Listening Journal:

• John Williams (2018) ‘Han and The Princess’ performed by the London
Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brosse [Royal Albert Hall]
This work is a brand-new concert suite based on themes from Star Wars: The
Empire Strikes Back. The thematic development in this piece was one of the most
striking things about it. It develops further than ever before the love theme from the
original Star Wars trilogy, extending it significantly by adding new melodic material.
The orchestration of this suite is also very interesting, starting with the melody in the
cello section accompanied only by a harp playing unusually exposed low notes.
Another very interesting aspect of it is the contrast the composer achieves between
parts of the piece by moving from only having strings to only having brass for a time,
halfway through the piece. This performance by the London Symphony Orchestra
was also particularly moving, with a beautiful dolce appassionato being played by the
cellos at the beginning of the piece.
• Giuseppe Verdi (2010) ‘Dies Irae’ Verdi Requiem, Signum Classics
One of the most striking features of this work is its massive sound achieved by
combining the full power of the symphony orchestra with the choir. The harmonic
language is largely centred around G minor with most of the chords used staying
within the key. Exceptions to this include the temporary modulation to D minor,
providing a modal inflection and the sequential harmonic writing just after that,
resolving firstly in C Minor, followed by Bb Minor, Ab Minor and Ab major before
returning to G minor. It’s also interesting to see how Verdi realises the diminuendo
through the orchestration, for the quiet section, dropping all brass and being left with
only strings and woodwinds playing at the bottom of their register. This piece has
had an influence in the way I distribute the notes throughout the orchestra when
composing menacing music as well as the way I write fast runs in strings and flutes.
• John Powell and John Williams (2018) ‘Corellia Chase’ Solo: A Star Wars
Story, Walt Disney Records
I found this piece to be particularly interesting due to the way the rhythms are
distributed across the orchestra, creating a sense of constant motion. The
continuous quavers all throughout the orchestra keep the energy levels extremely
high throughout. There are also occasional semiquavers which are mostly played by
the trumpets on repeated notes or by electronic toms in the percussion. It is also
attractive how the composer shifts between homophonic and contrapuntal textures,
creating contrast, supporting what happens on screen. This is enhanced by the
thematic development which carries from the polyphonic section into the
homophonic one, creating a seamless transition.
 • John Rutter (1994) ‘A Prayer for St. Patrick’ Gloria: The Sacred Music of John
Rutter, Collegium Records
In terms texture, this piece maintains a chordal one throughout. Its simplicity is
very appealing to me, showing that it is possible to achieve a very emotional effect
with very little resources. Its lack of instruments makes the choral parts more clearly
heard and the need for it to be interesting enough to work on it’ own. The harmonic
language is simple but effective, rarely deviating from its key of Eb Major. The climax
of the piece is a half diminished 7th chord, resolving by a semitone to chord IV of the
home key which eventually leads to a perfect cadence, at the end of the piece. The
voicing of the final chord is rather interesting, with sopranos and altos sharing the
same note and the third being in the low part of the tenor range, allowing the chord
to be as quiet as possible. This was the main thing I learned from this piece.
• Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (2017) ‘I Will Survive’, 33 Resolutions
per Minute, Mud Hut Digital
This is an arrangement of this disco classic made in the style of 40’s fast swing
with a Latin ballroom dancing bridge towards the end of the piece. The harmonic
language remains surprisingly similar to the original version, with an added non-
harmony notes in the piano, trombone and saxophone parts and an added walking
bass playing by an acoustic double bass. One of the essential aspects of this
arrangement is the use of swing quavers instead of regular ones like the original
version. The arranger also uses this feature to create contrast within the piece by
shifting back to straight quavers for the Latin ballroom portion of the song. I think this
a very well accomplished arrangement and it might serve as a future reference point
if I’m required to make cross-style arrangements of songs.
• Harry Gregson-Williams (2015) ‘Crossing Mars’, The Martian, Columbia
Records
One of the most appealing features of this track is its seamless blend of acoustic and
electronic sounds. Its introduction is extremely synth based with strings providing
harmonic padding, eventually evolving into a fully orchestral texture. This was the
main feature I took away from this cue. The melodic material throughout is
developed, having an added countermelody when the texture becomes fully
orchestral. The melody is played by French horns at the top of their register while the
countermelody is played by different sections of strings, also at the top of their
register. Adding to the semiquavers played by the harp, it creates a truly epic sound.
