An American in Paris: George Gershwin - Classwork

1) In bar 1 we are presented with the 'first walking theme' - what musical elements help to give this theme a 'march' like character?

• Steady rhythm and the time signature of 2/4. 

• Articulating the pulse.

• Use of acciacatura gives it the 'march' like character. 

2) Comment in the French Horn in bar 10.

• The French Horns have a monophonic texture as they're playing exactly the same rhythm and notes in unison, and at the same dynamic (f). The French Horns are imitating what we have heard before. 

3) How long is this theme (before repetition) - and comment on the cadence.

• The 'first walking theme' is 11 bars long.

• There is a textural and rhythmic cadence. In bar 10, the dynamics are forte, which helps build up to the climax in bar 11. Also, the 1st & 2nd flute, piccolo and 1st & 2nd oboe play a sextuplet rhythm which is rhythmically exciting, and ascending chromatically. It also signifies the end of this theme. 

4) What happens at bar 12 (onwards) - how is it similar/different to what we have done before? 

• Bar 12 onwards is a modified repetition of bars 1-11. For example, the English Horn is playing a slightly different version of what the oboe was playing in bars 1-7. 

5) Could you give a label to bar 24-27? Where has this material come from?

• I would label bars 24-27 as a link. 

6) We are introduced to a new idea at bar 28. What description would you give to it? Comment on the two most striking features of this new idea.

• I would describe this new idea as the 'taxi-cab theme'. The two most striking features of this idea is the use of the Parisian taxi horn, and the 

7) What rhythmical effect do we hear at 32-35?

• There is the use of syncopation by the French Horns, Violins, Viola, Cello and Bass. 

8) How is bar 36 (onwards) different to what we heave heard before? (Extend this thought into bar 44 onwards)

• The feeling of the piece has changed from being upbeat and cheery to being quite bluesy and the note lengths are now longer. For example, there has been a change in the playing technique of the cello. In bars 32-35, the Cello was playing pizzicato, but is now playing arco. Although, there is still the use of the Parisian taxi horns which tells the listener that the character is still walking through the streets of Paris. 

9) How are the musical elements treated at bar 60 to give the impressions of an 'increase in traffic'?

• I think that the tempo marking of 'Vivo' helps to give the impression of an 'increase in traffic' as it means lively, signifying that there is a lot going on. Also, a use of syncopation shows busyness.  

Current Favourites

No analysis here, but thought I would just update you as to what I am listening to at the moment. My music choices recently have been quite relaxed and calming. Obviously I can't list every song that I have been listening to, but these are my most played songs. (Also, the songs highlighted in blue are great songs to listen to whilst doing homework!!)

• Real Love - Tom Odell
• Maps - Maroon 5
• An American in Paris - George Gershwin (religiously for IB Music!)
• Grace - Jeff Buckley
• Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
• Nocturne No. 2 in Eb Major - Chopin
• Bring Him Home - Alfie Boe
• Addio Sogni Di Gloria - Alfie Boe
• Georgia - Vance Joy
• Every Christmas Song!! (Since it's Christmas season.)

Comment on how Gershwin has structured this piece of music. Where necessary, make reference to contributing factors.

Gershwin composed this piece for a symphony orchestra, plus taxi horns, saxophones and a celesta. For the New York premiere, he bought 4 taxi horns from Paris to use when displaying this work.

The piece is a true tone poem, inspired by extra-musical considerations -- the sights, sounds, and moods of Paris.  The opening section represents an American visitor strolling about Paris and absorbing the French atmosphere, which is followed by a rich blues, representing an episode of homesickness. But the American overcomes his spell of depression and once again revels in the sights and sounds of Paris.

The piece is light and jolly, and (as said above) represents Gershwin walking through the streets of the French capital. The composition is divided into two main parts and a shorter closing section, meaning that it is in a loose rondo (ABA) form:

• A represents Gershwin strolling through the streets of Paris
• B represents Gershwin feeling quite homesick. This is conveyed by a bit of blues/Americana.

