Report on My Visit of Classical Music Concert "Endings"

On Sunday, February 17, 2019, I attended the “Endings” classical music concert performed by the Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale. This concert took place at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall. The amount of time I spent at the concert was about an hour and a half. The printed program was highly informative, and it included program notes. The program included information such as when the composers lived and other biographical information on each of the performers. While skimming through the program you cannot only see the different pieces that will be performed but also who wrote them. The program includes the performer’s names, and the instruments, they used in each of the pieces.

Throughout the concert I found myself getting bored frequently; not because of the performance itself, but because I am not really into classical music. The way I would describe the piece emotionally would be that I found it boring, annoying, and subdued. I would not choose to listen to another piece written by this composer unless there was more of a variety in the music. I found it oddly difficult to sit through this concert. The quality of the performance was breathtaking. The performers seemed experienced and acted very professional during their performance. The ambiance of the concert was casual. It did not at all seem “elitist” in fact it was more welcoming.

The performers were dressed casually as well unlike what I was expecting. Personally, I thought they would have a stricter dress code, but this was not the case at this concert. They handled themselves very sophisticated-like and professionally. This group performed regularly so after a while the built-up anxiety most first-time performers experience disappeared. The movement that I found particularly interesting was French composer Oliver Messiaen’s first movement named Liturgy of Crystal from his musical piece Quartet for the End of Time. This piece consisted of a total of eight movements and was written in 1941. The instruments used in the first movement include a piano, cello, violin, and lastly a clarinet. All four of these instruments were a part of this movement. In this movement Messiaen utilizes isorhythm. Liturgy of crystal also consists of pedals two of which are rhythmic and harmonic. In this specific section there is a 17 note or sequence long rhythmic pedal and a harmonic pedal which contains 29 chords. I would describe this movement as having a counterpoint texture from the violin. This piece consisted of a limited number of dynamic contrasts. This piece of music represents the modern time period.

Although I did not enjoy this concert as much as I wish I had, I am appreciative of getting the chance to attend a classical music concert. I am sure that if I did not take this class and was never assigned this report, I would have never attended one of these concerts. I would like to thank you for encouraging me to attend.