Consider what ideologies, philosophies, or critiques are happening in this track and use this awareness to write a critique of the song. Again, your object of analysis is the song your method is a close reading of the song that is informed by considerations of philosophy, ideology, and counter-ideology.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
3/23 conduct an ideological/philosophical critique
Consider what ideologies, philosophies, or critiques are happening in this track and use this awareness to write a critique of the song. Again, your object of analysis is the song your method is a close reading of the song that is informed by considerations of philosophy, ideology, and counter-ideology.
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The primary focus, when musical homophony is used as melodic or just support, is on moments of high notes and flourish. It's focus on violin comes, yes through the whole thing, at moments of 'skill' and moments that are generally considered 'good' or 'impressive'. This would be a musical aesthetic formed around an ideology that values these kinds of musical attributes. At around 4 minutes we get a quiet moment followed up by a pounding drum and a streak of the violin in a loud and present and dominant high note that cause the song to open up into the next verse (saying "verse" because of my understanding of music vocabulary.) This songs impressive moments come from an aesthetic that values position instruments and introductions in this way.
ReplyDeleteThis piece puts forward the ideology that life will be frantic and unexpected. It starts peaceful enough, but then out of normal, the violin gets aggressive. Life can be strolling along and then the unexpected happens and your day changes just like that.
ReplyDeleteThe violin breaks into a sort of freeing tone suggesting that something has been overcome. After that there is a brief moment where the sounds become overpowering, symbolizing a jump into a new scene. This seems a bit more confining than before, then they jump right in to another overpowering sound, almost frightening. The violin turns very fast pace like they are trying to run away from something. The music completely stops and then restarts with a jabbing sound, which helps the song be broken up into parts. Knowing that this is from the 1700s, I can conclude that there was a devil or evil spirit involved.
ReplyDeleteThis could be used at a funeral. The song has a depressing sound, almost as if someone is looking over their life and thinking about the good times and then remembering its time to go. it could fit into the ideology or idea that death is peaceful and you see you whole life flash before you, but you are not angry about it, just in an odd state of bliss. A quarter through, the violin fights back and picks up. in a sound that makes it seem like the person does not want to die and is going to fight. The name Tartini Violin Sonata translate into Devils trill sonata, this might play into the ideal that we are constantly fighting the devil and good vs evil.
ReplyDeleteThe philosophy that I take from this song is that life is sad, but beautiful. The song makes people think, which is what philosophy does. It leads people to thinking systematically about the presuppositions of the given topic of the song. The bittersweet violin provides a sad but fluttery tune, and it is very relaxing. The broader ideology in this song is that music can effect emotions, and the more narrow ideology is that music can calm people down. All of a sudden, the music picks up and becomes a bit more frantic and exciting, which displays the range of emotions people could have when listening to music.
ReplyDeleteThere is a battle between good and evil in the song. Seen with the high and low notes in the song. There are competing violins suggesting that there is more than one player in this field. The differing violins take turns in a spat against one another. Assuringly, one is trying to bring the other down. To what exactly, is unknown. May that be to hell, or just death, only the composer knows for certain. The violins sing in a perfect harmony, one just below the other. Eerily pleasant to listen to, and captivating in a way any good incubus or siren might be. With the spike in motion a quarter through the track, we can hear the fright and sudden worry in one of the violins, suggesting that there is a reason to worry. If not worry than surprise.
ReplyDeleteThere is a real agony in the lead violin's sound. The use of a minor chord in the beginning, leading to a minor 7th, and into a major set have the trappings of an emotional movement from agony to ecstasy. Further research on this piece shows a visit by the devil in a dream, playing a violin in beautiful form, which can contribute to the change in sound to a more virtuous passage, as the devil is now tempting him as he has drifted to sleep. The use of figured bass is a nice touch, very renaissance era, but it plays well as an interpret-able bass line.
ReplyDeleteThe Sonata actually sounds quite romantic. It sounds kind of dreamy but then it picks up. This might be a connotation to the devil, and the actual violin sounds pretty frightening. It looks like the devil is playing to this man while he sleeps.
