AS Music Unit 3: Developing musical understanding A guide for students Vocal music 2010 Fauré Après un rêve 1 Developing musical understanding works for 2010 .... 3 Instrumental music ........................................................................... 3 Vocal music ....................................................................................... 3 About this document ........... Error! Bookmark not defined. Gabriel Fauré .............................................................. 4 Context....................................................................... 4 Après un rêve .................................................................................... 4 Text ............................................................................ 5 Translation (NAM with corrections) ................................................... 5 Translation (alternative 1) ................................................................ 6 Translation (alternative 2) ................................................................ 6 Tonality ...................................................................... 7 The cycle of fifths .............................................................................. 7 The climax ......................................................................................... 8 Harmony .................................................................... 9 Harmonic scheme .............................................................................. 9 Bars 1 - 5 ........................................................................................... 9 Notes: bars 1 - 5 .............................................................................. 10 Bars 6 - 11 ....................................................................................... 11 Notes: bars 6 - 11 ............................................................................ 11 Bars 12 - 17 ..................................................................................... 12 Notes: bars 12 - 17 .......................................................................... 12 Harmonic structure so far....................................................... 12 Bars 26 - 29 ..................................................................................... 13 Notes: bars 26 - 29 .......................................................................... 13 Bars 30 - 35 ..................................................................................... 13 Notes: bars 30 - 35 .......................................................................... 14 Bars 36 - 41 ..................................................................................... 14 Notes: bars 36 - 41 .......................................................................... 14 Bars 42 - 48 ..................................................................................... 15 Notes: bars 42 - 48 .......................................................................... 15 Metre & rhythm ........................................................ 16 Thematicism ............................................................. 17 Texture..................................................................... 18 Setting ..................................................................... 18 Structure .................................................................. 19 Score .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 2 Developing musical understanding works for 2010 Instrumental music 1. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, movement 1 22. Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat, 1st movement 19. Poulenc Sonata for Horn, Trumpet & Trombone 9. Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8, movement 1 Vocal music 35. Monteverdi Ohimè, se tanto amate 39. Fauré Après un rêve 32. Tavener The Lamb 53. Ray Davies Waterloo Sunset 56. Van Morrison Tupelo Honey 63. Familia Valera Miranda Se quema la chumbambá 3 Gabriel Fauré French composer 1845 – 1924. Context The work is a mélodie, which is a genre similar to the German Lied. Après un rêve Written 1877. Published 1878. Text by Romain Bussine. 4 Text Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage; Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore, Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore; Tu m'appelais et je quittais la terre Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumière, Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues, Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues, Hélas! Hélas! triste réveil des songes Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends moi tes mensonges, Reviens, reviens radieuse, Reviens ô nuit mystérieuse! Translation (NAM with corrections) In a sleep charmed by your image I dreamed of happiness, passionate delusion; Your eyes were softer, your voice pure and full, You were radiant as a sky lit by the dawn. You called me and I left the earth To escape with you towards the light: For us, the skies parted their clouds Unknown splendours, divine glowing half seen… Alas! Alas, sad waking from dreams! I beg you, O night, to give back to me your illusions: Come back, come back in your radiance: Come back, O mysterious night! 