The two main parts are approximately equal in duration (about 7 or 8 minutes each), and the shorter closing section is about 2 or 3 minutes in duration. 

There are 5 main melodies that are repeated throughout this work.These melodies are often repeated by other instruments, which causes a change in timbre. This also reinforces the idea of the two main sections of the piece. These main melodies are:

• "The walking theme" - heard at the very beginning.
• "The taxi-cab theme" - played by the Parisian taxi horns in figure 3. 
• "The can-can theme" - played in figure 11 
• " The  second walking theme" - played in figure 13
• "The night-time Blues theme" - played in figure 48.

A Brief Introduction to Expressionism, Impressionism, Serialism and Minimalism

In this blog post, I will outline the key features of Expressionism, Impressionism, Serialism and Minimalism. I will also include an example of each style and briefly analyse it.

Expressionism

The key features of Expressionism are:

• A high level of dissonance
• Extreme contrasts of dynamics
• Constantly changing textures
• ‘Distorted’ melodies and harmonies
• Angular melodies with wide leaps

An example of Expressionism is Arnold Schoenberg's 'Peripetie'.  Peripetie is a very intense and dramatic movement that frequently changes in orchestration, speed and mood.  It is based on a small number of motifs which are first stated and then transformed in different ways. The movement opens explosively, the motifs are played one after the other, loudly and dramatically.Each of the motifs is based on a hexachord (a set of six pitches.)

The movement falls into five sections A B A C A which could be described as a free rondo form. The motifs are developed in the middle three sections. Here are some of the ways in which they are developed:

• Imitation – where a motif in one part is repeated a few notes later in a different part overlapping the motif in the first part
• Diminution – where the note values are made smaller (usually halved)
• Inversion – where the melody is turned upside down

In the final section there is an orchestral tutti (all instruments playing at once). The motifs are piled up on top of each other and are played in counterpoint. Motifs are heard in canon.

Another example of minimalism is Anton Webern's 'Fünf Sätze'. This piece uses most of the characteristics of Expressionism. For example, the piece has a high use of dissonances, and does not have a clear tonal centre. It also uses a wide range of dynamics, and textures.  

Impressionism

Impressionism is a late 19th century and early 20th century artistic movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based painters, whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence in the 1870s and 1880s. As with most artistic movements, the impressionist movement in music was a reaction to the previous era of music (the Romantic era), in which the music of many composers is heavy and overly dramatic by comparison.

Musical Impressionism formed a transition from late-Romantic music to 20th century Modernist music. Musical impressionism was based in France, and the French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel are generally considered to be the two "great" impressionists. Other important impressionist composers include; Ottorino Respighi, Frederick Delius, Igor Stravinsky and Manuel DeFalla.

Some key characteristics of music during the impressionist period:

• Music that conveys atmosphere and subtle emotion in contrast to the strong emotions expressed in music of the Romantic period.
• A departure from tradition major/minor harmonies to include the use of whole tone scales, advanced chromatic harmony and dissonance.
• A departure from traditional musical forms (symphony, concerto, and sonata) and the use of shorter musical forms such as the prelude and nocturne.
• Great emphasis on orchestration (the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra) as a form of art in itself.
• Melodies that lack directed motion
• Ornamentation
• Emphasis on instrumental timbres
• Rhythm

An example of impressionism is Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. This was first performed in 1913 in Paris at the Theatre of the Champs-Elyees by the prestigious ballet company, Ballet Russes. The audience was unaccustomed to the dissonant sounds.

• Harmony; polytonal  (2 tonalities going on at the same time). This means that it is difficult to hear either tonal centre. Each harmony sounds good alone, but when they are played together, they are dissonant.
• Melody; many are pentatonic. This captures a folk-like sound. It is brief and full of repetitions (small fragments are repeated and varied many times). 
• Rhythm; very irregular at times. There are frequent metre changes, and is also offset by frequent ostinato figures.
• Timbre; this is a HUGE ensemble with large woodwind, brass, and percussion sections, as well as a string section.
• Form: through-composed.

