GCSE music Edexcel paper 3

Understanding 12 different pieces

This is a first attempt at a guide to help you think about the pieces that we are studying for GCSE. This version is designed to give
some key pieces of information about each work. You wont need to know all of the information. Ive put in bold the information
that I think is most important.
If you have any suggestions about how this can be made better, please email me fs@king-ed.suffolk.sch.uk
I think that this is a helpful musical dictionary:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/resources/learnlisteningonline/atozdictionary/index.asp
If you dont know a word use the index go to the letter it starts with. There are recorded examples to illustrate the meanings.
Have a bit on how to make a chord and a cadence
Have a bit on functional - and non-functional harmony

Handel And the glory of the Lord from Messiah - 1742

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqMxwjs9RB0 an Australian choir, with orchestra and organ and a woman conductor (go girls!
Conducting isnt just for men!). A very joyful performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6yIgN54R7k&feature=related a different choir no organ better photography and better
recorded but a slightly slower pace perhaps a bit stick-in-the-mud?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOqzE9e4gG4 a short cover version for two guitars.
The Messiah is an oratorio (a piece which tells a story from the bible). Oratorios have many short pieces (movements) within them
(solos, choruses, duets etc.) This is a chorus.
Handel was commissioned to write this piece by a Dublin charity. Most music was commissioned by royalty and the church at this time
so this is quite unusual.
A baroque pieceThe baroque era is 1600-1750
There are many more baroque features Ive mentioned them below.
Some of the
important features
of baroque music
in this piece are:

The use of the basso continuo (a

bass and chordal part that plays
throughout). In this case the
chordal part is played by an organ
(its church music) and the bass
part is played by a cello.

The fact that the piece uses major

keys (earlier music, much music
from other countries and some
modern music dont use the
major/minor system). The fact
that it changes between keys
(called modulation) and that it
uses diatonic chords (chords which

The fact that it is accompanied by

strings (there were other instruments
in a baroque orchestra, but the strings
dominated).

The fact that there is only one mood

(joyful) which pervades throughout

belong to the key).

the whole of the piece.

3 beats in a bar.

Some dotted rhythms (e.g. glory).

Some important features:

Tempo (speed),
rhythm and metre
(time signature)

Allegro (fast) do you think this

helps to create the joyful mood?
The whole movement ends with a
short Adagio(slow) section on
hath spoken it adds
seriousness?

(The slower Youtube version is

conducted very clearly in three
the Australian version is faster so
the conductor only beats on beat 1
for every bar). Dont be confused
by this. Its still in three.
Typically baroque use of a
hemiola* (feels like it goes into 2)
at some of the perfect cadences
(e.g. end of the introduction)

Performing forces

Tonality

A choir soprano (highest female

voice), alto (lower female voice),
tenor (high male voice), bass (low
male voice).

A baroque orchestra.Notice that

this orchestra only has strings
(violins play the highest two lines,
violas, cellos, double basses).

(see below for melismatic and

syllabic word setting)

Quite often the strings double the

choral parts.

Tonal (that is to say it belongs to

the major/minor system) as
opposed to modal like some folk
music or atonal (no sense of key)

In A major

And the glory always starts on beat 2.

Syncopation (emphasises parts of the
bar that would normally not be
stressed) used to create a rhythmic
kick from time to time (e.g. when
notes are tied over bar lines 0:30 on
the Australian version altos)

Supported by the basso continuo

(bass line and chordal instrument
cello and organ in this case). Ah so
strings and organ then

but it modulates (changes key) to closely related keys*

(see below) E major(the section from 30-45 secs in
Australian version) and B major(1:10 1:27)(both very
bright going up the circle of fifths), both major. All adds

like some modern music.

Harmony

Diatonic (the chords used

belong to the key i.e. not
chromatic)
The chords are mostly simple
chords I, II, IV, V and VI.
They behave in a fairly
predictable way (e.g. V usually
goes to I) this is called
functional harmony.

Melody

to the joyful feel.

Frequent cadences confirm the key
that the music is in. Cadences are
musical punctuation. They come at the
end of phrases. Perfect cadences(V I)
are most frequent e.g. at the end of
the introduction. But there are also
prominent plagal cadences(IV I)
e.g. at the end of the whole piece and
imperfect cadences (any chord V)
they dont sound finished and the music
is propelled forward. E.g. bar 82-83
together (1:25 Australian version).

Word setting.Some of the words

are set with one note per syllable
e.g. And the Glory called syllabic.
Some are set with several notes to
one syllable Revealed called
melismatic.

Also occasional suspensions used to

create a dissonance (clash) which
resolves to a complete chord. There
are several in the introduction.
Theres an example on the online
dictionary below (right at the end of
the example extract)
Occasional use of a seventh e.g.
V7(this means that an extra note has
been added to the usual three-note
chord).

Various melodies repeat throughout the piece

1) And the Glory - syllabic and based on an arpeggio
2) Shall be revealed melismatic and based on a descending sequence
(bar 18 is a note lower than bar 17)
3) And all flesh shall see it together repeats the same notes three times.
The notes are a descending scale covering the interval of a fourth.
4) For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Based on only 2 notes with
the first one acting as a pedal.

Texture

A wide variety of different textures

but the imitation is typical of this
Baroque style.(Imitation is
overlapping entries of the same
musical idea e.g. on Shall be
revealed.
Imitation always fits under the
umbrella of a polyphonic /
contrapuntal texture (where
several distinct lines combine)

Also

Also

Homophony where all the

performers play or sing the
same rhythm e.g. at the very
end hath spoken it and also
bar 33-38.

Monophony just a single line but itself

11-13 (the first entry of And the Glory
He also combines ideas e.g. And the
glory combines with Shall be revealed at
110-113. Another polyphonic /
contrapuntal texture.

Dynamics

There arent many dynamics written in the score, and where they do, they are either written as p (piano = quiet)
or f (forte = loud). This sudden change from one dynamic to another is called terraced dynamics and is a
typically baroque feature.

Mood

Joyful throughout. The idea of having

a single mood throughout was typical
of the era and was known as one
affect.

The joyousness is created by the major keys, the fast tempo, some of
the jaunty rhythmic features the hemiola, the dotted rhythms and the
fact that the main tune And the Glory starts on the second beat of the
bar.

Further Baroque listening:

Ive only chosen these pieces because I think theyre brilliant. Flick through and see if anything takes your fancy. Or maybe investigate
and discover some Baroque pieces for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVWgsNHoc_U - slow movt from Bachs double violin concerto. I used to play this with my
brother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__xJTE6hm88&feature=fvst - Vivaldi 4 seasons with Nigel Kennedy. When I first heard this I
thought it was the most exciting music I ever heard. Theyre all wearing sun glasses because its summer. (Obviously!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYnKIttobs&feature=related - first movement from Bachs keyboard concerto in D minor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r83ImAtVz1o - Crucifixus from Bachs Mass in B minor.
Famous tunes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-C5BztAbqw&feature=fvst Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Here she comes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmpDOWdsvWA Handel Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah. Whoop!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MYzkBiJn5Y Bach Air on a G string. One of the calmest and most beautiful tunes ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o&feature=related Bach? Toccata and Fugue very famous and very dramatic

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/resources/learnlisteningonline/atozdictionary/sosy.asp

Mozarts 40th Symphony 1st movt Molto Allegro (very fast) - 1788
A version conducted by Leonard Bernstein is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FLRcNJYSZE
Heres a much faster version:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l45DAuXYSIs&feature=related Which version do you prefer?
A symphony is a piece (usually with four movements) written for orchestra. The first movement of symphonies are usually fast, the
second slow, the third is often fast and in 3 beats in a bar, the fourth is often fast.
This is the first movement of a symphony.
Most classical symphonies were commissioned by royal or aristocratic households. Mozart actually wrote this one without a
commission (unusual!!).
A piece written in the classical eraThe classical era is approx. 1750-1800
Some of the
important
features of
classical
music are:

The use of sonata form. This

form enables Mozart to contrast
different moods the two main
themes (or subjects as they are
called) are in different keys.

Melodies which haveeven

phrases, often in a call and
response structure.

A classical orchestra the strings are

still important but there are more
woodwind and brass instruments:
flute, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and
horns. Sometimes the wind
instruments take the lead.

Like the Baroque period, the piece is

tonal. This piece uses major and minor
keys (the first subject is in G minor, the
second subject is in B flat major but it
also modulates to other keys). It uses
diatonic chords (chords which belong to
the key) sometimes the melody above
the chords has chromatic notes.

Some other important features:

Rhythm,
metre and
tempo

Marked Molto
Allegro: very fast

Performing
Forces

A classical orchestra
the strings are still
important but there are
more woodwind and
brass instruments: flute,
oboes, clarinets,
bassoons, and horns.
Sometimes the wind
instruments take the
lead.

In 4/4. This means 4 crotchet

beats in a bar. Because it is so
fast, conductors often conduct
it in 2.

Lots of different rhythms in this piece. The first subject

makes use of quavers and crotchets a lot. The second
subject has a slightly more laid back feel and starts with a
dotted minim.

There are two French Horns. One is in B flat. One is in G. At this

time brass instruments could only play a few notes (like a bugle).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAMmYJVwa2c&feature=related
(this is a short extract from a Mozart horn concerto. You can see that
there are no valves on the horn so hes making all the different notes
by changing his lips, the air pressure and the position of his hand
inside the bell of the horn).

Clarinets are a
new addition to
the orchestra.

Having horns in several keys means that Mozart could have more
notes played. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_horn

Structure and Tonality

Tonality

Tonal (uses major/minor system) as

opposed to modal like some folk music
or atonal (no sense of key) like some
modern music.

Structure

This is in sonata form

In G minor

.But it modulates to other places. Very importantly

it modulates to B flat major for the second subject
(bar 44). Carry on reading

Sonata form has 3 main sections: the exposition (the ideas are heard for the
first time), the development (the ideas are explored) and the recapitulation
(the ideas from the exposition are heard again).

