Debussy - Nuages (Rotation 4)

Question 1

What marks the start of Bar 57?

Answer 1

Rotation 4

Question 2

Outline the material in Bar 57

Answer 2

The X Material returns, this time in Oboes only.

A solo viola is given some new material to introduce.

Question 3

Describe the harmony in Bars 61 - 62

Answer 3

1. Parallel Dominant 7th Chords in Bar 61

2. Chords derived from the wholetone scale in Bar 62

Question 4

Bar 64 marks the start of which section?

Answer 4

The “B Section” in Ternary Form

Question 5

Starting in Bar 64, the main melodic material is derived from which scale?

Answer 5

D# Minor Pentatonic

Question 6

The section beginning in Bar 64, starts with an unusual harmonic technique for this piece. What is it?

Answer 6

The use of a cadence (Bb7 - Eb = Perfect cadence), which is rather unusual for Impressionist music.

Question 7

Describe the harmony from Bars 64 -66

Answer 7

Sustained 3 bars of D#m chord.

In Bar 66, the ending quavers introduce harmony from the wholetone scale again.

Question 8

What mode is “hinted at” in Bar 67?

Answer 8

Dorian

Question 9

Beginning in Bar 69, what is the harmony described as being?

Answer 9

1. Stepwise

2. Modal in nature

Question 10

Describe the interesting use of tonality in Bar 77

Answer 10

This is an enharmonic shift from D# to E♭.

Question 11

What is the chord in Bar 80?

Answer 11

G7 in first inversion.

Question 12

Outline the 2 techniques being used by strings in Bar 82

Answer 12

1. Tremolo

2. Sur la touche (sul tasto) - Over the fingerboard.

Question 13

What is important about the harmony starting about Bar 82?

Answer 13

Debussy starts using some additional chords from the octatonic scale