You are required to attend TWO LIVE concerts this semester (one in each half of the semester) and submit a 500 550 word written review. GUIDELINES FOR YOUR REVIEW Give the context (background and general information) for the performance. The most important part of your review should concentrate of your thoughts and impressions of the entire experience. Explain why you did or did not enjoy the performance. Do not simply write “I liked the performance because the music was pretty.” Instead, explain why you enjoyed performances or did not. Be specific-use composer’s names and specific information. For example: Did the melodies of the pieces linger in your memory for days afterwards? Could you “tap your toe” to the rhythms? Were you awed by the technical skill of the performers? What is architecture of the performance space? How did the audience react to the performance? Was the printed programs helpful (and why)? Also, your review will include, but not be limited to the following points: A brief historical description of the pieces performed. Include a discussion of the composer’s life and career at the time of the composition; When did it premiere? Where? (Historically) Was the premiere a success or a failure? Were the pieces performed considered standard repertory today, or is it obscure? An assessment of the audience’s reaction. (Did people around you fall asleep? Was the audience mesmerized? Was everyone coughing and shuffling, or could you have heard a pin drop because the audience was so taken by the experience?) Did you feel that the performers met the challenges of the piece? (If possible, you might listen to a CD recording or watch a video performance of the piece before the concert. You will then be able to make an accurate and appropriate comparison.) Would you buy a CD of this particular piece? Why or why not? Would you give a copy of this piece as a gift to a friend? Why or why not?
http://real.darton.edu/faculty/kluball/recital2011/index.html