Exposition (repeated)
Subject 1

G minor

Bridge (24 bars)

Tonality
related to
structure

Development

Recapitulation

Subject 2 Codetta Mostly explores material from

the start of the first subject

Sub.

Bridge

(51
bars)

B flat major

G minor

G minor

the bridge passage

is longer than it
was in the
exposition. Mozart
uses it to develop
material

the coda is more

developed than it was
in the exposition but
still ends with los of
perfect cadences

the codetta
consists of several
perfect cadences
[V-I]

Many keys starts in F sharp

minor which is a long way from
G minor (see closely related
keys grid below), later it
modulates through a circle of
fifths(keys a fifth apart see
the closely related keys grid
below) (e minor, a minor, d
minor, g minor, C major, F
major, B flat major)

Sub. 2

Coda

The fact that the second subject stays in G minor in the recapitulation (the tonic key) is an important feature of sonata form. It
reflects the classical ideals of order and balance.

Harmony

Melody

Diatonic (the chords

used belong to the key
i.e. not chromatic).

Functional (chords are used in predictable ways and help to move the music on or
establish the key). Proof of this:

but there are one or

two chromatic chords
(chords with notes outside
the key) e.g. diminished
7th (G sharp B D F)
second chord in bar 101.

Frequent use of pedals (repeated notes whilst the chords change over the top). Pedals
are either dominant (built on the fifth note of the scale there are quite a lot in the
development section and quite a long one at the end of the development section), or
tonic (built on the home note of the scale). The pedals in this piece are all dominant
(they help to push the music on).

Regular cadences (V-I perfect cadence at the end). The exposition ends on V7 (an
imperfect cadence).

Two very distinct melodies make up the first and second subjects.
The first subject (G minor heard right at the start)is
characterised by a repeated falling semitone (a musical idea
which plays a significant role in a piece is called a motif). The
firstphrase lasts for 4 bars and is then repeated a tone
down(this is called a descending sequence). This theme also has
scales and leaps in it.

The second subject (B flat major - starts at 0:42 in

the fast youtube version) is characterised by a
descending chromatic scale. In the first phrase the
scale lasts for only three notes, but then it is
immediately heard again with the scale lasting for
6 notes. It is played legato(smoothly).

During the codetta passage the falling semitone idea is heard

with much longer note values in the string parts this is called
augmentation (at 1:11 in the fast version). This is a rhythmic
and a melodic feature.
There are a lot of sequences (music which repeats but a step higher or lower each time) in this piece. (Listen to the
development from about 3:20)

Texture

There are lots of different textures in this piece.

At the start it is melody
and accompaniment.

Another important texture is polyphony

also known as counterpoint.

The violins play the

melody in octaves, the
divided violas play a figure
which outlines the chords
and the cello and double
bass play a tonic pedal on
the first beat of each bar
for 6 bars.

In the development section from bar 114

(3:32 in the fast version) the first subject
is heard at the same time as a melody
made up of quaver arpeggios and scales.
This is known as a countermelody.
When they are heard together the
texture is described as polyphonic or
contrapuntal. This countermelody is
staccato (the notes are short and
detached).

Classical music tends to

have a lot of melody and
accompaniment texture.
Dynamics

Mood

There are a lot more dynamics indicated in

this piece than in the Handel. These help to
create the contrasting moods.

Unlike the Handel,

sometimes a
crescendo (gradual
It starts very quietly(piano indicated by p) but increase in volume) is
marked in.
there are passages which are loud(forte
indicated by f).

The two themes enable Mozart to explore two different

moods. The first subject is rather anxious and stormy
created by the semitone repeated motif and the minor key.

Sometimes the music is in octaves:

from 1:05 on the fast recording (bar 66-72)
there is an ascending chromatic scale in
octaves followed by homophonic (everyone
has the same rhythms but there are a
variety of notes) chords. This is followed by a
descending scale in octavesat 1:09.
Sometimes the melody is shared between
the instruments: (the strings and the
woodwind in the second subject) this is
called antiphonal exchange.

There are also marks calledsfwhich stands

forsforzando (this is an accent).
mfpalso occurs. This means play moderately
loudmfbut then immediately cut down to
quietp. This also acts as a kind of accent.

The second theme is more relaxed created by the

legato (smooth) articulation, the major tonality and
the longer note values.

Further classical listening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcIqZoxV0sA&feature=related The first part of Mozarts requiem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgXUFnfKIY The first movement of Beethovens fifth symphony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtNqCI1Elx0&feature=related The last movement of Haydns surprise symphony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5RHDwdaanQ Extracts from Haydns Creation (another oratorio). Its in German. Right at the
start theres the bit about let there be light. A pretty good moment. Worth looking at the whole way through. All the woodwind
and brass instruments are like those which would have been played at the time (original instruments).

Chopin Raindrop prelude (1838)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhBx3_O9e9c this is a hideous, tinny version but it does show you how much that pedal A flat
(G sharp) occurs and also how many different octaves it is heard in. When it gets quite powerful in the middle section you can see
the pedal being played in several different octaves at once. Listen to it once (as far as you can before your ears explode) and then,
never again. Important moments: the very opening. 1:32: the beginning of the second section. 1:54 when the pedal is played in
octaves. 2:09 when the pedal changes (very briefly) to B. 4:00 where the A section comes back. Now listen to Horowitz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzYvoeQFVJw&feature=related Again, not brilliant sound (but better than the last one). This is
good to watch though, because you can see the pianists hands. You can see how the A flat/G sharp pedal is played. You can see
the way that the range of notes used is larger in the middle section.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh03YXzvDF4&feature=relatedThis is a good one! Played by Vladimir Horowitz (which is the
right kind of name for a virtuoso pianist Wikipedia say that he is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth
century. They also have a rather dashing photograph of him. This is probably a recording from 1973). Really nicely played (very
good attention to dynamics Mr Horowitz, A*). Also, if you like, you can follow the score as he plays and check out the A flat at the
start and the way at 1:33 it changes to G sharp (same sound spelt differently)! Rock n Roll!
This is a prelude. A prelude means something that comes before something else. In the romantic period, however, composers
wrote lots or preludes without anything after them at all. This is prelude no. 15 out of 24 (each in a different key and with each
depicting a particular idea or emotion). Essentially they were short, one movement pieces that were full of character. This one is
sub-titled Raindrop (that repeating A flat/G sharp pedal has a lot to do with the title).
Chopin was Polish who travelled around Europe during his career and spent much of his time in France. (He wrote this during a
storm in Majorca on one of his trips.) He was a very clever pianist (a virtuoso) who was famous as a performer as well as a
composer. He wrote almost all of his pieces for piano. He died at the age of 39 (1810-49).
Chopin was a freelance composer (he wasnt employed by a single prince or a church but could make his money by composing for
and teaching a variety of different people). He became quite wealthy. He preferred to give performances to small audiences in his
rooms.

A piece written in the romantic period (approx. 1800-1900)

The romantic era was mostly concerned with high emotion feelings, drama, the natural world, the supernatural, magic, mystery
Romantic features:
Long, lyrical
melodic lines.

Freedom in form

Dissonance and chromatic notes.

this is in ternary
form [A B A]
but the return to A
at the end is
relatively short

Lots of new chords (an extended vocabulary of

chords).

Strong and dramatic dynamic

contrasts.

For example they might take a normal chord and add

lots of extra notes Heres a posh sounding one
dominant 13th (normally chords just have a first, third
and a fifth).
Another new type of chord would be one which uses
notes from outside the key (a chromatic chord) e.g.
(another posh sounding one) an augmented 6th chord.
(Neither of these chords actually are in this work this is
known as background information!!)

The fact it has an element

of the natural world a
story-telling
(programmatic) element.

Lots of romantic music is hard to play

virtuosic

He wrote this during a

storm in Majorca.

All of the careful attention paid to tempo

and dynamics are typical of the era.

this piece isnt that hard but virtuosity is

a general feature of music from this time

A more sophisticated
piano (with more notes
and a greater capacity
for dynamic extremes).

On a different note (heh!), the

romantic orchestra was much
larger than the classical
orchestra.
(Again, background
information!)

Some specifics:
Tempo, rhythm
and metre

Perhaps the most important thing about

the tempo is the fact that it is performed
with rubato.
not strictly in time, with small alterations of
tempo to give a more expressive
performance
This is typical of romantic music. The
Horowitz version is full of subtle rubato.
The repeatingpedal A
flat/G sharp is played
in a constant quaver
rhythm.
This repetition helps to
create the raindrop
feel.

Structure

Pianists normally play this piece quite

slowly.

The piece has 4 crotchet

beats in a bar.

The marking at the top of the score is

Sostenuto which means sustained.

This time signature is

marked as C in the score.

This implies that the music should be

played legato (smoothly) so that the
melody can sound like a leisurely
song.

The C stands for common

as in most music is in
4/4

Very occasionally (e.g. bar 4) there is a

section with quite a lot of notes squeezed
into a crotchet beat.This feels improvisatory
(freely made up) especially when played
with rubato (0:14 of Horowitz version
there a seven notes here this is called a
septuplet).

The music slows down at the end.

9 bars before the end there is a
marking, slentando, this means that
the tempo should slow down. In the
last two bars there is a marking,
Ritenuto. This means that the tempo
should be held back even more.

This piece is in What is typically romantic about this ternary form is how unbalanced it is the middle section
ternary form
is much longer than the outer sections.
(A B A)

A (27 bars)

B (47 bars)

A (6
bars)

8 bar
codetta

D flat major

C sharp minor (tonic minor)

D flat major

Melancholy and lyrical

Stormy, dark

Melancholy and lyrical

Instrumental
forces

The piano had been invented in

the classical era but the
romantic piano was larger
(therefore louder), had more
notes and had sustaining and
soft pedals.

Dynamics

The dynamics are important in the

creation of the mood and cover a
widerange (from pp (right at the
very end) to ff (in the middle of the
B section).
The crescendo from quiet to ff in
the middle section helps to create
a menacing and stormy feel.
The quieter dynamics in the outer
sections add to the feeling of
melancholy.

Melody

It became an ideal romantic instrument

capable of extremes of dynamics.

