APRIL 2002 CHORAL JOURNAL
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Three Shakespeare Songs: An Analytical Guide for Conductors and Composers by David Conte
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Introduction (1910) bears a remarkable structural and textural resemblance Ralph Vaughan Williams's Three Shakespeare Songs represent to the Mass in G Minor for double chorus (1921). The inspira a supreme achievement in the repertory of twentieth-century tion of the fourth movement of the. Symphony No.6 (1947) unaccompanied choral composition. Composed in the last was the text of the second of the Three Shakespeare Songs, "The decade of the composer's long and productive creative life, the Cloud-Capped Towers," and the two pieces end with an identi Three Shakespeare Songs reveal a composer at the height of his cal chord progression. technical and expressive powers. . . The Three Shakespeare Songs (1951) are Vaughan Williams's Vaughan Williams's catalogue is dominated by works for the fifteenth work for unaccompanied chorus, beginning in 1891 human voice, ranging in scope from full-length opera to ar v:ith the Three Elizabethan Songs (Herbert) and including mad .rangements of folk songs and hymn tunes. He composed thirty rigals, part songs, sacred anthems and motets, and his most nine works for chorus and orchestra, including such extended work in this medium, the great Mass in G Minor. masterpieces as the Five Mystical Songs (Herbert, 1911); A Sea Every composer's style is built on a unique combination of Symphony (Whitman, 1903); Sancta Civitas (Revelation, 1925); musical habits, intuitions, and choices. Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem (also Whitman, 1936), and Hodie (various, played the organ and the piano, but above all he was a choral 1954). Several important instrumental works include voices as singer and a violinist. His early study of English foilc song and pa,rt of the orchestral texture: wordless chorus (Flos Campi his editing of the English Hymnal reinforced his violinist's and 1925), and solo voice (Pastorale Symphony No.3 1921). singer's habits of thinking melodically. Later study with Ravel The special character of an instrumental work often influ in Paris (1908) and contact with the music of Debussy helped ences a later vocal work For example, the Fantasia on a Theme him to expand beyond his early models of Brahms, Wagner, by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra with solo quartet Stanford, and Parry, without abandoning their important les sons of tonal syntax. Ultimately, Vaughan Williams evolved a deeply personal style based on all these influences, and in David Conte is professor of composition and director of formed by a strong sense of the social mission of the composer. choruses at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 1989 His description of this mission in his book National Music he was awarded the Ralph Vaughan Williams Fellowship to (1934) acknowledges the central role of singing and choral study the composer's manuscript sketches at the British music in out musical culture: Museum in London.
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finished product. What the artist should be concerned with is the raw [i;,: '...... •.. ..•. .:1 ~~:Jr~;~::~~:e:;i:e:~~i~e :~~;, material ... the lilt of the chorus at "fullFathom Five" is the Knowledge of the various modes and a music-hall ... the rousing fervor :. .'. . I scales used in the work enable the con of a Salvation Army hymn . . . . f.rf!ostciJmplex pfth?.threeJ ductor to focus on such aspects as tuning, The art of music above all other arts '.. '. I phrasing, and identifYing expressive dis is the expression of the soul of a s~ongs, irz ft+.phrase', sonance, particularly in relation to the nation . . . any community of '1 . ...•. '. .J . ., .' .• ··1 text. This knowledge is also essential for people who are spiritually bound .' structure and varietyqi] the conductor who wishes to apply move together by language, environment, .', able-do solfege in the rehearsal. This history and common ideals and, analysis will include many suggestions for above all, a continuity with the past. this application. Of special value for the choral com poser is a study of Vaughan Williams's Three Shakespeare Songs writing for unaccompanied voices. How In 1951 the choral conductor Shakespeare Songs. The songs were first often does one encounter unaccompanied Armstrong Gibbs invited Vaughan Will heard at the festival on June 23, 1951. music which, in spite of the best inten iams to compose a work for unaccompa Given that the impetus for the Three tions of conductors and hard work on the nied mixed voices that would serve as a Shakespeare Songswas pedagogical, the fol part of singers, is too difficult to learn, "test piece" for the June festival of the lowing analysis is offered in this spirit as a where singers must work too hard to Federation of Music Festivals, of which guide for choral