet another cartoon-like picture popped into my mind. I immediately pictured a bee swarming around a room. And the a person was trying to swat at it, but couldn’t catch it. As the music sped up and became more complex, the bee would speed up, and do turns and such. In the end, the bee flies out of the nearby open window. All in all, this piece was not entirely awful. Obviously it had an extreme effect on its audiences because it has lasted throught the years. Not many pieces of music survive for that amount of time. However, I highly doubt that I will be adding this to my iPod in the near future. If it were to suddenly come on the radio, I might not shut it off. But I feel that it isn’t entirely my taste, similar to the other music from the earlier time periods. I guess I feel that that music is not necessarily ‘dated,’ because it isn’t (it has lasted beyond its date), but it has a time and place. We no longer would listen to opera music at a dance party, instead we listen to what some people, like me, might call, garbage. Needless to say, every generation has its taste in music, but the type of music the will last in the long run, should be timeless, which is what Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” is.
17. E.T. | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
This piece is entitled ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, it i an overture, meaning that,, during the time it was popular in opera houses and other theaters, it was played at the beginning of the show as a ‘preview’ of compositions to come. In its day, it was wildly popular from the first time it was played.
The Marriage of Figaro is an upbeat, quick-tempoed piece of music. Its noise level tends to go up and down like a wave, beginning loud, but then crescendoing until it is practically blaring. Then, the music abrubtly softens, creating a peaceful, calm, pleasant tune. Towards the end of the piece, the melody is soft and flowing, but then, in a sudden crescendo, the music becomes very loud and fast. Finally, though, the music slows down to an important, slow, strong ending. The instrument playing in the piece are strings, the timpany, the trumpet, the french horn, and different woodwind instruments.
‘Figaro’ is probably my favorite piece that we listened to so far. Although not exactly my favorite type of music- i dont partically like the stlye- it was not boring. it was also filled with exctiement and happiness. Although slightly hectic and chaotic at times, it was fun to listen to, even though the melody became slightly predictable and repetitive at times.
18. KD | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Overture, from the Marriage of Figaro, was written by the famous Wolfgang Amedeus Motzart. It was based on a French political play. It was an innovative opera in content and music. The people loved it sooo much, that they asked for too many encores… The king responded by only allowing it to be played so many times.
In this piece there are several wind instruments, and many string instruments such as violins, chellos, and violas. It has a very joyful mood, so the key is in a major key. Overture is written in 4/4 time. The tempo is at a moderate pace, not slow, but not too fast.
I think that this piece is very good actually… It’s not too repetetive, and it doesn’t get boring in terms of what kinds of sounds are used. To me when i listen to this piece, i imagine that a king is about to ariive, and there is a TON of commotion trying to get everything organized and orderly before the king finally arrives.
19. g30Rg3 (;D) | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was written by a man named Wolfgang Amedeus Motzart. He was one of the best and most well known composers ever to live. During class we listened to his piece called The Marriage of Figaro which was written for a French play.
At the first part of the piece, it started out fairly slow, but then it had bursts of fast music and the pich got higher and lower. It also sounds like there are a million different things that are going on around you and nothing is organized, and that sounds kind of cool.
I like this piece because it is very creative unlike most of the music that we listen to today because we just listen to beats, and less of a true rythm. Unlike Motzart he had a variety of different beats pitches and tones. It is always fun to listen to his music because of that. This is also the type of music that i would listen to ONCE in a while..not all the time, nor would i put it on my ipod.
20. MO | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was a comedic opera Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to compose in 1785 and finished in 1786. This opera was based on a play written by Pierre Beaumarchais. The play was shunned, yet the opera was highly acclaimed.
Within this piece, I heard a wide range of instruments such as many string instruments, trumpets, french horns, and woodwinds. Throughout the piece, there are many crescendos and decrescendos as well as tempo changes. This makes the piece quite elaborate, which in turn keeps the audience interested and listening.
I liked this piece very much. It kept me listening the whole time, because if it being so elaborate. It was interesting and I especially liked the strings. They seemed to be very complicated to play, but had an upbeat feeling, very happy. I don’t think I will be adding this to my playlist anytime soon, but if it were on the radio, I don’t think I would change the station. It is a great song to listen to. It seems to never end, which in this case, may be a good thing.
21. L.H | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
In class, we listened to the Marrige of Figaro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He made this piece in 1785. At that time, Mozart was one of the best composers if not the best composer in the world. This opera was based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beauchmarchais.
In this piece, there were a variety of instruments. There were a lot of string instruments used. There was also a little bit of a flute going through the piece. It was very fast paced. It went from loud to soft to loud again very quickly and smoothly. The rythem changed often. And the beat was rather steady.
