The Houston Civic Symphony in Dunham Theater performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Joyride, and Atlas non-finito, conducted by Brian Runnels. The performance opened up with Michael Markowski’s Joyride. The piece begins with an exciting, dynamic opening and slows down in pitch but continued at a quick tempo. Familiar parts from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” can be heard in the slower portions of Markowski’s Joyride. The brass instruments sounded very prominent. The piece set a scene of a bustling town during a time of celebration. The uplifting melody is reminiscent of Christmas time, setting a mood of exhilaration and excitement. The iconic melody of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was repeated through the middle and end sections of the piece. The song…show more content… The piece had very dramatic sounds for the most part, but also melancholy mood at times, especially during the cello solos. The cello solo portion of the piece slowed down the tempo and had very soft, yet dramatic sounds. At times it sounded as if the cellist led the orchestra. The piece left a feeling of struggle and had a stressful mood. Several pauses were included, as if to let listeners feel like sculptures gave up at times, but continued to struggle to escape the their marble…show more content… The pitch gradually rises, but slows again. Compared to the first movement, the second movement is not as dramatic and tense, but rather more uplifting at times. The tempo of this movement sounded faster than the previous movement. A part of the movement slows down to where the strings can barely be heard and the brass and woodwinds take dominance. The instruments gradually join in and to produce louder dynamics. The opening was repeated during the ending of the movement, like a scherzo.
The third movement soft and slow, but gradually rises in tempo with long, drawn out notes. This movement sets a mood of tranquility, but almost evoked sadness at certain times. This movement is much more soft and slow compared to the first two movements. The rhythm is much lighter compared to the dramatic first movement. Plucking of the strings was heard near the end of the movement. The dynamics began to rise at the end of the movement, especially with the brass instruments sounding more prominent. Despite the dramatic fanfares from the brass, the orchestra continues to play at a soft
