Comments on: Listening Example #7

By: nicole:)

nicole:) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 01:09:33 +0000

When we listened to The Ride of the Valkyries, composed by Richard Wagner in the late 1800s. The piece was played in a disney movie, Fantasia. Wagner was a German composer, mainly known for his fantastic operas.
Ride of the Valkyries is a dark, loud, powerful piece that is meant to leave an impact. In this piece plays a full orchestra and brass. A lot of intrusments are needed to perform such loud music. Violins fill the piece with excitement. Ride of the Valkyries begins very strongly and powerfully, calms down in the middle of the sing, and starts back up again.
I, myself, enjoyed this piece. It was string, powerful, organized. Although i would not pay $0.99 for this song on itunes, it was a good experience listening to it in class.

By: MO

MO — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:44:02 +0000

The Valkyrie was written by Richard Wagner in 1870. This piece was taken from the Norse mythology. The Ride, which takes around eight minutes, begins in the prelude to the Act, building up successive layers of accompaniment until the curtain rises to reveal a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhilde have gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. As they are joined by the other four, the familiar tune is carried by the orchestra, while, above it, the Valkyries greet each other and sing their battle-cry.
In this piece, I heard many instruments, such as string instruments, brass and some woodwinds. There is also a full orchestra used in parts of the piece, which gives it an overall feeling of intensity.
I like this song very much. Even though it seems to never end, the chorus is fun and powerful. It’s one of those songs you like to here now and again, but not all the time. I wouldn’t have it on my ipod, but if it were to come up on the radio, I would listen to it.

By: Aly

Aly — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:56:11 +0000

The most recent piece we listened to in class is entitled ‘The Ride of the Valfyres’. This piece of music was written by a composer named Richard Wagner in the late 1800s, to be performed through opera. Of all Wagner’s pieces, this one is probably the most famous, as it has been used on many occassions.
The Ride of the Valkyries conists of mostly strings Included in this piece is also brass, such as tubas and trumpets, and also a crashing percussion. In the beginning, it is loud and almost eerie with the sounding of the violins. Softly sounding in the background is a horn. Later, a sudden, loud, fast, and epic-sounding trumpet melody bursts through. Then that melody metls back into the background,as it was in the beginning. After that, a very high-pitched, and wavering string melody began to play. The loudness of the piece changes gradually, and sometimes dramatically from a very loud to a very soft. The change in dynamic keeps the listener engaged.
I believe that this piece is very put together, however, i would not exactly call it “my style.” I do not much enjoy the dark feelings this music brought across, and would much rather listen to happy songs. So, as I am saying like I have in my past postings, I do appreciate this piece, but would never listen to it my my spare time.
P.S—READ WHAT LIZ WROTE…forgive me tooo ((i hope your in a goood mood =] ))

By: l.s.=].

l.s.=]. — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:43:29 +0000

Our most recent critique assignment was for “Ride of the Valkyries.” Richard Wagner composed this piece, and it is one of his most famous pieces. This piece was used in “Fantasia,” and is a very well known sound to all ears.
“Ride of the Valkyries” is written with constant and intense dynamics. It is brimming with dark, yet exciting melodies, and always sticks to the same mysterious tone. The piece is written in 3/4 time with a full orchestra. The sounds of many instruments can be heard throughout the piece, adding to the captivating effect. The piece actually gives off the vibe of a heated pursual, and it makes you leary of what you are doing while listening.
I believe that this piece is very well-written, however, it is not exactly “my style.” I do not really enjoy the frantic and dark feelings, I would much rather listen to exciting, yet “sunny” and upbeat songs. I don’t mind listening to the piece a few times, but I did find it a bit boring after the halfway point. The fact that I was familiar with the piece also earned it major bonus points. =]

P.S. Dr. Frankel, I am so BEYOND sorry that I handed this is late. Please forgive me?? =] I hope you understand. Thnx!

By: g30Rg3 (;D) (its NICE!)

g30Rg3 (;D) (its NICE!) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:14:02 +0000

The piece that we listened to in music class was called,The Ride of the Valkyries, composed by Richard Wagner. This piece was also used in a movie about vietnam, no one expected that people would play this music as loud as possible while they were in a helicopter, shooting people. This piece can be very dark at most parts, and i am not suprised that they used this type of music to scare off the American enemy. The piece was mostly made up of string instruments, and some brass instuments, and at one point you could hear each one of the instruments. I liked this piece, because i reconized it and i like how it is some what dark, even though it is repetitive

By: Z.G.

