Bach :: essays research papers

The Baroque Age Johann Sebastian Bach Born: Eisenach, March 21, 1685 Died: Leipzig, July 28, 1750 Regarded as perhaps the greatest composer of all time, Bach was known during his lifetime primarily as an outstanding organ player and technician. The youngest of eight children born to musical parents, Johann Sebastian was destined to become a musician. While still young, he had mastered the organ and violin, and was also an excellent singer. At the age of ten, both of his parents died within a year of each other. Young Sebastian was fortunate to be taken in by an older brother, Johann Christoph, who most likely continued his musical training. At the age of fifteen, Bach secured his first position in the choir of St. Michael's School in LÃ ¼neburg. He travelled little, never leaving Germany once in his life, but held various postitions during his career in churches and in the service of the courts throughout the country. In 1703 he went to Arnstadt to take the position of organist at the St. Boniface Church. It was during his tenure there that Bach took a month's leave of absence t o make the journey to LÃ ¼beck (some 200 miles away, a journey he made on foot) to hear the great organist Dietrich Buxtehude. One month turned into five, and Bach was obliged to find a new position at MÃ ¼lhausen in 1706. In that year he also married his cousin, Maria Barbara. Bach remained at MÃ ¼lhausen for only a year before taking up a post as organist and concertmaster at the court of the Duke of Weimar. In 1717, Bach moved on to another post, this time as Kapellmeister at the court of Prince Leopold in Cöthen. During the years Bach was in the service of the courts, he was obliged to compose a great deal of instrumental music: hundreds of pieces for solo keyboard, orchestral dance suites, trio sonatas for various instruments, and concertos for various instruments and orchestra. Of these, the most famous are the six concerti grossi composed for the Duke of Brandenburg in 1721, and the Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 exemplifies the style of the concerto grosso in which a small group of instruments (in this case a small ensemble of strings) is set in concert with an orchestra of strings and continuo. Of Bach's music for solo instruments, the six Suites for violoncello and the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin are among the greatest for those instruments.

History of West African dance, different type of dance and the drum Essay

West African dance reached the Americas during the slave trade. Slaves were often prohibited from dancing, but African-based movements found their way into European dance styles, quickly evolving into popular American dances. The influence of African dance can be seen in early American dances, such as the Ring Shout and the Cakewalk, and later dances such as the Jitterbug, and the Charleston. The influence is still visible in more contemporary styles of dance including hip-hop and jazz. West Africa is made up of 16 different countries containing multiple tribes and cultures, each with a different set of dance. Many dances are only known within the particular tribe they come from, but most share, the common element of drumming as the dancing music. Dancing in West Africa is a form of social interaction, where the whole tribe comes together. Different dances are also performed on different occasions, such as initiations, funerals and marriages. Adzogbo is an ancient ritual war dance originating in Benin. Dancers usually wear red and black when performing the Adzogbo dance. The Adzogbu is a dance of the Ewe people of Ghana and incorporates movements used in battle (throwing a spear, for example) into the dance. As with most West African dances, the Adzogbu is normally performed by a circle of dancers, and this particular dance has a very complex drum rhythm.†¨According to the California Institute of the Arts, Bawa is a traditional harvest dance of the Dagarthi people from Lobi, northern Ghana. The dance is performed as a ritual thanksgiving to the gods and ancestors, but also as an appeal for the success of next year’s crops. The Bawa incorporates many of the movements often seen in fieldwork, such as threshing and planting, in a stylized manner. The Bawa dance is performed by members of the community of all ages and sexes. The Mouwa dance is performed by the Minianka, Senufo and Bambara people of Mali. According to Kentucky Educational Television, the Mouwa is performed by those villagers whose are responsible for weeding the fields. The dance is a form of motivation that anyone initiates when the pace of work has slowed. It is also performed before beginning work, and during weeding the dance’s song is usually sung to help the work go faster.†¨The Gomba is a funeral dance of the Bambara people of Mali. The dance is taught over a period of seven years to members of the tribe, and the teaching is done in secrecy in the forest. The Gomba is not a dance performed in frivolity; rather it is undertaken in the utmost solemnity, to mark the seriousness of the occasion.†¨ Drums, played with hands and sticks, are a vital component of West African dance. The drum is the â€Å"language† that the dancer interprets. The drum patterns signify a dancer when to start or stop a certain move, and what moves to use. The dancer also challenges and directs the drummer through his or her moves. The drummer translates the dancers moves into rhythms. The drummer and dancer are interconnected. The largest of the three drums is dundumba, which has the deepest voice and typically plays phrases that accentuate the rhythm’s foundation and interact melodically with the sangban. The sangban, is the middle-size drum, is tuned to mid-frequency that matches the tone of the djembe, and often plays a lead role in creating the core identity of the rhythm, with specific calls and variations that communicate to the dancers. The smallest of the family is kenkeni, which has the highest voice best suited to keep the pulse, or downbeat, of the rhythm. Each distinct part played by dundumba, sangan, or kenkeni typically has a bell pattern related to the drum pattern.