The harmonic language is simple throughout, being very clear, the composer’s
dominant use of root position and first inversion major and minor chords. A rather
pleasantly unexpected moment in this piece is the plagal cadence from Eb Major to
Bb Major at the piece’s climax, deviating from other more common cadences.
• John Adams (2014) ‘Short Ride In a Fast Machine’ performed by the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop [Royal Albert Hall]
The most striking feature of this piece is its apparent simplicity, being a top
example of orchestral minimalism. This piece is harmonically quite repetitive, with
the harmonic turnover being extremely slow, considering the fast tempo of the piece.
Its cross rhythms are very what give the piece most of its interest. These happen,
initially, in the brass against the quaver ostinato and the woodblock playing the beat.
Eventually, the beat is transferred to high woodwinds and violins, while the brass
play an unrelated contrapuntal theme building up tension to the moment of resolution
in the D major chord, in a very swift change from ambiguity to clarity. This is a very
interesting technique for creating this type of emotional response, one that I’mlikely
to use in the future.
• Stephen Sondheim (2011) ‘On the Steps of the Palace’ Into the Woods,
Masterworks Broadway
One of the most appealing aspects of this piece is its rhythmic ambiguity. The
piece starts in 9/8 with most of the vocal phrases starting and ending in the middle of
bars, creating a sense of uneasiness, representing the ambiguity in the character’s
own life. The shift into 6/8 makes it slightly simpler, until the music starts changing
back and forth from 3/4 to 6/8 keeping the irregularity. The harmonic language is
mainly based around D major, with some unrelated chords, such as Bb Major 9 th and
Eb13 during the 6/8 interventions added throughout for contrast. The arrangement is
also quite interesting with the composer accenting these contrasting time signatures
with changes in instrumentation. For example, the flute is only heard during the bars
in 6/8 and the bassoon is only heard during the 3/4 bars. The main thing I took away
from this piece was how to capture a character’s thoughts perfectly through the
musical language, when writing for theatre.
• Mariza (2002) ‘Ó Gente da Minha Terra’ O Fado em Mim, Parlophone
This piece’s remarkable melancholy was very appealing to me and it was very
interesting finding out how it’s achieved. The instrumentation is extremely simple,
consisting only or acoustic, Portuguese, acoustic bass guitars and female voice.
Being an example of traditional Portuguese music, fado, its harmonic language is
based around the minor key due to its emotional content and mainly sits within the
key of G minor with the occasional tonicisation of the C minor and Bb Major. This
piece is also an example of the typical part played by the Portuguese guitar, an
instrument with a unique sound which can be useful in creating a different sound.
The texture of the piece is mostly chordal with the guitar and bass providing
accompaniment for the dialogue between the voice and Portuguese guitar.
• Stephen Sondheim (1994) ‘Is This What You Call Love?’ Passion, PS
Classics
The harmonic language the rhythmic language in this piece is fairly repetitive with
the first 30 seconds being based around the same two quavers followed and by a
crotchet figuration and the rest of the song having continuous triplets being played.
This adds to the character’s desperation and makes the audience feel it as well. The
harmonic language used also increases this, being extremely chromatic and
dissonant over a pedal bass note for most of the piece. This changes before the
piece comes to an abrupt end for added dramatic effect. The arrangement is based
around piano with the remaining instrument playing a supporting role accenting
certain important lines in the piano part. There is very little brass in this piece with
the only intervention being a muted trumpet at the beginning of the piece. This piece
has taught me useful techniques that I might use in creating music that sounds
angry.
• John Williams (1980) ‘Finale and End Credits’ Empire Strikes Back, RSO
Records
• George Gershwin (2001) ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Rhapsody in Blue, MagicMusic
Productions
• Michel Camilo (1994) ‘Caribe’ One More Once, Columbia
• Jacob Collier (2016) ‘Hideaway’ In my Room, Membran
• Vaughn Williams (1990) ‘Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis’ Vaughn
Williams: In the Fen Country/ the Lark Ascending/ Fantasia On A Theme by
Thomas Tallis, Chandos
• Earth Wind and Fire (1980) ‘Faces’ Faces, CBS Records International
• John Williams (1993) ‘Remembrances’ Schindler’s List, MCA
• Stephen Schwartz (2003) ‘One Short Day’, Wicked, Decca Broadway
• Danny Elfman (1993) ‘Jack’s Lament’, The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Herbert Howells (1978) ‘A Spotless Rose’ Carols from King’s College
Cambridge – 25 of the most popular carols, EMI