Notice that this piece often calls

for the Ped. *this enables the
notes to continue to vibrate once
NB the melody is in the right hand for
the A section. For most of the B section the key has been lifted. It helps
to create the legato feel.
it is in the left hand.(Changes towards
the end).
The dynamics change very frequently.
These are sometimes indicated by
hairpins. This pair of hairpins makes
the music get louder (crescendoor
cresc.), and then get quieter
(diminuendo or dim.).

There
are also accents in the B section.
These help to emphasise some of the
notes.

Other dynamic markings include

sotto voceat the start of the B
section.
Sotto voce means beneath the
voice. This means that the pianist
should play quieter than before.
This hushed tone should provide a
contrast and therefore draw
attention to itself.
Smorzando means dying away
(used when A returns at the end)

The A melody is sad and lyrical

it starts with a descending major
arpeggio(falling raindrops and
sadness)- then slowly rises in a
long,lyrical (song-like) phrase.

The B melody is more threatening and

stormy. It is minor and mostly played in the
low register of the piano and in the left hand.

The A melody is played by the

right hand (the higher notes).

Both A and B melodies are played legato

(smoothly).

It starts with a 3 note rising scale which

becomes part of an ascending sequence.

Ornamented melody
e.g. the septuplet in bar 4
and the acciaccatura
(crushed note) just before
it.
Near the end there are 10
notessquashed into the
place of a crotchet.

Harmony

Quite a variety
of different
chords both
simple (at the
start) and more
adventurous (in
the middle
section)

Starts with
simple,
diatonic
harmony
(mostly V7
and I) making
use of
perfect
cadences

Later it has a typically romantic approach to harmony with added

chromatic notes
e.g. in bar 73 there is a C sharp minor chord with an added sharp 6th(dont
panic you dont need to know that for the exam) 3:53 in the Horowitz
version
andabrupt modulations (changes of key) particularly at the end of the B
section.
There are suspensionse.g. in bars 61-62 (3:15) (nice crunchy dissonances
that resolve beautifully) and also quite a lot of chromatic notes to add
colour. (This is all in the juicy bit at the end of the B section.)

The A flat/G sharp pedal is a harmonic device.Traditionally they are used to help establish the key this one has
two effects it helps establish the key and creates the rainy feel.
Given that the piece is in D flat/C sharp the pedal notes are the fifth note of each key therefore they are
called dominant pedals.
If a pedal is at the top of the texture it is called an inverted pedal. If is in the middle it is called an inner pedal. If
it is at the bottom it is simply called a pedal.
Tonality

The most important tonality point is the relationship between the key of the A section and the B section.
The A section is in D flat major. The B section is in C sharp
minor.
D flat and C sharp sound the same (are the same black note
on the piano). This relationship is called enharmonic.
The middle section is therefore in the tonic minor.

The music changes key (modulates) to other

related keys. E.g. in the A section there is a
passage in B flat minor. In the B section there is a
passage in G sharp minor and a brief trip to F
sharp minor.

Texture

By far the most significant texture

in this homophony or to be
precise melody-dominated
homophony.
This is because the lyrical tune is
prominent throughout and Chopin
doesnt draw attention away from
it by adding any other
countermelodies etc.

Mood

As this is a romantic piece the

mood is very important.
The opening section is rather
melancholy (despite the major
tonality).
This is created by the falling
arpeggio, the repeating A flat, the
slow tempo, the generally quiet
dynamics and the lyrical melody.

In the A section the melody is primarily

in the right hand. In the B section the
melody is primarily in the left hand (until
the end of the B section).
The only other texture of note is the
monophonic solo in bars 81 to 83 which
starts on the highest note of the piece
which breaks off the previous music and
leads to the ending codetta.

The B section, whilst still

homophonic (melodydominated), does have a
thicker texture (helping to
create the stormy feel).
There are chords in the left
hand (and sometimes in the
right). Also octaves are used
in both hands. All of this adds
to a sense of climax.

The B section is more stormy.

Make sure that you are clear

about how the repeatingA flat
The change to the minor key is
important to change the mood. The very / G sharp pedal adds to the
hushed start is rather dark and ominous. raindrop feel.
This crescendos to ff which adds to the
The repetition of the same
stormy feel.
note is important, as is the
short note value (quaver).
The generally low pitch including the
Raindrops are over quickly!
melody and chords in the left hand and
the thickening of the texture also adds
to this.
The repeating pedal sounds a bit like a
bell tolling.

You could also mention the

falling figure at the start
(falling raindrops) and the
stormy (slightly thundery?)
feel of the minor middle
section.

Other romantic pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCEDfZgDPS8 Night on a Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky - massive orchestra, lots of chromatic
notes, enormous dynamic range and its all about witches!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph3h2IJAsgk Swan Lake ballet music by Tchaikovsky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJJfEfP9JVk&feature=related Ma Vlast (My Country) by Smetana. An example of nationalism.
Smetana was a Czech composer. He wrote this piece to represent the river (Moldau in German) that flows through Prague.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyobDmGPhKI&feature=related Morning by Grieg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvm2ZsRv3C8&feature=related Fantasie impromptu by Chopin (very virtuosic and emotional)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmq5JBpFf9w Grand Galop Chromatique by Liszt (very virtuosic and silly?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aKAH_t0aXA Wagner The ride of Valkyries a famous bit of opera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLaY2VcIEqo&feature=related Madame Butterfly another famous bit of opera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVERlJgghOY&feature=related The slow movement from Dvoraks New World Symphony
(about America)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5C99JyP2ns&feature=related Elgars Cello concerto movt.1. Written in 1919 but still a
romantic work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEzdZ9G5q_0 Violin sonata by Franck. Very good example of imitation at the start! The violin
copies the piano a bar afterwards. This type of imitation is called canon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLtJmOHRJIQ and then http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFNsTlsDCro&feature=related
Schuberts String Quintet in C - slow movement (yum!)

Closely related keys (we had a lesson on chords that work well near to one another) this is exactly the same grid (it
works for keys and chords)
You absolutely dont need to know this off by heart but it might help when you are composing

Key sig.

This column can be ignored but it tells you about the

keys of some of the pieces you study.

6 sharps

F sharp major

D sharp minor

5 sharps

B major*

G sharp minor

In And the Glory: B major is the dominant of the

dominant.

4 sharps

E major*

C sharp minor

In And the Glory: E major is the dominant (fifth note) of

A major.
The middle of Raindrop prelude is in C sharp major it
modulates to G sharp minor and F sharp minor.

3 sharps

A major**

F sharp minor

And the Glory is in A major

Mozarts 40th development starts in F sharp minor.

2 sharps

D major

B minor

1 sharp

G major

E minor

0 sharps/flats

C major

A minor

1 flat

F major

D minor

2 flats

B flat major

G minor

3 flats

E flat major

C minor

4 flats

A flat major

F minor

5 flats

D flat major

B flat minor

The outer section of the raindrop prelude is in D flat

major and there is a modulation to B flat minor.

6 flats/6 sharps

G flat major/ F
sharp major

E flat minor / D
sharp major

(point of interest) G flat and F sharp are the same note

(enharmonic equivalents) and so it goes round and
round and round (parklife!)

Mozarts 40th symphony movt. 1 is in these keys first

subject G minor, second subject B flat major. A bit in the
development goes Em Am Dm Gm Cmaj F maj
B flat maj!! Notice how closely related they are! (Apart
from the bit in F sharp minor).

Area of Study 2: Music in the Twentieth Century

Schoenberg: Peripetie from Five Orchestral Pieces (1909)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCIz-_QFrs This is a recording of it, accompanied by lots of expressionist paintings.
This is an example of expressionism. Expressionism came about in the early decades of the
Twentieth Century.
It was a movement in art, poetry and music and was designed to express intense inner emotions.
Often not very comfortable to listen to/look at.
The evening glints with the sound

Although our extract was written before

World War I, a lot of expressionist art
responded to the horrors of the fighting.

Of deadly weapons, the forests, the golden plains

And the blue lakes, over which the sun
Darkly rolls.
Night encompasses
Fallen warriors; the wild muttering

Whilst expressionism was a way that composers dealt with their

feelings about their world (and also their inner world of intense
emotion) it was also a response to the way that music had been
developing over time.

Of their broken mouths.

During the romantic era it had become very chromatic and had
increasingly used more and more dissonance. Expressionism took
this trend and did it to extremes. If the romantic period was about
large contrasts and powerful emotion, then expressionism is about
extreme contrasts and overpowering emotion.

Ingested with the blood.

Now silently gathers in the grazing lands

A red cloud, the dwelling of an angry god

A cool moon and

Under it the roads run to putrid blackness.

Some important features of expressionism:

Atonal

Expression of intense emotion

no sense of key

Extremes of pitch
music uses the highest and lowest notes that
instruments can play

Extremes of dynamics

Relatively short pieces

very quiet and very loud

music with no sense of key is hard to

maintain for a long time

Timbre is as important as the melody that

they play
the sound of instruments is vital

Writing in an atonal style creates problems for composers.

They cant use repetition with modulation (repeating an idea but in a different key) to help organise the music.
In order to maintain atonality (no sense of key), they have to avoid traditional melodies.

Therefore expressionist composers had to find other ways of creating a way of organising their music. In this piece
Schoenberg uses something called a hexachord.
Hexachord information
Dont worry you dont need to say
all of this you need to know that it
exists and that it is important in the
structure of the piece.

A group of 6 notes
which can be
played as a chord
or arranged into
melodic ideas.

The notes in the hexachord can

be played in any order, played
at any octave and transposed
(so that the relationship
between the notes stay the
same but they are heard on
different pitches).

There are 12 notes in a

chromatic scale so the
remaining 6 notes are called
the compliment. The
compliment forms its own
hexachord and is treated in
the same way as the original.

Beyond the hexachord: As Schoenberg developed his atonal composing style he came up with a new system called Serialism.
This took all 12 notes of the chromatic scale and rearranged them into a note row. This could be transposed, played
backwards, forwards, inverted, played as a chord etc. Serialismwas influential and was used by other composers.

