Fusions - Shankar - Breathing Under Water - SONORITY/TEXTURE/DYNAMICS

Question 1

What is the instrumentation of Breathing Under Water

Answer 1

• Essentially sitar solo with strings
• occasional wordless vocal phrases (first covers long rest in sitar part
• woodwind and horns join at bar 18
• Near end - flute and small chromatic solo for cello
• also tabla (drum)

Question 2

Describe the texture of Breathing Under Water

Answer 2

Very simple textures:

Section 1 - melody dominated homophony
slow moving strings accompany sitar melody

• monohpony (female voice) bars 35-36
• two part (voice and sitar) at bars 36-37

Later becomes more complex - to expand the sound:

• traces of melody in strings independent of and subordinate to the sitar melody (free contrapuntal)
• occasional wordless counter-melodies

Question 3

Dynamics of Breathing Under Water

Answer 3

• mainly quiet with few dynamic markings

- chilling effect of A min chord with diminuendo in bars 34-35 and pianissimo vocal phrase that follows it