conductors and compos "find" their notes? Vaughan Williams's Vaughan Wt!Ilams was president. Though ers of choral music. For the choral con technique balances a rich and varied har at first Vaughan Williams was not enthu ductor, the kind of analysis shown here is monic palate with an intuitive sense of siastic about providing a piece for this indispensable in learning and memoriz what is organic and grateful for the hu pedagogical purpose, he later relented and ing the score, and in teaching the score to man voice and ear. presented Gibbs with the Three the singers. Identification of the tonal cen- The following analytical description is accompanied by tables to give the reader an overview of the formal structure of each song. Important information is . Ea .vfSi~l)l Rundi .~ shown regarding key areas, melodic ma . ",,'/ €oncert [fours ";:; terial, scale structure, length of phrases . ' .:. "The Artistic Ait;rnative"" . ,;: and sections, and details of texture and dynamics. It will be most helpful for the Custom Concert Tours reader to have a brief familiarity with the tables before reading the accompanying Experience in over 40 countries on 5 continents! text (Tables 1, 2, 3), and to consult the score (published by Oxford University Tuscany International €hildren's €horus Festival Press). "Full Fathom Five" Henry Leek "Full Fathom Five" is the most com June 30-July 8, 2003 plex of the three songs, in its phrase struc ture and variety of texture. The song is in ABA form, reflecting the structure of the punctuation and imagery in Shakespeare's text. (See Table 1)
Jean Ashworth Bartle Full fathom five thy father lies; July 5 -13, 2004 A Of his bones are coral made, Those are pearls that were his eyes: Musica Mundi Concert Tours 1-800-947-1991 Nothing of him that doth fade, tours@musicamundLcom B But doth suffer a sea change www.musicamundi.com Into something rich and www.musicamundLcom 101 First Street, Suite 454 • Los Altos, CA 94022 strange. Phone 650 949·1991 • Fax 650 949 1626
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Table 1
"FULL FATHOM FIvE"
FORMAL DIAGRAM
Andante misterioso, 414 meter
65 measures 4 measures 4 measures 5 measures
Sop div., ten chordal ostinato Alto triplet 8th-note ostinato pp
Bass melody p pp ppp (underwater-echoes)
A . "Ding-dong belL" "Full fathom five ... " "Of his bones ... " "Those are pearls ... " F major (pentatonic with flatted-6th; F-G-A-C-D~)
11 measures
2.5 measures 2.5 ineallres , 1.5 measures 4.5 measures 3-partS.A. 4~part S. A . + T. B. div. II-part SATB
"Nothing ofhim ... "But doth suffer ... " "Into something... "
(II=V) v
A maj. hexatonic B maj. hexatonic fm hex.! C maj. pentatonic (A~Bb-ClI-D-E-F) (B-C~ DII-E-Fti-G) (F-G-N-B-C-D{&}) (C-D-E-G-N) pp ppp pppp
13 measures
2.5 measures 2.5 measures 2 measures 6 measures
Sop ostinato in '4~'part canon·' quarter-note triplets . pp Alto triplet8th-ncii:e ostina.to cresco tof dim. toppp Ten pedal b~ .. Ten triplet 8th-note ostinato
A pp Bass melody cresco tof dim. toppp
"Ding~clong belL" . . "Sea nymphs .. " "Hark! ... " "Ding-dong belL" F majo.rhexatonic(F-G~A~C-D~-~)
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A Sea nymphs hourly right his knell: Figure 2. "Full Fathom Five", mm. 9 -10. Hark! Now I hear them [Le] [Sol] 10 Ding-dong bell. ,.,-,,9 --=-- -- .r-::=::-- SI -- ~ Taken from The Tempest, Act I, Scene dong, ___ dong, dong,_ 2, the speaker of this text is the magician [Sol] sprite Ariel, consoling Ferdinand, who has .- _[Le] ..----. been led to believe that his father Alfonso T " -- died in a shipwreck and now lies buried ""~ dong, ___ dong, dong,_ at sea. All of Vaughan Williams's musical choices regarding rhythm, texture, har mony, and melody work together to cre ate a mysterious, underwater atmosphere. Figure 3. F-major pentatonic scale with lowered 6th degree. The first A section begins with a seven bar introduction which establishes the character of the scene. The texture is rich and complex, on three distinct registral and rhythmic levels, and is maintained throughout this section. (Figure 1)
Foreground: Basses singing the full is subtly challenged by the appearance of The tonality is F major, as reflected in text with a variety of rhythms contrametric patterns in the the key signature. More specifically, the Middleground: Altos singing an middleground and background ostinati. entire passage contains only those notes eighth-note triplet ostinato: "Ding The bass melody always begins in the derived from an F-major pentatonic scale dong bell" middle of the bar, further obscuring the with one very expressive chromatic in Background: Sopranos and tenors meter. The resulting interlocking web of flection of D~ (F-G-A-C-D~). The low in an alternating half-note rhythmic gently undulating rhythms, created ered sixth-scale degree borrowed from the ostinato: "Ding-dong" through the use of both simple and com parallel F minor, and foreshadoes the ap pound divisions of the beat, perfectly cap pearance of F minor at the end of the B The feeling of regularity of the meter ture the underwater images of the text. section. The single half step between C and D~ creates 'a mildly dissonant "blur," which suggests the mysterious haze of the Figure 1. "Full Fathom Five", mm. 7-10. underwater scene. (As an example of the COlltra11letric pattems importance of a single note, try substitut- ,- 3 beals --, ,-3beals-, ing Dq for D~; the character of the song is ],,:::::>PP 8 I 9Ff!