Steve Reich- Electric Counterpoint Flashcards
Steve Reich:
Melody/Motifs (9 points)
🎸Angular/Disjunct melody.
🎸Based on 1st idea/motif seen in bar 1.
🎸Minimalist techniques used to develop this motif and gradually change it throughout➡️e.g: note addition.
🎸Interlocking melodies.
🎸Repetition.
🎸Resultant melody.
🎸Canonic.
🎸Based on triads.
🎸Chords outline a melody.
Steve Reich:
Tempo, Rhythm & Metre (10 points)
🎸3/2 metre at beginning.
🎸Metre changes to 12/8 in some parts of Section B.
🎸Crotchet=192➡️Fast tempo.
🎸Syncopated.
🎸Metrical displacement.
🎸Cross rhythms/polyrhythms.
🎸Quavers in opening ostinato.
🎸Towards end some part go into 12/8 whilst others stay in 3/2 (polymetre).
🎸Strummed chords in longer note values (in parts 5-7 and live).
🎸Repetitive rhythms.
Steve Reich:
Tonality (6 points)
🎸At start key is ambiguous (could be G major).
🎸Eventually settles into E minor/modal when basses come in.
🎸At start of section B key changes to C minor, then alternates between C minor and E modal.
🎸Finishes in E modal.
🎸Diatonic.
🎸Ends with a bare 5th chord.
Steve Reich:
Harmony (7 points)
🎸Diatonic harmony.
🎸Harmony mainly static (slow moving) due to repetitive nature of Minimalism.
🎸Bar 36 live guitar introduces strummed chords then guitars 5, 6 & 7.
🎸Guitar 5 uses C➡️Bm➡️E5.
🎸Guitar 6 uses C➡️D➡️Em.
🎸Guitar 7 uses C➡️D➡️Bm.
🎸Conventional harmonic progressions and cadences aren’t used.
Steve Reich:
Form/Structure (8 points)
🎸A➡️B➡️Coda.
🎸Section A has 4 sub-sections, marked by entries of different instruments.
🎸Section B also has 4 sub-sections, marked by key changes.
🎸Coda marked by a reduction in texture to the original 4 guitars.
🎸1. Syncopated quaver motif is introduced in the live guitar and top 4 guitar parts, one part at a time.
🎸2. New syncopated quaver motif is introduced in bass guitars.
🎸3. More sustained motif built around 3 chords begins in live guitar part, and is then transferred to other parts.
🎸After all 3 layers have been built up, layers 2 and 3 fade out together leaving layer 1 to continue until it comes to rest on a held chord.
Steve Reich:
Instrumentation & Timbre (5 points)
🎸7 pre-recorded guitars.
🎸2 pre-recorded bass guitars panned to left and right speakers.
🎸1 live guitar playing over the recording on tape/backing track.
🎸Creates some interesting timbres.
🎸Live guitar part amplified to blend in well with the backing tape.
Steve Reich:
Texture (6 points)
🎸Strummed chords.
🎸Starts monophonic with guitar 1➡️Live➡️Guitars 2-4➡️Bass guitars➡️Guitars 5-7.
🎸Layered.
🎸Panning.
🎸Contrapuntal.
🎸All parts play for majority of piece.
🎸Guitars 5-7 and basses drop out at end.
Steve Reich:
Use of music technology (4 points)
🎸Reich gave specific instructions about how the piece should be performed (stereo/mono).
🎸Should be pre-recorded tape of all the guitar parts except the live guitar and the LG should perform along with this.
🎸A sound engineer should monitor levels and a monitor speaker should be used.
🎸Bass guitars are panned L and R.
Steve Reich:
Dynamics (4 points)
🎸Overall dynamics remain fairly constant throughout.
🎸Parts 1-4 remain mf all the time.
🎸Other parts gradually fade out.
🎸Cresecendos to ff at end in solo part.