ReplyDeleteThere is an ideology of peace and hope and organization. The hope is seen through the generally happy major key and chords that are easy to listen to with the cello line being long and agreeable, with the violin being the active instrument. the organization can be taken as to mirror the societal structure of the time. But as the song progresses it takes and turn to short and sharp notes the lend themselves to a more chaotic nature. This song is also know as the Devil's Trill, which lends itself to the chaotic nature as well. The conversation between the violin and the cello can be translated to the conversation between peace and chaos.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning this song sounds almost like a lullaby. The way the violin waxes and wanes goes along with that of someone comforting maybe a friend. As the song goes on it almost feels as if the person is in distress or even a cry for help, and then the track speeds up. It feels as if someone has woken up from their languished state and started the day up beat and ready to go. I could see this being a sound analysis for the bible verse "there may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning" this is very relevant because it starts with a prayer and sorrow like beginning and creeps up to a joyful triumphant sound
ReplyDeleteThis piece seems to be a romanticism ideology in the first quarter of the piece. This is evident due to the melody being a sweet, slow tenuto in the violin in the beginning. Romance is usually linked to sweetness and the violin in most music. It seems that Tartini, or whoever composed this piece assuming it wasn't him, thought of romance in the traditional sense - that it is sweet and usually something tender (I keep thinking of Love Me Tender by Elvis). I like that the composer put this much thought into making the piece something to be romanticized. It sounds like something that you would hear in a movie when a guy sees that really gorgeous girl for the first time out of the corner of his eye. This dude must have been really in love when he wrote this sonata. I might be mistaken, but usually sonatas are love songs themselves (thinking of Moonlight Sonata that Beethoven wrote for his lady), so it makes sense that Tartini named his love song sonata.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this piece is something that I would never choose to listen to, I must say that it is beautiful. The piece's main focus is on a singular violin that is backed by several other instruments. The building and diminishing of the instruments is never to an extreme point; however, when it does occur, it forces attention again on the main violin that always seems to be playing some sort of sharp note. But then, once the instrumentation grows again, the melody is once again upbeat and smooth. From this differentiation in tone and melody it is safe to assume that this song is speaking to the ideology that within things that can be considered beautiful and lively, there will also be moments of despair and depression. In other words, there is no good in the world without bad. I think that this can further be depicted by the fact that the other title of the song is the "Devils Trill Sonata". By having the devil play such a beautiful, and often times cheerful, melody it completes this idea that in bad there is good and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteThe tones used in this song have a somber tone that at some points lightens up and gets exciting. This may refer to the ups and downs everyone goes through. 4 minutes into the song the pace drastically changes, the history of the song says the composer had a dream and the devil played the violin excellently. This most likely is where the 'devil' started to play. Because the songs history includes references to the devil the back and worth in the song can be seen as a battle between bad and good or God and the Devil. The song is a sonata which means that it is played alone but there seems to be multiple people playing because of the large changes in the songs rhythm.
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of a great philosopher who once discussed his tale of encountering the devil as well and using a violin to convey his words. This philosopher, known as Charlie Daniels, is a modern (I believe) version of what happened to Tartini in the sense that both had an encounter with the devil, however, in sense of philosophy and ideologies, I get a sense of Foucoult with this piece. Tartini had a mind-blowing encounter with the devil and had everything at stake in order to win his safety and it shows in this piece as it was rushed and scared almost as if he was doing his best but he knew his best wasn't enough. He is a parrhesiastes of some sort.
ReplyDeleteThe song is a dream of the devil playing a song on the violin. The devil is a frightening figure and represents all the is evil, bad, and the opposite of love. Even a figure like the devil who made the ultimate betrayal against God can make something as beautiful as this song. I think the philosophy is that even something as evil as the devil can make good and beautiful things. That bad things are capable of good outcomes.
ReplyDelete"One night, in the year 1713 I dreamed I had made a pact with the devil for my soul. Everything went as I wished: my new servant anticipated my every desire. Among other things, I gave him my violin to see if he could play. How great was my astonishment on hearing a sonata so wonderful and so beautiful, played with such great art and intelligence, as I had never even conceived in my boldest flights of fantasy. I felt enraptured, transported, enchanted: my breath failed me, and I awoke. I immediately grasped my violin in order to retain"
ReplyDeleteThanks wikipedia. Anyways, after looking into the context of it. The philosophies and ideology made a little bit more sense to me. There is sort of this attractiveness to the fact that it is the devil playing the music which represents the attractiveness of devilish activities and sin in general.
This song is much more beautiful than the title would lead you to think. It had some unsettling parts also which you would expect from the idea of the devil and his mischievous and evil personality traits.
ReplyDeleteTartini's Sonata in G minor ties in a lot of philosophical and religious ideals, especially with the concept of the Devil appearing to Tartini in his dream and performing that is now this sonata for him. The fact that it's a sonata is important because it either tells three or four different stories with each section, or it tells one, large overarching story that coincide with Tartini's thoughts and feelings on the dream he's had.
ReplyDeleteAccording to legend, the composer Tartini was visited one night by the Devil, who asked to be Tartini's assistant. Tartini gave the Devil a violin in order to test his skill, and the Devil played with such virtuosity and skill that the composer was left breathless. The mournful first quarter of Tartini Violin Sonata in G convey a somber tone, as sad as it is beautiful. This represents a sort of prelude, a sleeping composer. After around four minutes, the song drops off, and then picks up in a thunderous crescendo, which represents the Devil's part. This contrast between the two seem to convey the conventional conception of the Devil as a charmer.
ReplyDeleteim not sure what the ideology is without any music, but music sounds like sleepy lullaby music. then it get creepy and scary as if someone is after you.
ReplyDelete