Improved Prokofiev Analysis

Context
This piece written by S Prokofiev who was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. The piece is a movement taken from the symphony, which is a 4-movement work composed for a full orchestra. This piece was composed in the classical period, and has been written for a full symphony orchestra (2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, Timpani, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello and Bass).

Musical elements
This piece is in the key of D major, and uses terraced dynamics without (ranging from pp to ff). The dynamics are made clearer my the use of instruments, creating a thinner texture for quieter dynamics and a thicker texture for louder dynamics.

The piece begins in Dmajor, but changes to Bminor in bar 7, which is the relative minor. It then changes again, this time to C major in bar 11, and the to A minor (relative minor of C) in bar 16. Bar 18 it goes to back to the dominant key of the original (A major - the dominant of D major).

Mainly in 2/2 (simple) time, with the exception of bar 27 and 61 which are in 2/4 (compound) time.
A lot of this piece is in unison (bar 1 and 2 for the woodwind and strings). The piece is mainly composed with quavers, but there are a few moments of longer note values being used.


Musical structure
This piece is written in sonata form (exposition - where ideas/themes are introduced, development - where the ideas/themes are developed, and recapitulation), which a form typically used in the Classical period.


 

Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68, No. 4

Frédéric Chopin’s Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68, No. 4 is a short piece that is full of chromaticism. Chopin (1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849), was a Polish composer and pianist of the Romantic period.

(For the purpose of this blog, I am going to analyse small sections of the piece, to make the analysis clearer..)

Measure 1-8:

This piece starts off in the key of F minor (i). There is a feeling of sub phrases in this small section, but the flow from one to the other, due to the use of chromaticism and the descending stepwise harmonies. A perfect cadence in the key of i (F minor) is recognisable in measure 8 with an F minor triad.

Measure 9-14:

This second phrase also starts in the key of F minor (i). This second phrase is a variation/development of the first phrase.

Measure 1-14: parallel period - (In a parallel period the two phrases are very similar.)

Measure 15-19:

The third phrase is in the key of A major. Measure 14-15 and 16-17 repeat each other, which creates emphasis on the repeated right hand motif and the key of A major. In measure 19, there is a perfect cadence.


Measure 19-23:

The fourth phrase of this piece is back in the original key of F minor (i). The right hand motifs of this section are exactly the same as the right hand motifs used in measure  15-19, but in the key of F minor. There is a perfect cadence in the key of F minor in measure 23.

Measure 15-23 is a parallel period.

Measure 24-27:

The fifth phrase is in the key of A flat major. This phrase has a sudden key change (Fminor - A major), but it travels to C minor (the dominant of F minor),

Measure 28-31:

The sixth phrase is in the key of C minor (v). The motifs used in this phrase are similar to the motifs used in phrase 5, but this ends in a half cadence in the key of C minor.

Measure 24-31: Parallel period

Overall

This piece has a heavy use of chromaticism (m. 14-15 for melodic and m. 2-4 for harmonic, for example), it uses inverted chords rather than root chords (F6 in m. 1, for example), the use of very dissonant chords (such as E diminished in m. 7), and quick changes in key (from F minor to A major in m. 13-15, A flat major to C minor in m. 26-29).

There is also the use of sequencing, which you can hear in m. 1-5. This excerpt travels harmonically in a descending stepwise motion.. Also, the motifs/melody transposes by descending whole steps (m. 1-6.) A similar sequence can be found in m. 7-11.

Wagner - Erster Aufzug (from 'Tristan and Isolde')

Musical Context Erster Aufzug comes from the opera 'Tristan and Isolde' which was composed by Wagner. Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, who was mainly known for his operas.^[1]   

In the opera there is the use of leitmotifs, which represent different forms of love and doubt. The leitmotifs only last for a couple of bars, but there are a few sections in the piece where they are repeated. 

Musical elements
  The cells open the piece playing the "Grief" motif, which is shortly followed by the oboes playing the "desire" motif. These motifs cause tension in the piece as they have been composed to create a dissonant chord. The cellos repeat the "Grief" motif, and the clarinets enter playing an imitation of the "desire motif". 

There is a not a clear key signature for this piece due to the many accidentals that are used, and also the facts that there is not a specific key signature notated. Having no clear key signature is typical of the romantic period. Although, the time signature of 6/8 remains the same throughout the piece. 

Musical Structure
Erster Aufzug is in a loose sonata form (Exposition, 'Middle section', and Recapitulation). The exposition is made up two themes. Theme 1 (measure 0-17) begins and ends in A minor, finishing with an interrupted cadence. Theme 2 (measure 17-24) starts in A minor, but then modulates through D and B minor to end on A major in bar 24 (first perfect cadence in the tonic).

The 'middle section' also has two parts to it (Section A and Section B). Section A (measure 24-32) begins with a new theme (theme 3), which begins in E major and then ends on the tonic note of A without a cadence. Section A ends with the repetition of bars 17-21 from Theme 2. Section B (measure 36-44) starts with antiphonal (A performance style in which an ensemble is divided into two or more groups, performing alternately as separate groups and in unison^[2]) development of a motif from theme 2. This section ends on a root position chord of A major. Finally, the 'middle section' ends with Section A1. This is a development of section A, and the dominant pedal on E (bars 63-70) helps to link this section to the recapitulation.

