“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” (Plato). Music is able to touch and inspire so many, due to the diversity of various genres and musical options. A person can like and connect to pop music, while at the same time enjoy classical music. On April 3rd, 2018- I attended Lorde’s sold-out concert in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn New York. Additionally, on May 6th, 2018- I attended Jonathan Soderlund’s Master’s Recital in Brooklyn College. Although, these two concerts represent different genres, they share some similarities as well. Lorde’s sold out concert felt like an intimate concert for multiple reasons. At 21 years old and only two albums into …show more content…
On stage, Lorde carries out a sense of “looseness” in her performance and choreography. The way she sings mimics her recorded album. It’s possible to hear every word Lorde sings and to sing along with her. Lorde played various songs, some of her old popular songs, a few covers and the majority from her recent album “Melodrama.” Additionally, she brought out a surprise guest star, Jack Antonoff. Watching the two preform, while sitting crossed leg on the stage- seemed as though, we were watching just two friends sing and perform. Going back to that “looseness,” Lorde made it seems as if she was simply feeling the music and channeling the rhythm with her dancing and dancers. Furthermore, she included the audience throughout the whole concert. The audience was filled with diversity, from young children to adults well into their forties and fifties. I was able to see how everyone, regardless of age and gender, were able to come together and enjoy the music/concert. Additionally, throughout her performance the audience was …show more content…
Jonathan Soderlund performed various pieces on the piano, ranging from J.S Bach, Beethoven, Scriabin, E. Kramer and Chopin. It was a small and intimate performance with about twenty or so individuals. He started off with Toccata No. 5 in E minor. It is an earlier piece of J.S Bach, written before 1708. But, Bach elaborated upon the original piece by entering a greater range of harmony and adding more complex episodes. Soderlund’s second piece was Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major by Beethoven and then he played Deux Poemes, op. 32 by Scriabin. This was one of Scriabin’s earlier pieces, showcasing a new modernistic style filled with passions. Then, there was a brief intermission, where the audience was able to talk and discuss how they felt. Soderlund returned, playing Portraits by E. Kramer. Its duration is fourteen minutes long and consist of five separate yet cohesive pieces. Soderlund closed the show with Barcarolle, op. 60 by Chopin. Barcarolle is a folk song and is one of the most famous classical piece by Chopin. Jonathan Soderlund’s performance felt extremely personal and he made certain pieces like his own. Throughout the performance, I felt as though we were watching a movie about a composer who lived and breathed music. The audience was quite when needed but loud and excited when allowed. Specifically, if a piece was extremely moving and inspiring some members of the audience were