Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite: Style
The style of the Pulcinella Suite is ‘Neo-Classical’. The director of the ballet company performing
Pulcinella asked Stravinsky to arrange the music based on the work of the Italian Baroque composer
Purgolesi and this obviously heavily influenced the style of Stravinsky’s music for the ballet.
Form
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All 3 pieces are in binary (with the Sinfonia and the Vivo in rounded binary, a typical baroque
form)
The overall structure of the Gavotta is Theme and Variations
Instrumentation
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The ensemble is made up of a moderately sized orchestra not dissimilar to a classical
orchestra that may have been used by Haydn in terms of size and instrumentation
The ensemble features a separate solo string group reminiscent of the Concerto Grosso style
of the Baroque era
What isn’t in keeping with typical classical conventions is the use of the trombone and
double bass having prominent parts
Also uncommon in classical orchestration is the use of playing techniques such as the
glissandi in the trombone part in the Vivo and instruments playing the extremities of their
ranges, for example the high double bass part in the opening 21 bars of the Vivo and the
high bassoon part bars 7-10 in the Sinfonia.
Melody
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Typically Baroque, is the numerous examples of sequence (for example, 7-10 in the Oboe 1
and Bassoon 1 parts are a series of descending sequences).
Mostly balanced phrasing – Typical of classical music
Melody is often ornamented (eg: the trills 7-10 in the Oboe 1 and Bassoon 1 parts) – Typical
of baroque music
Overall melody is conjunct and scalic – Typical of 18th century music
Use of broken chords is typical of Baroque music – A prime example is the Oboe part of most
of Variation I of the Gavotta whose melody is made up of mostly broken chords
Rhythm
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Mostly simple rhythms in all 3 pieces like earlier music
Frequent use of dotted rhythms for example the Oboe melody from bars 7-9 – like a lot of
classical and baroque music
Some use of syncopated rhythm for example the main melody of the Sinfonia, first
established in the opening four bars features a syncopated rhythm– typical of baroque and
renaissance music
Use of a compound 6/8 time signature (ie: Variation I) which is reminiscent of a Gigue dance
Some metre changes eg: the 2/4 and 3/4 time signatures at bars 11 and 12 of the Sinfonia –
Uncommon in classical and baroque music
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Also unconventional is the use of the scales made up of groups 5, 9, 11 and 12 eg bar 734
and 784 in Variation II
Harmony & Tonality
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Simple root and first inversion chords used – Typical classical harmony
Generally clear cadences – Also typically classical
Harmony is often very functional and typically classical eg: there is a cadential 6/4 in the final
candence of the Sinfonia and there is also the use of the cycle of 5ths from bars 7-9
Often suspensions and retardations used eg: the upward retardation in bars 2 of the Gavotta
– Typical of baroque music
Generally related keys although in the Vivo there is a modulation to the tonic minor
Texture
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Sinfonia is often tutti
Sonfonia has is melody dominated homophony
Some polyphony reminiscent of Baroque counterpoint
Variation I often has alberti bass accompaniments, typical of Baroque keyboard music