I went to the conTEMPO II new music ensemble. The music ensemble was directed by Professor Ursula Oppens and assistant director Whitney George. There were many types of musical pieces performed at the ensemble ranging from solos to chamber music. The best part of the concert was the premieres of new works of the college's music conservatory students and composers. I enjoyed all four of the world premieres, and the other performances of musical pieces of composers, such as John Cage, Tobias Picker, and Cole Porter. The most interesting piece at the concert was Trio composed by Dana Malseptic. The piece was written for and premiered at the conTEMPO II ensemble. The instruments used in the piece were the clarinet, violin, and piano.…show more content… I heard the oud being played a few times before, but the sound of the oud in this piece was very different. The ouds I heard before had a deep, mellow, and obscure sound that seemed mystical or even meditative. However, this piece sounded so lively, strangely bright, and sharp, even though it was played entirely on an oud. The tuneful notes were also sustained for sometime, which created continuous and rolling sounds that felt beautifully upbeat. I did not realize that the oud can create such distinct sounds evoking completely different vibes. Perhaps the ouds were just different types or made from different materials, in order to create unique sounds. The program notes did not mention the use of a special type of oud, but they explained that the composer of the piece combined a variety of styles that are not commonly used together in the piece. For example, the composer combined the style of Baroque music and music from video games with the Turkish sound of the oud. The result of this unique combination was a exotic or unusual musical piece that stood apart from most music created with the oud. It blended the deep and mystical style of Turkish music with bright and playful styles of music to create a surprisingly new sound. The music felt mysteriously exciting and lively when I heard it, and that was the reason I was surprised. It sounded nothing like the oud music I heard many times before. I knew it was strikingly different, but I did not understand the reason behind the difference until I read the program notes and learned about the unique styles used in writing the piece. The inspiration from extremely different styles of music made the piece a beautiful fantasy just like the integration of extremes in the Trio piece created a beautiful whole. Differences somehow have a excitingly natural beauty in
