Debussy Nocturnes Nuages

Question 1

What are the two potential structures of this piece?

Answer 1

Rotational form

Ternary form

Question 2

What is the tonal centre of this piece?

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When was this piece composed?

Answer 3

1899

Question 4

How long are the sections?

Answer 4

Rotation 1: bar 1-10
R2: bar 11-28
R3: bar 29-56
R4: bar 57-93
R5: bar 94-102

Question 5

R1 x motif?

Answer 5

First and fifth of chord played, not third
Clarinets and bassoons in octaves
Falling semitones and 3rds between each crotchet
Falling 4th in bar 3-4

Question 6

R1 x motif accompaniment?

Answer 6

No accompaniment until bar 3 where there’s an oboe hemiola with the same notes as the clarinet

Question 7

What’s the key signature and tonality of the x motif in R1?

Answer 7

No 3rds in chords so no major or minor

B octatonic

Question 8

R1 y motif melody?

Answer 8

Played in cor anglais
Spans a tritone
Octatonic
In 4/4

Question 9

R1 y motif accompaniment?

Answer 9

Chordal (G7)
Only time flute plays before R4/B
Tonic pedal in timpani 
Strings muted
High pitched and quiet accompaniment

Question 10

R2 x motif melody?

Answer 10

In violins
Across 3 octaves (thicker texture)
Same melody for first 2 bars, different in next 2
Bar 13 minor 3rds ascending melody
Bar 14 parallel motion dominant 9th descending
Bar 15 pentatonic (Eb/G minor)
Bar 17 sequential elements

Question 11

R2 x motif accompaniment?

Answer 11

Bar 15 double bass pizz falling perfect 5th idea (first perfect 5th of piece)
Bar 20 double bass contrary motion

Question 12

R2 x motif harmony?

Answer 12

Bar 15 Bb dominant 9th
Bar 17 G9 chord
Bar 19 Eb9 chord

Question 13

What’s odd about the time signature of the melody bar 15-19 R2?

Answer 13

In 3/2

Question 14

What scale is used in R2 y motif?

Answer 14

G acoustic

Question 15

R2 y motif melody?

Answer 15

Cor anglais is exactly the same as R1

Melody repeats in bar 25-28

Question 16

R2 y motif accompaniment?

Answer 16

Oscillating crotchets (like x motif) spanning 4th
Bar 22 last 4 beats violin 1 inversion of beats 1-4 in bar 13
Bar 23 diminished 5th horn ‘echo’
Bar 24 cello and double bass falling perfect 5th sur la touché
Bar 27 violin 1 intervals closer to R1 bar 3 than bar 1

Question 17

R3 x motif melody?

Answer 17

Descending
Emphasis on major 2nds and perfect 4th
Bar 30 in 3/2
Bar 31 rhythmic idea from bar 15
Bar 32 - 38 chromatic and sequential in octaves of woodwind (ascending) in 3/2
Bar 39 - 42 woodwind take over string accompaniment

Question 18

R3 x motif accompaniment?

Answer 18

Unison at first
Bar 33 - 38 string crochet motion similar to x in octaves and wholetone scale
Bar 37 - 38 string parts sequential (not exact)
Bar 39 - 41 string parts chordal in 6/4

Question 19

R3 x motif harmony?

Answer 19

Starts with a B triad (simple triads used)
Bar 31 - 32 C major chord
Bar 33 - 36 wholetone scale in strings AND chromatic woodwind
Bar 37 - 38 woodwind octatonic scale used

Question 20

R3 x motif extra?

Answer 20

Bar 31 horns emphasise E in C major chord
Bar 33 - 38 2 part counterpoint
Bar 39 - 41 upper strings very clearly 6/4

Question 21

R3 y motif melody?

Answer 21

The same
Repeated twice
Bar 51 extended in 6/4

Question 22

R3 y motif accompaniment?

Answer 22

Alternating dissonant and G chords (missing 3rds) on the beat in strings
Cellos play off the beat
Violin II, cello, viola I play pizz.
Double bass plays pedal
Bar 46 horn plays extended echo based off last two pitches of foghorn motif
Bar 47 G7 chord played in violin I

Question 23

R4 x motif melody?

Answer 23

Oboe plays
Bar 62 wholetone parallel movement
Bar 64 flute and harp pentatonic melody (same intervals as x motif) repeated
Bar 71 violin, violas and cellos melody in octaves
Bar 75 flute and harp melody again

Question 24

R4 x motif accompaniment?

Answer 24

Solo viola countermelody
Bar 61 and 63 string parallel dominant 7th (taken from bar 14)
Bar 64 string chordal accompaniment
Bar 66 wholetone melody from bar 62 AND double bass falling 5th from bar 15
Bar 70 double bass pizz from bar 15
Muted horns
Bar 77 - 78 harp harmonics

Question 25

R4 x motif harmony?

Answer 25

Bar 62 wholetone scale
Bar 61 and 63 parallel dominant 7ths
Bar 64 D# pentatonic melody AND D# minor chord
Bar 77 faster harmonic rate

Question 26

R4 y motif melody?

Answer 26

The same
Repeated
Bar 88 extended in 6/4 (like bar 51 AND similar to R2)

Question 27

R4 y motif accompaniment?

Answer 27

Bar 80 - 82 Woodwind chord G7 (like R1)
Bar 82 - 83 horn tritone echo AND string tremolo on C#7 chord
Bar 84 - 85 woodwind G7 chord reduced to diad (G and F)
Bar 86 - 87 violin harmonics AND horn and oboe tritone echo AND string tremolos
Bar 88 double bass plays sur la touché

Question 28

R4 y motif harmony?

Answer 28

Bar 80 - 82 woodwind G7 (like R1)
Bar 82 - 83 strings C#7 chord
Bar 84 - 85 woodwind G7 diad (just G and F)
Bar 86 - 87 strings E7
Bar 88 E7 chord continues as V7d/V7c
Bar 92 - 93 E7 chord as V7b

Question 29

R5 x motif melody?

Answer 29

Fragmented
Starts in bassoon
Bar 96 - 97 cello has melody
Bar 98 syncopated flute melody from B

Question 30

R5 x motif accompaniment?

Answer 30

Double bass and cello tremolos (chromatic dissonance)
Timpani pedal
Bar 98 - 100 timpani B-D tremolo
Darker orchestration

Question 31

R5 y motif melody?

Answer 31

Shorter (bar 99 - 100)

Horns play

Question 32

R5 y motif accompaniment?

Answer 32

Bar 99 - 100 Strings play sur la touché, and switch between pizz and arco
Bar 98 - 100 timpani tremolo from B to D
Bar 101 - 102 strings pizz

Question 33

R5 harmony?

Answer 33

Bar 96 chromatic dissonance (D/B against A#)

No harmonic resolution