Overall, I was not crazy about this piece. I had heard it before and I have never really liked it. Mozart was a great composer and his work and effort were geatly appreciated. This is a very famous piece that has been kept alive through out the years. Although I did not like this piece too much, I still prefer it over the other two pieces we have heard in class. This was the most upbeat and the closest to modern music today.
22. DJ ^^ | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was a play set in Count Almaviva’s castle in Seville in the late 18th century and was based on Beaumarchais’s 1784 play. It was an opera written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (a.k.a. Mozart). It was premiered in Burgtheather in Vienna and because of its enormous popularity, it was only allowed a run of 9 perfomances. The emperor at the time made a law regarding the number of encores it could be sung because the audiences were demanding so many that the already long 4 hour opera would take twice as long.
We had listened to the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro during class and it was one of the most famous and pleasant pieces he had written.
in this piece of music, Mozart used many different kinds of instruments such as violins, violas, cellos and bass. The beat of this piece was very complicated and too much. It went from a soothing and quiet piece to very loud. The pace and volumes changed very often and there was much diversity in this music. I thought it was too much and the more you listened to it and the more you had paid attention, it kind of made me dizzy.
When i listen to this piece, i think of a roller coaster. (kind of) It starts off slow and clam, like going up a roller coaster and then when you start to go down, the pace and the volume of the music rises and then its gets slow again. Then you go throught loops and everything which again makes the piece loud and overbearing. It was interesting to listen to in the beginnig but the more i listened to it, the more i got tired of hearing it. this piece that he had written was four minutes long but it seemed like it took a lot more than that to finish the piece.
Overall, this isn’t something i would listen to and if i heard it somewhere else, i would refuse to hear it again. But after listening to this, i got an idea of why Mozart is so famous and how the pieces he had written are so different and unusual that more people would enjoy listening to it. There was so much diversity in this overture and that’s what made me pay attention to it in the beginning. =)
23. NG | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for an opera. The Marriage of Figaro was based on a political French play Beaumarchais, who was supposedly said to have ushered in the French Revolution. This overture was a big hit and included many encores.
The piece was performed by an orchestra consisting of violins, basses, chellos, violas, and woodwinds. This piece is full of energy and life. It sounded familiar to me and I bet to many others as well, hence it was such a popular piece. The Overture begins at a slow pace, and then gains energy and speeds up. It also increases in volume.
I enjoyed this piece during the two times that it was played in class. I found it entertaing to listen to and I can easily see why people back in Motzart’s time would find this piece fun. I wouldn’t listen to this type of music, but then again, every generation has its style of music. I enjoyed this piece and Motzart was indeed a genious.
24. AP | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
The The Marriage of Figaro was a play written in the late 1800’s written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was an opera based on Beaumarchais’s 1784 play.
This peice has a very catchy tune using cellos, violins, bass, and other string instruments. The tune ranged from upbeat to downbeat, making the peice really stand out. What came next in the song was uexpected at first but tied in perfectly with the other notes throughout the song.
Personally i enjoyed this song when i think of its genre and time period. Mozart was very ahead of his time, and even though some people wouldn’t really enjoy listening to his music now, considering the limited instruments in the 1800s this peice really impressed me.
25. TGG | April 2nd, 2007 at 3:52 pm
The Marriage of Figaro Overture was of course the Overture to the opera, Marriage of Figaro, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The opera was based on a French political play by Beaumarchais which was said to usher in the French revolution. The opera was such a hit that there was so many encores in the first three nights. The emperor even had to restrict the number of replays (encores) an audience could request. The Marriage of Figaro is now considered one of Mozart’s greatest Operas.
In this piece, Mozart played around with different levels of volume. He would have a very quiet instrument playing and then he would have all the instruments playing together making the music louder. He made a repeating beat when he played all of the instruments together and when the music would get quieter, an instrument would have a complex solo. So, his music would be loud and have a beat at one time and would be quiet and complex the other moment. The instruments that I heard being used in the overture are violins, flutes, harpsichord, percussions, etc.
I enjoyed this song a lot. It is the closest of all of the songs that I have heard in Dr. Frankel’s class that would be downloaded onto my Ipod. Of course this song is still pretty far off from being on my Ipod, but it was definitely the most enjoyable. The song would have a powerful beat at one point, and then have a nice flute solo another moment. I actually found myself humming along to the song at one moment. If I could enjoy this song in the 21st century, then this song must have been a riot in its time
26. KH | April 2nd, 2007 at 4:09 pm
The music for the play The Marriage of Figaro, written by Beaumarchais, is one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most famous peices It is said that he wrote it in as little time as 6 weeks before it was published in 1786! The witty and comical play recieved encores from the emperor who let Mozart repeat his performance 9 times in Vienna. The overture of the music, which is what we heard, was meant as an introduction to the play and was composed with elements of all the other songs in the play to give the audience an idea of what was to come.
