HUM 112 Week 4 Discussion #1 10/28/2014

"Beethoven; Art and Protest in the 1800s" Please respond to one (1) of the following, using sources under the Explore heading as the basis of your response: * Listen to one (1) composition (i.e., for a symphony) by Beethoven, a transitional figure between classical and romantic music. Identify the composition that you listened to, and determine whether you would characterize the chosen composition as either the Classical or Romantic style of music. Explain the key features that lead you to your conclusion. Briefly, identify one (1) modern musician who you believe was great at one type of music yet pioneered another.

I listened to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in its entirety. I’m not musically inclined and I do not have the ability to read or write music, however after listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 is Romantic more than classical. Although you can find some of both characteristics while listening like the frequent changes in the tempo that is typically found in Romantic music and the texture of Classical music which is essentially homophonic. While listening to the first movement, the gentle sounds of the instruments warming up softly with violins played with a structure rhythm and drums adding to the volume. The next two movements was at a faster pace. There was some emotion present in the way the music went from fast to slow as the volume build from soft to very loud. The final movement seemed more relaxing to listen to.
A modern day composer that I found was Ray Charles Robinson better known as Ray Charles. His music ranged from R&B, gospel, pop and country. Because of his distinct sound, he was considered a musical genius.

Sayre, H. (2012). Romanticism, Realism and Empire. In The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change (Vol. 2, pp. 906-912). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.