Debussy - Pagodes

Question 1

Sonority

Answer 1

Almost full range of the piano (6 octaves)
Una corda + sustain pedal = hazy effect
Sometimes both pedals at the same time (61-64)
Bell-like trills (50-52) gamelan link
Jeux d’eau - 2 pedals at the same time at the start

Question 2

Texture

Answer 2

Seciton A - mel-dom hom, frequent use of pedals, 3-part texture
Section B - 3-part texture, heterorhythms
Heterophonic at start of the Coda
Jeux d’eau - 3-part texture
Arabesque 1 - heterorythms

Question 3

Tempo, Rhythm and metre

Answer 3

'Moderately quickly'
4/4 apart from at bars 92 and 94 (2/4)
Syncopation - e.g. at start of part B with the major 2nds
Tied notes
Triplets throughout
Heterorhythms - Rite of Spring
Gongs and short notes - Gamelan

Question 4

Melody

Answer 4

Built on 2-bar phrases
Pentatonic structures
Bar 11 - 4-note figure same as opening melody but rhythmically different
Section B melody - pentatonic
Bar 78 - pentatonic pattern developed from bar 15
Vaughan Williams - pentatonic melody in On Wenlock Edge

Question 5

Harmony

Answer 5

Non-functional
Draws heavily on pentatonic material
Slow harmonic rhythm
Changing background approach - Holst’s Mercury from the Planets
Finishes on B major added 6th and added 9th
Diminshed triad - bar 16
Parallel chords common

Question 6

Structure and Tonality

Answer 6

Loose ternary form - link to Berlioz SF
2-bar introduction in B
Section A in B-G#m-B
Section B in F#m-D#m
Section A1 (elements of A+B) in B-G#m-D#m: Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge referencing two verses 
Coda - B (based on material from A)