Listening Journal #8: Toccata

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUS0uJgNwac

Toccata in A Major: Henry Purcell

Elements

• Harpsichord
• A major
• Duple Simple
• ~ Allegro
• Many ornamentations

Structure

• Tempo continues to fluctuate
• Dynamic is consistently mf

Context

• Early Baroque
• English (Henry Purcell)
• Toccata 

Listening Journal #7: L'Orfeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwhETnxFQCQ

L'Orfeo - Toccata: Monteverdi

Elements

• Timbre: Brass and Percussion
• @ 0:32 - String section ritornello 
• @ 1:03 - Brass once again takes on a more prevalent role
• Homophonic
• Major key
• Duple simple meter
• Syncopation

Structure

• Strophic
• Each section is a slight variation on the original melody by being played by different instruments and with varying levels of dynamics
• Before ritornellos: authentic cadence, ritardando, slight pause

Context

• Late renaissance, early baroque
• 15th century

Listening Journal #6: Giovanni Gabrieli

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuXmLCY9k_w

Giovanni Gabrieli - Sonata Pian e Forte

Elements

• Wind ensemble 
• Duple Simple
• Slow tempo, (~ Larghetto)
• Major key
• Polyphonic texture
• Syncopation

Structure

• Sounds as if there are occasional embellishment at ends of phrases 
• Suspensions throughout (i.e. 0:44)
• 'Pian e Fort' means the use of both soft and loud dynamics 
• 3:50: antiphonal --> responsorial 

Context

• Renaissance era (Gabrieli is a well known renaissance composer)
• Italian
• Sacred
• Instrumental  

Listening Journal #5: Josquin Des Prez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZYevmiGfLw

Josquin Des Prez: Adieu Mes Amours

Musical Elements: 

• 3 voices (2 male, 1 female)
• Chordophones
• Aerophones
• Monophonic 
• Feels like duple meter
• Tempo: Andante
• Minor Key

Structure: 

• Two lower voices have a canon-like relationship
• Begins with two male voices with accompanying instruments, then at 1:51, a female voice is added
• Composed in ternary form (ABA)

Context:

• Renaissance Era
• French 
• Secular 
• Vocal and Instrumental (new at the time)

Listening Journal #4: Perotin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lxDrIn14l4

Perotin: Alleluia, Diffusa est gratia 

Musical Elements:

• Male voices (chorus of 3+ parts)
• Melosmatic
• Syncopation and Polyrhythm (0:42-2:33)
• Free Meter 
• Monophonic in beginning and at end

Structure:

• Begins as monophonic, in unision
• Monophonic (0:00-0:42), then polyphonic (0:42-2:33), then back to monophonic (2:33-3:33)
• Parts added in polyphonic section
• Pace change (quicker) during polyphonic section
• Ends polyphonic section with a perfect octave, then transitions back to slower, monophonic unision

Context:

• Medieval Era
• Organum (Triplum?)
• Sacred (as the text is Latin)

Extended Analysis

Step 1: Selecting the Piece

The piece I have chosen to analyse is the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia written by George Frederic Handel. Originally composed as a harpsichord suite and published in 1720, the piece is now more commonly heard as the arrangement done by Norwegian violinist Johan Halvorsen for violin and viola. Here is a link to the score: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/9/96/IMSLP23970-PMLP29933-IMSLP12367-Passaglia_score.pdf

Step 2: Aural Analysis

• General Texture - The piece is mainly homophonic, with the melody being handed off between the violin and viola throughout the piece.
• Tonality - The piece is written in the key of G minor
• Meter - The meter is in duple simple
• Tempo - The tempo changes throughout the piece with every section, ranging from a largo to an allegro moderato.
• Instrumentation - Violin and viola (chordophones)
• Overall Structure - This piece is composed of variations on the same main theme, often separated by ritardandos and fermatas.

