Gershwin-Prelude-No-1.Pdf

GERSHWIN

Prelude No 1 from Preludes

Signs f – forte – loud

ff – fortissimo – very loud

pp – pianissimo – very soft

p – piano – soft

mf – mezzo forte – moderately loud

cresc., crescendo - gradually becoming louder

decrescendo – gradually becoming softer bar-line – divides the beats according to the time signature double bar-line – end of a piece or section sharp (#) - raises a note a semitone flat (b) - lowers a note a semitone double flat (bb) – lowers the note a tone natural N- cancels an accidental (a sharp or a flat) tie - hold for the combined value of the notes (goes to the same note) slur – play smoothly, well connected (goes to different notes) tenuto (-) – a slight emphasis on a note, held, sustained (e.g. bar 9) accent (>) - a strong emphasis on the note

staccato ( . ) – short and detached Stave or staff – the 5 lines of music

Finger numbers – show which fingers to use on a note Dot after a note – adds half the value to the note again Leger lines – notes above or below the staff Maelzel’s Metronome – indicates the speed to play the piece 2/4 – Simple Duple time – 2 crotchet beats per bar

triplet – 3 notes played in the time of 2 of the same value

syncopation – placing emphasis on the weak beat of the bar – (this occurs in nearly every bar in this piece )

Roll – play the notes rapidly from lowest to highest (e.g. bar 53)

Pedal marking – depress the sustain pedal

Pedal point – a note that is continually repeated over several bars in the

bass line

Coda - tailpiece

Terms con licenzia – with licence or freedom in the time A tempo – return to former speed Col 8 – with the octave below Poco a poco – little by little

Title Prelude – a piece that comes before another

Key Bb major – Bb, Eb

Form Ternary (ABA)

BAR KEY FORM OTHER

Analysis Bar 1 Bb major Introduction Pedal Point on Bb Bar 3 Section A Bar 16-17 Section B Bb minor 7 chord Bar 20 Diminished bass line Bar 21 C major Pedal Point on C Bar 23 C7 chord Bar 25-6 C min 7 chord Bar 29 Diminished bass line

Bar 30 D major Pedal Point on D Bar 32 D minor

Bar 35 C major Pedal point on C Bar 37 C minor Bar 40 Bb major Pedal Point on Bb Bar 42 D major Pedal Point on D & Chromatic passing notes Bar 50 Bb major Section A Pedal Point on Bb Bar 61 Scale is Bb major with b3 & b7 Bar 58 Coda

Period Twentieth Century 1900 - 2000

Twentieth Century music consists of a vast number of new styles of music including Impressionism, Post-Romantic, Neoclassicism, Jazz and Blues, Electronic music, Film music and Popular music.

unusual use of meter and rhythm syncopation and accenting less importance is placed on melody revival of modes scales used include major, minor, pentatonic, whole tone, jazz scales and those of many nationalisties dissonance and chromaticism use of motifs (repeated fragments) chords with added notes such as 7ths, 9ths, 13ths

Style Jazz and Blues Style originated in the work songs and Negro spirituals of the African-American people of Southern America

from the first 30 years of the 1900s. Features of this music include:

using added notes to chords (such as adding a 9th or 12th) lowering the third and seventh degrees of the scale a swing rhythm chromaticism a walking bass-line an emphasis on vocal performance. syncopation

Gershwin 1898 – 1937. American pianist, conductor, and composer for Broadway, films and concert stage. The song “Swanee” 1919 was his first major success, recorded by Al Johnson. He produced a number of successful musicals and film scores, most of which were to lyrics by his brother Ira. His musical Of thee I sing was the first to win a Pulitzer prize in drama. He also wrote concert works such as Rhapsody in Blue, Piano Concerto in F, and An America in Paris. He wrote an opera Porgy and Bess . He often performed his own works on piano. He died at the age of 39 from a brain tumour.

Set of Pieces This set of pieces consists of three Preludes in the format of fast- slow-fast, similar to the structure of a 3 movement Sonata:

1. Prelude I – Allegro ben ritmico e deciso – Lively and fast rhythmical and decisive

2. Prelude II – Andante con moto e poco rubato – At an easy walking pace and with much freedom in the time

3. Prelude III - Allegro ben ritmico e deciso - Lively and fast rhythmical and decisive

Preludes Other composers that have written Preludes include:

Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Shostakovich

Contemporaries Shostakovich, Debussy, Copland, Ravel

Year of Composition 1926: He was 28 years old when he composed the 3 Preludes .

Compositions

• Rhapsody in Blue – his most famous composition

• Piano Concerto in F

• Lady be Good

• Funny Face

• Porgy and Bess

• Crazy for You

REFERENCE SHEET

Note Types

TYPE NAME BEATS w Semibreve 4 beats h. Dotted minim 3 beats h Minim 2 beats q . Dotted crotchet 1 and a half beats q Crotchet 1 beat e Quaver Half beat x Semiquaver Quarter Beat

Symbols

# Sharp & Treble Clef U Pause or Fermata

n Natural ? Bass Clef > Accent

b Flat _ Tenuto

Dynamics

SYMBOL NAME MEANING S Sforzando Strongly accented fs Forzando Strongly accented

ff Fortissimo Very Loud f Forte Loud

F Mezzo forte Moderately loud

P Mezzo piano Moderately soft p Piano Soft pp Pianissimo Very soft ppp - Extremely soft