Die Stadt
The Town
On the distant horizon,
Like a chimera, appears
The town with its spires
Shrouded in evening gloom.
A damp breeze ruffles
The grubby watercourse;
In a mournful rhythm rows
The boatman of my punt.
The sun rises yet again
Radiant above the earth
And shows me that spot
Where I lost my dearest.
Fenn Macon
Harmonic Analysis: The piece is in C Minor.
1-2 Pedaled C octave for 2 measures
3-5 Repeated arpeggio of vii°43/V for a beat
then the next 2 plays the chord down an octave
each time.
6 Pedaled C octave in the bass then the verse
starts on i in the downbeat of 7.
7-8 Verse starts on i for a measure then
passes to V then iv6 to iv into iv64.
9-11 A repeated 1 measure sequence of iv-i
with rising voice leadings. This can all be heard
as predominant.
12 i43-V-V64-i6-i cadence that sets up 13
13-14 i64-V-i The bass hits its lowest note
setting up the resolution to end the verse.
14-15 Pedaled C octave
16-17 vii°43/V sequence
18-24 vii°43/V the vocals descend down the
chord for the second verse.
25-26 The vii°43/V sequence to ease off the verse.
27 Pedaled C octave then a fermata over a rest before the final verse starts on i.
28-31 Similar to 7-10 but the right hand is transposed up an octave and the bass
is doubled on the octave.
32 iv6 then a neighbor tone for the second beat then iv6
33 i64-V64-i6-i which is a cadential 64 that leads the soprano voicing and vocal
accompaniment to their highest notes and sets up the next measure.
34-35 i64-V-i which is a cadential 64 with a huge crescendo, definitely the ending.
35-36 Pedaling the octave
37-39 vii°43/V
40 The piece ends on a C in the bass.
The piece sounds mournful and haunted. Because it focuses on the relationship
between the i and vii°43/V chord, the key seems to hang between C and G minor.
The near-whole tone scale quality of the vii°43/V arpeggio gives it a dream-like
feel. It evokes traveling through water on a dark and misty night. The vocal
entrance is very evocative of a town appearing out of mist. The second verse is
entirely set over the vii°43/V chord, which makes it hang in the ether between the
C and G minor keys. This murkiness is reflected in the lyrics, which tell of a boat
traveling towards the town. It drifts away and the vii°43/V remains. The third verse
announces itself with a C minor chord in root position that is stressed for a
measure. The music is no longer murky but dramatic and restates the first
verse’s music but in a higher register to build to the climactic telling of how this
town is where the narrator lost their dearest. After these heavy cadences, the
song fades out with the vii°43/V sequence.
Am Meer
The Sea
The sea sparkled out in the distance
By the light of evening’s last glow;
We sat near the solitary fisherman’s house,
We sat mute and alone.
The fog gathered, the water swelled,
A seagull flew back and forth;
From your eyes full of love
Tears fell down.
I saw them fall on your hand
And sank to one knee;
From out of your white hand
I drank the tears.
Since that hour my body consumes itself,
My soul is dying of longing;
This wretched woman
Has poisoned me with her tears.
Fenn Macon
Harmonic Analysis:
1-2 I°-I repeating, starts in CM
3 I 4 V-I 5 IV64-I 6 V-I
7 I 8 V-I 9 IV64-I 10 V-I-vii-I
11 V7-I 12 i Key change to Cm
13 V 14 i/V 15 VI7-vii7/ii
16 key change Dm i64-ii°64-i64-V7
17 i 18 i43 19 IV6 or CM: V6
20 key change CM I 21 ii
22 I6-i-v 23 VI-vi-iii-I
24 I 25 V-I 26 IV-IV64-I 27 V-I
28 I 29 V-I 30 IV64-I 31 V-I
32 V7-I 33 Key change to Cm i
34 V 35 i/V 36 VI7-vii7/ii
37 key change Dm i64-ii°64-i64-V7
38 i 39 i43 40 IV6 or CM: V6
41 key change CM I 42 ii
43 I6-V64-I 44 Iº-I 45 I°-I