Composition recital/project

We will have a composition recital on the last day of classes. Since you've done similar projects for the last two semesters, we won't have a multi-phase process of composition; you'll just write your composition on your own and arrange for its performance with one or more class members (other guests are allowed too).

I'd like you to be creative and enjoy the project, so I am leaving the specifications open to a large degree. However, your composition should meet the following criteria:

Form:
You may write your piece in any form we have studied (Binary, ternary, rondo, sonata, variations). If you choose variation form, you may write an original theme and two variations, or you may write three variations on a pre-existing theme).

Length
At least 32 measures. This may contain some degree of repetition (for example, if you write a parallel period, the first 2 measures of each phrase might be the same). However, an 8-measure phrase that is repeated exactly will count as 8, not 16 measures.
There should be at least 4 different phrases.

Harmonic content--include at least three different ones of the following:
Applied dominant
Applied leading-tone chord
Modal mixture chord
Augmented sixth chord (specify Italian, French, German)
Neapolitan chord
Change of mode
Modulation

You will also write program notes for your piece. These should be about 100 words long (minimum), and can explain your inspiration for the piece. There should also be some discussion of the musical elements you have included. The musical discussion can have some technical elements, but should be written for a lay audience (that is, assume that the readers are smart and educated, but don't necessarily know all the specific musical vocabulary that you have learned over the last five semesters).

Finally, in addition to your program notes, write a brief analysis that addresses any specific musical content that you included, but is not appropriate to include in your program notes. This should also be about 100 words (minimum), and should be specific. For example, if you include a Neapolitan chord, identify the chord, the measure in which it appears, how it acts within the phrase, etc. This analysis should be supplemented with an annotated score.

Program notes and brief analysis may be submitted electronically (via email). These are due on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8:00 AM, along with information for the program (title and personnel). This will give me enough time to compile a program. The hard copy of the score is to be handed in at the beginning of the class period (you will want your own copy to read off for your performance too).

Mozart Sonata Form Movements

W.A. Mozart, String Quartet in A major, K. 464

W.A. Mozart, Piano Sonata in A minor, K. 310

Wagner's Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral arr. Liszt (Term Paper)

Link to score:
https://musescore.com/hmscomp/wagner-elsa-s-procession-to-the-cathedral

Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbvGYAg2jXE

Wie Melodien

Der Himmel hat eine träne geweint- Robert Schumann

thy fingers make early flowers - Celius Dougherty (Final assignment)

F.J. Haydn, Keyboard Sonata in D major HOB XVI:37, third movement

Final paper - preliminary assignment

For your final paper, I would like you to analyze a complete piece or movement from your own repertoire. I'd strongly prefer that you use a solo piece that you are working on this semester (one of your jury/recital pieces). If that music is not appropriate, then try a piece that you worked on recently (say, within the last two semesters). The piece should be tonal, and conform (mostly) to common-practice norms. Ideally, the piece should be composed between the early 1800s and about 1900, though some twentieth-century pieces might be appropriate also.

Fill in the linked form with the piece that you plan to work on.

Basics of sonata form (don't dawdle!)

Please don't wait until the day before class to start this homework. It will take you a while, and I will have high expectations for you on Tuesday.

Video with basics of Sonata form.

Watch this video and annotate the score, as you try to get a handle on sonata form, as expressed in this movement. It's a pretty typical sonata form movement.

If you feel ambitious/studious/conscientious/concerned to do well in your final semester of theory (you should!), you can also find Professor Roig-Francoli's explanation of sonata form on 651-653 of our textbook. On pages, 564-656, he gives a sample analysis of Mozart's piano sonata, K. 309. You can find the score and recording in SAKAI, under RESOURCES. I also added the audio and score for the first Beethoven example (op. 2, no. 1), but not the second ("Waldstein"), because it's more complicated than we need to get into.

Of course, you may search for additional resources on your own. If you do, be warned: some theorists use different terminology for the same ideas.

Note that there might be a mini-quiz on this video next Tuesday. If so, you WILL BE ALLOWED to use your annotated scores for the mini-quiz.

Other rondo form examples

Keyboard Sonata in Ab major, HOB XVI:43, third movement. This movement is a bit more complicated. Recording.