The recapitulation (1 and 2) is the final part of sonata form. Recapitulation 1 (measure 66-83) starts in A minor/major, but then modulates to Eb minor. This section ends (measure 77-83) with the contrapuntal (Using counterpoint. Any music that contains two or more voices heard simultaneously^[2]) combination of all three theme and the climactic 'Tristan chord'.




<sup>[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner#Operas

[2]</sup>  http://dictionary.onmusic.org/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term_search%5Bquery%5D=antiphonal&commit=Search

^{[3]  http://dictionary.onmusic.org/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term_search%5Bquery%5D=contrapuntal&commit=Submit}

Romantic Period - class notes

 

Romantic Period

 

Non-harmonic tone ---> a note that doesn't fit within the chord (creates melodic tension).

 

Types of non-harmonic tones (NHT):

• Passing note
• Neighbour note / Auxilary tone (upper/lower)
• Escape tone
• Suspension
• Retardation
• Appoggiatura
• Anticipation (a note from the chord which is played before the chord occurs).

 

Romantic Harmony

• Chromatic harmonies, complex chords, freer use of NHTs, chromatic voice leading.
• Augmented triad, augmented 6th, and Neapolitan 6th for expressive colour / distorting sense of tonal centre.
• Long delays in resolving dissonances - heighten effect of yearning and longing.

 

Neapolitan Sixth

• Flattened supertonic chord - often in first inversion
• 'Popularised' by Scarlatti

 

Augmented Sixth

• Italian 6th ---> b6 - 1 - #4
• French 6th ---> b6 - 1 - 2 - #4
• German 6th ---> b6 - 1 - b3 -#4

 

Lied  - German art song. Pastoral/love. Strophic or through-composed. Usually accompanied by piano.

 

 

Nationalism

Attempt to unify a group/nation by creating national identity.

Common language taught across all schools, similar themes across the arts.

Some composers used traditional folk songs for inspiration, novel sounds, 'shunning' international conventions.

 

Exoticism

National features sometimes extended beyond national assertation.

Movement towards the mysterious/exotic

 

 

 



With reference to the score provided, analyse, examine and discuss what you hear in the extract - Take 2!

Context
This piece written by S Prokofiev is and in The piece has been composed for a symphony orchestra (2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, Timpani, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello and Bass).

Musical elements
In the key of D major
Mainly in 2/2 (simple) time, with the exception of bar 27 and 61 which are in 2/4 (compound) time.
A lot of this piece is in unison (bar 1 and 2 for the woodwind and strings).
The piece is mainly composed with quavers, but there are a few moments of longer note values being used.
There is wide use of dynamic range (terraced dynamics)


Musical structure
This piece is written in sonata form (exposition - where ideas/themes are introduced, development - where the ideas/themes are developed, and recapitulation).

With reference to the score provided, analyse, examine and discuss in detail what you hear in the extract.

In this symphony composed by S Prokofiev, we have a clear opening, which is signalled by the accented crotchet played by all instruments. This leads to an ascending melody played by the woodwind and string instruments, which results in a string trio played by Violin I and II and the viola. The opening of this piece is played in fortissimo, which is then contrasted when the string trio play in piano. This creates a sense of direction for the piece, as the audience are waiting for the next dramatic moment.

 

Throughout the piece, there are highlights played by all instruments in fortissimo which are quickly contrasted by a melody played in piano. We can see examples of this in bars 3 and 11.

 

Starting in bar 46, the bassoon plays a simple, 4-beat crotchet ostinato which lasts until bar 73.  Although this ostinato is simple, it creates interest for the audience and maintains a steady beat.

Zapatos de Baile - Gypsy Flamenco Masters (MLI song)

This piece opens with a four bar plucked melody (A) played on the guitar and is repeated twice before the introduction of a second guitar on bar 9. The 4 bar melody is repeated eight times overall, but with a slightly different ending on the eighth time. As we can see from the notation below, the melody consists of a quaver, semi-quaver, followed by 5 quavers, semi-quaver, and a final quaver.

The second guitar, which is introduced in bar 2, is used to highlight certain notes within the melody. This is shortly followed by a third guitar, which is introduced in bar 9. This guitar plays a simple rhythm of strummed chords which are strummed on the first beat of each bar for 3 bars, and then in bar 12 the chord is strummed on beats 1 and 4 of the bar. The entrance of the djembe is signalled by a sustained cymbal crash in bar 17.

In bar 30, the main guitar plays the same rhythm using the same notes for a total of three bars. This section is made up of a minim, followed by a quaver, a quaver rest and the two more quavers. The minim and last two quavers are played a tremolo, as you can see in the illustration below.

This melody (A) is then played until bar 32, where there is a 4 bar link that signals the change of melody (B) which is played on another guitar. This melody (B) is played for a total of 32 bars before returning to melody A in bar 68.

From my aural analysis, ‘Zapatos de Baile’ is in binary form (AABB).  The structure of the piece is as follows:

Introduction, A1, A2, A2 (with the addition of a second guitar which plays strummed chords), link, B1, B2, A3, A4, B3, B4, A5

As you can see, the piece ends with ‘A5’ and not an outro. This is because I did not hear a clear outro but it could be argued that ‘A5’ was supposed to play that role.