Vivaldi's Spring in Bristol & Skewers

We are entering into the final weeks of the spring semester, and there will be a music theme running throughout. This week begun this unit with the exploration of classical chamber music (mostly Baroque) in four part harmony as the inspiration for a three-dimensional representation of a composition. The class broke into 8 groups and were assigned a classical piece. My group included Claire, Ana and Michael, and we were given Vivaldi's Spring from The Four Seasons to design from.

Using a "kit of parts" that consisted of 12 bamboo skewers and 12 white Bristol Board planes @ 4"x6" we had to individually create a  three-dimensional composition based on our group's analysis of the assigned music score, and then ultimately fuse our individual pieces into one larger group project for presentation.

We first created a "throw up sheet," which consisted of our immediate reactions and brainstorm session as we listened to the piece of music. We broke Vivaldi's piece into five major movements:

1. Introduction of the MAIN THEME: Spring!
-repetitive
-welcome spring - beginning of new life
-joyous
-easter season
-ode to spring
-trees, tulips, birds, bees, stuff
-opening of flower - sillhouette
-watercolors

2. FLUTTERING WINGS:
-butterfly and/or birds
-flowers singing
-bamboo wings
-bambi running through forest
-melodic
-bursting out of caccoon
-falling flower petals

3. FLOWING WATER:
-rain
-quieter
-peaceful/serene
-relaxing by creek in forest
-mosquitos (stay at the hilton)
-suns still out: warm

4. THUNDERSTORM:
-light rain -> downpour
-full blown storm
-bambi's running for cover - all under leaves
-lightening/crashing
-deep bass
-fern gulley: pixies heal forest
-oblique (high. low. both.)
-under leaves looking out, watching

5. Storm Over, SUNNY!
-rejoice, spring is here
-we have flowers & tree leaves
-back to welcome spring
-happy
-comfort
-bright colors
-first lines & last lines are the same
-part of life - cyclical
-delight
-function - joy of spring
-structure of piece is commodity. bass: I.I.I.I.I.I.I.
-rain still dripping, but the sun is out: compilation
 
Using our throw up sheet as a launching off point, we each worked on a portion of the piece. Working with the flowing water section, I made several smaller model attempts that represented flowing water. I also brought water colors to the group session on Wednesday, where we decided to use Michael's basic form with Claire's stylized birds together to represent movement. We then worked together to try several different options for combining the two, and ultimately settled on movement as a formal element by creating a mobile. We then suspended the birds above the earth or thunderstorm piece to create a spiral similar to what we hear in the piece.