What is programme music?
A person who writes music. love telling stories through their music.
Creating a feeling, bringing something to life or painting a picture with music is often called Music that paints a picture..
Famous composers have written music inspired by:
- a beautiful landscape painting
- a character from history
- an object
Let's explore!
Watch: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
A great example of programme music is this piece of music by the American composer John Adams. It's called Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
Have a listen, what do you think John Adams is trying to describe in this music?
From Ten Pieces, Khalil Madovi introduces John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
Khalil Madovi: Listen to this music.
What does it make you think of? Are you on a rocket about to lift off? On a horse galloping across a field? On a rollercoaster climbing higher and higher? Or about to ride a super fast home made car?
Hmm what? You weren't really going to expect me to stay still with this kind of music playing were you?
Presses button, creaking and rocket sound*
Can you hear that pattern of sounds repeating over and over? Ah ha yeh that's the rhythm and I like to think about it like an engine. It keeps pushing me along.
Faster! Faster!
[Laughs] The musical notes become like real objects in the road racing towards me with a whoosh, bam.
They shoot straight past my ears.
Whoa!
No wonder John Adams the composer of this piece called is a Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
[Laughs] The rhythms never stop.
And now I'm picking up speed.
Swerving, bucking, dodging, racing.
Faster and faster.
This car is out of control.
[Engine whirring]
[Exciting music playing]
Did you spot the repeating rhythms and melodies that give us the impression that we are travelling along really fast?
Can you name any of the instruments that are being played?
This piece of music is performed by an orchestra. There were flutes and piccolos that stand out. The violins and percussion section are very important in this piece too.
You can find out more about John Adams on ±«Óătv Ten Pieces.
Who is Vivaldi?
One of the most famous examples of programme music is a piece of music called The Four Seasons by composer Antonio Vivaldi.
The Four Seasons has four movements, each one represents one of our four seasons.
Vivaldi was an amazing violinist and used the violin to conjure up sounds and pictures from each season. From barking dogs and mosquitos to summer storms and birds happily singing the arrival of spring.
Listen: Winter by Vivaldi
In Winter, Vivaldi brilliantly conveys the biting cold, gusting wind, trembling bodies and chattering teeth on his beloved violin.
Have a listen and see if the music makes you feel really cold and chilly.
Violinist Stephanie Childress directs the ±«Óătv Scottish Symphony Orchestra to play 'Winter' from Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. From Ten Pieces Trailblazers.
This performance is a A piece of music written for one or more solo instruments and an orchestra.. It features a solo instrument (the violin) with an A large group of string, wind, brass and percussion instruments that all play together. providing the The music played behind the main performer..
You can find out more about Vivaldi on ±«Óătv Ten Pieces.
Why is performing music important?
As well as composing pieces of music that describe things, learning how to perform music in an expressive way is a vital skill for all musicians.
Good communication and expression can help the audience understand the feeling of the music and bring it to life for them.
When you start learning a new song either on your own or in a choir, you could ask yourself some of the following questions.
- What is the song saying?
- What are the emotions and feelings in the song?
- How do you have to feel to sing these lyrics?
- Can you think of a time when you would feel these emotions?
Watch: 'Somewhere Only We Know'
Listen to this choir singing Keane's song 'Somewhere Only We Know'.
The choir give these main lyrics extra special meaning towards the end of their performance.
They do this by changing the volume of their singing to highlight the emotion of these words in the song.
[Choir singing]
And if you have a minute, why don't we go talk about it
Somewhere only we know
This could be the end of everything
[Choir sings quieter]
So why don't we go somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know.
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