More detail:
Performing forces

This is written for an

enormous orchestra. There
are, for example, 6 french
horns. The tuba (very low
brass instrument) is also of
note. There is quadruple
woodwindthis means that
each woodwind instrument
has four distinct parts e.g.
there are 3 oboe parts and
a cor anglais part (the cor
anglais is a lower oboe). A
piccolo is a higher flute, a
contrabassoon is a lower
bassoon and a clarinet in D
is a higher clarinet. Theres
also a percussion section
including a tam tam (big
gong) and a bass drum.

Timbre (sound quality) is very important.

Things to remember: the use of muted brass,
divided (divisi) strings so that the cellos, for
example, play a chord rather than a single line,
strings sometimes play pizzicato (plucked) the
trumpets are asked at one point to play with
their bells up (to be more prominent). At the
start the trombones have to play a glissando
(gliss. - sliding). At one point the cymbal is
played with a cello bow. One really good
example is right at the end where the double
basses are asked to play divisi (a chord), with
mutes on (to be quiet), tremolo (special
technique to sound like shimmering) and with
their bows on the bridge (a special part of the
string which means that the sound will be
quieter than usual). So, you can see how
seriously Schoenberg takes sound.

Melody

Angular melodies with large leaps.

The sound that the melody is played
with (the timbre) is as important as
the notes used.

Large pitch
range

Another point which also

links to timbre (sound
quality), is the fact that
he writes music which is
often at the extremes of
the instruments range.
The first notes that the
cello and double basses
play are very high for
their instrument and so
sound unusual. The last
two notes that the tuba
plays go from a very low
note, to a very high note.
Schoenberg often writes
lines which leap across a
wide range so they are
very hard to play!

The melody often switches between

instruments so that it is constantly playing
but carried by different sounds. The word
Klangfarbenmelodie (tone-colour melody)
describes the way that different instrumental
colours contribute to a melody.

Tempo, rhythm
and metre

Tempo is used to
heighten the
expression
passionate (faster),
calmer (slower).
Quite often note
values shorten in the
faster sections (giving
an even greater
impression of speed).
The notes lengthen in
the slower sections.

Texture

Tempo also helps to structure the piece

There are occasional changes in
as it works by alternating between speeds. time signature (between 3/4 and
4/4) but the rhythms themselves
Sehr rasch means very quick. At bar 7 it
are very complicated.
is marked etwas ruhiger which means
somewhat calmer so the piece slows
down. Throughout the piece the tempo
changes back and forth fast (tempo or
heftig meaning passionate) calmer
(ruhiger) fast etc.
The clarinet solo is played with some
rubato (expressive playing not strictly in
time)

Complex polyphonic / contrapuntal

texture (a texture where there are lots
of different things all fighting for
attention going on at once).
In the score Schoenberg marks which
part is most important (he marks this
with an H) and second most important
(N).

Dynamics

You would be forgiven for thinking,

on first listening, that they are
random. But they are completely
not. Do avoid describing them as
random complex is a much better
word deliberately so, this isnt
music designed to make you feel
comfortable. Some rhythmic ideas
come back.

Sometimes there is a very sparse

texture with only a few
instruments playing. Sometimes
the full orchestra plays. The last
8 bars build from a monophonic
texture (just a clarinet) to full
orchestra before ending with a
quiet chord and a thin texture.

The dynamics are extreme and described in

great detail. They are an important part of
the creation of the mood.

Sometimes the
instruments have an
extended melodic line
e.g. the clarinet solo from
bar 10. Sometimes they
just add a single note or a
very short phrase to the
texture.

They sometimes change dramatically in a single phrase

towards the beginning theres a string part that goes from
fff (very, very loud) to pp (very quiet).

Structure

Structured in 5 sections broadly

described as rondo (A B A1 C A2) but
the A section is very different when it
comes back each time. It isnt really
recognisable as the same music but it
has a similar mood and orchestral
sound.

The underlying unifying principle is the use of the hexachords

(described above). One hexachord that is used and
manipulated a lot (to form melodies and chords) is heard in
the horns from bar 8 C, B flat, E, F, C sharp and A.

Tonality

This music is atonal (no sense of key) therefore no cadences, pedals, familiar-sounding melodies etc.
The atonality also means that Schoenberg needs the hexachords to help organise his music.

Harmony

Very dissonant (clashing)

Further expressionist music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6LyYdSQQAQ&feature=related Nacht from Pierrot Lunaire also by Schoenberg. This is
nicely odd. Good example of Sprechstimme (speech song typical of vocal expressionism)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGWai0SEpUQ&feature=related Very moving a description of a survivor from Warsaw
about World War II. By Schoenberg. A very clear example of how expressionism is used to explore deep inner feelings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5dOI2MtvbA A very short documentary about serialism. Good, I think although it does
use some big words toward the start! Ignore them if you dont know what they mean the general info is good.
http://musictheory.net/utilities/html/id98_en.html This is a way of working out a note row (that will only make sense if youve
watched the video above). Students have often found serialism a good method of composing. Its very structured.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0aRDarh9_0&feature=related A very short piece by Webern in the Serialism style. Check
out all of those dynamic contrasts and the fact that there isnt a prolonged melody. Probably best listened to as tiny moments
in time but there are rhythms that keep coming back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr3oKxNGCnE&feature=related A more lyrical piece. Still short.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwDRFD6kUo This is talking about expressionism and serialism. He goes through several
important points but hes not the most exciting speaker.

Leonard Bernstein: Somethings Coming from West Side Story (1958)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7sRdRrm_w A version from a film in 1961.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoELFSc_dmU&feature=related A studio take with Bernstein conducting. He gets a bit cross
with the singer (hes a famous opera singer).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TtUORAJhV4&feature=related A jazz trio version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUBzYsaRBMw Beautifully cheesy version with nice xylophone action!
This is from a musical. Whilst musicals emerged in the Twentieth Century, there is a long tradition of singing and dancing on stage.
The predecessors of modern music theatre were called Vaudeville, burlesque, opera-bouffe and operetta (light opera).
Musicals are written in many styles classical, jazz, rock.
This is influenced by classical music and jazz - particularly from latin America (the rhythms). Also influenced by a fast and dissonant
form of jazz called bebop. This sophisticated combination of jazz and classical, as well as the dark focus on social problems in
America (poverty and gang warfare), made this cutting edge stuff.
Musicals have various sections solos, duets, trios, choruses, dance numbers. Somethings coming is a vocal solo.
West Side Story is a reworking of Romeo and Juliet but set in the gang culture of New York. One gang is made of Latin Americans
and the other of white Americans. This is sung by Tony (Romeo), just before he meets Maria (Juliet) for the first time. Hes
anticipating a fight with the rival gang but he thinks something good might be coming too.

Important features in this music (and the whole musical) include:

Jazz-based harmony added
notes in chords forming
dissonances e.g. 9ths, 11ths.
Also blue notes e.g. flat 7 (see
below)

Extensive use of short

riffs. Theres something
due, any day etc. (0:45 in
film version). This riff is
heard in the
accompaniment and then
forms an important part
of the tune.

Syncopated rhythms gives a jazzy feel

(puts a kick on parts of the beat that
arent usually emphasised) and pushes the
music forward. If you listen to the studio
version (above) youll hear Jose Carreras
not coping very well with the syncopation.

Cross-rhythms (which feel like we are in

two different time signatures at the same
time) the middle section (around the
corner 1:50) uses long note values often
in triplets against the 2 time backing. The
syncopation in the opening main riff
against the straight 3 in the bass also feels
like a 2 against 3 cross-rhythm.

The interval of a tri-tone used throughout the

musical to represent dark moods. A tri-tone is an
interval such as F sharp to C. It sounds very
uncomfortable. In this piece it occurs in the tune all
over the place. After hes sung could be the
next line who knows stretches down from C to F
sharp before he slides up to G.

Polyphonic textures lots of

different layers to the
accompaniment texture
many of the parts work
independently e.g. the bass
ostinato at the start is
rhythmically very different to
the rest of the accompaniment

Long sustained notes in

the tune (sometimes),
against short, snappy
phrases in the
accompaniment. (For
example his long note
on knows against the
opening riff).

More details:
Performing
Forces

Tempo,
rhythm and
metre

Written for a
male singer the
higher of the
broken voices
a tenor.The speed
and the
syncopation make
this very hard to
sing (as you can
see on the
recorded version)

The accompaniment is played by a band/orchestra that would play in the pit (under the
stage). This is a relatively large pit band. It consists of 5 woodwind players (each player would
play several instruments each e.g. flute, clarinet and alto saxophone), 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2
trombones, 7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double basses, a drum kit, extra percussionists, piano and
guitar.

The tempo (176

beats per
minute) is very
fast and adds to
the excitement.

There are 3 beats in a bar

at the start but the fast
tempo makes it feel like
theres only one.

The double basses play the three note ostinato at the beginning pizzicato the bass clarinet
also plays this staccato.
The air is humming (2:25) is illustrated by the violins playing tremolo (when they make very
small shimmering movements with their bows).
Often the brass are muted.

Syncopation adds to the

excitement; typical of jazz.

The time signature changes from 3 into 2 at It may come

cannon-balling down through the sky. The change of time
signature gives the music a rhythmic jolt which suits the lyrics.
The middle section could it be? Yes it could is in 2.
It returns to 3 beats in a bar at the end.

Often accents on syncopated notes which

emphasise the exciting jazzy rhythms even more.

In the middle section marked warmly

Around the corner longer note values
add to the warm, more romantic, feel.

2 against 3 cross-rhythmsadds
to the rhythmic complexity.

Occasionally there are straight crotchet rhythms in the melody e.g.

Somethings coming. This gives the music a feeling of confidence
and certainty (something is coming!)

Structure

Ternary form

Intro

Not structured like

a normal verse
chorus song.

A Could be section starts in 3/4 briefly goes into 2/4 it may come cannon-balling then
repeats the whole section for verse 2. (0:40 1:18)
B Could it be? Yes it could includes the warm lyrical Around the corner 40-105 (1:18 B1 Will it be? Yes it will (shorter version of B) 2:10 2:35)
A1 Who knows? Its only just out of reach shorter version of A (2:35 3:04)

Melody

Tonality

Heavy use of tritone interval

throughout

Several different melodies with different characters are included in this piece.