Beethoven, Piano Sonata in C minor, op. 13 (“Pathetique”), ii (complete)
You already have the score to this piece; it's in the "More on Modulation" packet.

This is a less typical rondo, in that it has a melancholy character and slow tempo. Rondos are more often fast and lighthearted (though certainly not always).

Video: introduction to Rondo form

I use the third movement of F.J. Haydn's keyboard sonata in D major. It's very jaunty!

Here is the video.

Kochis variation analysis: II and V

 Variation V: The main idea tying this variation to the theme is the baseline, which is following along with the original baseline. There are also 4 measures which are nearly identical to the original theme, however the melody in the right hand has a rhythmic variation. At the beginning of the variation, there is an inversion, instead of starting from A to D, it goes from D to A. In the second section there are segments of the original melody mentioned with a different rhythmic value.

Variation II: This variation is difficult because of the way the hands are broken apart. the bass line is the same idea, however instead of the alberti bass in the original theme, the bass line is played in inverted pentascales. Again, there are one or two measure that are near identical to the original, with a slight variation of a quarter not added and repeated to fill the measure.

Zach 8th Variation

This variation sounds a bit mischievous or comedic compared to the original theme. I believe this is because of the of the constant flux in dynamics. I can almost imagine a scene from Tom and Jerry playing in the background with Jerry trying to sneak cheese into his little hole in the wall. Another feature that adds to this "Tom and Jerry" quality is the fact that at the beginning the melody actually seems to be a simplified version of the original, but then the melody goes a bit off the rails with all the octave chromatic passing tones. Also, the melody keeps flip flopping between the left and right hand which is also something that was not an aspect of the first variation. Even though this variation looks and sounds a bit different when compared to the original it is still very evident that it is related. I had a hard time analyzing this one due to all of the chromatics and the lack of actual chords; however, interestingly enough it almost has the same exact chord progression leading to the first half cadence, and also fully ends on a perfect authentic cadence just as the original did as well.

Variation VI- Hayden

Variation VI

Variation VI’s melody is invariably made up of groups of sixteenth notes with a sixteenth rest beforehand, giving that the sixteenth note is the basic pulse. The tempo shift from the previous variations became much faster. Left hand moves lower than it does in variation 5, with the right hand at times being higher. Essentially, the middle range isn't the center of activity like variation 5. I find this one hard to aurally relate to the original theme. A big rhythmic difference is that in the theme it seems to be a lot of academic style, as opposed to in variation VI with the consistent quarters in the right hand leading to the melodic sixteenths. This variation sounds very playful to me.

Morgan Variation IX

Variation IX was much harder for me to analyze. From what I did manage to analyze, it is, again the same chord progression (thus, a variation). This variation Is very lively and sounds very different from the original; whereas the first variation sounded much more like the original. This one is almost a different piece. In the beginning, both the original and the first variation (with added notes) both go "sol, sol, do" going up. Variation IX goes down to 'do'. Both lines of music are less involved in some areas, like pick-up to measure one to measure three. Others are a little more busy, like the next few measures. There is a bit of syncopation in this variation as well.

Morgan-Variation I

This variation seems more driven than the original one. Although the original had many eighth notes, this one was almost entirely eighth notes in the top line. This, to me, makes it sound like it is almost faster than the previous. The chord progression is basically the same (because it is a variation), but with little differences. There are also quite a bit of chromatic notes in Variation I which makes it hard at times to analyze. The bass line is much less involved in var. I which also make analysis difficult; however, the progression, as mentioned before, is more or less the same as before. Form is also the same as before; the first part is played and repeated, then the second part is played and repeated.

Variation VII- Hayden

Variation VII

As was common for the time, only one variation would be written in minor, and in this case that is variation VII. The variation goes by fairly quickly, and it doesn’t appear too noticeably alike to the theme except for a few lead-ins to phrases that are now minor versions, and with embellishments. With how fast the tempo is it might be hard to hear right away the It+6 chords in bars 3 and 16, as well as the flat II⁶ in bar 10, and finally what I am calling the G+6/V in bar 6. I think a good description for this piece is that it is both insistent and intense. The melody is very much embellished from that of the theme, almost unrecognizably. The rhythms are primarily eighths and sixteenths, making the arrival at cadences much more pronounced with their quarter note to half note lead-ins. The harmonic rhythm seems to vary a decent bit, but most often is two to four chords.

