Marcus' HUM251 Blog

Although a majority of my interest in music stems from indie to rock I never minded listening to other variations of music such as blues, metal, house, and even classical music. One composer that I am particularly keen to is Vivaldi, his prowess with the violin is distinct from any other composer during the baroque era. His proficiency as a composer is exemplified through his four seasons concerto, with the winter sequence being my favorite. The composition is centered around the violin with other violins, violas, cellos, upright bases, and occasionally harpsichords accompanying each other. A majority of the concerto is performed in allegro, which is at a fairly brisk pace in classical compositions. Vivaldi’s winter section is especially nimble and bombastic, the pace is constantly climaxing and each note maneuvers at a breakneck pace with the rhythm following suite. Almost each instrument plays within the same measure as the lead violin breaks into subtle solos along with the base,...

Experiencing the culture and city life within Amsterdam would be at the top of my traveling bucket list. The Rijksmuseum especially peaks my interest, the historical and artistic values deriving from this museum would make a delightful stop within Amsterdam. After viewing a few of the art pieces held within the museum I would like to point out a few that I found to be compelling. The first art piece being Still Life With Flowers In a Glass by Jan Brueghel (II) with the dimensions being 24.5 cm tall and 19cm wide, and the media being oil paint on canvas. At first glance it is apparent that it is a still life of multiple flowers in a glass vase from the baroque era due to the deep contrast in dark and light. Looking closer at the top of the painting a butterfly sits atop of what seems to be a daisy, further down is a dragonfly next to a very fluffy unidentifiable flower. In the middle there is a ladybug that exemplifies baroque lighting with the glossiness of its shell; the textur...