An interesting live performance in which the soloist plays continuo along with the orchestra.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Assignment for Monday, October 1, 2012
Please download the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, here. Also, after printing it out, please number the bars, so we all know where we are when we talk about the piece.
Concerto form is related to sonata form but it is a little different; the main difference is the presence of a ritornello, which reappears throughout the movement. In K. 488, the ritornello first appears in bars 18-30. The other big difference is that the exposition appears twice: first in the orchestra, as an introduction; then with the soloist.
Keeping these two big things in mind, analyze the movement with Roman numerals and with formal labels. It's OK to move to more of a "forest view" for this movement, by which I mean you don't need to analyze every single chord. But if I ask what a chord is, you should be able to tell me! What I often do is scan through the piece, listening to it in my head (or with a recording); I listen to the harmony (mostly tonic, predominant, dominant) without labeling too much. When I notice something unusual, like a modulation, deceptive cadence, augmented sixth, etc., I stop and try to figure it out.
When I first started analyzing classical music, I didn't know much about form beyond what we all learn in 1st and 2nd year theory; so now I am on the lookout for sentences, periods, and their various hybrids; standing on the dominant as well (although that is usually pretty easy to spot). Finally - this is our first transposing score, with clarinets and horns in A; they both sound a minor third lower than written. Or in other words: if it sees a C, it plays its key (which in this case is A).
Concerto form is related to sonata form but it is a little different; the main difference is the presence of a ritornello, which reappears throughout the movement. In K. 488, the ritornello first appears in bars 18-30. The other big difference is that the exposition appears twice: first in the orchestra, as an introduction; then with the soloist.
Keeping these two big things in mind, analyze the movement with Roman numerals and with formal labels. It's OK to move to more of a "forest view" for this movement, by which I mean you don't need to analyze every single chord. But if I ask what a chord is, you should be able to tell me! What I often do is scan through the piece, listening to it in my head (or with a recording); I listen to the harmony (mostly tonic, predominant, dominant) without labeling too much. When I notice something unusual, like a modulation, deceptive cadence, augmented sixth, etc., I stop and try to figure it out.
When I first started analyzing classical music, I didn't know much about form beyond what we all learn in 1st and 2nd year theory; so now I am on the lookout for sentences, periods, and their various hybrids; standing on the dominant as well (although that is usually pretty easy to spot). Finally - this is our first transposing score, with clarinets and horns in A; they both sound a minor third lower than written. Or in other words: if it sees a C, it plays its key (which in this case is A).
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Assignment for Friday, September 28, 2012
Please analyze the first movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 570; you can find it here. As before, include Roman numerals and any formal labels that seem appropriate. What I'm particularly interested in are the ways in which this movement differs from other sonata forms we've studied. Be prepared to turn it in, although I might not collect it.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Assignment for Monday, September 24
Please print out the first movement to Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 5 in G major; the IMSLP page is here. Analyze the entire movement with Roman numerals, and pay special attention to the exposition. What is the structure of the first theme? How does the transition modulate the dominant? How many subordinate themes are there in the exposition? Where does the closing section start? Are there any instances of "one more time?"
Also look through the development, and find out which keys Mozart modulates to. How does he get there? Are there any notable changes between the exposition and the recapitulation, besides the usual subordinate theme being in the tonic?
My goal is to do the whole movement on Monday; then the second and third movements on Wednesday; then another sonata on Friday. So we'll have a busy week!
Also look through the development, and find out which keys Mozart modulates to. How does he get there? Are there any notable changes between the exposition and the recapitulation, besides the usual subordinate theme being in the tonic?
My goal is to do the whole movement on Monday; then the second and third movements on Wednesday; then another sonata on Friday. So we'll have a busy week!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Interactive theory practice (old)
I did some digging and found these old, interactive worksheets I made for Music 101 and 102, way back when. You're welcome to try these out if you like...
http://www.stephenandrewtaylor.net/worksheets/
http://www.stephenandrewtaylor.net/worksheets/
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Notes on presentations
Two main rules:
To prepare for your presentation, you will have to do a complete Roman numeral analysis, of course, as well as form, motives, rhythm, and all the rest. That's how you find what is most interesting in your piece. Then, once you have completed your analysis and found some ideas that interest you, try to figure out how to present them to your audience. Do you need some kind of PowerPoint presentation, or can you use your score with a document projector? Can you show everything you need to show on the score? Will using different colors help your presentation?
Finally, I hope you will perform part of the piece you are presenting on. If it's short, 3-5 minutes, you can probably perform the whole piece. But if it's longer, you will have to do an excerpt. As a goal, shoot for 30-40% performing, 60-70% talking. It's a very good idea to practice your presentation for one of your friends before you do it in class, to make sure you don't go over (or under) your time limit. I'll send you an email with some feedback after your presentation; if it goes well, you might consider using this as a basis for your final project.
Good luck - I'm looking forward to these!
- No biography allowed! You have only 15 minutes, and you won't have time to go into any musical detail if you get bogged down in non-musical details.
- Avoid a bar-by-bar description, with a boring list of Roman numerals. Instead, tell us about the two or three most intriguing, memorable, or unique ideas in the movement you are describing.
