Hunter Ramsey Mini Lesson No.2 Score

 

Composition recital

 We will have a composition recital on the last day of classes. Since you've done similar projects for the last two semesters, we won't have a multi-phase process of composition; you'll just write your composition on your own and arrange for its performance with one or more class members (other guests are allowed too).

A note about personnel: if you would like a live accompanist, it's up to you to arrange that. Make sure that the person (people) can commit to the performance time (our class time on Tuesday) as well as as much rehearsal time as will be necessary for a decent performance. It would be acceptable to use an electronic accompaniment. I would be willing to accompany some of you if the piano part is reasonably easy, and if you get it to me 2 days in advance.

I'd like you to be creative and enjoy the project, so I am leaving the specifications open to a large degree. However, your composition should meet the following criteria:

Form:
You may write your piece in any form we have studied (Binary, ternary, rondo, sonata, sectional variations). If you choose variation form, you may write an original theme and two variations, or you may write three variations on a pre-existing theme).

Length
At least 32 measures. This may contain some degree of repetition (for example, if you write a parallel period, the first 2 measures of each phrase might be the same). However, an 8-measure phrase that is repeated exactly will count as 8, not 16 measures.
There should be at least 4 different phrases.

Harmonic content--include at least three different ones of the following:
Applied dominant
Applied leading-tone chord
Modal mixture chord
Augmented sixth chord (specify Italian, French, German)
Neapolitan chord
Change of mode
Modulation

You will also write program notes for your piece. These should be about 100 words long (minimum), and can explain your inspiration for the piece. There should also be some discussion of the musical elements you have included. The musical discussion can have some technical elements, but should be written for a lay audience (that is, assume that the readers are smart and educated, but don't necessarily know all the specific musical vocabulary that you have learned over the last five semesters).

Finally, in addition to your program notes, write a brief analysis that addresses any specific musical content that you included, but is not appropriate to include in your program notes. This should also be about 100 words (minimum), and should be specific. For example, if you include a Neapolitan chord, identify the chord, the measure in which it appears, how it acts within the phrase, etc. This analysis should be supplemented with an annotated score.

Program notes and brief analysis should be submitted electronically (on SAKAI). These are due on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8:00 AM, along with information for the program (title and personnel). This will give me enough time to compile a program. The hard copy of the score is to be handed in at the beginning of the class period (you will want your own copy to read off for your performance too).

Hunter Ramsey Mini-Lesson No. 1 score

 

PDF for Emma's 3rd Mini Lesson

This is a Google Drive Link to the PDF of Handel's "Da tempeste il legno infranto" from Giulio Cesare. Everyone should have access: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eJiwV2irNcinoIlxyvIMgjTQsTf-e9RW/view?usp=sharing

Hunter Ramsey - Variations Seven and Eight

For this theory homework, I was assigned the seventh and eighth variations of  Mozart’s Piano Sonata in D Major to analyze aswell as compare and contrast them both to the original theme. I think it may be easiest to first discuss how all three are similar in some aspects. Both variations as well as the theme, are in some variety of the key of D. Variation eight ,as well as the theme are in D Major while variation seven is in D Minor. All three of the excerpts are sixteen measures long with two eight measure phrases as well four half measures at both the beginning and the end of the eight-bar phrase to act as a pickup into the subsequent melody. 

Moving onto how each variation compares to the original theme, I would like to begin with discussing variation seven. It’s first and easily the most recognizable difference between the two is the seventh variation being in the parallel minor of the key of the original theme, that being D Minor and D Major respectively. The harmonic rhythm of each piece differs as well. In the theme, the chord changes just about once every strong beat, barring specific measures like seven, nine, and eleven where the chord changes for each quarter note. Whereas in variation seven, the chord changes about once per measure for the first eight measures and then typically twice or four times per measure for the following eight measures. The variation holds a much more somber mood and an overall modally unstable feeling from the prevalent use of chromaticism in both the melody and harmony in variation seven compared to the theme. Speaking of which, both the melody and harmonies see a slight reduction in overall content but see significant change with the use of ornamentation like trills. I believe that Variation VII was written to be an ornamental variation.

As mentioned earlier, the second variation I had been assigned was variation eight which is in the key of D major like the original theme. I believe that variation eight is a figural variation based around an elaboration of the two quarter note motive that occurs as a pickup to each melodic melodic statement in the original theme. Instead of a two quarter note pick up into the ensuing melodic material, variation eight utilizes a quarter note followed by two eighth notes which give the pick-up a further sense of forward motion that is reflected in the contrapuntal style of the variation. The harmonic rhythm of the variation is one chord per each measure in the first eight-measure except for the penultimate measure in which the chord changes for each beat in the measure. In the second eight measures of the piece, the harmonic rhythm speeds up to about two to four chord changes per measure for all measures except those which end melodic statements. Where variation seven very lyrical, variation eight is much more fanfare-like with its short, repeated, and articulate motives. There is also much less chromaticism within variation eight when compared to variation seven

 

Alexia, Keenan, and Carmen Analysis of Variations I, II, and III.

