Pulcinella Suite 2 Stravinsky
Learning Objectives To analyse the Sinfonia in detail To begin analysis of the Gavotta and Vivo
Sinfonia Write these notes into your score Use many colours!
Sinfonia Questions What is the function of the solo string quintet? How is the horn writing different from Baroque parts for horn? How is Stravinsky’s writing for the double bass different from Gallo’s? Give 3 examples from the score of string writing which would not be found in Baroque music. Find 2 examples of “wrong-note” dissonant harmony.
Performing forces Tutti sections – solo 5tet doubles orch 29-30 missing bass part Solo WW parts – string acc 7-9 (Baroque style) Bsn/Hn 33-34 – unlikely to do this in Baroque Double/triple stopping (non div.) – 20th C E.g. bar 3 Vln 2 Many down bows () esp Vln 2 No extremes of range except solo Vc sometimes a bit high e.g. bar 6
Texture Alternation between tutti and solo; typical of Baroque concerto grosso Melody-dominated homophony Compare bar 12 with Gallo Find some counterpoint. Is this in the original?
Structure 1-15 16-end Section A 1-6 theme 1, G+ 7-9 theme 2 falling seq, ob/bsn cp, D+ 10-12 syncopated repeated notes, D+, perf cads 13-15 varied rpt Section B 16-20 theme 1, D+ 21-23 rising seq, cf 10 24-26 theme 2 vc 27-28 B- cadence 29-30 falling seq 31-32 rpt Section A1 33-34 extra 2 bars! 35-36 shortened 37-39 cf 7, in G+ 40-44 cadences cf 10 Rounded Binary Form: Section B same tune in dominant. Not the same as ternary form
Tonality Added note harmony, e.g. Sticks to same tonality as original 7-9 21 G+, 22 A+, 23 B- rising sequence (in original)
Tonality 2 / Harmony Some altered cadences, e.g. bar 2
? Harmony Very simple, like the Baroque originals BUT added notes especially at cadences Deliberately weakened cadences a feature of Neoclassicism (Vivo final cadence) ?
Melody Follows original very closely Mostly conjunct, though some leaps e.g. bar 1 G-C Sequences Exaggerated ornamentation (feature of Neoclassicism) to make it sound more 18th C, much more in Gavotta though Simple balanced phrases, mostly…
Rhythm Additive rhythm – extra repeat, unbalances the phrase: Gallo Stravinsky
Rhythm 2 Dotty Many extra rests not in original – why are they not needed in original? e.g. Oboe bar 7-8? Syncopation (find 2 examples)
Gavotta It’s by a chap called monza originally
Background (notes) Gavotta/Gavotte = standard baroque dance Always duple time (2/2) Moderately fast Typically quite ornamented Monza’s had 6 variations, written for harpsichord Stravinsky uses Gavotta + var 1 and var 4 In Gavotta only Ob 1 and Bsn 2 are in the original
Performing Forces (score) Solo instruments only Windy Bsn 1 high (cf Rite of Spring) plus gliss Var 1: Ob + Hn is a bit unusual, Tpt/Tbn bar 43 Var 2: Jolly difficult
Texture Gavotta: 4-part counterpoint 19: homorhythm Var 1: broken chords Var 2: distorted version of Alberti Bass original Bsn 1
Structure Theme and variations! Gavotta: binary form. DA; G-A-F#m-Em-D First section repeated, second not repeated Var 1: 6/8 like a gigue Var 2: Uses halved note values Var 2 DOES repeat 2nd section – weird though (why?)
Harmony/Tonality Gavotta bar 2 Ob 1 first note – what type of NHN? 25-28 inverted tonic pedal (not in original) – blurs the cadence Var 1: 43-46 chords? (Ob 1) Invites a lovely tonic pedal, but Stravinsky gives us a lovely tonic CHORD pedal (+ brass in case we didn’t notice it) yummy Var 2: bar 69 Chords? What about the G§?
Melody Written-out turns, trills (sometimes quintuplet) Variation 2: fast scales (not in Monza) Fl 2: 77 unprepared 7ths – highly unbaroque 79 look at those parallel 5ths! Octave displacement of Monza to change shape:
Rhythm Var 2 particularly contains rhythms which would never have been written by Baroque composers BUT they may well have been played like that
Mini-essay Identify and discuss two ways in which the Sinfonia and Gavotta draw on 18th-century compositional techniques and two ways in which they use 20th-century techniques Back up your answer with evidence from the score