(representing dark
themes) both in
this piece and the
whole musical

Two start on an insistent repeating note It may come cannon-balling and Somethings
Coming I dont know both are accented (marcato means with emphasis). These melodies
are strong and confident.

Two are based on a short repetitive riff theres something due any day and could it be? Yes
it could. Both make use of detached notes (staccato) and are full of excitement.

One is much more warm and lyrical Around the corner. It starts with a rising interval of a 5th
(rising intervals often signify hope), has much longer note values, and triplets. This is legato
and is full of hope for romance.

The A section is in D major.

The B section starts in C major
but modulates (changes key)
back to D for the lyrical Around
the corner section.
The piece ends in D major.

The tonality is undermined (we arent sure about the key) at various points by
adding notes or chords which are unusual or dont belong to the key:
In the first chord there is a G sharp which does not belong to the D major
tonality (D to G sharp forms a tri-tone). There are lots of examples of dissonant
notes like this.
The three note bass ostinato at the start is on D, A and E. Whilst the D and the A
would traditionally the used to outline D major, the E feels dissonant.

Harmony

Dissonance is
frequently used

Use of blue notes. Blue notes belong to jazz harmony and

include:

Added-note jazz
harmonies

e.g. added G
sharp to the D
major chord at
the start

flat 7 (in C major the 7th note is B, flat 7 is therefore B flat like in
bar 47-8 if I can wait). There are quite a lot of these in the piece
they add a jazzy feel and a sense of dissonance. The whole piece
ends with the melody on a flat 7 this gives a sense of uncertainty.

in the first two bars there

is a chord with an added
tri-tone, one with an
added 11th and one with
an added 9th

flat 5 (a tri-tone)

There are some chromatic chords used in the lyrical Around the corner for example in bar 95 there is an E flat
major chord even though we are in the key of D major.
The chromatic shifts at the end of the A section comin to me!-------- long note. The bass ostinato implies C major
but the chords slide onto F sharps at times (there arent F sharps in C major).
Texture

Dynamics and
articulation

A very busy texture. The vocal melody

dominates but the accompaniment is rather
complex usually several rhythmic strands
are heard at the same time. Repetitive riffs
and ostinatos often combine in the
accompaniment. So, melody with a
polyphonic accompaniment.

At one point it is monophonic (just the voice) at it may come

cannon-balling immediately after that the accompaniment is
homophonic bar 23-26 (0:52). These are staccato, syncopated
chords. They help to emphasise the words. The rest of the piece is
melody with the complex polyphonic accompaniment.
The lyrical section has a chromatic line which is very prominent.

A big range of dynamics which enhance the mood.

It starts pp (pianissimo very quiet) which adds to the
feeling of anticipation.
It crescendos to f (forte) on It may come cannonballing. Adding to the sense of confident excitement.

Dynamics for the staccato, riff based sections

tend to be very quiet (ppp at 107 (will it be? Yes
it will). The legato lyrical section has a variety
of dynamics suiting the feeling of warmth and,
perhaps, day-dreamy feel. But Somethings
coming is loud, confident and accented.

There is
a fade
out at
the
end.

Mood

Exciting: quiet dynamics,

Sense of impending darkness/uncertainty:
staccato, syncopated, very the use of the tri-tone, the melody ends on a
fast, use of ostinato.
flat 7 blue note.
Some confident sections
loud, sometimes with
straight (as opposed to
syncopated), rhythms.

Romantic and dreamy middle

section longer note values, legato
(smooth). A bit of word painting
the very high tremolo strings at the
air is humming.

Further listening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdB6CN7jww Maria famous song from West Side Story. When he sings the chorus the
interval between the first two notes of Maria is also a tri-tone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09BB1pci8_o An example of be-bop jazz (an influence on this check out the speed!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPtnx1RejX0 A clip which demonstrates some jazz harmony dont try to understand it in detail
but the general gist is look at all those added notes in the chords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJpAIOFN5WQ&feature=fvst - back to Chopin some good examples of cross rhythms in here.
The accompaniment is mostly in groups of three but the tune often divides into two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN4zVfOkNzA&feature=related A religious piece by Bernstein The Chichester Psalms you can
hear his interest in dissonance and unusual rhythms.
Other musicals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iTeDl_Wug Seasons of Love from Rent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liSrzc_OdDw Well did you evah? From High Society
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7kzsZreG0o&feature=related A gospel influenced track from Guys n Dolls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qq4bJvoQJM The worst pies in London Sweeney Todd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klZLfHAWfxE Pinball Wizard - Tommy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RuTt4iqcKw&feature=related We Will Rock You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY7Hh5PzELo Anything you can do Annie Get Your Gun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-fG8c-CMoU The Song That Goes Like This Spamalot

This is from a musical. Whilst musicals emerged in the Twentieth Century, there is a long tradition of singing and dancing on stage. The predecessors of
modern music theatre were called Vaudeville http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTrigy7UKk burlesque, opera-bouffe and operetta (light opera).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov4RMQQRRnw&feature=related
In America there were Extravaganzas which were variety shows. There were also minstrel shows. These were, essentially, racist shows in which white people
would black up. There were also melodramas which were plays with some incidental music.
The home of American musicals is Broadway. The home of British musicals is The West End in London. Some famous musical composers are Rogers and
Hammerstein (America 1940s and 50s they wrote The Sound of Music) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Britain from the late 60s to now Phantom of the Opera
etc.).

Electric Counterpoint Steve Reich (movement III fast) 1987

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ynOtr8X-ks This man multi-tracked all the parts and then did some nifty video work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l34m_bXONVs&feature=related Heres someone performing it to a backing track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIEDFEgZy8g&feature=related A cover version in a dance style by Royksopp
This is an example of minimalism here are some important characteristics of minimalism music:
Very repetitive

Gradual changes

Relaxing, hypnotic

These are some important techniques that composers use to create minimalism pieces (not all used in this piece):

Repetition of small musical cells

(ostinatos)

Layering the ostinatos combine and form

a complex texture

Drones

Static harmony sometimes there is only

one chord the whole way through a piece
or the chords change so slowly that you
dont get a sense of a chord sequence

Non-functional harmony chords change

but they dont follow the same patterns
(tonic, subdominant, dominant) as classical
music

The piece changes over time. It might do so in the following ways:

Melodic/rhythmic transformation (metamorphosis) the

pitches/rhythmgradually change
Rhythmic displacement an ostinato is repeated but gradually alters
which part of the bar it begins on (as a result, a different part of the
ostinato will be emphasised)
Phase shifting (gradually separating parts from an opening rhythmic
unison see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eutRXgOrdg&feature=related you can see how two players can get out of
phase and then, gradually, back into phase)
Addition/Subtraction (making a phrasemore/less complex byadding
notes/taking them away)
Augmentation note values are made longer
Diminution note values are made shorter
Changes in texture (adding/taking away parts)

Changes in dynamics

A bit of context: After the extreme dissonance of expressionism and serialism composers developed music in various different ways,
some wrote music that continued to push the boundaries of what instruments were capable of and did things like hit instruments
rather than strum them, or put nuts and bolts inside a piano. This was called experimental music.
Other composers reacted by creating music which was experimental in a different way. They were fascinated by repetition.
Because it was so interested in tiny sections which repeated and repeated and changed, the music they wrote was called
minimalism.
Some minimalist composers:
Steve Reich, Terry Riley, John Adams, La Monte Young. Dance music has influenced dance music composers (check out The Orb)
Steve Reich was influenced by: tape loops (especially getting tape loops to go out of sync), the repetition in African drumming,
Balinese Gamelan music and Hebrew chanting.
Important facts about Electric counterpoint:
Performing forces
and technology:

Composed for a soloist to

play along with a prerecorded multi-tracked tape.

The soloist would record the backing-track

before the performance and layer up all the
parts in a recording studio. Everything comes
from the solo performer.

This was composed specifically

for a jazz guitarist called Pat
Metheney.

The solo performer has various different roles within the performance:

At the start the soloist joins in with the main ostinato a few notes at a time (note addition)
Sometimes the guitar plays a resultant melody. This is a melody that happens when various ostinatos
are combined.
The solo guitarist is the first to play the strummed chords.

In total, the backing track consists of 12 guitar

The backing track is recorded in

Its very hard to get it

parts and 2 bass guitar parts. In the movement we

are studying, however, there are 7 guitar parts and
2 bass parts.

Minimalism
techniques used
in this piece:

stereo so that certain sounds

come from the left/right. The
two bass guitars are panned to
the left and right.

The piece consists of combinations of different ostinatos which interlock and

form a complex layered texture and create very interesting rhythms and
harmonies (e.g. the strummed chords are introduced by three different
guitars. Each guitar plays a slightly different chord sequence at a slightly
different place within the bar. As the strummed parts enter one by one
(gradual build up of texture), the resulting rhythms and chords become
increasingly complex.
Sometimes the guitar plays a resultant melody this is a melody that arises
from combining several ostinatos at once.

all in time.

Rhythmic displacement is
used. E.g. guitar 2 comes in in
bar 7 playing the first ostinato,
but one crotchet later.
Another 2 guitars enter with
the same ostinato but with
each one displaced by a
different amount the overall
effect is four-part canon.

The solo guitar part starts by using the note addition technique. (The soloist starts by playing just a few notes
from the ostinato but then adding notes until the full ostinato is heard once it has been built up a backing
track guitar then takes over that part and the soloist moves on to other things). Note addition is used
throughout the piece another noticeable time is when the bass ostinato is introduced the ostinato is
gradually built up.
Tempo, rhythm
and metre:

The
movement is
marked

The piece is in 3/2 which means that there are three minim
beats per bar. Sometimes the solo part is marked 12/8 which
means that there are four dotted crotchet beats per bar. 3/2

The ostinatos are syncopated

and have rests in them this
means that they form

fast. (There
are other
movements
in the
complete
piece at
different
tempos.

and 12/8 have the same number of quavers per bar (12), the
only difference is which part of the bar is emphasised. When
the two time signatures are marked simultaneously cross
rhythms occur.

interesting rhythmic
counterpoint when they are
combined.