-- ~I ~ utterly changed.) The voice exchange of I C and D~ between the upper sopranos ~ > I I I I , __ Ding, ding ding,__ ding,_ and tenors creates the greatest harmonic -s-- = ,- 3 beals --, ,-3beaIS-, tension in the passage, and is expressive PP ,,:::::>PP ..---:- and practical to sing. (Figure 2) II Assigning the movable-do syllables to ~ > 1------1 I~I 1- this paSsage (Do-Re-Mi-Sol-Le) is an in- Ding, ding, ding, __ ding, __ valuable aid to tuning and remarkably ,- 3 beals --, ,-3beaIS-, sharpens the singers' awareness of the ex- ,,~PP 3 PP A pressive character of the music. (Figure 3)
~ > > The design of the bass melody has ding dong. bell. ding dong, bell, ding dong, ben, ding dong, ben, several distinctive features. The effect of ,-~ ,-~ an underwater echo is created by repeat- PP > T " ------ing the last word of each of the three phrases ("lies ...; ""made ...; )) (C eyes ...") ~ Dong, dong, ___ dong, dong,_ at softer and softer dynamic levels. The p lIliSlerioso ~ PP ppp ~ triplet-eighth-note rhythm of this re- B : peated word is an echo of the alto ostinato: 3 3 3 "Ding-dong bell" There is also a subtle Fun fa-thorn five thyfn- ther lies: "" . increase in intensity in each successive Copyright, 1951, by the Oxford University Press, London. Used by permission melodic statement in the bass voice, cre-
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texture gradually thickens with each new Figure 4. E-major hexatonic scale; phrase; three-part women's voices expand Basis of mm. 20-23, "Full Fathom Five". to four-part writing on the word " ... Nothillg of him... .. "seachange;" divisi men's voices are added o It o to create a six-part texture, which gradu It lje==3tjo) 4# 0 ally evolves into rich eleven-part harmony E: Do Re Mi [Me] Sol Le Te by the section's end on the word "strange." The five-note scale, which was the ba sis of the A section, is expanded here to five sets of six-note scales, some with oc ated by the addition of a new note of the text which further develops the images of pentatonic scale in each phrase: casional added chromatic inflections the first stanza: the eternal tomb of the (shown in brackets). It is the particular sea and its effect on the body: "Full fathom five ... " (F-G-A) interval structure and resulting harmo A "of his bones ..." (F-G-A-C) nies derived from these five scales that are Nothing of him that doth fade, "Those are pearls ..." (F-G the source ofVaughan Williams's uniquely B But doth suffer a seachange A-C-D~) expressive harmonic language. Let us talte Into something rich and each scale in turn, assigning the relevant strange. The fact that all melodies and harmo moveable-do solfege syllables to illumi nies of this first A section are based on a nate more fully the expressive character of A corresponding deepening of musical the notes. (Conductors can use the syl single scale reflects an important aspect of expression is achieved by Vaughan Will Vaughan Williams's technique in writing lables in rehearsal; again, the singers' ex: iams in this section through an expansion perience of the expressive character of the for unaccompanied chorus. Long passages of the number of voices and pitches based on a single number of pitches cre music will be greatly intensified.)(Figure present in succesive phrases, and the num 4) ate a harmonic field, where the unaccom ber of key areas. panied singers are supported in finding This scale combines the brightness of The section begins with a new texture diatonic major with the darker inflections their pitches with ease. This same tech of women's voices in unison rhythm. The nique, where one scale is the basis for all vertical and horizontal relationships, is a main feature of recent choral music by Figure 5. "Full Fathom Five", mm. 20-21. composers such as Part, Tavener, and np 'II Lauridsen, and is often extended through 1 out an entire piece. Vaughan Williams 'lJ of that creates formal and structural contrast S Not - thing him doth fade.-----=------np through decisive modulation to several 11011 key centers within a single piece, all orga II ''lJ nized around a single tonic. - ~ No - thing of him that doth fade. The B section is based on a new line of np 11-'1- A DIRECTOR OF MUSIC ",'lJ (~)T' T - T T~ 20 hours/week. View job description: 6 6 E: 1 ~ III ~ rv 1 www.firstccsj.org. Send resume to: P. 4 4 Charlesworth, First Congregational Church of San Jose, 1980 Hamilton Ave., San Jose, CA 95125. Figure 6a. A-major hex atonic scale; Basis of mm. 23-24, "Full Fathom Five" .
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VOLUME FOR.TY-TWO NUMBER. NINE 13 CHORAL JOURNAL APRIL 2002
of the sixth and seventh scale degrees of descending melodic minor. The occasional lowered third from the parallel-minor One sign ofmasterful ARTS BUR.EAU scale makes possible the harmonic cross FOR. THE relations favored so often by Vaughan .composition tfchnique is CONTINENTS Williams and reminiscent of the sonori EXPERIENCE THE MUSIC ties of Byrd and Purcell. Also characteris unity oflarge- and tic in this passage is the use of parallel chords in second inversion.(Figure 5, 6a, small~scale structural .. 6b) A new chromatic inflection is intro relationships. PERFORMANCE TOURS duced to these two identical scales; the BANDS, CHOIRS, ORCHESTRAS Phrygian second scale degree. This scale yields two major triads a half step apart, Pelfamlllllce! 1II'TIIIlged. Experienced t01l1' managm. Anywhere in the world. Sightseeing and jilll. Inelllde IIIzy IIIllSie festival e.g.: malcing possible the strong harmonic pro ing to the remarkable eleven-note chord gression of Neapolitan to major tonic. on the word "strange." This chord is built • Feslival500, st. Johns, Newfoundland, June 29-July 6, '03 (Figure 7 and 8) in an exact transposition to C major of .• World Choral Festivals, Vienna, June 27-July 1, '02, June '03 The scales in this section of E, A, and the chromatically inflected F-major • Shrewsbury Inl'l Music Festival, June 28-July 5, '02, June '03 B, which relate to each other as I, N and pentatonic scale of the first A section, • Inl'l Youth Music Festival, Vienna, July 6-9, '02, July '03 V in the key of E, give a strong sense of giving this chord a dominant function, • Bavaria Inl'l Youth Music Festival, July 18-25, '02, July '03 unity and forward motion to the B sec and setting up the return to F major. • Other festivals in Europe and North America. tion. (Figure 9) The bridge back to the tonic of F ma This unforgettable chord is most skill ST. PATRICK'S FESTIVAL· CHOIRS, jor in the second A section contains a fully orchestrated for chorus. There are BANDS, ORCHESTRAS truly marvelous modulation. As shown in subtle voice crossings between the divisi March 2003 the table, the C-major triad, which func sopranos and the tenors and baritones, Dub/in, Ire/and tions as the Neapolitan in B major, be which reinforce the sonority in the sing TORONTO INTERNATIONAL comes V in F major. The arresting ers' ears and provide for smooth prepara CHORAL FESTIVAL freshness of the eventual return to F ma tion of dissonance; the women's voices, April 23-27, 2003 jor in the second A section is delayed by which are higher and acoustically thin- . . Guesl Coudiletor: Slephfll Hatfield first using the F-minor scale, before mov- ner, are anchored by being enclosed within CANADIAN TULIP MUSIC FESTIVAL· Ollawa (international Choirs, Bands, & Orchestms) May 9-12 or 18-20, 2002, May 2003 Figure 7. Harmonies, nun. 23-26. "Full Fathom Five".
" ... Nothillg of him ... " ##§ tH§ lill H NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL A: bli B: ~II
CANTERBURY (UK) INTERNATIONAL Figure 8. F-minor hexatonic scale; CHORAL FESTIVAL Basis of nun. 26-27, "Full Fathom Five". July 10-14, 2002' July 9-13, 2003 2002 COl/dlletor: Bob Cbileott " ... 11110 somethillg rich alld ... " e (~e) ,~ !,Ii §e II It e f: Do Re Me Fi Sol La [Le] Contact: Lois Harper, SA, M.Ed, ARCT Arts Bureau for the Continents 350 Sparks Street· Suite 207 A Otlawa, Ontario, Canada, K1 R7S8 Figure 9. C-major pentatonic scale; Phone: 1-800-267-8526 Basis of nun. 28-30, "Full Fathom Five". Fax: 1-613-236-2636 E·mail: [email protected] www.abc.ca " e.l .a- u C: Do Re Mi Sol Le
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sing the full text, accompanied by the gradual crescendo of the ostinato, now built Figure 10. "Full Fathom Five", mm. 28-30. on the broader and heavier quarter-note triplets. A forte climax is reached on the 28 'PPP pppp= bass words "Ding-dong bell," followed ,./" I I I 29 " 30 " by a fairly rapid diminuendo, as all the I voices sink lower and lower in register, and strange, ______strange, ______strange. leaving only the single expressive D~ in S 'PPP pppp=, the ?Itos. This D~ ingeniously serves as an enharmonic common-tone which is II " a, I fifth of the opening H-minor chord of and strange, ______strange, ______strange. the second song, "The Cloud-Capp'd ----- Towers." The presence of a common tone pppp=-, 'PPP mal<:es it possible for the chorus to pro A " '1D': ______- .g;: ceed more easily from "Full Fathom Five" strange, ______.g;:----strange, __---- to "The Cloud Capp'd Towers" without strange. an interrupting starting pitch.
1\ I One sign of masterful compositional T technique is unity of large- and small scale structural relationships. The small strange, ______strange._ scale chord progression of Neapolitan to tonic is reflected in the large-scale struc B tural relationship of the key center of E I r I strange, ______strange._ in this B section to the key center ofF in the A section. This structural unity of triads and key areas related by half steps an octave, whereas the lower men's voices In the first phrase of this section, the dominates all three songs (particularly are enclosed within an· expressive minor underwater texture is created now with a No.2) and is present in many of Vaughan seventh, lending the sonority the gentle, descending melody stated in four-part Williams's pieces, giving his entire oeuvre strange color of a true underwater echo, canon. (This canonic texture is reminis a strong sense of stylistic unity. (Figure and connecting it to the alternating half ·cent of the opening of the Sanctus for the 13) note rhythm of the "Ding-dongs" in the Mass in G Minor.) (Figure 11,12) The "The Cloud-Capp'd Towers" song's opening bars. (Figure 10) triplet eighth-note contrametric ostinato The text for this song had deep spiri The second A section returns with a returns in the altos, supported by the ex tual resonance for Vaughan Williams. richer version of the opening texture, and pressive D~ pedal in the tenors. The basses When his Sixth Symphony (1944-47) was contains the song's dynamic and registral climax. (Figure 11,12) Figure 11. "Full Fathom Five", mm. 31-34. pp Sea-nymphs hourly ring his 31 331-: 34 I Imell: ,..,t" I~ ~ A Hark! Now I hear them ~ ~I I~ I I I J--I Ding dong bell. Ding, ______ding. S PPI~ ,-- I 1----, II " ___ I I I .; I~ I I IJ---' Ding, ______ding, _ 3 PP_ 3 _ 3 A " .; - Ding dong, bell,_ ding dong, bell,_ ding dong, bell, ____ Finest Fabrics Including Permanent Press and Wash & PP Wear. Superior Quality. Free Color > - Catalog and Fabric Swatches on T " Request. Guaranteed Satisfaction. ,; Toll Free 1-800-826-8612 Dong,_ dong, ____ dong. Ding, PP m/ster/oso
B
"" Sea - nymphs hour - ly ring his
VOLUME FORTY-TWO NUMBER NINE 15 CHORAL JOURNAL APRIL 2002
Figure 12. Sanctus from Mass in G Minor, mm. 18-19.
18 PP .Th(Jharmoniesexpressft~j ,-I".. ,;;- 19 S "fineJygraduatedsense;;Jt: ~ I I I ---I ,. ,':':,. ,',,' ",.r':' ,', Sane ,,;>1 Ch. I PP various level~i,offorwardi "" A r-Ill ~. 4- . motion,altwithin an [j Sane idiom"'.that'is,gratijJ1i"J:l .I" .. ~ S III ,andnaturalt'o S~rlg.;,;,:, Sane Ch. II "::;':' co"· ," "::;i PP " :;," A ...... ~ ~ harmony in detail before proceeding with Sane a more general analysis of the treatment of melody, rhythm, texture, and form. Below (Figure 14) are all fourteen har Figure 13. Harmonic structure of "Full Fathom Five". monies in the sqng. Because the sense of [A] [ID [A] tonal center shifts continually, and be min. 1-19 20-24 25-26 27-28 31-43 cause of the strong sense of A minor as a I tonal goal of the middle B section, A II II §# I§ }I nil 11'rt¥§ ; I,ll II (q) II -¥ ! minor is a practical choice for harmonic [A: ~II I] [B: ~II I ~II] analysis and as the basis for moveable-do F: I E: I IV V VI f: V V F: I syllable assignments. Especially interest ing is the series of alternating minor/ma jor triads, built on roots ascending by half premiered, many admirers were compelled out common tones. steps from F to N. (These chords are to ask what the music meant in a pro The chorally idiomatic harmonic lan shown in brackets.) (Figure 14) grammatic sense, particularly the medita guage Vaughan Williams creates in this For the conductor, incorporating sing tive last movement, which is an unrelieved song is unique. The harmonies express a ing with chromatic moveable-do syllables pianissimo senza crescendo. finely graduated sense of various levels of in the warm-up period of rehearsal is ex Vaughan Williams cited Prospero's forward motion, all within an idiom that cellent preparation for singing "The words from The Tempest, Act IV; Scene 1: is grateful and natural to sing. For this Cloud-Capp'd Towers" with true intona- "We are such stuff as dreams are made of, reason, it is valuable first to discuss the and our little life is rounded with a sleep" as averbal d escription of "the substance Figure 14. Fourteen Harmonies in "The Cloud-Capp'd Towers". of my last movement." (In The Tempest, Prospero has just made a large group of enharmonic spellings spirits vanish, and is reminding his daugh- t t I'll'll qlhl ] ter and her fiance that mortal life also -, itt! iii i~~H gw~H #§ U·II qll iWIl ni~1I ~§ ends quickly.) The character of the music ! i ii #iii #iv #IV V vi VI #vi #VI vii VII #vii #VII of this movement drifts about contra- a b e# d# D# E f F f# F# g G a~ A~ puntally and finally dissolves into two alternatin g chords: EP ma'J or and E mi- nor. The mysterious quality of this chord Figure 15. Ascending and descending chromatic scale, progression derives from the juxtaposi with solfege syllable names. tion of two triads, which are only dis tantly related in the classical sense, but II II j~1! 0 #0 .g. 0 0 share the common tone of G. A detailed ,.g. 'IT #0 F F examination of "The Cloud-Capp'd Tow La [Ii] Ti Do [di] Re [til Mi Fa [fi] Sol lsi] La ers" will show the frequent use of this exact progression, and the application of a general technique of triadic progression derived from various combinations of half-step root movements, with and with- La [Ie] Sol [fi] Mi [me] Re [ri] Do Ti [tel La
VOLUME FORTY-TWO 16 NUMBER NINE APRIL 2002 CHORAL JOURNAL
tion, and a powerful general exercise for singing chromatic choral music. The syl Figure 16.1 - Root movement by third with no common tones, mm. 2-3. lables corresponding to the chromatic .. scale based on A minor are shown here, ... the clolld- capped towers ... " with some adjustments made to reflect Vaughan Williams's spelling preferences. '#l~U ,,#I~H II (It must be noted that there is no possible f# D~ syllable name for F double sharp, as found in m. 20. Using the enharmonic syllable Figure 16.2 - Root movement by third with common tones, mm. 3. "Sol" is suggested.) (Figure 15) .. ... the go/'- (geolls) ... " A note concerning the key signature of two sharps in this song: this is most likely 'l~#l~H ~l~8 II PD Phrygian. The song was originally com d# b posed down a whole step with no key signature, which would be E Phrygian. Figure 16.3 - Root movement by half step with no common tones, mm. 9-10. (This matches the tonality of the coda of ..... alld leave ... " the fourth movement of the Sixth Sym phony.) Though the song begins with an § II F#-rninor chord, and this chord returns at A~ G the recapitulation in m.19, the analysis 'a'~ will show that the song cannot be said to Figure 16.4 - Root movement by half step with common tones, mm. 15-16. be "in" the key of PD, minor or Phrygian, "shall in any way that is pedagogically useful. dis - solve... .. Rather it is logical to assume that having written out the entire song a whole step 4w,~ ~~~ II lower with no key signature, Vaughan A~ a Williams simply transposed the song up a whole step, adjusting the key signature Figure 16.5 - Shifting from major to minor with the same root, mm. 24-25. accordingly. The question of the use of "sleep ... " key signatures in much twentieth-century music is a very large one, and an in-depth , IISJII II -&"-----" -& examination is beyond the scope of this F f article. Twentieth-century composers have been inconsistent in their use of key sig natures, and this often obscures clear tonal blending of these traditional progressions opening chord progression coincides with relationships, and the deep connection with the chromatic ones that gives the the first and only use of a personal pro- between twentieth-century music and piece its sense of coherence and balance, music of the past. and shows the liberating influence of Five types of root-movement progres Debussy on Vaughan Williams's har sions, all involving chromatic voice-lead monic style. For example, the harmo ing by half step, account for almost all of the harmonic movement in "The Cloud nies of mm. 3-11 cohere beautifully around the tonal center ofA minor, with Capp'd Towers." Each type of root move frequent use of simple mixture (chords ment has a distinct character and sense of borrowed from A major), and use of you are propulsion in relation to its surrounding double mixture (vi, or F minor) and conducting, harmonies. In figures of progressions be secondary mixture (HVlI: read major teaching, low, reading all note names from top to AI> triad as an enharmonic spelling of GH.)l listening or bottom to spell chords shows the half composing. (Figure 17) step voice leading, and often puts the "The Cloud-Capp'd Towers" is in strongest melodic motion in the top voice, Toll Free 1·888·803·6287 ABA form, like "Full Fathom Five." as it is in the song.(Figure 16. 1-5) [email protected] Though the root movements in "The Vaughan WIlliams distinguishes each for mal section as it reflects the structure Cloud-Capp'd Towers" are predominantly -::::a=ind ~t ~ast! with and character of the words. The text of of the chromatic voice-leading type out www.allthingsmusical.com the A section is a list of descriptive nouns: lined above, there are also themore tradi The Complete Music "towers", "palaces", "temples", and Educstion Resource Web Site tional root movements by diatonic All Music Products, Services, Ev';nts, "globe." The B section introduces the Classifieds - on Searchable Databases! seconds and perfect fourths. It is the subtle first verb: dissolve. The return of the Toll Free 1-888~803-6287
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Figure 17. Chord Progression ofmm. 3-10, "The Cloud-Capp'd Towers" ·thepresenceofsecond·
4 5 ,...,,, 3 PP I " 6 , iinve;sion chords witE S : .., r ~ '-"' the gor - geous pal - a - ces.- __ The sol - - emn tem - ples._ theirperfect fourtb~'gives PP the song'a;;siiih~ly A "" .., '.' 'l* ..". "----'"'* ~ • il*'*'-/ the gor - geous pal - a - ces. __ The sol - - emn tem - ples._ : medievdi.wund,and PP ~ I I I dim.ension;j T "" - 'l~nds~ i" I I II I V I I the gor - geo~s Jal - a - ces. __ The sol- emn tem - ples._
PPI I I t\ 1_ I : B " " 11" I '" I I II I ~D i "----'" ~ I 6 ···6 'iii ·6 i_ a: ii V4 VI~ VI 1114 ii6 14 F#: #vi
= 9 ,...,,,,, 7 ~ 8,~, . -- PP 10 .., '-' I I I - the great_ ' globe it - self. shall dis - solve._ : PP "" .., ,-,'* r "----'" - the great_ globe it - self. shall dis - solve._ = PP II .. ---- I --- " - the great_ globe it - self. : PP I ~ ~ (~).,ot. b.a-- - ... :
"' vi 1117 vi #vn i
noun: we. (See Table 2) The emotional tone of "The Cloud music, especially the Fanstasia on a Theme Capp'd Towers" is established in the open by Thomas Tallis, with frequent doubling A Thecloud-capp'd towers, the ing bars, and is maintained throughout at the octave of the soprano melody in gorgeous palaces, the entire song, with only the subtlest the tenors. Sound acoustical principles of The solemn temples, the great variations in dynamics, tempo, and har spacing of chords are always observed, globe itself, monic, melodic, and rhythmic character. with frequent open fifths between the low Again, all of Vaughan Williams's musical est two voices. Though most of the chords Yea, all of which it inherit, choices serve to create the text-inspired are in root position, more than the usual shall dissolve, mood of impenetrable mystery, awe, and number are in second inversion, a favor B And, like this insubstantial calm. Let us examine each in turn the ite voicing ofVaughan Williams. The pres pageant faded, treatment of tempo, dynamics, melody, ence of second inversion chords with their Leave not a rack behind. harmony, rhythm, and texture. perfect fourths gives the song a slightly The Lento tempo is slow enough for medieval sound, and lends a dimension A We are such stuff as dreams are the rich, subtle harmonic shifts to register of timelessness. made of; fully in the singers' and listeners' ears, but There is a subtle change in texture in And our little life is rounded not so slow as to make the long phrases the B section of the song. The largely with a sleep. impractically difficult to sing. The open- homo rhythmic texture is loosened a bit,
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Table 2 "THE CLOUD-CAPP'D TOWERS" .FORMAL DIAGRAM
2.5 measures 2.5 measures 2 measures
(poco cree.) the gorgeous palaces The solemn temples, the great globe itself, shall dis-
d#m bmEMFM· dm bmam abm fAJ.m
8 measures
.. poco animato a tempo
3 measures 3 measures
leave not a rack behind. We •. solve, And like .this .insubstantial pageantfaded
GM gm F#M
8 measures
5 measures
ppp "~I;!,sllch si:uffas dreains are m~de on, Ahd our little life is rounded with a sleep."
A.
bmEMF f#m FMfm
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as first the basses break into the melodic B In their gold coats mented-major seventh chord. Again, foreground on the words "yea, all which spots you see; chromatic syllables will help the singers it inherit," and later the sopranos on the Those be rubies, to tune these harmonies. (Figure 18) words ''And, like this insubstantial pag fairy favours, The chromatic character of these eant faded." The background harmonies In those freckles live chords is contrasted by the following har on the words "shall dissolve" seem liter their savours: monies built from the G-pentatonic scale. ally to dissolve, oscillating back and forth Textural variety is achieved by alternating between A minor and AD major, recalling A I must go seek some the divisi women's voices with the divisi the last two harmonies of the fourth move clewdrops here, men's voices, then combining them in a ment of the Sixth Symphony (E minor and And hang a pearl in four-part SATB texture. EP major). every cowslip's ear. The A section introduces the character The opening texture returns in the sec of the fairy, who describes her duties for ond A section, with melodic doubling at Over hill, over dale, the queen. The voice of the fairy is repre the octave of both the soprano melody Coda Thorough bush, sented by the sopranos, supported by an and an inner voice, resulting in the rich thorough brier, ostinato in the lower three voices derived est melodic texture of the song. The final Over hill, over dale. from the harmonies and rhythms of the progression contains the harmonies of F# introduction. Several measures of triple minor to F major, recalling the chord "Over Hill, Over Dale" is the most compound meter lengthen the phrases of progression at the end of the Sixth Sym simple and direct of the three songs, this section. This music emphasizes e mi phony. The half-step gesture is extended though not without its own subtleties. Its nor, the relative minor of the opening to the very last chord; the relative calm of overall harmonic color has a strong rela key. F major is darkened with the final sonor tion to the first song, "Full Fathom Five," In the B section, the changing charac ity of F minor. with its prevalent use of the lowered sixth ter of the text results in a corresponding "Over Hill, Over Dale" scale degree in major (the note EP in G change in the character of the music. The The text of the third song, "Over Hill, major), and its use of pentatonic struc fairy describes the cowslips in the land Over Dale," has a magical character simi tures. It also provides an effective contrast scape of the fairy world. The tonality shifts lar to the first two songs. Talcen from A with the first two songs in tempo and to the closely related key of A minor; the Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II, Scene meter; the song is marked Allegro Vivace, meter settles into a steady ~; the texture I, this text is spoken by one of Queen and is in duple-compound meter. begins with some exact rhythmic imita Titania's fairies, and establishes the spirit The six-bar introduction establishes a tion between the sopranos and the lower world in Shakespeare's drama, a world complex mood; at once pastoral, ener voices, and evolves into the first . beyond rationality. getic, and mysterious. The Allegro tempo homo rhythmic texture of the song, as all Vaughan Williams creates an introduc creates a feeling ofvitality; the compound four parts rise to a forte dynamic in uni tion and coda through text repetition to meter creates a pastoral mood, though son rhythm, and in the bright relative frame an A-B-A form. The A sections tempered with mystery as expressed by tonality of C major: "Those be rubies, feature the personal pronoun I; the B the harmonies in the opening bars. These fairy favours; In those frecldes live their section is a list of descriptive nouns (cow harmonies can be analyzed as two forms savours. " slips, coats, rubies, favours, and freckles). of the submediant triad in G major; the The second A section is marked by the (See Table 3) diatonic minor triad, and the rich aug- return of the fairy speaking with the per-
Over hill, over dale, Intro Thorough bush, Figure 18. "Over Hill, Over Dale", ffiffi. 1-2. thorough brier, Allegro vivace Over park, over pale, p Thorough flood, thorough fire, o - ver hill. ___ 0 - ver I do wander p everywhere, A A Swifter than the o - ver hill.------___ 0 - ver dale.------___ moone's sphere; And I serve the fairy T queen, To dew her orbs upon the green.