The Tragedy Of William Shakespeare s Othello - 959 Words

In this life that we live, many different individuals go about their business without considering the individual struggles that they have to deal with. According to dictionary.com, a struggle is defined as, â€Å"a forceful/violent attempt or effort to get free from restraint or contrition†. Some of these personal struggles are more pronounced than other. From Othello, the tragedy by William Shakespeare, we can see how humans are faced with individual contentions, and their daily actions are ways and efforts of trying to free themselves. In the discussion below we consider Othello’s struggle with being different, gullibility, timidity, inferiority, pride and selfishness and Iago’s conniving personality, hate, greed, manipulation, selfishness and slander Talking about human contrition, Othello’s life is without doubt as presented, is with many great successes. He is introduced as a great soldier with many victories and a reputable general from a royal family, â€Å"From men of royal siege, and my demerits†, (1.11.21). Notwithstanding such achievements, he struggles with the fact that he is a black moor among the Venetian whites. This aspect of difference makes him stand out but also as an easy target. Additionally, either because of his origin or his upbringing Othello comes as one struggling with gullibility. When he saw Cassio leave the company of Desdemona, other than calling him back to confirm whether it was he, he dismisses it saying, â€Å"I don’t believe ‘twas he†, (3.3.43).Show MoreRelatedThe Tragic Tragedy Of William Shakespeare s Othello1523 Words   |  7 PagesTragedy is described as a drama that has pain, suffering, and loss. In the Merriam- Webster dictionary, we can see tragedy being defined a â€Å"disastrous event† (Webster). We also see in the dictionary that a serious drama that involves a hero’s downfall and an unhappy ending can also be classified as a tragedy. Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, provides a more comprehensive definition of tragedy based on drama in a play. Kennedy Gioia gives us, Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy that saysRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - Comedy And Tragedy2481 Words   |  10 PagesENG 1001: ‘Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. Yes, yes, it’s the most comical thing in the world’ (Samuel Beckett). Wilde, Shakespeare and Beckett incorporate two genres in their plays that nursed a strong intrigue-interest (Jones, pg 26) – comedy and tragedy. According to Aristotle in his Poetics, tragedy in a play is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude composed of plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle, (Myers, pgRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - Othello Or Better Known As The Tragedy Of Othello ``1180 Words   |  5 PagesAwa Fraser Ms.Milliner EES21QH02 1/14/17 Grit and Mindset in Othello Within the Shakespearean play entitled â€Å"Othello† or better known as â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello†, there are many instances where grit and mindset are displayed. Most of the characters possess these traits. This play is a tragedy, that basically displays the fruit of many people that have feelings for one person and that fruit is : jealousy. If it continues to germinate, it can ultimately have fatal effects. In my opinionRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s All The World s A Stage 1540 Words   |  7 PagesMegan Mackey Professor Raja Atallah English 1102 17 April 2017 Research Paper William Shakespeare once said, All the World’s a Stage —and now his quote can be applied to his literature within his tragedies (William Shakespeare 1). The generation of people today have a much different definition of tragedies than people did during the Shakespearean times. Shakespeare’s tragedies involve a protagonist whose character is developed so that it is clear that he is a heroic figure in the setting of theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare757 Words   |  4 Pages The Tragedy of Othello by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare uses many literary devices to enhance and provide greater complexity in his works. More specifically, the theme, symbolism, and dramatic irony are used to enrich Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello. The plot is definitely engaging but the theme allows for an universal human correspondence, furthering the depth of the author’s message. The element of symbolism contributes to the theme of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Symbolism expressesRead MoreThe Concept Of Iago By William Shakespeare1163 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Concept of Iago† William Shakespeare’s plays all have a common theme: death. There is almost always death, and the play of â€Å"Othello† is no different since it ends in a â€Å"tragedy.† It begins with a man named Iago who speaks to Roderigo of how he should have received the position of lieutenant that was instead given to Cassio, a inexperienced man in his words, by Othello, the General. Iago shows distaste towards Othello, the play then goes through the story of Iago attempting to receive the positionRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare938 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Tragedy of Othello† is commonly considered one of Shakespeare s greatest tragedies and one of his finest works. In this play we see many literary devices at work. Several of these devices are involved in Iago’s deceitful plot against Othello that creates much suspense for the duration of the play. In â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello,† William Shakespeare uses symbolism, iro ny, and tone to create this classic drama. Symbols are central to understanding â€Å"Othello† as a play. There are two significantRead MoreEssay about Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello1581 Words   |  7 PagesJealousy in Othello  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare is known for his exceptional ability to compose plays full of deceit, trickery, revenge, and jealousy. The play Othello, evolves around the theme of jealousy.    One of Shakespeares most credible characteristics in his writing is his ability to compose a play in which has a story that originates, and strides on lies. As theses lies were unraveled the central theme of his play became distinct, and clearly visible. The central theme wasRead More Irregularities in Othello1716 Words   |  7 PagesIrregularities in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains various irregularities of time and occurrence which cause the audience to scratch their head in wonder and doubt. Let us analyze some of these shortcomings in this essay.    In the Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains one of the difficulties in Othello:    Othello murders his wife on the second night in Cyprus. The difficulty, of which Shakespeare was clearly aware, arisesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Works Of Shakespeare1126 Words   |  5 Pages Before I start right off in this essay, I believe it s only fair you should know a little back story of the author himself; William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is located in the United Kingdom. Even though his goals were to become an actor, he fell into writing and become one of the most well-known writers in his life. There s a lot of controversy surrounding Shakespeare and there s many people who believe that he, himself did not write his famous