Bach - Ein Feste Burg (Mvt. 1) Flashcards
Melody
Mainly conjuct, stepwise with occasional lepas
Chromatic in bars 97-99 - highlight sinister text
Phrases of unequal length
Plenty of melismas
Arpeggiaic in parts, e.g. bar 80
Sequences used, e.g. bars 10-11 in violins
Doubled by the orchestra (tenor/viola, soprano/violin 1)
Handel also doubles instruments with voices in his Messiah
Structure
Depends on the structure of the chorale melody VOCAL ENTRIES: Phrase 1 - bar 1 Phrase 2 - bar 3 Phrase 3 - bar 30 (=1) Phrase 4 - bar 33 (=2) Phrase 5 - bar 60 Phrase 6 - bar 72 Phrase 7 - bar 82 Phrase 8 - bar 90 Phrase 9 - bar 100 Bach - Nun danket alle Gott also based on a chorale
Tonality
All c.r.k.
Bars 1-30 D major with hints of A
Bars 30-60 ^^
Bars 60-72 Minor keys “old evil enemy” - Em, Bm, F#m
Bars 72-82 Minor keys as above
Bars 82-90 G,D,A rapid succession, ends in A
Bars 90-100 C#m, F#m and Bm, ends with dominant pedal in Bm
Bars 100-end D major
Vivaldi also stays to c.r.k. in Concerto Grosso
Sonority
Voices doubled by the orhcestra
Violone answers the oboes at an octave lower
3 oboes in unioson (trumpets added later)
Harpsichord provides harmonic support
Vivaldi’s Concerto Grosso also has a harpsichord for harmonic support
Texture
Contrapuntal throughout
Fugal - tonal answers initially, real answers from bar 60
Doubling of voices with the orchestra
Each phrase worked in canon by oboes and violone
Heterophonic texture between basses and cellos at bars 20-22
Cantata 105 by Bach is also fugal
Tempo, Rhythm and Metre
Cut common (4 minims per bar)
Minims, crotchets and quavers used
Very few dotted notes, e.g. alto bar 41
Tied notes common - keep the drive of the piece
Similar rhythmically to Mvt 1. of Cantata 105 by Bach
Harmony
Function and diatonic harmony Cadences mark the end of phrases Triads mostly in root or first inversion Enhanced by passing notes Dissonance is in the suspensions Chromatic at bars 97-99 Vivaldi Concerto Grosso comparison
