For the course, we are encouraged to listen to a variety of different pieces from different periods. For Part Two, where the main subjects are melody and scales, my listening consists of a wide range of compositions for woodwind family of instruments and the compositions that use non-diatonic scales. Click the links below to access the categories.
I grouped all the pieces I listened to according to each woodwind instrument separately. The instruments include flute, clarinet, bassoon, recorder, oboe and saxophone. Since they are mini families themselves, I have included some pieces in their posts for their sub-group instruments, such as cor anglais, bass clarinet, piccolo and other. Also, each instrument post includes the unaccompanied and accompanied solo compositions, and the ensemble and orchestral pieces where the instruments have interesting segments.
Here, I grouped the pieces according to the non-diatonic scales they’re in. These include pentatonic, octatonic, nonatonic, whole-tone, chromatic, Hungarian minor and other.
Note that you can also read my two posts for Project 6 where I analyze two pieces given in the course listening list. Back to the compositions I added here in the listening log, I wrote brief notes with my thoughts and a bit of analysis. Despite starting my music studies very early, all my previous study aims mostly concentrated on mastering the Western diatonic system of scales. As such, it was very interesting for me to engage with the tonalities outside of this system, going a bit towards the concept of polytonality and even atonality. Being a violinist, as well as playing guitar and piano, I didn’t get a lot of opportunity to work with the woodwinds. Thus, it was very engaging for me to get aquanted with this family of instruments. Both the non-diatonic scale pieces and the woodwind ones, in ways similar to the previous indefinite-pitched percussion and variable metre reperoire, brought me new acoustic experience that broadened my musical language. More on my musical journey, read my reflections here.