Step 3: Deciphering the Score

• Passacaglia - A continuous variation form. The basis for the form is a four bar ostinato over which variations are written in the other voices
• Suite – A set of dances. Usually contains an optional prelude, followed by the allemande, the courante, the sarabande, the intermezzi, and the gigue. The intermezzi consisted of two to four dances, containing a minuet, a gavotte, or other styles of dances
• Largamente - A directive to perform designated passage of a composition with a broad, full sound
• Decrescendo: A directive to a performer to smoothly decrease the volume of the specific passage
• Accent: moderately sharp attack that can be used at any dynamic level from pianissimo to fortissimo
• Crescendo: A directive to a performer to smoothly increase the volume of a particular phrase or passage
• Espress. – Espressivo; A directive to a musician to perform a certain passage with expression.
• Dolce - A directive to musicians to perform the indicated passage of a composition sweetly, softly, or with tender emotion.
• tr. – Trill; An ornament that consists of rapid alternation between one tone and another tone either a step or a semitone away from the first tone
• Con agilitá – with liveliness/agility
• Legato line - A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition in a smooth, graceful, connected style indicated as accent mark with a line over the notes to be performed 
• Staccato mark - A style of playing notes in a detached, separated, distinct manner indicated by dots directly above or below the note head.
• Spiccato - Separated or detached. Typically referring to a performance technique on a bowed stringed instrument. The directive implies that the notes are to be played in the middle of the bow with the bow bouncing naturally off the string. This produces a fast and light staccato effect.
• Slur - A sign in musical notation consisting of a curved line drawn over or under a series of notes, indicating that those notes should be played legato. The slur also indicates the grouping and phrasing of a passage in a composition.
• Con grazie – with grace
• Section repeat sign - A repeated section in a composition is designated with a repeat sign at the beginning and end of the section to be repeated
• Arco - Directive for a musician to play a stringed instrument with a bow
• Pizz. – Pizzicato; A directive to a bowed string instrument performer that the indicated notes are to be plucked with the fingers
• Fermata - A notation marking directing the performer or ensemble to sustain the note of a composition affecting all parts and lasting as long as the artistic interpretation of the conductor allows. The fermata is marked above the note or rest to be held.
• Un poco marc. Ma espr. – A little accent, but with expression
• Sim. – Simile; A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition in a similar manner as the previous passage; similarly
• Mordent – A series of two or more grace notes played before the principal note. This ornament usually consists of the principal note, the note below, and the principal note again.
• rit – Ritardando; A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a ritard the tempo, to gradually delay the tempo.
• Ardante - A moderate tempo marking between Largo and Moderato. This tempo typically has between 76 and 108 beats per minute
• Breath mark - A directive to the performer to break the phrase at that point in the composition and breathe, thus assisting in the production of a smooth phrase consistent with the composer's wishes
• Broken chord – A chord in which the notes are not played simultaneously but rather they are played successively
• Capriccioso – lively and free
• Sul ponticello – At the bridge
• Flautato - A technique in which the sound of a flute is imitated by bowing near the end of the fingerboard
• Saltando sempre - To always use a technique of bouncing the bow across the strings, producing a rapid, staccato arpeggio
• Molto energico – very energetic/strong
• Ottava - When written above a passage in a composition, this term indicates that the passage should be performed one octave higher than written. When written below a passage in a composition, this term indicates that the passage should be performed one octave lower than written.
• Poco a poco spicc. Sempre al. – little by little, always spiccato
• Allegro con fuoco - A fast tempo marking between Allegretto and Vivace; with fire
• cresc. molto e stringendo – big crescendo and stringendo (A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo)

Step 4: Harmonic Analysis 

• Link to PDF: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5qytQMyrE1uTi1Xa0I2OUVsZk0/edit

Step 5: Communicating Your Discoveries

• This duo for violin and viola is a passacaglia, meaning that its form is a continuous variation. The chord progressions are the same in each phrase, yet are presented differently each time (i.e. rhythm changes, tempo changes, which part carries the melody, dynamic differences). Each phrase also repeats the same patterns, such as omitting the 5^th of every other chord. This piece presents different elements from what we analyzed in class because it is not in SATB style. However, it seems to follow the same elements of 17^th Century part-writing that we studied. The most enjoyable aspect of this piece was its structure. Although each phrase has the same chord progression as its previous, the way that the phrase is written helps to avoid sounding repetitive. Each phrase also ends in a half cadence, leaving it to sound incomplete, which helps the piece to move along. 

Listening Journal #3: Chord Progressions

Breathe (2am) by Anna Nalick 

Key: A

Chords

Verse: I, vii, IV, I
          A, G, D, A

Chorus: vii, IV, I, vii, IV, I
            G, D, A, G, D, A