Z.G. — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:11:12 +0000

The second of the four operas, The Valkyrie was written by Richard Wagner. The opera depicts eight Valkyrie sister carrying dead heroes on their horses. The sister become angry when they hear Singlinde has disobeyed Wotan, a powerful god. Then Sieglinde escapes from Wotan, and Brunnehilde comes out of hiding and Wotan spots her. He makes Brunnehilde a mortal woman and leaves her with his fire elemental that surrounds her sleeping area. The scene ends with, “Whosoever fears the tip of my spear shall never pass through the fire!”.
The instruments combine with the characters as such: Siegmund (Tenor), Hunding (Bass),Wotan (hoher Bass), Sieglinde (Sopran), Brünnhilde (Sopran), Fricka (Mezzosopran), and Helmwige, Gerhilde, Ortlinde, Waltraute, Siegrune, Grimgerde, Schwertleite, Rossweisse (Sopran und Alt). Many strong notes are heard with these instruments.
Overall, I like the great intensity of the opera, but the story line is very confusing. To me this can almost be compared to a Lord Of The Rings type thing because of how someone has to hide from something trying to get them. This piece is heard in many movies, mostly at big intense scenes, just how the opera sound(big and intense). I remember in Small Soldiers, the part where an awesome battle takes place with the toy soldiers and the Garganauts, this is heard. This piece is actually one to almost like.

By: Wooj

Wooj — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:18:53 +0000

This piece is titled, The Ride of the Valkyries, composed by Richard Wagner. As Dr. Frankel so kindly pointed out, this piece was used in a movie based on the Vietnam war as a shock tactic used by U.S. troops. It’s pretty evident WHY they chose this piece to blast into the helicopters speakers. It’s a very dark and aggressive piece. I could imagine it being intimidating. Not only was it used in a war movie, but movies such as Fantasia and cartoon icons like bugs bunny used this piece as well.
Many brass and string instruments were used to create this symphony of terror. Well, glorifying, and terrifying. Each instrument had a chance to shine in this piece accenting each other by playing the same progression, but with a heavier or softer tone.
Although i found this piece repetitive, it was enjoyable for the most part. It’s one of those pieces that makes you go ding! i know this song! I would definitely listen to this while playing counterstrike.

By: ds

ds — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 01:31:29 +0000

The Ride of the Valkryies was written by Richard Wagner. It was used in his most famous opera, Die Walkure. The opera tells the story of the quest to obtain the one and only ring of power. The piece has been used in many films including the Disney movie, Fantasia.

While listening to The Ride of the Valkyries, I noticed that Wagner used a full symphony orchestra. The instruments that I heard distinctly included french horns, trombones, trumpets, bass, cellos, violins, violas, flutes, and a tuba. The music kept a steady beat, and it came out loud and strong.

I enjoyed listening to The Ride of the Valkyries. I think it could go with pretty much any war scene; with the trumpets blaring triumphantly and the horns’ ominous calls of death. The other instruments added to this glorious yet terrifying effect.

By: KH

KH — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:21:58 +0000

The piece that we listened to in class, the Ride of the Valkyries, was written by Richard Wagner. This is probably the second and most famous piece of music in his “ring” cycle, an opera in which an all-powerful ring is sought after. The Ride of the Valkyries has been used in various modern movies such as “Apocalypse Now”, “Snakes on a Plane” and “What’s Opera, Doc?”.

While listening to the Ride of the Valkyries, I noticed that it was played by a full symphony orchestra (stringed and brass instruments). The music was very strong and kept a steady beat. There were a couple crescendos where the music came out full blast, very loud and very powerful. When I heard this piece, the first scene that came to mind was a battlefield and heroic war scenes (like the picture of the American soldier planting the flag in the battlefield). The Ride of the Valkyries is almost inspiring because it is so mighty and exciting. This song is also very dark and ominous sounding, definitely a battle scene song.

I think that this piece was pretty okay overall. It was slightly aggressive, but I would prefer the Ride of the Valkyries to the other songs that we listened to and critiqued in class. It was definitely more interesting, and also more familiar than the other pieces because it is so famous and is used in so many movies. I think that Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries will continue to be used in movies and TV shows because it is so strong.

By: MB

MB — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:41:57 +0000

Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” comes from his famous opera, Die Walkure. Famous for its references to popular culture, Wagner’s piece also tells the story of one all-powerful ring, which is very similar to J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings series. “Ride of the Valkyries” is perhaps Wagner’s most famous composition, which has greatly influenced the composers that followed in his footsteps. Throughout the media, this song has been referenced to many times such as in the Disney movie Fantasia and in an episode of the Friends television show.
During the piece, “Ride of the Valkyries,” many types of instruments, such as brass, woodwind, and string, can be heard. The composition consists of a full orchestra that allows the piece to come off as both dark and mysterious. The volume of the piece rises and falls frequently. Additionally, emphasizing the difference in texture between measures is very apparent.
“The Ride of the Valkyries” is a famous composition that everyone must know about. It is played frequently where it is least expected and Wagner’s influence has shaped many scores of future composers. This piece is referenced to many times because of its effect on music history. Many different elements go into this piece which make it truly great, as well as it clearly tells a story and shows that something exciting is happening on stage. Richard Wagner’s piece could be the one composition that changed the way music for movies, operas, etcetera, is written.