Deep Analysis of the Tempest by Smith - Paper Example

Robert Smiths work of the tempest is commonly referred to as pragmatic work that aims at depicting a breaking at sea. Smith is widely regarded as one of the most popular and prolific composers as far as concert band and orchestra literature is concerned. In one of his concert masterpiece, The Tempest has been designed to begin with legato clarinet and low woodwind voices playing a warm half note line. This paper focuses on providing a deep analysis of the tempest masterpiece with regards to instrumentation, texture, rhythm, dynamics, form, and tempo.

The piece, the tempest, exhibits a combination of musical instruments with differing properties employed in its orchestration. Smiths excellent mastery of the orchestration enables him to use a combination of different sounds of the instruments in an extremely appealing manner. The orchestra manages to effectively coordinate the sounds of different instruments to depict breaking of the storm. At the beginning legato clarinet and low woodwind are heard playing in a warm note before the other instruments join gradually to depict storm picking up. Some of the most conspicuous instruments that have been used in orchestration include horns, trombones, saxophones, and clarinets. A combination of all these instruments at bar 9 produces a sparse accented quarter note melody complimented by the sparse accented accompaniment from the coordination of the winds and percussion.

Polyphonic texture dominates the entire piece of the song. Smith has managed to use multiple melodic voices in combination with other sounds in rhythmic tones. The piece begins with a low texture as the orchestra increases his combination of the instruments to make the texture thick at bar 18 where inclusion of all the other instruments contrasted by the melodic statement from the well-coordinated saxophones and horns sounds. Thickness texture defines the general texture of this piece as the artist has used a combination of several instruments.

The rhythm of the piece is depicted by the introduction of numerous instruments in pulses that make strong melodic sounds on the legato clarinet and low woodwind voices playing a warm half note line in complementing tones. This aspect makes the piece more enjoyable to the listeners as they are able to master the regular pattern of the strong melodic sounds from saxophones and horns.

The combination of instrumental sounds used in creating the the tempest piece portray the dynamics within the song. As the song begins softly with a combination of two low sounds in play but gradually the introduction of the sounds that depict the picking up of the storm become loud. The rhythmical introduction of melodical sounds from saxophones and horns also clearly portray dynamics within the piece.

The unity, variety, and contrast within the tempest depicted by the instrumental sounds defines the structure of the song. The tempest musical piece exhibits the strophic form that is characterized by the hymn and ballad alluded in instrumental sounds repeating themselves indefinitely. For instance, at the beginning of the song legato clarinet and low woodwind voices playing a warm half note line plays for 2-3 seconds before the combination of other instruments complements the sound.

Lastly, the tempo of the song is portrayed as moderate by the beats per minute as the song plays. However, the song begins with a slow pacing before the introduction of instrumental sounds that facilitates the takeoff.