Treatment+of+the+Elements+of+Music

Add notes on how each of the elements of music are treated in the first movement of 'Symphony of Psalms'.  **__Melody__ ** - First movement opens with chromatic, scale-like melody based on octatonic scale. - Ostinato at figure 2 based on E Phrygian mode. Repeats throughout piece, e.g. figure 12. - Movement I, Figure 10: Very jagged - angular. Changes metre frequently. Wide intervals. - Movement II, Opening: Instrumental fugue. Large intervals - some degree of C minor sound. Very dissonant - wide intervals, diminished and augmented intervals. Chromatic intervals. Fairly strong 2/4 pulse, slow tempo, quite syncopated. Tonal fugue - notes in the "answer" are altered slightly to fit in dominant key. - Movement II, Figure 5: Vocal fugue subject. Based around Eb minor. Rhythmically simpler. Intervals and contour smaller and less dissonant. "Tranquillo" - less biting, less harsh (tranquil). Some notes accented - first note of phrase - highlights entry and texture - Movement II, Figure 14: Similar to orchestral fugue subject, not as dissonant. Sung by choir. Dotted rhythms.

 **__Rhythm__** - Complex. Changes time signature several times. Note groupings change. Polyrhythms. - Movement I, Opening: Disjointed effect. Break-up of rhythmic flow created by "punctuating" E minor chord which interrupts semiquaver flow. Changes metre from 2/4 to 3/4, creating rhythmic ambiguity. 1/4 bar just before Figure 1. - Movement I, Figure 4: "Gregorian" melody uses mainly crotchet-minim rhythm. Creates strong sense of pulse. Accompanied by ostinati in woodwind all playing quaver figure, making it more percussive and driving. Strong, regular beat. - Movement I, Figure 6: Oboe solo - improvisatory effect. Metre changes. - Movement I, Figure 9: Rhythmic augmentation and diminution. Flutes play semiquaver ostinato version of harp/piano I quaver ostinato. - Time signature changes disrupt flow of music, creating an unpredictable sense of metre. - Rhythm is important because there of the frequent changes in time signature as well as frequent use of ostinati and polyrhythms. - Rhythm is used to create variation (e.g. Movement I, Bar 9: rhythmic augmentation and diminution). - There are diverse rhythmic ideas throughout the piece, which goes between regular rhythms and more improvisatory rhythms (e.g. oboe at Movement I, Bar 6). - Movement II has a slower tempo. Makes use of 4/8 time signature. Clear, strong rhythm. - Both fugue subjects in Movement II rhythmically Baroque in style (neo-classical example). A lot of rhythmic repetition with fugue subjects repeated throughout different voices. - Movement II, Figure 13: Rhythmic variation of instrumental subject using dotted rhythms. Taken up by whole orchestra and choir at Figure 14. - Movement II, Figure 10: Stretto. Entries between voices of vocal fugue are moved close together (half a bar apart) and rhythm of subject is varied - shorter note values. - Rhythm determined by text and emphasis of syllables. .

- Movement I ends with G major chord, creating a sense of optimism. Also acts as dominant to the C minor tonality of Movement II. Tierce de Picardie effect - Baroque tradition to end on major chord - dramatic ending. Accentuates dissonance of second movement. - Movement I, Opening: E minor chord used to "assert" an E minor tonal centre. Harmony by insistence/repetition rather than functional harmony. Also punctuates flow of music. Dominant 7th arpeggios used between chords. - Frequently dissonant. (e.g. Movement I, Figure 5: Harmonisation of choral parts includes notes that clash, while orchestra accompanies with dissonant ostinato) - Ostinati based on __octatonic__ scale (based on alternating tones and semitones) used to accompany chant-like melody at Figure 4. Quite dissonant. - Modes often used as a basis for melody and harmony. (e.g. Movement I, Figure 2: E Phrygian in piano over E pedial. Bare, ancient, "church-like" effect.) .
 * __Harmony__**

 **__Form/Structure__** - Movement II is a double fugue. Uses Baroque structure of exposition and development sections - moves away from Baroque form - No gap between the three movements. Conceived as one work. - First movement conceived as a prelude, second as fugue - 18th century tradition. - "Symphony" of Psalms - not a traditional symphony - put in 20th century context by using choir, two pianos and no strings. Three movements joined together and based on text. Classical and 19th century symphonies are typically four movements. - Takes 18th century traditional forms and puts in 20th century context. - Uses a text - Stravinsky's interpretation. - Opening - "Exaudi orationem meam, Domine" - "Hear my prayer O Lord" - prayer-like, chant effect in style of Gregorian chant. .

 **__Texture__ - Movement I, Figure 12: Lots of ornamentation, rhythmic augmentation. Complex, chaotic, busy texture. - Movement I, Figure 4: Melody and accompaniment. Melody single line sung by choir (alto section). Accompaniment consists of three combined ostinati played by oboe, cor anglais and bassoon. . **

 **__Instrumentation__ - List of parts: 4 Flutes, 1 Piccolo, 4 Oboes, 1 Cor Anglais, 3 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 French Horns, 1 Piccolo Trumpet, 4 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 1 Bass Drum, SATB Choir, 1 Harp, 2 Pianos, 1 Cello, 1 Double Bass. - Interesting instrumentation: two pianos, four oboe parts, cor anglais, three bassoon parts, contrabassoon. - Two pianos for metallic, percussive, cold sound. - Reeds - penetrating, dry, organ-like sound. Church-like/ritual-like sound. - Absence of upper strings and clarinet. Stravinsky didn't want the piece to have a Romantic sound. . **

**__Tone Colour__**


 * __Dynamics__**

 - Not a strong sense of tonality. - E minor tonal centre asserted in opening bars of first movement with block chords interrupting scale-like melody (which itself does not have a clear tonal centre). **
 * __Tonality__