Serialism

A technique of composing devised by Schoenberg in 1920 (approx.), created to help bring structure and organisation to atonal music. It involves all 12 notes of the chromatic scale in any order. The whole composition is then based on this. All 12 notes are equally important and can appear only in the correct order. The series can also be used in retrograde, inversion, and retrograde inversion. It can also be transposed to start of a different note.

An example of Serialism is Stravinksy's Epitaphium. Epitaphium was composed by Stravinsky in 1959 as a clarinet and flute duet. Stravinksy also uses treble and bass instruments. He chose the harp as bass instrument in order to achieve a muffled effect, and because he found the low notes the most beautiful on the instrument. There are four antiphonal strophes (a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy) each in the harp and in the treble instruments.


Minimalism

The key features of Minimalism are:

Layers of ostinati (rhythmic, melodic or harmonic patterns which are repeated many times.)

Constantly repeated patterns that are subjected to gradual changes

Layered textures

Interlocking repeated phrases and rhythms

Diatonic (using notes which belong to the key rather than chromatic notes which are outside the key.) harmony

An example of Minimalism is Steve Reich's 'Electric Counterpoint'. Electric Counterpoint is in three movements, fast-slow-fast. Movement III has a time signature of 3/2. Steve Reich uses this idea throughout the movement, moving the accents and sometimes changing the time signature from 3/2 to 12/8.

Features of minimalist music that can be found in movement III of Electric Counterpoint are:

• a complex contrapuntal texture
• broken chords (where the notes of a chord are played singly rather than together)
• slow harmonic changes
• note addition (where notes are added to a repeated phrase)
• melodic transformation (where a melody gradually changes shape)
• rhythmic transformation (where a rhythm gradually changes shape)
• gradual changes in texture and dynamics

Another example of minimalism is Steve Reich's 'Music in Contrary motion'. In the first line of the piece, the pattern of the top line is as follows: EDCBaBCDE. The composition follows a similar pattern throughout, both on the top and bottom lines of notes. Aurally, the piece mimics the repetition of scales that a pianist would repeat in order to warm up before playing an actual piece of music. With Music in Contrary Motion Glass plays a trick on the listener by using what is traditionally considered the "warm up" as the main composition.

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. 

Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

Background
This song was written about the pain and loss Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor. Conor fell from  window of a 53rd-floor New York apartment building owned by Clapton's mothers' friend on March 20th 1991. Clapton arrived at the apartment shortly after the incident.

Structure and timings
Introduction: 0:00 - 0:13
Verse 1: 0:14 - 0:37
Chorus 1: 0:38 - 0 :57
Link 1: 0:58 - 1:09
Verse 2: 1:10 - 1:34
Chorus 2: 1:35 - 1:53
Link 2: 1:54 - 2:04
Bridge: 2:05 - 2:30
Guitar solo: 2:31 - 2:55
Chorus 3: 2:56 - 3:15
Link 2: 3:16 - 3:26
Verse 1: 3:27 - 3:50
Chorus 1: 3:51 - 4:10
Outro: 4:11 - 4:27

Chords and Lyrics

Intro: A E/G# | F#m7 F#m7/E | D/F# E7sus4 E7 | A   |
Verse:
A                E/G#        F#m7     F#m7/E
Would you know my name
D/F#   A/E            E
If I      saw you in heaven?
A            E/G#   F#m7     F#m7/E
Would it be the same
D/F#   A/E            E
If I      saw you in heaven?

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?

Chorus:
F#m          C#/E#
I must be strong7
A7/E           F#7
     And carry on
               Bm7                  Bm7/E  
'Cause I know I don't belong
               A
Here in heaven

I'll find my way
Through night and day
'Cause I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven

Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven.

Bridge:
C                 G/B              Am
Time can bring you down,
 D/F#            G         D/F#    Em  D/F#  G
Time can bend your knees.
C                G/B                Am
Time can break your heart,
                   D/F#         G          D/F#
Have you beggin' please,
                  E
Beggin' please.