Towards the end of the piece, the 12/8, 3/2 time change
happens every 4 bars.

Ostinatos are rhythmically displaced at the start this means that as the various guitars come in, the pattern
starts on a different part of the bar. This builds the music up into a canon.
Melody

The solo guitar part builds up using note

addition

Tonality

The key is deliberately vague (tonally ambiguous) at the start. It takes a while before the E tonality becomes
clear (not until the bass guitars come in). The piece is actually modal (it has D naturals rather than D sharps in it
D sharps would imply E minor)
The piece starts in E minor (although this
is not made clear at the start).

Structure

Highly repetitive based on ostinatos

The solo guitar sometimes plays a resultant melody (the

melody which occurs by combining several ostinatos at
once)

It changes key to C minor at bar

74 and then back to E minor.
These are not closely related keys
and the change between the keys
is abrupt.

Towards the end there are

frequent changes in tonality
from C minor to E minor. This
helps to build up the tension.

Forms into two large sections and a coda. Section A 1-73. Section B is 74-113 (this is
where the key changes start). Coda is 114-140 (this is the section where the texture
returns to the four-part texture).

The texture helps to define the structure of the piece sections are marked out by the addition of parts e.g.
when the bass enters and when the strumming begins.
Harmony

Non-functional harmony no
cadences etc.

Consonant harmony. The strummed chords, when they come in, are simple
(C, B minor, E minor, D and E5 A chord with only E and B in it).
As the various chords combine (they are heard at the same time) more
complex harmonies occur.

Dynamics

The dynamics are marked in the score. The backing guitars are
marked mf (moderately loud) at the start. The soloist is marked f
so that it is a little louder. There are crescendos (getting louder)
and diminuendos (getting quieter) marked at various points in the
piece.

The solo
guitar part
fades in and
out of the
texture.

The dynamics are also

dependent on texture
thinner textures tend to
be quieter (e.g. at the
start and when the
texture thins at the end)

The whole piece ends on a big crescendo.

Texture

The combination of different ostinatos forms a complex polyphonic texture.

The texture builds up slowly. A single guitar at the start.
Then the soloist comes in building up a line which is
taken over by a backing guitar. Gradually 4 backing
guitars enter with the solo guitar using note addition
techniques to introduce two of the backing guitar parts.
At bar 20 the solo guitar plays a constant line over the 4
guitar backing this is a melody which picks out notes
being played by the interlocking ostinatos (being played
by the backing guitars) this is called the resultant

The texture helps

to define the
structure of the
piece sections
are marked out by
the addition of
parts e.g. when
the bass enters and
when the

The texture thins back down at

the end back to the texture
heard near the start (a fourpart guitar canon with the
soloist playing the resultant
melody over the top)

melody.

strumming begins.

Some other things about minimalism:

According to a website I foundBjork once said in these busy times, the bravest thing is to be simple. Minimalism responds to the
complexity in technology and society. It encourages us to find beauty in simplicity and to look carefully. Less is more.
Some Art and Sculpture:

James Turrell The Inner Way

Sol LeWitt Corner piece No. 2

John McCracken Song

Art music minimalism:

Wheelbarrow Walk by Michael Nyman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwyhRTPxGnI&feature=related
Ludovico Einaudi Le Onde (The Waves) very popular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr4FN_DOpSk&feature=related
Different Trains by Steve Reich (a documaentary) uses speech, samplers. Music about travelling on train the trains to the death camps of the
holocaust and trains between divorced parents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhQfggqNuYM
John Adams Grand Pianola Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6vo4xTpHdA
George Winston a piece of music based on a simple, repeated chord sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDq0HqHXuq0
George Winston Cloud burst based on the technique of addition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dy_apBWeis
Philip Glass Einstein on the beach very interesting counting, simple background, somebody talking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs&feature=related
Philip Glass Mad Rush for piano http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1vMpkIRAjo&feature=related
Arvo Part choral spiritual minimalism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoUKV5khjTA
Terry Riley A Rainbow in Curved Air: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apxuRKWmEJs Amongst other things, this is on the record sleeve:
National flags were sewn together into brightly colored circus tents under which politicians were allowed to perform harmless theatrical games
/ The concept of work was forgotten
Also political: The Death of Klinghoffer by John Adams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAE3fsDz0I
Pop music minimalism:
Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOL1291ryKM
The Orb Little Fluffy Clouds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHixChYgGRI
Brian Eno By This River: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUyZgXN6DBQ
Autechre - Bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_P5S1Hb6I&feature=related
The Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows (based entirely around a drone with lots of tape loops, distortion etc. so no verse/chorus structures) -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3NcwfOBzQ

Miles Davis: All Blues from the Album Kind of Blue

The album version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW8UnTuy0pA&feature=fvw
A live version played by Miles Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFTp2O0ywyw&feature=related
Stevie Wonder on harmonica getting everyone to clap along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e5Q9jT3z9w
Buddy Rich Trio (Buddy Rich is a jazz drummer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e5Q9jT3z9w
George Benson (legendary jazz guitarist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaV-IdFK8DE
Doug Munro (another guitarist nice bass and drum solo) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa1R-lSzCaU
This is a jazz piece
recorded in 1959
Important features
of jazz are:

Typical jazz instruments used in this piece:

Rhythm section:

Piano
Drum kit (often with brushes
Upright bass (double bass) plucked (pizzicato)

Front line instruments:

Trumpet
Saxophone (theres an alto and a tenor saxophone in this recording).

The strong influence of

the blues. This is based on
the 12 bar blues chord
sequence.The chord
sequence in jazz music is
know as the changes

Swing Rhythm the humpty dumpty rhythm

A pre-written head
(main tune) followed
by improvised solos.
The head is played
again at the end

Tempo, rhythm and

metre

This piece is in 6/4 (six

crotchet beats in a bar) a waltz metre

Tonality

This piece is modal. Modes are scales which are

different to major and minor scales. Although the
key signature suggests that it is in G major, the F
sharp isnt used so it is modal.

Harmony

The piece has a laid

back moderate
tempo

The piece works by following a 12-bar blues chord

sequence (changes). The standard 12 bar blues
uses this sequence:

Rhythmic device:
Makes frequent use
of syncopation

Chords with
added notes
(7ths, sharp 9ths
see below)

Rhythmic device: Makes use of

swing quavers uneven quavers
the first of the pair is longer.

The flat chords below also show that the music uses
notes which are not in G major (and therefore are
modal).e.g. Flat VII is F A C
This is the chord sequence used in All Blues:
G7

G7

G7

G7

I/I/I/I

G/G/G/G

Gmi

Gmi

G7

G7

IV / IV / I / I

C/C/G/G

D7#9

G7

G7

V / IV / I / V

D/C/G/D

Eflat7#9 D7#9

(often with 7ths).

This blues piece has the following things in common
with standard blues:

This sequence uses:

substitution chords (chords which replace the

standard chords)

Melody

It is 12 bars long
It has a similar harmonic rhythm (the chords
change at the same point in the first 9 bars
and, at the end, they change faster)
Some of the chords are the same: The first
four bars are I7, the 7th and 8th chords are I7,
the 9th chord is a dominant (V) chord

The head (main tune) was

pre-composed. The solos are
improvised.
There are a mixture of steps
and leaps.

Structure

Most of the chords have 7ths.

Altered chords (chords with chromatic notes in
it):Eflat7#9is E flat -F sharp B flat D flat
(enharmonically C sharp)

The soloists improvise on scales which alter

according to the chord being played.
(E.g. the chord changes to G minor in the 5th
bar and so the soloist plays B flats, not B
naturals which are found in G major chords).

4 bars of bass, drum kit and piano

4 bars of Intro riff this is heard 9 times within the piece and
gives the performers and the listeners a bit of breathing space
between the solos
Head 1 muted trumpet
Intro riff

Most significant features:

The classic jazz structure of head

followed by improvised solos,
returning to the head at the end.

The fact that the whole piece,

lasting over 11 minutes, is based
on the repetition of a 12 bar blues
chord sequence. (Therefore no
key changes).

Contrast is provided by the

improvised solos each solo has a
different character and is played

Head 2 muted trumpet

Intro riff
Various solos all played above the same 12 bar blues chord
sequence. The solos generally last for 4 lots of 12 bars.
The first solo is trumpet (unmuted), then alto sax, then tenor

The head starts with an

interval of a rising major
6th this is heard several
times in the head.

sax, then piano (only 2 lots of 12 bars)

Head 3 muted trumpet
Intro riff
Head 4 muted trumpet

on a different instrument.

The intro riff is used as a bridge

between each head and also
between each improvised solo.

Intro riff
Coda trumpet solo which fades
Instrumentation and
use of instruments

Because improvisation is such an important part

of this music the performers are also
composing. They are able to demonstrate their
own style in their solo sections:
Rhythm section:

Piano Bill Evans

Drum kit Jimmy Cobb
Upright bass Paul Chambers

Front line instruments:

Trumpet Miles Davis

Alto Saxophone Cannonball Adderley
Tenor Saxophone John Coltrane

Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley and John

Coltrane are all well known jazz musician in their
own right.

Miles Davis trumpet is muted during the heads this

makes the sound quieter and more fuzzy. He uses a
wide range of notes. Sometimes he bends notes. Often
rather lyrical (long note values and lots of step-wise
playing).
The piano starts with a trill his playing alters
throughout as he supports the soloists Another name
for accompanying on the piano in this style is comping
often syncopated sometimes staccato - but it is
constantly varying he takes a solo towards the end
playing a melody in his right hand for the first 12 bars
the second 12 bars are chordal (homophonic).
The drum kit starts by using brushes for a quieter sound
but he moves to sticks. He keeps the swing rhythm
going. Occasional rolls on the snare drum.

