Hour 1: Baroque Classical channel on Pandora
I started my first hour of listening to Classical music when I found the Baroque Classical channel on Pandora, an online streaming music site. In the beginning of the hour, I heard a piece called Concerto Grosso for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello Strings and Continuo by Francesco Geminanti. This selection was very bright and upbeat, like an allegro tempo, with a cheerful melody that had a bass counterpoint different from the melody.
The next piece was by George Fredric Handel, concerto grosso in D minor op.6/10 HIV 328 also had a very fast tempo, but this one started in a minor key and seemed to change keys. Like other pieces I listened to during this hour, it ended with a dramatic slow tempo in the final coda.
Anoterh selection was by Antonio Vivaldi, sonata for violin & continuo in d minor op. 2/3. This one had a much brighter and treble timbre due to the harpsichord, which played a different melody in the same key as the violin. I liked this one a lot. Next was Tomaso Albinoni, Concerti a Cinque (12) for 2 Oboes 2 violins, viola cello and continuo. It had a bright mood, like a procession. I could really hear woodwinds (oboes) in this one.
Arcangelo Corelli was the composer of another piece, Concerto Grosso In F Major, Op 6/6. This sounded so similar to Handel. Same upbeat tempo, same phrasing, techniques like different versions of the melody, changing the key, etc. Maybe this composer was trying to copy Handel.
Pietro Antonio Locatelli was next: Concerto Gross in D major Op. 1/9. This one had a slight more original sounding melody, but it still was so much like the others. It seemed to have a little violin solo in it, which I liked. Then Pandora played a different movement of the Concerto Grosso by Geminanti, and this one had a bouncy melody, like a dance. After this was Johan Pachelbel: Partie VI For 2 Scordatura Violins Continuo in B Flat Major. Pachelbel stands out with a different melody and tempo in this piece. I noticed a difference.
One thing that I thought was odd about this channel was that even though it was called Baroque Classical channel, not all the composers were from Baroque period. For example, in this hour they played Moses and Marco Polo Suite by Ennio Morricone, which was much slower and had a much more modern main melody. Ennio Morricone is a film composer, like John Williams, who also composed music that was played on this channel during this hour.
They played the Schindler’s List Film Score, and I could hear harp, violin solo, and a much larger orchestra than the pieces by Baroque composers.
In general, all the pieces except the film scores sounded similar. The songs were short, around 2.5 minutes long, like maybe were the “pop music” of the day. After 30 minutes of listening, though, it was really hard to tell them apart.
Hour 2: Classical Guitar
For my second hour, I wanted to try something different so I chose the Classical Guitar station. I really like guitar music, so I thought I would enjoy it a little more. The first piece I heard was called Suite Española No. 1, For Piano, Op. 47, B. 7: Granada (Serenata)by Isaac Albeniz. Like the name states, it definitely sounded like Spanish

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