World Music in Context 2

Compare the instruments used in this piece with those of a Javanese dance-opera from Indonesia and a piece of Egyptian folk music.

Instrument                      Japan - Gagaku             Java - Dance-opera        Egypt - Folk ensemble

Mouth Organ                                yes                                  no                                        no

Flute                                              yes                                 yes                                       yes

Oboe                                             no                                   no                                         no

Drums                                           yes                                   yes                                      yes

Multiple Tuned Gongs                  yes                                  yes                                       no

Bowed strings                               no                                    yes                                      yes

Plucked strings                             yes                                   no                                        no

Voice                                            no                                   yes                                       yes



Please excuse the table - I didn't know how to insert one into a blog post! Sorry!!

World Music in Context

Task 1: Compare the tone quality of the Shakuhachi to that of the Turkish Ney.

A Shakuhachi is a vertical flute which is thought to have been brought back from China in the 18th Century. It is made out of thick bamboo and has four finger-holes on the front and a thumb hole at the back (similar to a clarinet).

The Shakuhachi is an aerophone, so the overall sound is very breathy. Unlike a clarinet (as I referred to above), this piece uses no tonguing at all, but at 0:47, they use an overblown note which gives the piece an airy feel.

Comparing this to the Ney (which is also an aerophone), there are hardly any overblown notes, and the majority of the notes played are clear. The only overblown note I heard was at 0:59  which gives the piece a slight breathy feel, but not as strongly as the Shakuhachi.

Task 2: Compare this music with the Egyptian arghul. What similarities/differences are there in terms of tempo, melodic range, use of rests and texture?

The Egyptian arghul was much more upbeat than the other two. The note durations for this piece were a lot shorter than the long, sustained notes we heard in the other two pieces. The melodic range is more varied than the other pieces, but is still quite small and is an easily sing-able tune.

The rests occur after each phrase, which is similar to the Shakuhachi, but different to the Ney as the performer only rests when he needs to breathe.

On the other hand, the texture is a lot more similar to the Ney as the melodies are accompanied by another instrument. The Shakuhachi is a solo piece and has no accompaniment.








 

 

Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1 - Chopin (Harmonic analysis of bars 1-16)

Nocturne, Op. 48 by Chopin is in the key of C minor and has the time signature of 4/4 and Lento. Chopin wrote Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1 in 1841 for the piano.

In bar 1, the left hand plays the chords I, V, I, VI, with accompanies the right hand playing V and VI whilst the left hand plays the chords G and A.

In bar 2, the  left hand starts on the note of B which is the leading tone, and the right hand plays a G, which is the dominant. The left hand then plays the dominant 7th chord (G7) followed by the tonic (Cm). In the right hand, a short motif is being played around the supertonic of D. This section contrasts against the tonic and dominant pattern that is played in the left hand.

In bar 3, the right hand goes back to the tonic (Cm), whilst the left hand plays the chord of A (submediant), which puts us into the key of Am. The left hand then plays the subdominant, whilst the right hand plays a D. This causes suspension as it resolves to a C whilst the left hand accompanies with the dominant chord of G.

In bar 4, the second beat consists of the inverted dominant 7th chord (F, G and B), which resolves to Cmajor which we can see on the third beat, whilst the right hand plays a neighbouring note around the note of A. 

In bar 5, we have a 2nd inversion diminished Em chord, which is the mediant. This goes to a root position V7 chord in FM, the subdominant. If we look ahead at the next few chords in the LH, which are octaves of Bb, B, and C respectively, it becomes clear that we are moving chromatically up the keys in this section of the piece.

Then in bar 7, the left hand moves up a tone to D, providing a change to the chromaticism. It is clear here that we are in D, because the right hand is playing a motif based around D. Then in the left hand we get Ds and then F and A- a Dm chord. However the F# in the right hand creates a dissonance which resolves to a G in the 3rd beat of the bar and we get a chord of GM.

In bar 9, the left hand descends to Gb followed by F.

