A Review of the Emerald City Music Concert
By Isabella Shields
I recently went to an Emerald City Music Concert. It wasn’t what I expected. Some concerts can get dry, but these performers mixed it up by starting with a jazzy piece called Souvenirs, Suite for Piano Four Hands by Barber. It was inspired by the music you would hear at a 1900’s New York salon. Next, a violinist and pianist impressed the audience by playing a lively piece titled Birdsong for Violin and Piano. The music’s rapid movement of notes resembled a bird’s chirping. The third song they performed—and probably my favorite—was named Techno Parade for Flute, Clarinet, and Piano. It was an interesting piece because the pianist put paper on the strings on the inside of the piano and started tapping it like a drum. The modern and exciting tune kept the enthusiastic crowds on the edge of their seats, and the pianist out of his! Then a different group—an ensemble called Windsync—played Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet. They explained that a Bagatelle is a short, unpretentious piece. I asked my mom what “unpretentious” means and she said that it’s when you’re not trying to show off. On the last piece Emerald City Music made a decision to do something a bit more traditional and performed Souvenir de Florence for String Sextet by Tchaikovsky. Some movements of the piece were slow others were faster. Over all, the performers were spectacular and it was a worthwhile concert.
Isabella is a spunky and sparkling 5th grader at Pioneer Elementary, who does her best in everything she puts her mind to! A totally creative type, she loves writing, composing music and reading great books. She and her two big brothers have formed a trio called the Swords and Shields Trio!
Emerald City Music Concert Review by Viveka
The concert was amazing in many different ways. The music was meticulously crafted and expressed different tones throughout the concert.
The Barber piece was a light and fun piece that had a big range of notes, and some notes that were faster and some notes that were a lot longer. I really liked that song because it wasn't fast enough that you couldn’t understand it or so slow that you would get bored. Overall, this was a great song.
The Birdsong was a piece that jumped from quick, short notes to long notes that led to suspenseful rests. While in my opinion, it wasn’t the most enjoyable song, it was well played.
The Techno Parade was very fast paced; sounded like it might be in an action and adventure movie. It looked like lots of work for the pianist to 1) learn the song, and 2) stand up and tap on the paper while playing the music. It was full of energy!
I really enjoyed the Six Bagatelles. The word ‘bagatelle’ means ‘a short musical piece in a light style’. This piece fit that definition well. It was played by and unusual ensemble consisting of flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, french horn and clarinet. These are not instruments I’d have expected in anything less than a full orchestra and yet they worked together so well in this piece.
The Tchaikovsky was a classical piece that was easy to listen to and enjoy. I really liked how when one instrument was done with their section, another instrument picked the tune up. Overall, it was a well crafter beautiful piece.
Altogether, this was a wonderful concert for the variety of musical styles they showcased.
Viveka is a vivacious 6th grader who excels at school, music, and at the gym! Besides piano, she also plays cello, dances and has been a competitive gymnast. She can even do splits on the piano bench!