Composing a Melody! Terminology! n Texture n Phrase • Monophony • Antecedent • Polyphony • Consequent • Homophony n Period n Contour • Conjunct (e.g., scalar) n Cadence • Disjunct (e.g., chordal) n Climax n Accent n Balance • Dynamic • Agogic n Unity vs. Variety • Tonic • Metric n Text setting • Syllabic • Melismatic n Range n Tessitura n Word painting Anatomy of a Melody
The Star Spangled Banner!
Conjunct motion
Disjunct motion
Contour
Range
Tessitura Anatomy of a Melody
The Star Spangled Banner! Period
Phrase 1 (antecedent) Phrase 2 (consequent)
Harmonic implications: I V I V I Cadence Cadence (imperfect authentic/ (perfect authentic) half-cadence) augmentation variation Rhythmic motive: Anatomy of a Melody
The Star Spangled Banner!
Metric accents Dynamic accents Agogic accents Tonic accents New Melodic Resources! Various types of nontonal scales: modes, synthetic, and non-Western scales
From David Cope, Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, p. 27. Impressionism/Exoticism—Influences!
Balinese gamelan and African drummers.
Precedents:
n Paris Exposition (1889)
n Chicago World Fair (1892) Impressionism/Exoticism!
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Impressionism/Exoticism!
Maurice Ravel Igor Stravinsky (1875-1937) (1882-1971)
Ravel and Stravinsky Folk Music!
Béla Bartók (1883-1945) recording and transcribing folk songs of Hungarian peasants. Folk Music—Characteristics!
n Unusual phrase lengths (not restricted to 2, 4, 8, etc.)
n Metric variety: frequent use of mixed and additive meters
n Temporal fluidity: use of irregular rhythmic subdivisions and tempo changes.
n Modal rather than tonal melodies; not bound to “the tyrannical rule of the major and minor keys” (Bartók).
n Not restricted by equal temperament: use of microtonal pitch inflections and scales based on natural tuning systems.
n Free from the expressive pretensions of 19th-century “art” music. Folk tune transcribed by Béla Bartók.
Irregular phrases Flexible tempo Irregular rhythmic subdivisions Microtonal pitch inflection Diatonic Modes!
“White note” version:! Mode name:! Starting on C:!
Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian Diatonic Modes! Lydian: Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)
Phrygian: Ralph Vaughn Williams: Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (1910) Pentatonic Scales!
The most familiar variety of pentatonic scale is the “anhemitonic” (I.e., without semitones); it may be easily realized by playing on the black keys of the piano.
Derivation from diatonic scale: Pentatonic Scales! Anhemitonic variety: Claude Debussy: “Nuages” from Nocturnes (1899)
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903) Pentatonic Scales! Other varieties: Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (1913)
P4 m2 Claude Debussy: String Quartet (1893)
m2 M3 Claude Debussy: “Pagodes” from Estampes (1903) Maurice Ravel: Ma mère l’oye (1908)—“Laideronnette” Whole-Tone Scale!
A
B
Claude Debussy: “Canope” from Preludes Book II (1913) Claude Debussy: “Voiles” from Preludes, Book I (1910) Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136—“Whole-Tone Scales” Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136—“Whole-Tone Scales” Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136—“Whole-Tone Scales” Octatonic Scale! Two versions:
“Major” (whole-half) A
“Minor” (half-whole) B
Three transpositions:
1!
2!
3! Octatonic Scale! Structure:
Four overlapping [013] pitch cells
Two nested diminished 7th chords
Igor Stravinsky: Octet (1922) Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 99 “Crossed Hands”
Octatonic pentachord 1 (RH):
Octatonic pentachord 2 (LH):
These two octatonic pentachords combine to form a single octatonic collection. Olivier Messiaen’s Modes of Limited Transposition
Mode 1: 6 pitches, 2 transpositions Mode 2: 8 pitches, 3 transpositions (“whole tone”) (“octatonic”)
2 !2 !2 !2 !2 !2 ! 1 !2 !1 !2 !1 !2 !1 !2 !! Mode 3: 9 pitches, 4 transpositions Mode 4: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions
2 !1 !1 !2 !1 !1 ! 2 !1 !1! 1 !1 !3 !1 !1 !3 !1 !1 ! Mode 5: 6 pitches, 6 transpositions Mode 6: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions
1 !4 ! 1 ! 1 ! 4 !1 ! 2 !2 !1 ! 1 ! 2 !2 !1 ! 1 !! Mode 7: 10 pitches, 6 transpositions
1 !1 !1 !2 !1 !1 !1 !1 !2 !1!
From David Cope, Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, p. 27.