5 Translation (alternative 1) In a slumber charmed by your image I dreamed of happiness, ardent mirage; Your eyes were more tender, your voice pure and clear. You were radiant like a sky brightened by sunrise; You were calling me, and I left the earth To flee with you towards the light; The skies opened their clouds for us, Splendors unknown, glimpses of divine light... Alas! Alas, sad awakening from dreams! I call to you, oh night, give me back your illusions; Return, return with your radiance, Return, oh mysterious night! Translation (alternative 2) In a slumber which held your image spellbound I dreamt of happiness, passionate mirage, Your eyes were softer, your voice pure and sonorous, You shone like a sky lit up by the dawn; You called me and I left the earth To run away with you towards the light, The skies opened their clouds for us, Unknown splendours, divine flashes glimpsed, Alas! Alas! sad awakening from dreams I call you, O night, give me back your lies, Return, return radiant, Return, O mysterious night. 6 Tonality C minor. The tonal structure, however, is quite typical of its time, with an ever shifting harmonic spectrum, releasing evocative dissonances onto dissonances. The continuous employment of the chord of the half-diminished 7 ensures that the sense of key is never truly anchored. The cycle of fifths The work opens with a simple C minor triad and follows on a forwards leading cycle of fifths chord progression: C [G (B¨ in bass)] F B¨ E¨ A¨ D§ G C The chain of dominant ninth chords pushes the tonality onwards but ensuring the return to the tonic minor by bar 9. The unprepared modulation to B¨ minor is simply a device whereby the harmony can shift to A¨ major to a tentative E¨ major in first inversion before finally arriving at E¨ major, albeit briefly, at bar 15, via a brief chromatic progression through F half-diminished 7 in second inversion to a B¨ sus 4 dominant 7 to a full dominant 7 in bar 14. The cycle of fifths is employed once more with a restatement of the harmonies of bars 2 - 10 at bars 17 - 25. After this revisiting for obvious formal effect, the E§ in the bass at bar 26, with both A¨ augmented 5 and C7 in first inversion, which strongly suggests a modulation to F minor, the subdominant minor. However, Fauré's harmonic idiom is more subtle than that and finds a D¨ major chord at bar 27, a clear chord substitution, which is a chord of the flattened supertonic, or Neapolitan chord. This chord, instead of confounding the C tonality, simply confirms the central 7 pitch by acting as a harmonic device which brings the harmony finally and briefly to F minor, to G dominant 7 sus 4 to G dominant 7. The surprise resolution of this is, however, a luminous C major, the tonic major, at bar 28. The effect is quite dramatic if not marred on this NAM recording with the soprano singing an E¨ rather than an E§ , lending an unwelcome blues edge to the moment. The C major tonality is reaffirmed at bar 30, and given added weight by the declamatory octave Cs from the Soprano. The climax From here the music becomes more turbulent in emotional and harmonic terms the effect of which is heightened by the increase of harmonic speed to one chord per beat. A brief modulation to B¨ minor at bar 32 is soon dispelled by the E¨ dominant 9, which, not surprisingly, does not reach A¨ but is interrupted by a rare and very brief chord of the tonic minor. You may have noticed how rare the tonic actually is. From here the climactic passage merely flirts with the idea of returning to the tonic, the Bª in the bass never quite functioning as a leading note. The G dominant 7 in first inversion of the first two beats of bar 37 is interrupted by a D half-diminished 7 in 3rd inversion. Bar 40 plays with the listeners expectations with a D dominant 7, which should go to G, the work’s dominant, D being the dominant of the dominant and therefore a highly potent chord. This modulation is again interrupted buy an E¨ chord in 1st inversion. 8 It is interesting to see how Fauré constantly alludes to C minor in the bass, whilst the harmonies evade the tonic chord but for one brief sounding in bar 43 beat 3. At last the final dominant pedal in the bass steers the harmony reluctantly home in the final perfect cadence at bar 46 beat 3. Harmony Harmonic scheme This is a work which revels in complex, chromatic harmonies with a high degree of exotic and evocative harmonies. Bars 1 - 5 Bar 1: C minor Bar 2: beats 1 -2 C minor beat 3 E¨ ^7 2nd inversion Bar 3: beats 1 – 2 F 7/9 beat 3 F7 Bar 4: B¨ 7/9 Bar 5: beats 1 – 2 E¨ 11 (minus 3rd & 7th) 9 beat 3 E¨ ª5/7/¨9 Notes: bars 1 - 5 Of the seven chords represented only the Cm chord of bars 1 – 2 are consonant The Cm chord is the sole minor sonority of the five bars Note the largely chromatic descending voice at the bottom of the right hand chord which is reflected in the voice at bar 5 beats 2 – 3. Note the cycle of fifth in the bass. The final chord of bar 5 is highly complex and dissonant: Here in reduction the chromatic motion is clear and that the tensions in the first two chords are released in a highly effective and linear manner. (Remember that F¨ is enharmonically the same as Eª. 10 The resolution to Dª half diminished 7 or DØ which is a typical characteristic of the harmony of the period, where a dissonance is released onto a further dissonance. This has the effect of forcing continuous harmonic motion. Bars 6 - 11 Cycle of fifths Bar 6: Beats 1 -2 A¨ ª5 beat 3 Dª half diminished 7 Bar 7: beats 1 – 2 G7 beat 3 D half-diminished 7/G in bass Bar 8: G7 Bar 9: Cm Bar 10 B¨m 1st inversion Bar 11: beats 1 – 2 B¨m7 beat 3 Eª diminished 7 Notes: bars 6 - 11 Of the nine chords represented only the Cm chord of bar 9 is consonant Note the cycle of fifth in the bass. The expressive use of the B¨m7 chord in 1st inversion at bar 10 allows for chromatic motion in the bass from C to D¨. The use of B¨m is a particularly colourful addition to the harmonic scope. 