Music Appreciation - Types of Listeners

The four seasons

four compositions of music winter spring summer fall

Antonio Vivaldi

Born: 1678 Died: 1741 Period: Baroque Country: Italy

Hector Berlioz

Born: 1803 Died: 1869 Period: Romantic Country: France madly infatuated with Harriet Smithson - wrote the symphony fantastique in response

Johann Sebastian Bach

Born: 21 March 1685 Died: 28 July 1750 Period: Late Baroque Country: Germany

Perceptive Listener

combines the characteristics of the pervious three types of listeners but is not limited by them they ask questions about the music; think about when they last heard it or what other songs they know by the artist; and is aware of the understanding and appreciation of the human and cultural values embodied in the music attends concerts uses appropriate vocabulary, etc.

Program Music

composers are aware of the associative power of music and sometimes intentionally title their compositions to bring certain connections to mind; music follows an explicit story or program

March to the Scaffold

depicts the young artist, who, in a fit of jealousy, has killed his beloved, and is marching to the scaffold to be executed for his crime of passion

Casual Listener

most common type of listener likes having music playing, filling the environment with sounds. Whether present as a background to drive, study, work, exercise, or hang out with friends, music is an accompaniment to the casual listener's daily activities may be conscious of the sound of merely consider it part of the environment

Absolute Music

music that is not associated with a particular story, image, object, or event

Referential Listener

music that reminds people of past events, images, feelings or situations sometimes music isn't heard anymore; instead, the listener is caught up in the memories of the person, event, or feeling

Critical Listener

primary motivation: to identify what is wrong with the performance