To prepare for your presentation, you will have to do a complete Roman numeral analysis, of course, as well as form, motives, rhythm, and all the rest. That's how you find what is most interesting in your piece. Then, once you have completed your analysis and found some ideas that interest you, try to figure out how to present them to your audience. Do you need some kind of PowerPoint presentation, or can you use your score with a document projector? Can you show everything you need to show on the score? Will using different colors help your presentation?
Finally, I hope you will perform part of the piece you are presenting on. If it's short, 3-5 minutes, you can probably perform the whole piece. But if it's longer, you will have to do an excerpt. As a goal, shoot for 30-40% performing, 60-70% talking. It's a very good idea to practice your presentation for one of your friends before you do it in class, to make sure you don't go over (or under) your time limit. I'll send you an email with some feedback after your presentation; if it goes well, you might consider using this as a basis for your final project.
Good luck - I'm looking forward to these!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Assignment for Monday, September 10
We'll continue with The Creation. Depending on how far we get in class today, I'd like us to look closely at No. 2, Arie und Chor; and continue on to the next solo for Gabriel, Allegro in C major (in my score it's no. 5, so I'm guessing it's no. 4 in your score). Please be prepared to sing your choral part in class!
We're in the realm of vocal music, so we can't expect to see clear-cut sentences, periods, etc. But nevertheless, as you write in Roman numerals on your score, try to figure out how Haydn orders his different sections. Why does the choir come in when it does? Where does he change key, and why?
We're in the realm of vocal music, so we can't expect to see clear-cut sentences, periods, etc. But nevertheless, as you write in Roman numerals on your score, try to figure out how Haydn orders his different sections. Why does the choir come in when it does? Where does he change key, and why?
Class presentations
Here's what I have so far for class presentations - if your name is not here yet, please see me after class today and we'll figure out a time slot for you. Thanks!
Haydn presentations
Wednesday, Sept 19
Mike Jensen - Creation, trombone excerpts
Sunjoo Lee - last piano sonata, Eb major
Friday, Sept 21
Janie Duffy - Haydn song from The Travelers
So Jung Kwak - Ab major piano sonata, no. 46
Mozart presentations
Monday, Oct 22
Hyeyeon Jung - Eb Piano Sonata K. 282
Cassie Jackson - Dorabella's aria from Cosi fan Tutte
Wednesday, Oct 24
April Lane - Bb Piano Sonata K. 333
Erin Brooker - Flute & Harp Concerto
Jacque Piccolino - Contessa aria from Figaro
Jacque Piccolino - Contessa aria from Figaro
Friday, Oct 26
Young Kim - Piano Concerto
Alice Beberman - C minor Fantasia
Beethoven presentations
Monday, Dec 3
Sunyeong Pak - String Quartet No. 15, op. 132, 1st movement
Yi Hsuan Lin - Pathétique Sonata, 2nd movement
Kelsey Stanker - Choral Fantasy & the Ninth Symphony
Kelsey Stanker - Choral Fantasy & the Ninth Symphony
Wednesday, Dec 5
Sihyun Chun - Waldstein Sonata
Sihyun Chun - Waldstein Sonata
Alex Rolfs - Mozart, "Una Donna" from CosÃ
Armaan Yazdani - Symphony No. 8, 1st movement
Armaan Yazdani - Symphony No. 8, 1st movement
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
William Christie conducts Haydn's Creation
Guest lecturer Ethan Haimo
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Good news for us Haydn fans! This Thursday at 4 pm in MB 1201, Professor Ethan Haimo will give a lecture "Haydn's Two and Three-Part Expositions." Here is the abstract:
In an influential article from 1963, Jens Peter Larsen argued that although Haydn's expositions usually are divided into two parts, there are a number of works that have three-part expositions. This view of Haydn's expositions has won widespread acceptance and the three-part exposition has come to be regarded as an important, if occasional, feature of Haydn's expositions. More recently, James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy adopted Larsen's three-part exposition as one subtype of what they call the continuous exposition. In this paper it is argued that both Larsen's distinction between two- and three-part expositions and the continuous exposition of Hepokoski and Darcy are problematic concepts. A new way of understanding the subdivisions of Haydn's expositions is proposed, giving priority to the tonal organization as outlined by the cadential structure.
Assignment for Friday, Sept. 7
Take the sentence that you found last week and re-compose it, transforming it into a period. If you found a period instead, turn it into a sentence. If I noted that your phrase was not really a period or sentence, then please find a phrase which is less ambiguous - that will be easier for you to work with, and it will also help you to figure out the difference between these two phrase models.
You can use a computer notation program, or write it by hand. If you do write by hand, please be neat! Use a straightedge for stems and beams, and make sure your note heads are nice ovals.
Also, we will start on Haydn's Creation this Friday. Please look at Nos. 1, 1a and 2; don't go overboard, but try to figure out Roman numerals, or at least key centers. A couple of things to think about: how does the music explicate the text? Also, what is the phrase structure at the beginning of No. 3?
You can use a computer notation program, or write it by hand. If you do write by hand, please be neat! Use a straightedge for stems and beams, and make sure your note heads are nice ovals.
Also, we will start on Haydn's Creation this Friday. Please look at Nos. 1, 1a and 2; don't go overboard, but try to figure out Roman numerals, or at least key centers. A couple of things to think about: how does the music explicate the text? Also, what is the phrase structure at the beginning of No. 3?
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