Mozart used the string family of instruments, the violin, the cello, and the viola, as well as the flute and harpsichord in this play. When I heard the music, I noticed that there were many smooth crescendoes and decrescendoes. There were also variations in speed and complexity, as the instruments were slow at first, but broke out into a quick solo. Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro retained a constant beat and had a few repeats of phrases.
I preferred the Marriage of Figaro the most out of the three songs we listened to and critiqued for class. I still would not listen to this piece in my free time, but it is enjoyable and more interesting than L’Inverno and the Gagliarda. Overall, I like this piece because it is exciting and powerful.
27. Zp | April 2nd, 2007 at 4:43 pm
The marriage of Figaro (composed in 1786) was based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais. This piece is considered his most successful piece of music. What is even more astounding is that he wrote this without a mistake. In this piece of music i can hear a series of string instruments. In addition to that i heard clarinets some drums, and even a bass. Of all of the pieces of music that we have heard in class, this is deffinatly my favorite. I can’t quite place why, but it’s probably just because its not repetitive(or atleast more complex) as some of the previous pieces. Atleast now i can understand why Mozart is still so highly regarded.
28. M.E.W | April 2nd, 2007 at 6:33 pm
The of the Marrige of Figaro was a play written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the late 1800’s. It was an opera based on Beaumarchais’s play in 1784.
Mozart has a very strong useage in the wind ensamble area. He also used different levels of sound. For example he starts very soft and gradually gets louder and louder, and then gets soft again.
I prefered the Marrige of Figaro over the other pieces that we listened to recently. I believe that this is one of the strongest pieces that we’ve listened to so far. This piece was \by far my favorite
29. Grace | April 2nd, 2007 at 8:37 pm
The Marriage of Figaro was based on a political play by French playwright Beaumarchais. The Marriage of Figaro, which was composed in 1786, is considered Mozart’s most successful piece of music. The Opera premiered in Burgtheather in Vienna and because of its enormous popularity, the emperor made a law regarding the number of encores it could be performed because the audiences were demanding so many that the 4 hour long opera would take another 4 hours.
In this piece, Mozart used a variety of instruments, especially the strings. Such as the violin, cello, viola, clarinet, and also the flute. The piece had its ups and downs. What I mean is at some parts it was very graceful and flowing, while at others it was very loud and quick.
In my opinion, I would’ve chosen the Marriage of Figaro over any of the other pieces we’ve listened to so far. I say this because the Marriage of Figaro is actually a piece that I am familiar with and I have heard it many times before. Also it wasn’t so scatterred, or “busy”, but very smooth & flowing.
30. ds | April 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 pm
The Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was one of the most successful operas of all time. It was based on a French play written by Beaumarchais which led to the French Revolution. People kept on requesting encores, and the Marriage was Figaro was replayed many times. As the part wriiten by Mozart was only an overture, it simply served as a summary of the actual play. By listening to the overture alone, one could predict the events that were to come in the opera.
The Overture of the Marriage of Figaro was very similar to L’Inverno because it had many intruments playing a loud, simple beat and a sharp, complex tune which rises above the beat. While listening, I heard harpsicords, cellos, flutes, and violins. The speed of the beat varied throughout the song, and it rose and fell from the complex tunes to the simple beats. I also noticed that the song was not so repetitive. I could hear many different melodies which gave more life to the piece.
I thought that the Overture of the Marriage of Figaro was a great song it was similar to L’Inverno, but it was completely different for the Gagliarda. The Gagliarda was too repetitive in contrast to the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro. The only way I can find an appreciation for the Gagliarda is by acknowledging that Renaissance music was the stepping stone from Gregorian Chant to Classical music. I don’t think I would listen to Renaissance music, but I would not mind listening to Classical music such as the Overture of the Marriage of Figaro.
31. CB period 9 | April 3rd, 2007 at 8:57 pm
The other day i listened to a peice by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called The Marriage of Figaro, or Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart wrote this peice in 1785. Mozart was the best composser of his time and possibly the best ever. He was composing music from about the age of 7. He was requested to compose this peice by the king. When his peice was compossed the audience begged for many encores. So many encores that the emporer needed to create a law limiting the number of encores an audience could request.
Mozart incorposated the sting instruments into this peice, the cello, harspicord, flute, viola, and the violin. There was a lot of action throughout this peice that entertained me. the changes in pace gave it a little more excitement and made me quess about what was coming up.
I really liked this peice by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I think after watching the movie abotu him inclass i can really see what he was like when he wrote this and how he had fun and enjoyed writting it and i think that made me enjoy it more. This peice just re4ally was to my liking.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed