Compare/contrast baroque/classical period pieces
Choose two pieces of music for listening, one from the Baroque period (Part 3) and one from the Classical period (Part 4). In this essay, describe the musical characteristics of the individual pieces and contrast them. Conclude with a preference for one piece over the other and explain your preference. You do not need to write about the entirety of a lengthy piece. If you choose a symphony or concerto for example, just use one movement. If you choose a choral piece such as opera or oratorio, you need only include one type of song. I would rather you be very detailed about a shorter selection than gloss over a larger one. Just make sure that the reader knows exactly what music you are referring to.
Please remember to identify the pieces you have selected and their composers. Your grade will be determined on the depth and clarity of your response. It needs to be grounded in how YOU hear the piece, not piecing together characteristics of a piece that could be found by reading about it.
You will need to submit your essay as an ATTACHMENT. I will not grade essays that are only submitted in the text box.
I expect that you will double space your writing and use a 12 point font, and that you will indent paragraphs appropriately. You need to properly indicate the titles of musical works. You will lose 5 – 10 points for not doing so, depending on how many factors were not observed.
Essentially a compare and contrast essay of two selections from differing style periods (specifically the Baroque and Classical eras). A good approach includes a very short (no more than two sentence) introduction, followed by a paragraph that describes, in detail how you hear the first musical selection. A second paragraph describes the second musical selection (please make sure that the title of the piece and composer are known to the reader). A final paragraph details how these pieces are different from one another and why you prefer one over the other. Please make sure that you understand from what eras these pieces should be selected. Failure to choose pieces from the appropriate style periods will result in loss of credit for that portion of the essay.