Glory Dami, IV, The Expansive Variation

In the fourth variation, we hear the same chordal structure and form much like we do in the third variation. It also changes keys at the same times and again, you can literally sing the theme underneath it the whole time. Interestingly, the third variation doubled the amount of notes in the top line and the fourth variation has doubled the amount of notes in the bottom line. This creates a completely different feel for this variation of the piece.

Additionally, the right hand is playing longer sustained notes with many ties (I have attached an example) which changes the melodic ideas that the listener hears. It gives less of a note by note feel and the larger beats are emphasized with a swaying feeling. The fourth variation has more of a message of growth and expansion while the third movement felt more like a lot of added notes per beat. Additionally, the fourth variation uses a lot of non chordal tones in a different way than the third variation does and the motion of the left hand notes is more scalar whereas in the theme it bounces around between chord tones. This makes the fourth variation sound much more distant, and as I said before, more expansive, than the original theme.

Glory Dami, III, The Texturally Complex Variation

In Variation III, we see nearly the exact same underlying chordal structure as we do in the original theme. Some of the chords are spelled differently, and the section of transition back to D major is not exactly the same, but overall, the chord progression is the same. The piece also changes keys at the same times and you could almost sing the theme underneath the third variation because we can still hear it. Where I have highlighted in both yellow and pink, we see that we have the exact same chords in the base. This entire variation is an extremely embellished version of the theme. There are twice as many notes per measure in the right hand in the third variation than in the theme, yet the tempo remains the same making this a very impressive section. The overall mood is relatively the same, yet the third variation gives a bit more suspicion of what will come next, maybe due to the immense amount of notes and Mozart's elaboration to the theme that is still lingering in our minds.
ADDED:
The function of the bass is much different in this variation, often containing appoggiatura ending with a leading tone occurring multiple times. It is a much more sudden feel with communication between the two lines rather than moving together like in the theme. The form is the same as the original theme with the exception of one extra measure.

Var III and Var VIII - Mary

Oliver Variation VII - The Attack of Chromaticism

Oliver Variation IV - The A's of Space

This variation still stays true to the rounded balanced continuous binary form that the theme follows. Overall this variation has an almost more regal or majestic color than the theme. The exaggerated articulation really make up this variation as it brings a heavy royal sound to the color and the wider timbre also brings that broader sound to the piece.

Zach Variation 1 Mozart

The first variation of Mozart's Piano Sonata K284, iii sounds a bit more frantic than the original statement of the theme. This is most likely due to the fact that the right hand now has straight triplets until each cadence, giving it a slight compound feel. Also, with there being an extra four notes in almost every measure of the variation, it sounds like the piece is speeding up without it actually doing so, which I'd never really thought of being possible. It is a bit more difficult to discern the harmonic rhythm in this variation due to the left hand being so scarce as well as the increased amount of passing and chromatic passing tones in the right hand; however, it is still almost unmistakably the same, even if some of the chords are just implied. I am able to be confidant in that decision due to the fact that it still functions with two, four bar phrases with the same exact harmonic sequences leading up to the same exact cadence types, the cadences being half cadences. Also, the dynamic markings are the exact same, and in the same spot phrasally, in the variation as they are in the theme. Overall, while listening to this variation especially, it can be confusing at times; however, no matter how many times the right hand dances around the melody, it eventually lands where you're expecting it to based off of the theme.

Homework for Tuesday 11/19

We will discuss variation technique on Tuesday, using the third movement of W.A. Mozart's Piano sonata, K. 284 as our example.

Each student will analyze two variations, comparing them to the theme (obviously, you'll have to analyze the theme too) and possibly to each other. Each little analysis will take the form of a paragraph (minimum 200 words) about the variation. Start each paragraph with a sentence characterizing the variation, and use the rest of the paragraph to support your characterization, citing specific musical elements. I would also suggest that you clarify your analysis with some annotated musical examples (you may write on the score and photograph it, or annotate a photograph with software).