The two saxophones play the Intro riff but also take solos. The alto sax solos after
Miles Davis lots of note bending, Cannonball Adderley uses a lot of arpeggios in
his solo particularly at the start. Also uses quite a lot of dissonant chromatic
notes. He plays with vibrato.
John Coltrane follows. The tenor sax is a lower pitched instrument. Includes
some very virtuosic playing fast runs. Quite a lot of dissonant notes. Plays with
less vibrato.

Texture

Melody and accompaniment there is always a

prominent melody.

The bass is played

pizzicato (plucked). It
plays the same pattern
all the way through the
piece.

The rhythm section (drum kit, piano and bass) support

the other players.

During the intro riff and whilst the trumpet plays the tune the two saxophone players play in homophony.
Articulation

A mixture of different articulations notice the staccato articulation changing to legato in the saxophone
riff. Within the 12 bar pattern the 5th, 6th and the last 4 bars are legato.

Mood

This piece is has a laid back feel. This is because:

the tempo feels quite slow (whilst the crotchets go past at 156 beats per minute, the bar feels like it
has 2 slow beats per bar slower than a second. So whilst the time signature is 6/4 it feels like a
slow 2.)

the swing rhythm and the lazy syncopation adds to the laid back feel.

Miles Davis uses a mute for the heads trumpet therefore quite quiet

the repetition in the intro riff and of the 12 bar blues sequence and of the bass part

the playing is often quiet

the modal improvisations

Further listening:
Charles Mingus Goodbye Porkpie Hat Another 12 bar blues piece with a great tenor sax solo at the start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXcRFAJDF0c&feature=related
Oscar Peterson Night Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvc5tSqak2Q
Cannonball Adderley gospel inspired track.Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRrFWp4DUho
John Coltrane Giant Steps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRrFWp4DUho
Keith Jarrett Koln Concert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wivo94ylmhE
Abdullah Ibrahim African Marketplace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuMvHgZnl4A
Ella Fitzgerald One note Samba (fantastic scat singing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbL9vr4Q2LU&feature=related
Sarah Vaughan Pennies From Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYxlUqyB7bY&feature=related
Jaco Pastorius bass player funk - The Chicken (complete with steel pan solo): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgntkGc5iBo
Herbie Hancock Canteloupe Island: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrgP1u5YWEg
Pat Metheney Last Train Home (is that drum kit strictly necessary?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g6nPYyIS_I

Louis Armstrong When The Saints Go Marching In http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUASOK8U5cg&feature=related

Winton Marsalis Caravan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjhqTFZtAaQ&feature=related
Dave Brubeck Take Five: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwNrmYRiX_o
Portico Quartet Up for 2010 Mercury Prize Line - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM6hPuui-l8
The Bad Plus And Here We Test Our Powers of Observation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OruzDa0He-g
Trombone Shorty Bap Bap - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fdloisuea0&feature=related
Finn Peters (jazz flute) Afroharp - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkUdj3W0iE&feature=related

Jeff Buckley: Grace from the album Grace

Album Version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAuBkLAYMQ&ob=av2e
Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7blE6kXsI&feature=related
A documentary from about 7 mins it talks about Grace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T9wWb7aHns&feature=related there
are six of them if you want to see them all.
A rock musician with loads of influences: he had played in punk,
reggae and metal bands. His dad was a folk musician. He was
interested in Pakistani spiritual music and experimental music.

A superb guitarist interested in layering lots of guitars to create

interesting soundscapes (manipulating sounds and textures to
create an interesting atmosphere).
He died in 1997.

Key points:
The album was
released in 1994.

Guitar based:

His band had a drummer, bassist and two

guitarists.
Use of electric and acoustic guitar
Guitar techniques such as sliding and use of
Whammy bar.
Use of power chords
The structure uses verse and chorus but with
intro, links, a middle 8, pre-choruses and an
outro. The whole thing builds to a climax.

Uses technology extensively:

There are more than just four parts playing on

the recording extra parts have been recorded
over the main instrumental parts - overdubs.
The main parts were recorded in one studio,
the overdubs were done elsewhere.
Use of technical effects: delay, EQ, flanger

Jeff Buckley is an impressive vocalist he ends with

some very high vocal improvisations which go to a top
G (above the treble clef stave). For this he uses
falsetto.

Raga Desh in three different performances by:

Anushka Shankar (Sitar)
Chiranji Lal Tanwar (voice) in Mhara janam maran
Benjy Wertheimer (esraj and tabla) and Steve Gorn (bansuri)
Key elements:
Melody vocal/sitar/sarod/bansuri/sarangi some set compositions (gats or bhajans) but much Indian music is
improvised. Each piece is based around a single raga (somewhere between a scale/melody/representation of a time of the
day). Our raga is a night time raga called raga desh it has a mood (a rasa) of romance, devotion and longing. The system of
naming the notes Sa Re Ma etc. is called Sargam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDsu5QWhpo&feature=related Ravi
Shankar sings to his daughter in Sargam in order to teach her. This teaching which is done via the voice and in which nothing
is written down is called the oral tradition. Sliding between notes (string bending known as Meend) is an important part of
melody. Fast scales are known as tan.

Rhythmic cycleThe rhythmic cycles upon which Indian music is based are called tala. Whilst the opening section does not
have a sense of pulse (notice that the opening sections dont have any percussion instruments), the rest of the music does. All
of the instruments (percussion and melody) are aware of the tala. There are many different tals which last for different
numbers of beats e.g. 7, 16 etc. The beats are arranged into smaller divisions like bars. The Indian name for a single beat is a
matras. The first beat of each cycle is called the sam. The rhythms are also taught via the oral tradition. The vocalization of
the drum patterns is called bols: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asd8N5ZaT8Y&feature=related. A modern piece based
on bols: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdIqbaYPFqw. The most frequently heard percussion instrument is the tabla.
Drone Unlike in Western classical and pop music there are not chords in Indian classical music. Instead the music is
underpinned by a drone often played by the tambura. The drone is usually on Sa and Pa (tonic and dominant).
Structure the raga performance usually has a structure based on defined sections: ALAP (slow, no sense of regular pulse,
improvised), JHOR (steady pulse established, improvised, more rhythmic and elaborate playing, faster than the alap), JHALLA
(third section lively tempo, virtuosic, improvised, climactic), GAT/BANDISH (a bandish is the name for a song the type of
devotional song we study is called a bhajan) (Anyway! A Gat/Bandish is a fixed pre-composed melody/song moderate to
fast tempo musical dialogue takes place between the instrumentalist and the drummer). Not all pieces have all of these
sections. A performance can be really long (over 5 hours in some cases!)

Instruments and performers:

Version 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDsu5QWhpo&feature=related A sitar is a fretted string instrument with sympathetic
and drone strings. Ravi Shankar is probably the most famous sitar player. His daughter Anoushka Shankar also plays the
Sitar and it is her version that we hear on the GCSE CD. This is an extract which sees Ravi teaching his daughter using the oral
tradition (through singing). The syllables that he uses tell her which notes of the raga to play. The drone in the background
is provided by a tampura. The tala (rhythmic cycle) is played by the tabla (starting at 4:00).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5lJ0d0N2UE&feature=related some sitar techniques including bending strings called
meend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh3DjTbhb6o Basic information about the tabla(found in all of the pieces).

Version 2:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chiranji-Lal-Tanwar/dp/B001JI6QNW You can hear short extracts of Chiranji Lal Tanwar
singing here. http://www.amazon.com/Mhara-Janam-Maran-Ra-Saathi/dp/B001KEJJ9S This is the actual extract.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfB70AQiAas&feature=related someone having a singing lesson using the oral tradition.
The vocal piece also has a sarod, sarangai, pakhawaj and cymbals in it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Gh93hjjrA A sarod (a plucked string instrument with sympathetic strings and no frets)
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/sarangi.html A sarangai - a bowed instrument. Have a look at the videos.
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/pakhawaj.html A pakhawaj is a double headed drum.
Version 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkBYyRZYD94&feature=related This is Benjy Tanwar playing the tabla (2 hand drums)
with a guitarist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yecQsOHYaeA This is an esraj bowed fretted string instrument with sympathetic and
drone strings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD1u095Z6CE&feature=related This is Benjy Tanwar singing. Hes got an esraj in his
hand but hes not playing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5SMAi6yyg This is Steve Gorn playing bansuri an Indian flute.
This piece also has a tampura (also spelt tambura) which is a drone instrument:
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/pakhawaj.html watch the last video.
Rhythmic cycles - Tala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asd8N5ZaT8Y&feature=related Children learning a tala using the oral tradition they

say the syllables bols.

http://chandrakantha.com/tala_taal/jhuptal_jhuptaal/jhaptal.html Anoushka Shankars first Gat (fixed composition) is in
jhaptal (10 beat cycle) this breaks into 2 +3 + 2 + 3. Watch the videos for examples.
http://chandrakantha.com/tala_taal/teental_tin_taal/tintal.html Anoushka Shankars second Gat (fixed composition) is in
tintal (16 beat cycle) this breaks into 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. Watch the videos for examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVTv6Hh1jw0 Rupak tal (the first gat in Wertheimer and Gorns version is in rupak tal) 7
beat cycle breaks into 3 + 2 + 2 also see http://chandrakantha.com/tala_taal/roopak_rupaktal/rupak.html
http://chandrakantha.com/tala_taal/kaherawa_kherwa/kaherva.html Keherwa tal (Chiranji Lal Tanwars version is in this 8
beat tal cycle it divides into 2 + 2 + 2 + 2). Watch the videos for examples.
http://chandrakantha.com/tala_taal/ektaal_ek_taal/ektal.html (the first gat in Wertheimer and Gorns version is in ektal tal).
A 12 beat cycle it divides into 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2. Watch the videos for examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1cwVGUowhU&feature=related Tihai are tabla flourishes used at the end of sections.
The final phrase (from 0.37) is repeated 3 times, goes across the beat and lands on beat one of the cycle (sam). This is called a
tihai and is a feature of tabla playing to indicate the end of a section. They are found in the sitar and bansuri versions.
Scale/melody Raga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_eolZ2Qqg&feature=related a lesson in raga a scale/melody which is linked to a time
of day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfhj7Kjeiy8&p=FB3E11E1C6596F35&feature=BF&index=6 more about ragas relating to
times of the day.
http://chandrakantha.com/raga_raag/desh/desh.html Information about Raga Desh - a beautiful and romantic night time rag.
The words of the song version reflect this feel. They can be translated as: You are my companion through life and death and I
cannot forget you night and day. My heart pines for you and I feel totally restless when I am not able to see you. It is about
waiting in the night for the arrival of Lord Krishna (next morning).
Notice that the raga is different on the way up to the way down. Way up: C D F G B C Way down: C B flat A G F E D (E) C. The

