'Peripetie' From Five Orchestral Pieces Flashcards
What does this piece require?
A large orchestra
What does ‘peripetie’ mean?
A sudden reversal
What happens to the instrumentation throughout the piece?
It changes rapidly throughout, creating many contrasts in timbre
What are performers frequently required to do?
Play at the extremes of their range
Which unusual instruments are used?
Piccolo Cor anglais - lower version of an oboe Bass clarinet - large clarinet Contrabassoon - a large bassoon Tam-tam - a large gong
What does haupstimme mean?
The most important part
What does nebenstimme mean?
The second most important part
What does divisi mean?
The players divide into groups
What does arco mean?
Bow the strings
What does bell up mean?
The brass player points the bell up to produce a loud, strident sound
What is the melody made up of?
Short, fragmented motifs that are combined in different ways
What are the melodies like?
They are disjunct (with many large leaps)
How are melodies varied?
Through the use of inversion and rhythmic augmentation
What is the metre?
It changes between 3/4, 2/4 and 4/4
What is the tempo?
Sehr rasch - very quick
What are the rhythms like?
Complex, varied and change quickly, they are sometimes layered
What is the tonality like?
It’s atonal
What’s the harmony like?
Dissonant
What are the chords and melodies often built from?
Hexachords
What is the texture like?
Mostly contrapuntal with occasional monophonic and homophonic moments
How are complex textures built up?
With use of imitation and conversion
What are the dynamics like?
There are sudden changes leading to extreme contrasts between ppp and fff
What is the structure like?
It’s is in free rondo form with five sections (ABACA)
When was it composed?
1909