VI +7 The cowslips tall her G: vi pensioners be;
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Table 3
"OVER HILL, OVER DALE"
FORMAL DIAGRAM
6 measures
2 measures 2 measures
Thorough bush, Over park, over pale, thorough brier, Thorough flood, Thorough fire,
p SO'p; Alto ,. Ten, Bass SATB G major (vi~bVl+ 7) G pentatonic
14 Measures
3 measures 3 measures 4 measures 4 measures
9.6 9 6 8 ;8 6; 8
"1 do wander Swifter than And I serve To dew her orbs everywhere, the moone's spere; the fairy queen, upon the green.
A P Sop~melody; pp
wi text from intro. E pentatonic minor
8 measures
2 measures 2 measures 2 measures 2 measures "Cowslips tall In their gold coats Those be rubies, In those frecldes her pensioners be; spots you see; fairy favours, live their savours: B p cresco f . Sop; 11lelody; SATB; unison rhythm .. PP cresco f ATBrhythmic imitation "Aminor C major
Table 3 continued on page 22
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3 measures
9, 6 6; 8
"I must go seek some dewdrops here,
f decres.p A Soprano melody; pp
ATB harmonic underpinning e minor pentatonic
2 measures
"Over hill, over dale,
pp
Ten, Bass Sop, Alto
G ina.jor (vi-bVI+7)
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through the composing of choral music. Figure 19.1- Measure 43, final chord; "Over Hill, Over Dale". The spirit of Thompson's words bears a strong resemblance to Vaughan Williams's essay from National Music, which was quoted at the beginning of this article. "(dale)" Both composers spealc of choral singing as an indicator of the relative health of a Figure 19.2 - Final chord; Magnificat musical culture:
... an instrumental style unleavened by the knowledge of writing for Hail! voices can become . . . turgid . . . and lose touch with the human spirit . . . an impediment to choral com sonal pronoun "I," represented again by position is the difficulty of applying contemporary compositional tech the sopranos, and returning to the tonal ity ofE minor. This section is exactly half . The Three Shakespeare niques to writing for chorus. Mod as long as the first A section, and leads ern idioms-the insistence on dissonance and super-chromaticism, smoothly into the coda. Songs are model pieces on fitful and irregular rhythms ... . The coda is an extended duplication do not lend themselves . . . to the of the texture and harmony of the intro for unaccompanied medium of the choruse. . . . Many duction. The two mysterious submediant chords return, again alternating between of the greatest composers' greatest .chorus. works are choral, and they can all be divisi men and women. The women's voices end the song, sustaining the final sung by amateurs. It would be a ter augmented-major seventh chord. This rible indictment of contemporary of music composition if they ending is reminiscent of the last phrase of s~hools individual vocal lines are largely conjunct: (failed) to do what their forefathers Vaughan Williams's Magnificat (1932) for with the exception of a few melodic fifths did so well. women's voices, solo mezzo-soprano, flute, and one octave in the bass line of "The strings, and harp, where the four-part .Cloud-Capp'd Towers" there is no inter This brief survey ofVaughan Williams's divisi women's chorus sings the word val larger than a fourth in the entire set of career, with its commitment to choral "Hail." (Figure 19.1, 19.2) songs and the interval of a second pre music, and a detailed analysis of one of dominates. The more frequent chromati his late choral masterpieces, the Three Conclusion cism of "The Cloud-Capp'd Towers" Shakespeare Songs, show Vaughan Will always occurs by half-step motion, and iams to be a choral citizen of the highest Vaughan Williams's Three Shaleespeare frequently between harmonies with com order. Songs brilliantly fulfill their original peda mon tones. Dissonances are always care gogical purpose: to provide a challenging fully prepared. The formal structure of Nota Bene: "This analysis is the first and grateful work for choral singers, us each song reflects the structure of the in a book in progress, including unac ing texts of the highest literary and spiri texts, and shifts in tone, emphasis, and companied choral works by Debussy, tual quality. We have shown the logic spealcer articulate new formal sections. Mesiaen, Poulenc, Britten, Hindemith, with which it is possible to apply move The layering of simple and compound Susa, Conte, and Whitacre." able-do solfege sylables to ensure good in rhythms is natural and organic, and effec tonation and to increase the singers' tively creates the magical world inspired NOTES awareness of the expressive character of py the texts. Word repetition is used spar 1 For a complete discussion of advanced mix certain notes and intervals, particularly in ingly but effectively to create formal bal ture, readers are referred to Edward relation to the text. The formal tables ances, or to build ostinati (for example, Aldwell and Carl Schachter, Harmony show the phrase structure and tonal cen "Ding-dong bell"). and Voice-Leading, Chapter 30 ters of each section, and can greatly aid In an address to the Intercollegiate (Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich) the conductor with interpretation, pac Music Council at Yale University in 1959, ing, and memorization. the American composer Randall Thomp -C]- The Three Shakespeare Songs are model son articulated beautifully the technical pieces for unaccompanied chorus. Most and aesthetic challenges of composing for of the musical materials have diatonic and unaccompanied chorus, and emphasized pentatonic origins, with expressive chro the value for all composers of connecting matic inflections, that create the mysteri with their deepest musical impulses ous atmosphere inherent in the texts. The
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