AOS 2- Serialism ‘Peripetie’ from Five Orchestral Pieces Analysis Table

Section A Bars 1-18 Task – Label this section on your score. Clarinets & Flutes state two hexachords in bars 1 and 3. Bass clarinet hexachord in bar 1 is made up of the following notes: C#, D, E, F, G#, A. Flute hexachord in bar 3 is made up of the following notes: A, A#, B, C, E, G#. Bassoons double the bass clarinet hexachord in first two bars. This is same as horn hexachord from bar 8 but transposed up 4 semitones; A, Bb, C, C#, E, F Bar 6 in the strings and trumpets is an inversion of the hexachord; A, G#, F#, F, D, Db.

Clarinet C# D E F G# A Hexachord Intervals Up 1 ST Up 2 ST Up 1 ST Up 3 ST Up 1 ST Horn Hexachord A G# F# F D Db Intervals Down 1 ST Down 2 ST Down 1 ST Down 3 ST Down 1 ST

Bass clarinet and flute hexachords lead to a fanfare horn motif in bar 3. This is the first part to be marked as the principal voice. Task – Highlight these hexachords on your score.

Tempo / Rhythm Instrumentation / Texture Pitch / Melody Dynamics Sehr rasch = very quick. Each instrument in the Atonal – no sense of key. Forte to start. 100-108 BPM. orchestra plays in Piece is built on the Dynamics get louder as Triplet quavers, and Section A. hexachords. melodic ideas are played by sextuplet semi-quavers Bars 1-7 the brass Full pitch range / tessitura instrumental groups. Bar 7 tempo slows slightly instruments dominate the of each instrument are Bar 5 dynamics reach FFF (etwas ruhiger). texture. used. before dying away to PP. Rubato clarinet melody at Trombones take over the Bar 10 – clarinet melody is Brass instruments use a bar 10 makes tempo feel principal voice in bars 5- expressive, gentle, angular mute. Schoenberg uses slower than it actually is. 6 before it returns to and uses dissonant leaps of this for the dampened the horns. minor 9th, major 7th and sound quality while still Bars 8-10 ostinato in diminished octave. These using extremes of ranges, bassoons and bass cause dissonance and which is unusual. clarinet. create tension. Bar 10-18 soft clarinet melody. Marked as principal voice. Instrumental groups play in quick succession with some overlaps of chordal / homophonic bursts. Texture thins from bar 10 as clarinet melody is played.

Section B Bars 18-34 Task – Label this section on your score Bar 18 cello takes over the role of principal voice from clarinet. Bar 20 trumpet takes over role of principal voice from cello. From bar 20 to bar 34 the principal voice passes between 7 different instruments. Bar 28 trumpet one enters with secondary voice. Bar 29 piccolo, flute and clarinet in D join in as secondary voices. Cello plays in a very high tessitura in what develops into a frantic section. Task – Highlight the principal and secondary voice sections.

Tempo / Rhythm Instrumentation / Texture Pitch / Melody Dynamics Tempo returns to original Full orchestra is used in Atonal – no sense of key. Forte to start. marking of sehr rasch. Section B. Piece is built on the Dynamics get louder as Short note durations such Orchestra is used in hexachords. melodic ideas are played by as quavers and semi different instrumental Full pitch range / tessitura instrumental groups. quavers make the music combinations until bar 30 of each instrument are Bar 5 dynamics reach FFF seem faster than it where the full orchestra used. before dying away to PP. actually is. play together. Bar 10 – clarinet melody is Brass instruments use a Bars 30-34 are the expressive, gentle, angular mute. Schoenberg uses climax of this section. and uses dissonant leaps of this for the dampened Not all instruments play minor 9th, major 7th and sound quality while still for the full 5 bars. Wind diminished octave. These using extremes of ranges, and percussion cause dissonance and which is unusual. instruments provide the create tension. instrumental power. In bars 32-34 violin 1 and cello have a soft and gentle melody line. It is very difficult to hear but adds to the texture and demonstrates Schoenberg’s attention to detail. Texture is complex and polyphonic.

Section A’ Bars 34-43 Task – Label this section on your score Section A’ starts with the return of the violins as the principal voice with an ascending melody. A flourish from the horns answers the violins in bar 37 this then leads us to bar 40 and a return of the horn hexachord from bar 8. This section provides us with a rest from the turmoil of section B. Mood is menacing giving the impression that there is more turmoil and fireworks to come in the following sections. Task – Highlight the principal voice sections.

Section C Bars 18-34 Task – Label this section on your score. Bar 44 bassoon is principal voice. Bar 45 takes cello over the principal voice role. Task – Highlight the principal voice sections.

Tempo / Rhythm Instrumentation / Texture Pitch / Melody Dynamics Tempo marking alternates Bars 44-52 are made up Atonal – no sense of key. Bar 44 starts this section between ruhiger which of a sparse texture. Wide pitch range / with an overall PP dynamic. means calmer and heftig In these bars tessitura of instruments Individual instruments which means passionate. Schoenberg continues to are used. have different crescendo overlap solos in different Angular leaps in the and diminuendo markings. instruments. bassoon and cello when Bar 53-55 change to a FFF Bars 53-55 consist of a they are the principal dynamic before starting to much fuller and thicker voices. die away in 56. texture where the Bars 53-55 melodic The dynamics mirror the majority of the flourishes in the woodwind changes in the texture in instruments are involved. and strings enhance the this section. louder dynamics.

Section A’’ Bars 59-66 Task – Label this section on your score. The start of this section is highlighted by a change in tempo to the original faster speed. Triplet figure in clarinets and second violins starts the section.

Tempo / Rhythm Instrumentation / Texture Pitch / Melody Dynamics Rhythmic motifs from Starting with clarinet 3, Atonal – no sense of key. Opening dynamic at bar 59 opening bars return in this violin, 2 and viola in bar Melodic material from the is PP. section. 59 the instruments are opening is being used and Crescendos quickly to FFF introduced one by one in developed for final section. in bar 64. Section A Section A’’ quick succession. Bar 642 is a climatic chord Dynamics fade quickly to Bars 53-62 Trumpets This creates a layering of a hexachord C, D, Eb, PP by bar 66. bars 61-63 effect as the rhythmic F#, G, G#. Most of Bar 1 Clarinets motifs are repeated. orchestra are playing bars 59-61 From bar 61 the texture (except cor anglais and Bar 3 Flutes builds until at bar 64 the double bass) 2-3 bars 62-63 whole orchestra are Bar 64 the double basses playing together for the play an unrelated tremolo final climatic chord. chord. This is played in a high tessitura and is sustained after the rest of the orchestra subside to conclude the piece.