Spring vs. Symphony no.

Vivaldi’s La Primavera and Beethoven’s Symphony no.5 are two contrasting orchestral works.
La Primavera is a work that employs programmatic writing, which is music that is composed
based on extramusical items, such as a painting or a poem. In this case, La Primavera is
based on sonnets written by Vivaldi himself. Symphony no.5, however, is not based on any
items outside of music. In other words, Symphony no.5 is absolute music. La Primavera is a
concerto, which is a musical genre developed in the Baroque era. It has three movements,
with the first and third movements being in ritornello form. The first movement is a fast
tempo, the second movement is slower, and the third movement goes back to fast.
Symphony no.5 is a symphony (you can tell by its name). A symphony has four movements:
the first movement is fast, the second is slow, the third is at a moderate speed and the last
movement is fast. Vivaldi tends to focus on string instruments more, while Beethoven
focuses on the music. Beethoven’s music s composed of short motives and melodic
fragments that are easy to play, but everything sounds more intense and dramatic at the
hands of Beethoven. Vivaldi mostly writes works that showcase the virtuosity of string
instruments in his days. In the first movement, the poetic image of the arrival of Spring is
musically depicted by spirited rhythmic figures, a bright atmosphere, and a cheerful dance
quality. “The birds greet her with a festive song”. The poetic image of birdsong is musically
depicted through high-pitched trills and repeated note figures. “And with the breath of
Zephyr, the streams flow with sweet murmurs”. The image of murmuring streams caressed
by gentle breezes in musically depicted by the violins playing a rapid undulating figure.
“Lighting and thunder, chosen to herald her, cover the sky with a cloak of black”. Thunder is
musically depicted by the tremolando passages (quick repetition of notes). Lightning is
musically depicted by the rising thirty-second note scales. After the third episode, the
ritornello repeats again, but in a different key. The first movement of Symphony no.5 is in
sonata form. In theme 1, there is a very famous four-note motive that is stated in unison by
the clarinets and strings. It is comprised of a short-short-short-long rhythm. The second
motive has the same rhythm, but it is just a step down from the first motive. The fermatas in
this piece arrest the forward drive of this theme, which builds tension and gives this
movement a restless character. The first theme is entirely based on this motive.

Short Ride in a Fast machine vs. Changes

“Short Ride in a Fast Machine” and “Changes” are both compositions from the Modern era.
While “Changes” is written for solo piano, Short Ride in a Fast Machine is written for a large
symphony orchestra and two synthesizers. “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” starts with a very
fast tempo (tempo: 152 bpm) and loud dynamics. This suggests the agitation the person
feels when riding a speedy race car. “Changes” starts with a moderate tempo (88-96 bpm)
and is marked pianissimo, meaning very quietly. The highest notes in each four-note figure
serve as the main melody. because there are high notes played quietly, this suggests distant
bells ringing. In “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”, the woodblock maintains a strict
metronomic beat (probably depicting the person’s fast heartbeat). In “Changes”, the melody
also serves as a tempo indicator. “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” is loosely divided into four
sections, while ”Changes” has no specific form whatsoever. The tonality changes in
“Changes” after the first melody strand is established. The bass note (the lowest note in the
four-note figure) changes from F to E flat and a new melodic strand emerges from the
accented phrases. From then on, the E flat serves as a tonic pedal. In section 2 of “Short Ride
in a Fast Machine”, the tonality of the piece does not change. Instead, there is a sudden
coloristic shift in the piece as the woodwinds and the strings take over the bass. There is a
timpani roll that underscores a big crescendo, depicting the noises the race car makes. After
the second melody is established in “Changes”, the accents highlight the melody shift. This
creates a hemiola-like effect. The left-hand sixteenth notes give way to quarter notes, eighth
notes, then rest. These changes in this piece result in a thinner sound, preparing for a
dramatic climax. In section 3 of “Short ride in a fast machine”, the high woodblock returns
and marks the driving beat and later switches to the medium wood block. Marked mezzo
forte, the music softens and stabilizes. At the end of “Changes”, the right-hand B flats are
reinforced as octaves, creating a very dramatic climax with a bright ringing sound enhanced
by strongly accented pulsating rhythm. the b flats are then prolonged, relaxing the constant
sixteenth-note figuration and creating a hovering effect that emphasizes the dominant.
Section 4 of “Short ride in a fast machine” is marked “slightly slower” and the woodblock is
eliminated. The trumpets dominate the rest of the work, reinforcing the fanfare-like style.
The last few chords of the piece are played fortissimo, bringing the piece to a strong finish.
The last measure of “Changes” is marked perdendosi, which means “dying away”. The notes
are played quieter and quieter until everything fades away into the silence.

Prelude and Fugue in D minor vs. Changes

Prelude and Fugue in B flat major and “Changes are two pieces composed for solo piano
but despite that, they are still very contrasting pieces of music. While Prelude and Fugue in
B flat major can be divided into sections (exposition, etc.) “Changes” has no specific form at
all. The prelude has a homophonic texture, meaning that there is only a single line of
melody throughout the piece. There can be more than one line of harmony. The fugue has a
polyphonic texture, meaning that there are multiple lines of melody that intertwine to make
harmony. The texture for “Changes” is a two-part texture. This means that there are two
lines of music, but neither is melody or harmony. they intertwine to make harmony, but only
part of each line can be a melody. The tempo marking for “Changes” is around 88-96 bpm.
There is no tempo marking added specifically by Bach in Prelude and Fugue in B flat major,
but the style of the music implies a quick tempo, in the manner of a toccata (a very fast,
virtuosic, improvisatory character). As you can tell by its name, Prelude and Fugue in B flat
major is in B flat major. “Changes” is in E flat major, but it is not treated as a normal key
signature. This means that the composer can switch the key at any time. At the beginning of
“Changes”, there are repeated sixteenth-note figures. The first four notes are repeated,
again and again, each time with a small change added (minimalism). The prelude begins
with broken chord passages that are played in thirty-second note runs. After the first
melody strand is established, “Changes” changes its tonality. The bass note has changed
from F to E flat. A new melodic strand emerges from the accented phrases in the new
sixteenth-note figures. in Section B, the key changes from B flat major to F major (dominant
key). After a fermata in “Changes”, the bass note E flat is established, serving as the tonic
pedal. From this point to the end, the rhythmic and melodic details embellish the tonic triad.
In the fugue, the subject is stated by the top voice with the other two voices silent. Then, the
top voice plays the countersubject and the tonal answer is in the middle voice. In “Changes”,
the second melody is established and the accents that highlight the melody are shifted,
creating a hemiola-like effect. the left-hand sixteenth notes give way to quarter notes, with
notes, then rests. These changes result in a thinner sound, in preparation for the climax. In
the Middle Section in the fugue, the first episode leads to the key of G minor. The subject
appears in G minor, followed by a tonal answer in C minor. The second episode leads to E
flat major. A partial (two-measure entry of the tonal answer (at 1:09) is interrupted by a
complete entry in E flat major (at 1:12) (This is a false stretto.)The final section concludes
with a tonal answer reaffirming the home key of B flat major. the final four measures act as a
coda, bringing the fugue to a strong close. At the end of “Changes” the last measure is
marked “perdendosi”, meaning “dying away”. As you can see, these two pieces are very
different. Prelude and Fugue in B flat major features a lot of key changes and many thirty-
second note runs. This requires virtuosity to perform. “Changes” is a minimalist work that
starts with a sixteenth-note figure that undergoes many small changes throughout the
piece.