 Variation I: In Variation I, numerous differences appear. For instance, immediately noted was the continuous use of triplets throughout the right hand. This is a clear example of Figural Variation, or the use of repeated rhythmic motive. In the left hand, there appears to be the idea of Simplification; however, it must be noted that, while the overall idea is simplified, this variation incorporates rests in various ways. For example, in measures one and two, the pattern is beat-rest-beat-rest. In measures five and six, the pattern is rest-beat-rest-beat. Some rhythmic patterns in the left hand remain unchanged. This can be seen as measure four is unchanged rhythmically from the original measure four. There are other examples of similar, yet not exact, rhythmical ideas throughout the  piece that can be examined in the attached pictures. Overall, regardless of the interesting chromatic additions and rhythmic variations, the main idea of this piece is Figural Variation, due to the primary extended use of triplets. 

Variation II: In Variation II, once again, numerous variations can be discussed. First off, Figural Variation is very apparent. This can be discovered through the frequently used grace notes. They are used in both the right hand and in the left hand. Another example of this can be seen through the use of triplets in the left hand. While they are not as common as the grace notes, they are still incorporated enough to be considered as a rhythmic motive. Another common thematical variation used is Augmentation. Similar to the previous variation, quarter notes are used in place of the original eighth notes in the left hand. Also, augmentation is used in the right hand, as the original eighth notes are now sixteenth notes accompanied with rests. Chromaticism is frequent throughout the piece as well, as the grace notes require the addition of notes. Overall, while there is common augmentation throughout the piece, I would state that Figural Variation is the main idea, as there are more clear examples of repeated rhythmic motive.

Variation III: In Variation III, the main idea is Ornamental Variation. One can come to this conclusion due to the fact that, while the sixteenth notes are similar in variation II, sixteenth notes are more common. This leads to the necessity of additional notes, thus an elaborated melody. Nonetheless, the cadences rarely stray far from the original. This piece contains both examples of Augmentation and Diminution. The left hand alters between Augmentation, measures 3, 6, and 7 for example, and Diminution, measures 8 and 17. There are times, however, where the left hand remains loyal to original with measures of eighth notes. One again, the cadential areas are similar to the original. Overall, while there are clear examples of Augmentation and Diminution, Ornamental Variation is the main idea, as elaborated groupings of sixteenth notes are most prominent. 

Kaylin And Kaitlyn Variation IV, V, VI Analysis

 

IV

Diminution - In this piece, the 8th notes are turned into 16th notes. The chord structures are mostly the same for the theme and this variation, but the notes are shorter values.

Modified Sequence - In this variation, the harmonic motion is the same, but the chords are being spelled differently. The chords are spelled out in different inversions but in the same order as the main theme.

V

Repetition - The notes in the theme and variation V in the bass are the same notes and rhythms in measures 10, 11, 16, and 17.

Varied Repetition - In measures 4, 7, 11, and 16, there are similar notes to the theme, but the rhythm is different. For the theme, the rhythm is straight eighth notes, however in the variation the rhythm goes to dotted eighth, sixteenth.

VI

Augmentation - For this variation in both the bass and highest notes, there are the same pitches in the same beats. However, in the the theme these are eighth notes while in the variation they are quarter notes.

Repetition - For both the theme and variation, the perfect authentic cadences are spelled the same way, with the same notes and rhythms. 

Maddie and Emma's Analysis of Variation 11 and 12

For variation 11, there are two main types of variations occurring. The first type is ornamental. More specifically, the melody line is ornamented, or rather, elaborated by adding notes. The right hand melody plays in an improvisational style. The composer achieved this style by ornamenting the original theme. Not only is the melody line ornamented, but also the left hand piano part is ornamented. In the theme, the left hand plays 4 groupings of eighth notes, while in variation 11, the left hand plays 4 groupings of sixteenth notes (see the first photo). The other type of variation used in variation 11 is the double variation. The original theme is in binary form and uses repeats to achieve this. The variation is also in binary form, but rather than using repeats, it is written out. When written out, we can see that each section or statement has different variations. For example, there are technically two a1 sections, two a2 sections, two b sections, and two a3 sections. For variation 12, there seem to be several variations occurring. The first thing I want to mention is that both the time signature and tempo are different in this variation, the time signature being 3/4 and the tempo being allegro. What did not change is the overall key, harmonic structure, and binary form of the orginal theme. I believe this variation is characteristic because it is the finale of this movement of the sonata (aka "in the style of finale"). I think it is also figural because in the variation of A and the return of the A section, there are dotted rhythms that are prevalent. I would also consider this variation ornamental because of all of the added notes, but it is certainly less ornamental than variation 11. The second photo includes the A section variation that has the elaborated figure circled. The third photo is the B section variation where we can see more ornamentation occurring. *Madison analyzed variation 11 and Emma analyzed variation 12. We then came together to analyze both of our pieces and came to the conclusions as a team that we included in this blog post.

This is a post with audio (maybe)

 Link to audio. You do not need to listen to it. It's an old file that was in my Google Drive.