11 Bars 12 - 17 Bar 12: beat 1 Fm 1st inversion; beat 2 Fm7 1st inversion; beat 3 Dª half-diminished 7 3rd inversion + Dª diminished 7 3rd inversion Bar 13: beats 1 – 2 E¨ 1st inversion; beat 3 Cm Bar 14: beat 1 F half-diminished 7 3rd inversion; beat 2 B¨7 sus 4; beat 3 B¨7 Bar 15: E¨ Bar 16: beats 1 – 2 E¨ ª5 1st inversion; beat 3 G7 Bar17: beats 1 – 2 Cm; beat 3 E¨7 2nd inversion Notes: bars 12 - 17 Out of the 14 chords represented 5 are consonant Harmonic structure so far Bars 1 - 16 Bars 17 – 25 as bars 2 – 10 12 Bars 26 - 29 Bar 26: beat 1 A¨ ª5 2nd inversion; beats 2 – 3 C7 1st inversion Bar 27 beats 1 ½ D¨ 1st inversion; beat 2 (½) Fm; beat 3 G7 sus 4 – G7 Bar 28: C major (tonic major) Bar 29: beat 1 – 2 D¨7 2nd inversion; beat 3 Dª half-diminished 7 1st inversion Notes: bars 26 - 29 Note how the C dominant 7 in bar 27 beats 2 – 3 suggest a modulation to F minor. However Fauré follows the chord with a D¨ chord in 1st inversion delaying the resolution to F minor to a single quaver at the centre of the bar The D¨ chord is a Neapolitan chord, a chord of the flattened supertonic Note the use of the tonic triad at bar 28 Bars 30 - 35 Bar 30: beats 1 – 2 C; beat 3 C7 3rd inversion Bar 31: F7 1st inversion 13 Bar 32: beat 1 B¨m sus 4/sus9; beat 2 B¨m; beat 3 B¨7/9 (third in voice) Bar 33: beats 1 – 2 E¨ 7/9; beat 3 B¨11 Bar 34: E¨7 Bar 35: beat 1 Cm; beat 2 E¨ 2nd inversion; beat 3 B¨m7 Notes: bars 30 - 35 Note the double suspension between bars 31 – 32 Note how the E¨7 of bar 34 does not resolve to A¨ in the following bar but to Cm Bars 36 - 41 Bar 36: beat 1 G half-diminished 7; beat 2 C7/9; beat 3 Fm Bar 37: beats 1 – 2 G7 1st inversion; beat 3 D half-diminished 7 Bar 38: beat 1 G7 1st inversion; beat 2 G7; beat 3 G7 3rd inversion Bar 39: beat 1 Cm 1st inversion; bear 2 D half-diminished 7; beat 3 C7 2nd inversion Bar 40: beat 1 Fm; beat 2 Cm 1st inversion; beat 3 D7 Bar 41: beat 1 E¨ 1st inversion; beats2 – 3 F7 1st inversion Notes: bars 36 - 41 Note how the D dominant 7 does not resolve to G minor but to E¨ in 1st inversion. The G in the bass shows that the E¨ chord is a chord substitution for B minor Note how the harmonic speed is almost every beat 14 Bars 42 - 48 Bar 42: beat 1 B¨7; beat 2 G7 in 1st inversion; beat 3 A¨ diminished 7 Bar 43: beat 1 D half-diminished 7 3rd inversion; beat 2 G7 sus 4 (in bass); beat 3 Cm Bar 44: beats 1 – 2 E¨; beat 3 E¨ 1st inversion Bar 45: beat 1 E¨ ª5/9 no 7; beat 2 G7; beat 3 Cm 2nd inversion Bar 46: beat 1 G sus4; beat 2 G; beat 3 G7 Bar 47: Cm Bar 48: Cm Notes: bars 42 - 48 Note the suspension from bar 42 – 43 and its expressive intensity Note how from bar 42 the preparation for the final resolve to the tonic, C minor, is careful and unambiguous Note the use of a tonic pedal in the bass from bar 44 beat 3 – bar 46 15 Metre & rhythm 3/4 simple triple time. The opening three crotchets of the Voice at bar 2 is a very strong feature and are followed by a crotchet and a pair of quaver triplets. The boldness of the rhythm gives the works prime motif a clear and unambiguous character. The extensive employment of quaver triplets in the voice does give a feel of 9/8 or compound triple time. The feeling of triple time, however, is strong and is greatly enhanced by the harmonic speed. The use of triplets and ties does add an expressive air to the melody which is a perfect foil against the constant semiquaver chords of the Piano right hand. The rhythm and metre are given intensity with the increase in the harmonic speed at bars 36 – 41 and the crotchet motion of the bass, providing the work with an emotional climax. 16 Thematicism The work has two very distinct motifs which are exposed in bars 1 -2 which define the theme of the work. The first is a bold, three crotchet statement in bar 2: This idea, Motif A is answered by a crotchet tied to three quaver triplets followed by three quaver triplets, Motif B. The two are often stated in conjunction, such as at bars 13 – 14 in free inversion. And in a more elusive guise at bars 9 – 10 17 where the crotchet motif is developed to include a triplet. At bars 24-30 the three statements of the theme appear in a freely sequential manner, each repetition being a variation. Motif B is used independently at bars 32 -33 and bars 36 -37. On idea which emerges as significant towards the end of the work is the minim plus crotched first appears in the voice at bar 4. The motif appears in 11 subsequent bars as a minim + or + e.x and helps to bring the work to its conclusion. Texture Homophonic. Setting The setting is largely syllabic although there are highly expressive if brief melismas associated with Motif B at bars 7, 21, 33, 37 and at bar 45 at the close of the work. Bars 6 - 8 18 Structure The work is strophic: Verse 1 bars 1 – 16 Verse 2 bars 17 – 30 Verse 3 bars 30 beat 3 – 48 The final verse acts as an ecstatic variation on the previous verses and the second verse begins as the first but is different after bar 26 so the work can be considered to be in modified strophic form, a more poetic structure, allowing the drama inherent in the text to be reflected in the music. 19