In bar 10, the right hand is playing around the submediant (VI) and the subdominant (IV), whilst the left hand chords are: VI-VI-IV-I.

In bar 11, the right hand plays passing notes of A and B between beats 1 and 2, followed by an escape note of C on beat 4.  The left hand plays the chords VII-I-II-III along with the interjections of two dominant 7th chords (V7). The left hand descends back to the tonic and leading tone in bar 12.

In bar 12, the left hand plays the dominant 7th (V7) chord again, and resolves to a 2nd inversion of the tonic chord (Ic).

In bar 13, the left hand plays octaves of F, followed by an F major chord. This then ascends to A, followed by the return of the F major chord. Whilst the is happening, it remains in the chord of F (IV) and stays the same for the next bar.

Chopin - Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1

Chopin was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1810, and died in 1849. He is most famous for his piano works. This piece is a Nocturne, and it is written just for piano, and we know that by the Romantic period pieces were being written just for single instruments.

This piece is in C minor, with the addition of accidentals which I think have been used for effect. In bar 9, the tonality to changes, and goes major. This section does not last very long, and quickly returns to the minor key. In bar 21, the tonality is unsure as the melody line is a chromatic scale with lots of accidentals. 

The melody moves mostly in small intervals, and starts right at the beginning of the piece. There are sections with some large intervals used to create drama and tension in various places, but it is mainly made up of small intervals. Pedal is used throughout the whole extract, and is also legato throughout. None of the phrases are balanced or symmetrical, and it is hard to recognise where the phrases start and end. In bars 3 and 4, the intervals are very similar within the right hand section. Bars 5 to 8 are very similar to the start of the piece, but are slightly different. The note values vary from semibreves to crotchets to semiquavers, and this adds a sense of excitement to the piece.

The left hand accompaniment plays chords throughout throughout the piece which maintains a sense of key/tonality. Its chords are mainly based around octaves, and it keeps the beat with a stable crotchet pattern. The steady pattern helps the listener to recognise the time signature as the 4/4 beat is not clear within the melody line. 

The length of the notes get longer as we go through the piece, which causes the rhythm to increase speed. This development improves the level of interest in the piece. 

Music in Brazil: 'Queluzindo'

'Queluzindo' was inspired by and performed on a vintage viola (guitar with five double-coursed strings).


0:00 - Theme A - We hear that the song is in 4/4, and plays a simple rhythm. This rhythm is repeated for 8 beats before it changes chord.
0:27 - Fingers on wood - There is a knock on the 'and', after beat 3. Theme A is still playing. The end of this theme is signalled by three strums of the final chord.             
0:39 - Pause -
0:41 - Theme B - This theme is a lot more adventurous than theme A. It uses techniques such as pulls and hammers, which can be heard very clearly in the audio.
1:00 - Repeat of theme B -
1:23 - Theme A - This is exactly the same as before, along with the knocks on the wood on the 'and' after beat 3. It also ends in the same way with the three strums of the final chord.
2:00 - Pause -
2:02 - Theme C - This theme is completely different to the others, and gives the song a different feel. This theme is still using the plucking 'tradition' which is used throughout this song, but makes a lot more use of strumming the chord.
2:31 - Pause -
2:32 - Theme A - This is exactly the same as before.
3:15 - Final chord - The song ends with the final chord being strummed in a semi-quaver, semi-quaver, quaver rhythm.

This song is solely a solo viola piece which has variation between each of the different themes. The ending of the themes are clearly shown by three strums of the final chord followed by a short pause.

Music in Turkey - Sari Gelin/Sari Gyalin

For this blog post, I used the CD from the book called 'Music in Turkey' by Eliot Bates, and this song was track 32. I also got the background information from the book on page 104.

Sari Gelin in Turkish translates to "yellow bride" or "blonde-haired bride." This song is about impossible love, typically between a Christian and a Muslim.

The song opens with a riff from a lute (I believe), which is repeated many times throughout the song, mainly after the words 'Sari Gelin' have been sung. The introduction is very short, and the male and female lead voices enter very swiftly.

