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Debussy 1862-1918 Lapres-midi dun faune End 19th C.

. Impressionism (late romantic) borrowed from painting 1892-4 Biography short one read it Wagner influence was minimal Illustration of Mellarmes poem Danced by Nijinsky, Russion Ballet Dancer faune and 2 nymphs storyline A faune observing nymphs in midday sun, B passion aroused, frightens nymphs C faune returns to sleep Not a prelude to anything, more like a tone poem (programme music describes an event, etc) Creation of a new musical language: Evoking mood, atmosphere, not a story Vague, elusive harmonic progressions., depicting heat and languour harmonies lose traditional function Tonality vague and chromatic, not a great sense of established key nor tonal centre - Emajor ? C#m? (Quartal harmony 4th superimposed on one another - piano music) (Aeolian Mode - A-A, white notes piano music) Woodwind at beginning in Dorian mode (but on C#)- triad of C#m + 6th (A#) foll by Bb7 Lack of Cadences Not traditional progressions chords not prepared, nor leading to resolution, Each chord existing in its own right - appear from nowhere, then dissolve Diatonic major and minor scales do not exist. Whole tone scale suggested Parallel harmonies Homophony variety - block chords Sur la touche or sul tasto (over the fingerboard) special effect by strings Melodic line chromaticism negates sense of tonality, fragmentary and fluid, shared between instruments Melodic variation, rather than devlopment of motifs (Wagner) Rich colourful harmonies keys of the music obscure Swing between C# and G ambiguous tritone/dim 5th Subtle orchestral textures 2 harps, divided strings, flute and harp doublings, harp harmonics. Atmosphere created by colour, tone, texture. No clearly defined phrases/structures Melodies often short motifs, a musical mosaic Rhythm complex, regular pulse not easily defined because of duplets against the compound rhythm, fluid rhythmic schemes, triplets, syncopation, no time bound metre, irregular subdivisions of beat Later passages Db major established, uninterupted , tighter rhythmic scheme more regular phrasing scheme, some orchestral tutti, more soloistic approach elsewhere Parallel movement of 7th chords, whole tone hints, and 7th chords accompanying melody Also use of 9ths and 11ths in parallel motion NB Organum Successions of chords rather than progressions, unrelated discords, suspended harmonic colours Same theme returns with various rhythmnic and melodic variants does not develop motifs Opening flute theme unaccompanied rep panpipe - lower register incl aug 4th (tritone) (bar 1) Orchestral colour most important, more so than hints of themes and vague keys. Nothing like this had been heard before - miracle of delicate orchestral effects Colours of timbre and harmonic, melodic and rhythmic factors Scoring 3 flutes, 2 oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 bassoons, 4 Horns in F, 2 harps, 2 antique cymbals tuned E & B strings often divisi (no other brass or percussion) Orchestration precision and clarity, not full-voiced romantic climax. Ranging from the evocative and delicate to exciting and complex

Subtlety in sliding from one texture to another, no abrupt changes. Consider difference between functional and non-functional harmony find examples Consider the tonal ambiguity of, e.g., bars 1 - 20 Consider - Why might this piece be considered the beginning of modern music Compare 1 30 with 79-93 Consider - Why is this music described as Impressionist. Debussy Lapres midi dun faune - analysis Ternary form - A B A - in 3 sections (with coda) A 1 54 B55-78 A 79 end Note the 7 themes/motifs (a) to (g)

A1 sharp keys, centred on E major - chromatic, modal, whole-tone and pentatonic melodies 1-4 4 5 - 10 11-14 13 15 19 20 21 23 26 27 28 29-30 31 33 32 34 36 A sensuous timbre engineered - Unique opening -flute solo melody (a) monophonic, chromatic, and low register comes to rest on A# changing to oboe and 4 part ww then from mid reg ww to low reg muted stringx Woodwind includes Aug 4th and harp glissando Dorian mode, but on C#, triad C#m + 6th (A#) (C#, E G#, A# - a half-diminshed 7th compare with Wagner Tristan chord p. 33) Harp glissando, soft horns & sordini strings - a Bb7 chord not a proper resolution as it is an unrelated chord, dark muted colour. Double basses playing root are not muted 2-part counterpoint melts into 5 part string chords, then Flute melody again (a) with string divisi tremolo accompaniment sul tasto (over fingerboard) opening chord D major 7 gentle rustling effect Horns figure (b) overlap with flute figure and a glimpse of E major V13 - I Oboe starts undulating figure (c) with 1st vlns divisi octaves, tremolo strings and return to natural position Clarinet solo last bar of (c) , a quaver figure which reoccurs 48-50 Solo flute figure (a) with arabesques, lengthens first note, adds demisemiquaver triplet decoration, harp accomp, low sustained horn notes E major chord added 6th to C major melody, shorter note lengths (V7 here does not function) V9 of E major ( B9), and in Bar 26 V9 of A major (E9) Variants of (a) arabesque - Faster version of bar 1, 2nd flute imitating, then unison Triplet figure (d) which is a continuation of (a) becomes important later in middle section and strings in parallel 4ths and 5ths Cedez ( draw back) Perfect Cadence V13 I in B major Here B major is established Clarinet then flute enters with arabesque like figure (e) long note to start, then up and down, whole tone scale melodic range compressed from Aug to Dim 4th in 31 and 34 Sans trainer do not drag Strings remove mutes, change of timbre, loud pizz. chords and soft bowed chords 3 Harp arpeggios foll by acciaccatura chords 3 bar unit decorated

