First Nights
Petra Gelbart
Section Outline for October 25
As we get into (even) more difficult concepts such as sonata form, it’s even more important that
you use the website to guide your listening. In addition, as before, the Glossary will provide you
with definitions and sound examples of terms. In section, we will orient ourselves in the score of
Beethoven’s 9th and learn to map the parts of sonata form onto the piece as we listen. If you are
unsure of a term or need to hear an example of how it’s used, don’t hesitate to interrupt me.
Due today: Messiah study questions and evaluation form receipts.
1. Hand back quizzes.* Due to a decision at the staff meeting, papers will not be handed back
until next week in any section of the course.
2. a) 19th-century symphonic score: an orientation. (See “The Modern Orchestra” on the “Choral”
section of the website for translations of instruments.)
b) Marking up your score (do it!).
c) Listening for a single instrumental line: associate a timbre description with it; listen to a solo
(or concerto) with that instrument if needed. Know the various registers and nuances of timbre
that the instrument may have in our pieces.
3. Analysis: Movement I of the Ninth.
- Themes and organization
- Thematic/motivic development (how the presentation of an initial theme or motive changes as
the movement or section goes on). How are melodies assembled from short motives, and/or
deconstructed into a series of motives?
- “Melody” and “accompaniment” (which instruments have the theme and which play a
supporting role)
- Rhythmic organization and motives; how the rhythms of different lines contrast and compliment
each other
4. Questions and analysis of another section if time allows.
A list of terms to SUPPLEMENT the glossary (read: go to the web glossary for all of these):
sonata (since around 1750, a kind of multi-movement work for one or two instruments)
sonata form (not to be confused with sonata – a way of laying out movements that could be used
for the first movement of any abstract instrumental piece, and sometimes for later movements as
well)
theme
motif (a more pretentious spelling of motive, cf. glossary entry for “motive” )
phrase
key
exposition
transition
development
recapitulation
coda
instrumentation
strings
woodwinds (or just “winds”, not to be confused with “wind instruments” in general)
brass
percussion
A review of texture terms
Remember that part of the reason not everyone agrees on the exact definitions is that textures are
on a continuum; they are by no means completely discrete phenomena, although some
manifestations (such as fugue in the polyphony category) are very clear.
HOMOPHONY: all voices/parts move at the same time with (roughly) the same individual note
values. The pitches are different, however.
POLYPHONY: the musical lines move in different directions from each other and, generally, at
different points in time. Imitation between different parts in succession (such as in a fugue) is a
good indicator of polyphony. However, embellishments of various parts, which make them “look
different” from the others temporarily (e.g., the violin does a “fill,” a voice has two eighth notes
where the others have a quarter), do NOT usually turn homophony into polyphony by anyone’s
definition.
MONOPHONY: when there is only one line of music. This single line of music can be produced
either by a solitary instrument or voice, or by many instruments and/or voices doing exactly the
same thing at the same time. The pitches, or at least the pitch classes (e.g., a C and a higher C)
must all be exactly the same.
A note about office hours:
I have to begin office hours late next Monday – around 2:30. OH will go (at least) until 4:30.
Anyone who is feeling unsure about the listening and/or terminology should come to office hours
before the midterm, in addition to the review section (TBA). I am happy to make office
appointments for other days, so don’t be shy.
*Selected quiz answers:
Questions, including two-part ones, were worth two points each.
Excerpt 1: Form – aria (But Who May Abide); performing forces: strings, harpsichord.
Excerpt 2 (“O Thou That Tellest” chorus): 1) Texture – polyphonic, imitative (fugal);
2)homophonic (it would have been good to include more description of the textures, but not
necessary in this case)
Excerpt 3 (Thus Saith the Lord): duple meter, which becomes very clear towards end
ASSIGNMENTS
-
-
Begin catching up and thinking about the midterm (Monday, November 6).
Beethoven Study Questions (handout). You may turn this in two weeks from now, since
there will be no major assignment for the week of the midterm. I strongly suggest,
however, that you get it done before next section so as to avoid falling behind.
You may omit the weekly e-mail, but don’t forget to study for the Beethoven QUIZ. As a
compromise between what’s on the midterm vs. final, the section quiz will cover
movements I-III.
Some things to listen for: the usual suspects (texture, meter), themes and large-scale organization,
instrument groups (e.g., winds) and individual instruments/instrumental parts and their timbres –
oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trombones, basses, violins, timpani, and others.
Keep good track of themes. Sing them, draw yourself diagrams, know where themes appear,
where they return, what instrumentation they have, etc.