I think that they have used a male and female voice as it represents the two lovers who are not allowed to be together. The male voice is quite low and steady, but the female voice is in a mid-register and seems quite shaky and unsteady. There is also another voice/voices in the song, but this voice(s) is mainly in the background and is not a lead voice in the song. The voice(s) seems to be improvising around a few notes that are used by the two lead voices.

At the end of the song a Ney is heard, and this is a type of woodwind instrument. This plays a short melodic sequence that has been taken from the voice part. This is what finishes the song, and is, perhaps, showing the dismissal of the two lovers who are not allowed to be together.

Chopin - Prelude in D Flat major Op.28

Frederic Chopin was a Polish composer and pianist during the Romantic period who was born in 1810.

Prelude In Db Major was composed in 1839, and was taken from a set of 24 preludes. This prelude is nicknamed the Raindrop Prelude as the use of the persistent repeated notes sound like raindrop falling. However, Chopin disliked descriptive titles and he did not give it this nickname.

The score is very detailed – it includes a lot of markings for the performer to follow. These include pedal markings, fingerings, dynamic markings, and Italian terms. The pedal markings are given under the bass stave. They show the pianist where to depress the pedal (ped.) and release it (a star-shaped sign). The fingerings are given by small numbers on some of the notes. The dynamic markings refer to the loudness or quietness of the notes.

The prelude is in ternary form - where the second A section is the same as, or very similar to, the first A section. The B section provides a contrast to the outer sections. Section A lasts from bars 1-27 and is a long melody repeated several times in a major key. This is follow by section B which lasts from bars 28-75 and is a new melody which is mainly heard in the bass in a minor key. For section A1, it is just a shorter version of section A which lasts from bars 76 - the end of the prelude.

The time signature of the piece is 4/4, and is in the key of Db major -  hence the title. The melody is accompanied by broken chords, which makes the texture homophonic. Most of the opening is based on chords 1 and V (the tonic (Db) and dominant (Ab)). The repetition of the A flat quavers (the raindrops) is used from the beginning, and these notes act as a pedal throughout the piece.

Yiri - Koko

Introduction:

• Starts in a free tempo with a high balafon improvised solo at a soft dynamic level.
• Monophonic texture
• Compromises a melody in Gb major
• Simple and repetitive

Chorus A:

• Voices are in unison
• Melody is shorts, simple and repetitive
• The semiquaver-quaver-semiquaver rhythm is a feature of vocal writing.
• No harmony.

Balafon solo:

• Short instrumental for the balafon
• Drums play continuous ostinato

Chorus A:

• voice in for second verse.

Balafon solo:

• Voices out
• Solo instrumental break on a lower pitched balafon
• Some variation in melody
• semiquavers in Gb major

Vocal solo:

• Dramatic new melody
• Long held notes
• solo voices with choral responses

Balafon solo:

• solo voice with some varied balafon rhythms in solo break

Chorus B:

• Full choirs
• short instrumental interjections to break up the vocal line

Balafon solo

Chorus A

Coda:

• Sense of strong riff
• Heterophonic texture

Fugue - Key terms that you need to know!

What is a fugue?

• A fugue is a piece of music in which a melodic theme (or subject) is introduced in one voice, and the imitated by a second/third/fourth etc. Whilst new material is introduced, the subject returns several times in imitation (it has to return in order for it to be a fuge).

Subject: the theme which is the basis do the whole fugue. It is introduced by one voice before being imitated by the other(s).

Answer: this is the subject in a new voice. There are two types of answer:

• Real: exact (in terms of intervals used) - always has the same intervals, but may start on a different degree of the scale.

• Tonal: some intervals are modified (they are adjusted slightly to fit in the key)

Exposition: this is the first section of a fugue, in which each voice introduces the subject or answer.

Countersubject: This is when melodic material is used in one voice as the subject occurs in another. For the material to be labelled as a countersubject, it must be quoted several times throughout the piece. 

