Night Dances Mvmt I Flashcards
What is the structure of mvmt I?
1-50 Dance 1a
51-62 Interlude 1a
63-86 Dance 1b
87-142 Dance 1c
143-150 Interlude 1b
151-154 Coda
Where is Dance 1a?
Bars 1-50
How can bars 1-8 be described?
LH alone
Alternating 2-bar phrase made up of 4/4 + 3/8 bars with beats subdivided into 3+3+2+3 quavers repeated 4x
Pitches confined to C and Eb alone (Key: C minor)
Introduction of 2 quavers in the RH in anticipation of the next 8-bar sequance from 9-16
How can bars 9-16 be described?
A repeat of bars 1-8 with the addition of a quaver pattern in the right hand (in the form of a repeated C) which produces a continuous series of quavers between both hands
What contrasts can be made between the flute and piano part in Dance 1a?
The piano part is very rhythmic and regular whilst the flute part is irregular and rhythmically free.
The flute is also more chromatic and unpredictable in its use of pitches in comparison to the piano.
Detail the activity of the bass line in Dance 1a
Outlines C-Eb throughout with the occasional addition of F#, creating a tritone with the C.
Mainatins the alternating 4/4 + 3/8 and 3+3+2+3 rhythm throughout
How can the RH harmony in Dance 1a be described?
Mainly alternates between an Eb7 chord and a chord of C-F#-G (outlining the open 5th C-G)
How does the flute part in bars 17-32 link to serial techniques?
Starting on bar 18, the flute part outlines the first 4 notes of row 1, with the addition of a G in bar 24 (not part of the row)
The row is completed in a 4-bar phrase in bars 29-32, adding the final 6 notes to the 10-note row
How does the flute part in bars 34-40 link to serial techniques?
6-bar melody outlines the inversion of notes 4-10 of Row 1 transposed to E
How does the flute part in bars 43-50 link to serial techniques?
8-bar melody in the flute now outlines a new secondary row of 7 notes (Row 2)
Where is Interlude 1a?
Bars 51-62
What is the structure of Interlude 1a?
Two new ideas presented in ABA form
Describe the flute melody in bars 51-55
The 2-beat melodic figure in bar 51 is not derived from the rows
On the other hand, the passage from bars 52-55 is loosely derived from the rows (starting from the penultimate Gb in bar 52)
Describe the flute line in bars 56-59
1-bar pattern in quavers repeated 4x
Derived from notes 8-10 of Row 1 (C-G-C-F#)
What happens in bars 60-62?
Return to the same material as bar 51 with the same harmony in the piano as before.
The flute repeats a 2-bar figure 3x, rising an octave each time
Where is Dance 1b?
Bars 63-86
Describe bars 63-72
Varied repeat of bars 1-16
Some quaver rests are filled by RH near the end, leading to a near continuous quaver pattern
Additional pitches (apart from C and Eb in bass) outline minor blues scale on F# (which becomes more important later in the work, especially in mvmt II)
Overall tonality still rooted in C
Bar 72 breaks 3+3+2 pattern
Describe bars 73-79
Extension of the previous passage for piano, now with rhythmic development so the pattern is in continuous quavers.
5-note pattern moving from C-F# in LH
3-note pattern (G-Bb-C) in RH
How does the flute line introduced in bar 80 link to previous material?
Derived from material from bars 51-55. This includes parts of row 1 and aspects of the minor blues scale
What does the piano do at the end of dance 1b from when the flute is introduced?
3 repeats of the pattern established in bars 76-77 (and 78-79) followed by a 3-bar reduction of this in bars 84-86 when the metre changes into 3/4
Where is Dance 1c?
Bars 87-142
Where are bars 87-93 heard earlier in the piece and what is different now?
Repeat of bars 18-25 with a reduced piano part
Describe bars 94-103
Flute part is an extension and development of the figure first heard in flute in bar 51
Piano part is an extension of the material from bars 87-93
How does the section from 104-142 compare to the rest of the piece so far?
It fuses together all the melodic and harmonic aspects of Dance 1a previously heard in bars 1-50 into a continuous melodic line
Underlying tonality changes to A minor for the first time
