MUS 125 2012Winter My Favorite Recording - Listening Guide: Yanni: Until the Last Moment

Xiaorui Huang
MUS 125 Understanding Music
My Favorite Recording – Listening Guide

Grade: 10/10

Yanni: Until The Last Moment

Basic Information (“AllMusic”):       

Date	Recorded live at September 25 1993
Concert/Recording event	Yanni Live at the Acropolis 1993
Location	Herodes Atticus Theatre, Athens, Greece
Genre	New Age music
Duration	6:24
Composer	Yanni
Piano	Yanni
Violin	Karen Briggs (play jointly with orchestra)
Orchestra	The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (London, England)
Conductor	Shardad Rohani

General Musical Characteristics:

Form	A-B-C-A’-B’
Texture	mostly homophonic
Melody	wide-ranging, wave-like, lyrical, and flowing
Performing forces	Solo piano, string orchestra, and of electronic sound for embellishment

Section A

0:00	Theme 1- lyrical and tender, opens by piano solo with an electronic sound embellishment
0:21	String accompaniment enters
0:35	Theme 1- repeated by piano with melodic variation and richer string accompaniment

Section B

1:09	Theme 2a- delicate and gentle piano melody with electronic sound embellishment
1:24	Slowly crescendo string accompaniment enters
1:42	Theme 2b- flowing but stately piano melody with a suddenly stressed string accompaniment
2:07	Theme 2b- repeated with variation in piano melody, accompaniment remains active
2:25	Gradually reach a climax with sweeping piano melody and a forceful accompaniment by string orchestra
2:37	Gentle closing theme in piano
2:54	Gentle closing theme- repeated with string accompaniment

Section C

3:07	Transitional theme- gentle and mysterious in piano with electronic sound embellishment with very gentle string accopaniment

 Section A’

3:40	Theme 1- with active string accompaniment throughout this piano theme
4:12	Theme 1- repeated with variation in piano melody and crescendo string accompaniment

Section B’

4:44	Theme 2a- gentle and delicate piano melody with electronic sound embellishment
4:59	Lively and bright strings accompaniment enters in Theme 2a. Use high strings and low strings alternatively to create a “dialogue effect”.
5:17	Theme 2b- flowing and stately in piano with suddenly stressed string accompaniment
5:42	Theme 2b- repeated with variation   in piano melody, string accompaniment remains active
6:02	Gradually reach a climax with sweeping piano melody and forceful accompaniment by string orchestra
6:14	Coda/ Gentle closing theme
6:24	End