A2 37 41 44 - 54 44 45 46-47

Another figure on the oboe(f) , diatonic undulating arabesques, ending with oboes and cor anglais in octaves, crotchets and quavers en animant Strings play (f) 11th higher, 1st violins playing the theme in octaves Toujous en animant - Modulatory section 10 bars - provides link to middle section (Db major) Flute and oboe take over (f) Imitated by strings Orchestra gradually getting fuller Horns play (b), violins playing a variant of (a)

48-50 51-54

Part of (f) first heard in bar 4 , rising instead of falling, in many instruments with addition of harp harmonics (An augmentation of quaver figure 18 20) Clarinet solo, variant of (b) with violin crotchets Perfect cadence Ab - Db

B - Middle Section - flat keys centre on Db major very distant from E major and more diatonic a more impassioned theme heard 3 times rhythm triple time, clear despite syncopation thicker orchestration, fewer soloistic textures than A more octave doubling in wind and strings 55 58 Wagnerian influenced texture 55 - 60 tres soutenu figure (g) by woodwind and syncopated (b) rhythm in strings diatonic for 4 bars 61-62 tutti, wind play triplet figure (d) from bar 28 against syncopated (b) notes in upper strings climax does not happen as expected ( faune sinking back, exhausted in sun?) 63 pp subito all instruments playing. Strings play slow moving figure (g) , wind pulsating syncopations from (b), harps semiquaver arpeggios 65 crescendo suggesting rising desire? all strings playing (d) ff, dim to pp, cedez un peu 75 78 Pure Debussy contrapuntal similar to Wagner Score P 81, but solos and single pedal notes instead of chords. 75-78 (d) by clarinet then oboe, with (g) solo violin with sourdine strings A Recapitulation beginning in E major ( of A1 only) 79-82 83- 85 86-89 90 Coda 94 95 96 100 103 105-106 106 - 110 Mouvement du debut - Solo flute (a) in augmentation, against harp arpeggios. Speed as opening - E major accomp 1st inversion Oboes (a) in original time, strings muted, then with sur la touche semis and demis in the strings, strange effect. This is a scherzando variant of flute melody, harmonised with C major Oboe (a) in rhythmic augmentation with harp now Eb major with sustained string chords Cor Anglais (a) in original time repeat of scherzando variant with string pizz. chords 2 Flutes (a) sur la touche tremolo strings as 11-20 Sim to 11/12, but reharmonisation. Antique cymbals add touch of colour 2 Solo violins add expressive chromatic melody in octaves and string tremolo in 9 parts Triplet figure (d) on flutes and oboes (a) flute and cello solo un peu a dehors a little outside, standing out somewhat strings to natural position Solo oboe (a) a perfect cadence in E major - V13 V9 I - hazy rather than definitely tonal Example of greatest magical writing Despite modal and chromatic inflexions, and the half-diminished 7th, Tonic E major is not in doubt many egs of instrumental subtlety ppp over a tonic pedal, harps descending slow quadruplets, Foll by final pp muted strings (sourdine) 10 parts and 2 unmuted solo violins (2 top notes) middle range muted horns with 2 harps 107 - opening bar (a) recalled, solo muted horns in 3rds with muted violins, chromatic notes, unrelated triads flute adds 6th to tonic chord, plus harp harmonics (little circles) rising in 3rds, to dominant. 6 beat Violin appoggiatura (A#) - tension Almost inaudible chord of E major spread over 5 octaves, dissonance disappears. antique cymbals root and 5th as music dies away - 2 octaves higher than printed pizzicato cellos and basses (last 2 chords)

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