Peripetie By Schoenberg

Question 0

Where was it written?

Answer 0

Austria

Question 1

When was it written?

Answer 1

1909

Question 2

Describe the first performance

Answer 2

It was first performed at the proms in London in 1912

Question 3

Why is it not performed much?

Answer 3

1) it requires a large orchestra of at least 90 players (made up if strings, woodwind, a large brass section and percussion)
2) it’s less well known
3) because of its experimental nature it’s hard to find performers

Question 4

What is a piccolo?

Answer 4

A small flute (sounds an octave higher than written in the score)

Question 5

Cor anglais

Answer 5

A lower version of the oboe

Question 6

Bass clarinet

Answer 6

A large clarinet (sounds an octave lower than a standard clarinet)

Question 7

Contrabassoon

Answer 7

A large bassoon (sounds an octave lower than written in the score)

Question 8

Tam-tam

Answer 8

A large gong

Question 9

What style is it in?

Answer 9

It’s comes from the period of expressionist art, in which the aim was to express feelings as intensely as possible.

Question 10

What is expressionist art like?

Answer 10

Expressionist art is often dark and moody, but it can also communicate their feelings of happiness and joy. Expressionist artists would use distortion and unnatural colours to portray their emotions.

Question 11

Why was Schoenberg an important figure in the expressionist movement?

Answer 11

He was an Austrian composer who founded the second Viennese school, a group of composers (including Berg and Webern) who were taught by Schoenberg in Vienna and wrote expressionist music.

Question 12

What was Schoenberg a pioneer of?

Answer 12

He was a pioneer of atonal music because he thought music had to find a new direction to go in. ‘Peripetie’ is one of his early atonal works.

Question 13

Haupstimme

Answer 13

The most important part
Symbol is
H- -|
With the - at the top of the line

Question 14

Nebenstimme

Answer 14

The second most important part
Symbol:
N- -|
With the - at the top of the line

Question 15

a 2 or a 3

Answer 15

All two or all three bassoons (for example) should play the same notes

Question 16

Divisi

Answer 16

Te players on this line divide into groups

Question 17

Pizz

Answer 17

Short for pizzicato - pluck the strings

Question 18

Arco

Answer 18

Bow the strings

Question 19

Bell up

Answer 19

The brass player points the bell (end) of their instrument upwards to produce a loud, strident sound

Question 20

1 solo

Answer 20

A single person plays this line

Question 21

Tutti

Answer 21

Everyone joins in again

Question 22

+

Answer 22

Hand- stopped

The horn player inserts their hand further than usual into the bell

Question 23

Tremolo

Answer 23

➖ Three lines next to each other is
➖ called a tremolo. It means the
➖ note is rapidly repeated

Question 24

Extended answer:

Melody

Answer 24

• peripetie is made up if many short, fragmented motifs that are combined in different ways. In the first 18 bars alone, seven different motifs are quickly introduced
• melodies are disjunct and so often sound very angular- Schoenberg uses octave displacement, unexpectedly moving individual notes into different octaves
• although motifs aren’t really developed or drawn out to form longer melodies (as in the romantic period), they are varied through the use of techniques such as inversion (a melody is turned upside down) and rhythmic augmentation (the notes become twice as long)

Question 25

Extended answer:

Rhythm metre and tempo

Answer 25

• the metre changes between 3/4, 2/4 and 4/4
• the tempo is Sehr rasch- very quick
• rhythms are complex and varied, and change quickly. In parts of the work, Schoenberg layers a number of different rhythmic patterns on top of each other to create a complex contrapuntal texture.

Question 26

Extended answer:

Tonality and harmony

Answer 26

• The piece is atonal. It uses a lot of dissonant harmony

* chords and melodies are often built from hexachords

Question 27

Extended answer:

Texture and dynamics

Answer 27

• the texture is largely contrapuntal, with occasional monophonic and homophonic moments
• complex textures are built up through the use of techniques such as imitation and inversion. For example, the final climax of the piece is created from three different cannons that are all heard at the same time
• there are frequent sudden changes of dynamics, leading to extreme contrasts between ppp and fff

Question 28

Extended answer:

Structure

Answer 28

•this piece is in free rondo form, with 5 sections (ABACA). It is called free rondo because it is very different to the traditional type if rondo heard in the classical period, when different sections were clearly contrasted.