Episode (Development): this often introduces new material whilst quoting gesture from the subject and countersubject. They tend to modulate before the subject returns in a new key. (Like ritornello form)

Stretto: a technique in which musical material is essentially squashed together. In fugue, this is when a subject (or an answer) starts before the previous subject/answer has finished.

Pedal point: when a pitch is usually suspended, it is normally in the lowest register. Fugues often end with a pedal point.

The Moon Over the Ruined Castle - Japanese Folk Music

"Kōjō no Tsuki" (荒城の月), translated to "The Moon over the Ruined Castle", is a Japanese song written in the Meiji period.

Rentarō Taki, a Japanese pianist and composer, composed the music as a song to use in music lessons without instrumental accompaniment in 1901. 

It was inspired by the ruins of Oka Castle, which was built in 1185. The lyrics of the song was inspired by the ruins of the Aoba Castle and the Aizuwakamatsu Castle.

Taki's original version of the song is in B minor. Taki's original version of the song uses E# on the second bar, but the modern version usually uses E. This is probably because the original version did not fit the traditional Japanese music. 

Find the song here: http://youtu.be/7IqryOGvLAE

Brandenburg (No. 4) - J.S.Bach

This piece was composed for first violin (violin principale), recorder 1 & 2 (flauto dolce), violin 1 & 2, viola, violincello, violone, bass continuo (double bass). Recorders 1 & 2, and the first violin are to solo instruments. In a Baroque orchestra, the two recorders, and the solo violin are from the concertino. The cello, viola, and violin 1&2 accompany the soloists.

There is a musical dialogue between violino principale and flauto dolce 1. Sequencing in the flauto dolce 2 part. e.g. bars 1-2.

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott - Johann Sebastian Bach

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, meaning 'A mighty fortress is our God', is a church cantata*. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for Reformation Day, 31 October, first performed between 1727 and 1731. It is based on Martin Luther's chorale "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott".

The cantata was written for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), a four-part choir, two oboes, two oboe d'amore, oboe da caccia two violins, viola, violoncello and basso continuo.

The work has eight movements:

1. Chorus.
2. Aria and duet (bass and soprano).
3. Recitative and arioso (bass).
4. Aria (soprano).
5. Chorale.
6. Recitative and arioso (tenor).
7. Duetto (alto, tenor).
8. Chorale.

In the second movement, the oboe and soprano perform an embellished version of the chorale while the bass sings an aria.

The fourth movement is a soprano aria* with a continuo ritornello. It is given character by the use of melismas and a "floaty" melody.

'And the glory of the Lord' from Messiah - George Frideric Handel

'And the glory of the Lord' was composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741 (Baroque period). This piece was composed for SATB choir, and an orchestra.

Handel was born in Germany and worked as the court conductor for the Elector of Hanover. He visited England and eventually settled there. His most famous works include:

• Operas e.g. Julius Caesar
• Music for royal occasions e.g. Water Music
• More than 20 oratorios - Messiah is the most famous

'And the glory of the Lord' is in A major (3 sharps: F#, C# and G#), and the time signature is 3/4. As mentioned at the start of the post, this piece was written for a four part harmony (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass), and Alto is the first voice to enter (in bar 11).

The first 10 bars are instruments only. The instruments in this piece are:

• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Continuo bass

In bar 9 of the Violin I part, there is use of a hemiola, which is typical of the Baroque period.

The first line sung by the Alto (bar 11) is; 'And the glory, the glory of the Lord', which is a major arpeggio. On the fourth beat of bar 17 in the tenor line, there is a falling sequence on the phrase; 'shall be revealed'. This is also a melisma*.

In bar 43 on the alto line, the phrase 'And all flesh shall see it together', is descending stepwise, and this pattern in repeated in this piece.

Bars 59-62 for the Alto, Tenor and Bass lines are sung all together, which is an example of word paining.


*KEY TERMS*

• Melisma - several notes sung on one syllable / embellishment of a melody.
• Hemiola - a rhythmic alternation of two musical notes in the place of three.
• Word painting - musical technique of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song.