syllables underneath Sa Re Ma etc. are how melodies are taught (see Anoushka Shankar clip above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW2nBsh23Zo&feature=related A performance of Rag Desh with sitar as the solo
instrument.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sT3DJsUIzo&feature=related A song based on Rag Desh
Structures in Indian music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQPXOf5HKc A sitar player playing an alap (look at all of the note bending). Notice that
there is no regular sense of pulse. It is a slow exploration of the notes of the raga and happens at the start of a piece. It is
improvised. All three of the versions which we study start with an alap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omoWPdr2PjQ how to play jhala (a climactic, fast section where the drone strings
chakari are strummed rhythmically). Anoushka Shankars version ends with Jhala.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUtEBzgdOQc&feature=related another lady telling us about jhala.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0TqoDPEAawGats are pre-composed pieces of music rather than music which is
improvised on the spot. They often happen after the alap. They are in Anoushka Shnkar and Wertheimer and Gorns versions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwuejSB2pZg A bhajan is the name for an Indian devotional (religious) song. Chiranji Lal
Tanwars Mhara janam maran is a devotional song like a Gat it is a fixed composition.

Chopin was Polish who travelled around Europe during his career and spent much of his time in France. (He wrote this during a
storm in Majorca on one of his trips.) He was a very clever pianist (a virtuoso) who was famous as a performer as well as a
composer. He wrote almost all of his pieces for piano. He died at the age of 39 (1810-49).
Chopin was a freelance composer (he wasnt employed by a single prince or a church but could make his money by composing for
and teaching a variety of different people). He became quite wealthy. He preferred to give performances to small audiences in his
rooms.

A piece written in the romantic period (approx. 1800-1900)

The romantic era was mostly concerned with high emotion feelings, drama, the natural world, the supernatural, magic, mystery
Romantic features:
Long, lyrical
melodic lines.

Freedom in form

Dissonance and chromatic notes.

this is in ternary
form [A B A]
but the return to A
at the end is
relatively short

Lots of new chords (an extended vocabulary of

chords).

Strong and dramatic dynamic

contrasts.

For example they might take a normal chord and add

lots of extra notes Heres a posh sounding one
dominant 13th (normally chords just have a first, third
and a fifth).
Another new type of chord would be one which uses
notes from outside the key (a chromatic chord) e.g.
(another posh sounding one) an augmented 6th chord.
(Neither of these chords actually are in this work this is
known as background information!!)

The fact it has an element

of the natural world a
story-telling
(programmatic) element.

Lots of romantic music is hard to play

virtuosic

He wrote this during a

storm in Majorca.

All of the careful attention paid to tempo

and dynamics are typical of the era.

this piece isnt that hard but virtuosity is

a general feature of music from this time

A more sophisticated
piano (with more notes
and a greater capacity
for dynamic extremes).

On a different note (heh!), the

romantic orchestra was much
larger than the classical
orchestra.
(Again, background
information!)

Some specifics:
Tempo, rhythm
and metre

Perhaps the most important thing about

the tempo is the fact that it is performed
with rubato.
not strictly in time, with small alterations of
tempo to give a more expressive
performance
This is typical of romantic music. The
Horowitz version is full of subtle rubato.
The repeatingpedal A
flat/G sharp is played
in a constant quaver
rhythm.
This repetition helps to
create the raindrop
feel.

Structure

Pianists normally play this piece quite

slowly.

The piece has 4 crotchet

beats in a bar.

The marking at the top of the score is

Sostenuto which means sustained.

This time signature is

marked as C in the score.

This implies that the music should be

played legato (smoothly) so that the
melody can sound like a leisurely
song.

The C stands for common

as in most music is in
4/4

Very occasionally (e.g. bar 4) there is a

section with quite a lot of notes squeezed
into a crotchet beat.This feels improvisatory
(freely made up) especially when played
with rubato (0:14 of Horowitz version
there a seven notes here this is called a
septuplet).

The music slows down at the end.

9 bars before the end there is a
marking, slentando, this means that
the tempo should slow down. In the
last two bars there is a marking,
Ritenuto. This means that the tempo
should be held back even more.

This piece is in What is typically romantic about this ternary form is how unbalanced it is the middle section
ternary form
is much longer than the outer sections.
(A B A)

A (27 bars)

B (47 bars)

A (6
bars)

8 bar
codetta

D flat major

C sharp minor (tonic minor)

D flat major

Melancholy and lyrical

Stormy, dark

Melancholy and lyrical

Instrumental
forces

The piano had been invented in

the classical era but the
romantic piano was larger
(therefore louder), had more
notes and had sustaining and
soft pedals.

Dynamics

The dynamics are important in the

creation of the mood and cover a
widerange (from pp (right at the
very end) to ff (in the middle of the
B section).
The crescendo from quiet to ff in
the middle section helps to create
a menacing and stormy feel.
The quieter dynamics in the outer
sections add to the feeling of
melancholy.

Melody

It became an ideal romantic instrument

capable of extremes of dynamics.

Notice that this piece often calls

for the Ped. *this enables the
notes to continue to vibrate once
NB the melody is in the right hand for
the A section. For most of the B section the key has been lifted. It helps
to create the legato feel.
it is in the left hand.(Changes towards
the end).
The dynamics change very frequently.
These are sometimes indicated by
hairpins. This pair of hairpins makes
the music get louder (crescendo or
cresc.), and then get quieter
(diminuendo or dim.).

There
are also accents in the B section.
These help to emphasise some of the
notes.

Other dynamic markings include

sotto voceat the start of the B
section.
Sotto voce means beneath the
voice. This means that the pianist
should play quieter than before.
This hushed tone should provide a
contrast and therefore draw
attention to itself.
Smorzando means dying away
(used when A returns at the end)

The A melody is sad and lyrical

it starts with a descending major
arpeggio(falling raindrops and
sadness)- then slowly rises in a
long,lyrical (song-like) phrase.

The B melody is more threatening and

stormy. It is minor and mostly played in the
low register of the piano and in the left hand.

The A melody is played by the

right hand (the higher notes).

Both A and B melodies are played legato

(smoothly).

It starts with a 3 note rising scale which

becomes part of an ascending sequence.

Ornamented melody
e.g. the septuplet in bar 4
and the acciaccatura
(crushed note) just before
it.
Near the end there are 10
notessquashed into the
place of a crotchet.

Harmony

Quite a variety
of different
chords both
simple (at the
start) and more
adventurous (in
the middle
section)

Starts with
simple,
diatonic
harmony
(mostly V7
and I) making
use of
perfect
cadences

Later it has a typically romantic approach to harmony with added

chromatic notes
e.g. in bar 73 there is a C sharp minor chord with an added sharp 6th(dont
panic you dont need to know that for the exam) 3:53 in the Horowitz
version
andabrupt modulations (changes of key) particularly at the end of the B
section.
There are suspensionse.g. in bars 61-62 (3:15) (nice crunchy dissonances
that resolve beautifully) and also quite a lot of chromatic notes to add
colour. (This is all in the juicy bit at the end of the B section.)

The A flat/G sharp pedal is a harmonic device.Traditionally they are used to help establish the key this one has
two effects it helps establish the key and creates the rainy feel.
Given that the piece is in D flat/C sharp the pedal notes are the fifth note of each key therefore they are
called dominant pedals.
If a pedal is at the top of the texture it is called an inverted pedal. If is in the middle it is called an inner pedal. If
it is at the bottom it is simply called a pedal.
Tonality

The most important tonality point is the relationship between the key of the A section and the B section.
The A section is in D flat major. The B section is in C sharp
minor.
D flat and C sharp sound the same (are the same black note
on the piano). This relationship is called enharmonic.
The middle section is therefore in the tonic minor.

The music changes key (modulates) to other

related keys. E.g. in the A section there is a
passage in B flat minor. In the B section there is a
passage in G sharp minor and a brief trip to F
sharp minor.

Texture

By far the most significant texture

in this homophony or to be
precise melody-dominated
homophony.
This is because the lyrical tune is
prominent throughout and Chopin
doesnt draw attention away from
it by adding any other
countermelodies etc.

Mood

As this is a romantic piece the

mood is very important.
The opening section is rather
melancholy (despite the major
tonality).
This is created by the falling
arpeggio, the repeating A flat, the
slow tempo, the generally quiet
dynamics and the lyrical melody.

In the A section the melody is primarily

in the right hand. In the B section the
melody is primarily in the left hand (until
the end of the B section).
The only other texture of note is the
monophonic solo in bars 81 to 83 which
starts on the highest note of the piece
which breaks off the previous music and
leads to the ending codetta.

The B section, whilst still

homophonic (melodydominated), does have a
thicker texture (helping to
create the stormy feel).
There are chords in the left
hand (and sometimes in the
right). Also octaves are used
in both hands. All of this adds
to a sense of climax.

The B section is more stormy.

Make sure that you are clear

about how the repeating A flat
The change to the minor key is
important to change the mood. The very / G sharp pedal adds to the
hushed start is rather dark and ominous. raindrop feel.
This crescendos to ff which adds to the
The repetition of the same
stormy feel.
note is important, as is the
short note value (quaver).
The generally low pitch including the
Raindrops are over quickly!
melody and chords in the left hand and
the thickening of the texture also adds
to this.
The repeating pedal sounds a bit like a
bell tolling.

You could also mention the

falling figure at the start
(falling raindrops) and the
stormy (slightly thundery?)
feel of the minor middle
section.