Comparisons Between Two Recordings of the Same Composition

Comparisons Between Two Ensembles
Student Full Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Full Name
Professor Full Name
Due Date Comparisons Between Two Ensembles The project examines La Quarte Estampie Royal I performed by the ensemble Hespèrion XXI, and La Quarte Estampie Royal II, performed by the ensemble Aurea Proportio. The aim is to highlight similarities and contrasts between the two ensembles. La Quarte Estampie Royal is available on Aurea Proportio as Recording Two, in addition to the initial release on Hespèrion XXI. Members of the early international music group Hespèrion XXI usually performed in the ensembles. Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras, Lorenzo Alpert, and Hopkinson Smith established Hespèrion XX in 1974 in Basel, Switzerland. To symbolize the advent of the new century, they changed their name to Hesperion XXI. The Catena Aurea is the inspiration for the name Aurea, a symbol of esoteric alchemy that seeks to benefit humankind (Schab, 2022). Every Aurea event is based on this alchemy, in which contradictory ingredients are turned into a divine whole. The paper aims to investigate the similarities and differences in the ensembles in the following parts. Similarities There are several similarities between the two ensembles. When I listened to the first album of Ensemble Hespèrion XXI, I was struck by the number of sudden and drastic changes in pitch that occurred, particularly between the minutes 42:01 and 50:41. Although all eight notes begin and finish on octaves, the first recording is in the primary mode with the pattern Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, particularly at 25:56. This is a similarity found within both the recordings. The piece's contrasting sharp and gentle piano passages help distinguish between the two voices. Another similarity is that these recordings showcase Johann Sebastian Bach's outstanding skill and creativity. La Quarte Estampie Royal was considered a masterpiece even during the artist's lifetime. Because of the artist's generosity, we have access to various interpretations of this masterpiece, guaranteeing that everyone will discover a version that resonates with them and serves as a means of relaxation (Lysgaard,2019). Both recordings have distinctive sonic qualities, although one is more "woody" than the other. The first recording sounds far more professional than the second one, which has a minor mode because it comes out as impudent. I thought I was listening to a jazz ensemble for a while, particularly between seconds 0:36 and 1:58. Another similarity between the two ensembles is that there is excellent pitch variation in both. After listening to the performance many times, I could pick out any alterations in pitch. In the first performance, the volume decreases at a much more gradual rate, and there is far less variation in pitch than in amplitude. After 4 seconds, the first recording's pitch suddenly dropped, while the second recording pitch rose. The humor in the first act of the second performance continued. A minute later, it begins to rise again, accompanied by a soft, amused sound. Differences The fact that th...