For something to be considered a variation, it must be both similar to and different from the thing it's a variation of. Address these similarities and differences in your paragraph.

Consider various musical elements as you work on your analyses. Harmony is a starting point, but what about melody, rhythm, texture, motivic transformation, timbre, dynamics, tempo, register, etc.?

Examples of overall characterizations and possible associated musical elements:
Melancholy - this might be minor, slow, and with multiple suspensions
Insistent - this might be fast with constant sixteenth notes and no rests
Academic - if the two hands were constantly imitating each other throughout the variation

Make a separate blog post for each analysis paragraph. Title your post: include the number of the variation, but incorporate that into a title phrase or sentence. Submit these by noon on Tuesday.

Assigned variations:

I - Morgan, Zach
II - Elizabeth, Jasmyn
III - Mary, Glory
IV - Glory, Christian
V - Jasmyn, Elizabeth
VI - Hayden, Owen
VII - Christian, Hayden
VIII - Zach, Mary
IX - Owen, Morgan

Be prepared to discuss your analysis in class. Hopefully, we will also have time to discuss the other three variations together:

Var. X
Var. XI
Var. XII

Recordings in Binary Form packet

Example 1. J.S.Bach, Suite for Solo Cello no. 3, B.W.V. 1009, Bourrée I

Example 2. Schubert, Impromptu op. 142, no. 3 (D. 935), Theme.

Example 3. Mozart,Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 284, iii.

Example 4. J. Brahms,“Wiegenlied,” op. 49, no. 4 (recording in Db)

Example 5. Haydn,Piano Sonata in F, HOB XVI:9, Scherzo

Example 6. Schumann,Kinderscenen (Scenes from Childhood), op. 15, no. 1 “Von fremden Ländern und Menschen” (“Of foreign lands and people”)

Example 7. Beethoven,Piano Sonata op. 2, no. 1, Minuet (iii)

Example 8. ArcangeloCorelli, Sonata for Violin and Continuo, op. 5, no. 8, Sarabande (an old recording!)

Videos and pictures: binary form analysis

On Thursday, we will deal with binary form. You have a handout about this topic. Please refer to this, and to your textbook pp. 498-507 (headings "THE BINARY PRINCIPLE," "BINARY TONAL TYPES," "BINARY FORMAL DESIGNS," and the subheadings "Simple Binary," "Rounded Binary"
and "Balanced Binary").

Read Professor Roig-Francoli's discussion of Binary Forms, and compare with my handout. We talk about the same things, and discuss the same ideas, but we use a few different terms. I think mine are actually a little simpler.

My guess is that this text will be fairly hard to fully comprehend, and it will be impossible to comprehend if you disregard his musical examples 21.4 through 21.8. Set aside a block (or a few blocks) of time to work through the material on your own or with a buddy. Remember that you can find the recordings on the Harmony in Context website student edition (choose Chapter 21 from the drop-down menu)

We will have a brief mini-quiz on this material Thursday. Also, bring devices and headphones for individual/small group analysis exercises.

Video introducing binary form terminology here

Video about Example 21.6a (textbook p. 504) here.

Video about Example 21.7 (textbook pp. 505-506) here.

Video about Example 21.8 (textbook p. 507) here.

See my annotations of his examples below.

Example 21.6a

Example 21.7

Example 21.8

Excerpts on Augmented-sixth chord handout

NOT "augmented VI chords!"

Mozart, String Quintet K. 516, 2nd mvt.
(Analyze ALL CHORDS, but just the first 13 measures, up to the repeat sign)

Schubert, "Die Liebe hat gelogen"
Discuss Augmented sixth chords in this movement. Identify (measure/beat number) all "oddball" chords (chords that we have not yet learned). This excerpt is trickier.

Haydn, Mass in the Time of War, Kyrie Eleison
(Analyze ALL CHORDS, but just the first 10 measures, up to the fermata. There is just a tiny bit of trickiness in this excerpt.

Other examples:
R. Schumann, "Waltz" from Albumblätter op. 124, no. 4, performed by Denes Vargon

Mozart, Piano Sonata K. 280, ii performed by Mitsuko Uchida