Cage 1944

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

20th century, avant garde music. Schoenberg challenged tonality and harmony
Cage challenged the idea of timbre of the piano, Aleatoric music
Influenced by Gamelan, Indian tala, African music
Needed a percussion ensemble but only had a piano

Question 2

Melody

Answer 2

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of melody
Based around ostinati
Occasional sense of pitch
Note addition, subtraction
Range not extensive

Question 3

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of melody

Answer 3

Based on African music, more percussive than melodic

Before, The Banshee, Henry Cowell, use of diminished triad, otherwise limited sense of melody

Question 4

Melody based around ostinati

Answer 4

Short repeated figures
Piano 1 RH, 3 note figure at begining,
(After, Koko, Yiri, dominate piece) African music is also based on short melodic ostinatos

Question 5

Occasional sense of pitch

Answer 5

Last section, 5 notes of RH, Cage inspired by Gamelan music, gongs and drums are pitched

Question 6

Note addition, subtraction

Answer 6

Figure 55, 7 note motif, upbeat added to make 8 note motif, metrical shift
Figure 56, 5 motif, repeated, followed by 4, (After, Steve Reich, electric counterpoint) elements of minimalist music

Question 7

Range not extensive

Answer 7

Some higher notes are used, lower ranges not explored, upper ranges produced drum like sonorities

Question 8

Harmony

Answer 8

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of harmony

Question 9

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of harmony

Answer 9

Occasionally ‘chords’ are played but do not have a harmonic function, greater focus on sonority and rhythm than harmony, African music does not use Western harmony
(Before, The Banshee, Henry Cowell, no sense of harmony)

Question 10

Texture

Answer 10

Predominantly 4 part texture but varied constantly
Monophony
2 part texture
3 part texture
Occasional silence

Question 11

Predominantly a 4 part texture but varied constantly

Answer 11

Figure 5, texture varied like in Gamelan music
(Gamelan ensembles)
(Before, Concerto for double string orchestra, Sir Micheal Tippett, variety of textures, contrapuntal, melody dominated homophony)

Question 12

Monophony

Answer 12

Piano 1, F5, contrast

Question 13

2 part texture

Answer 13

F6, contrast

Question 14

3 part texture

Answer 14

F7, contrast

Question 15

Occasional silence

Answer 15

Before final section at F64, F73, extra emphasis to music after rests, marks different sections for dancers

Question 16

Tonality

Answer 16

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of tonality

Question 17

Preparation of piano, lose Western elements of tonality

Answer 17

(Before, The Banshee, Henry Cowell, no sense of tonality)

Greater focus on sonority and rhythm than tonality, African music does not use Western tonalities

Question 18

Sonority

Answer 18

Used a piano instead of actual African drums
Place mutes within piano strings
Use of pedals
Use of microphones

Question 19

Used a piano instead of actual African drums

Answer 19

Lack of space and money

Question 20

Place mutes within piano strings

Answer 20

Very detailed set of instructions, equipment (Screws, rubbers, coins, bolts, plastic, weather strip) and distance from dampers, bridge (Before, Villa Lobos, Chorus No 8, insert paper between strings) , either change the tire but retain some pitch or make it entirely percussive

Question 21

Use of pedals

Answer 21

Change the resonance of the strings,

(Before, Aeolian Harp, Cowell) aleatoric music, each piano has a different quality, each performance will be unique

Question 22

Use of microphone

Answer 22

Amplify the sound,

(After, Saariaho, Petals) produce closer sound

Question 23

Rhythm, tempo and metre

Answer 23

Paramount feature
Polyrhythms
Strong sense of metre
Metrical shift
Square note values
Use of rests
Ornamental groups

Question 24

Polyrhythms

Answer 24

P1, begining, quavers in 3s, P2, straight crotchets and off beat quavers in 2/2
(Before, Ionisation, Edward Varese, emphasis on a wide variety of rhythms), African music is dominated by polyrhythms

Question 25

Strong sense of metre

Answer 25

P2, F1 First beats emphasized with accents,
(Messiaen, meter obscured)
End of b5, accents emphasize offbeats, help the dancers find the beat

Question 26

Metrical shift

Answer 26

F14, Phrases repeated at different positions in bar,

(After, Philip Glass, Night train) minimalistic elements, develop melodic fragments

Question 27

Square note values

Answer 27

Almost entirely crotchets and quavers

Moto perpetuo throughout, (After, Philip Glass, Metamorphosis) relentless movement and metrical drive

Question 28

Use of rests

Answer 28

F5, Long rests, notes mark end of section group, helps dancers

Question 29

Ornamental groups

Answer 29

F20, septuplets, ornaments without rhythmic value, for decoration

Question 30

Structure

Answer 30

Macro-microcosmic structure
Structure based on tempo
Structure based on rhythm

Question 31

Macro-microcosmic structure

Answer 31

Part of it is the same as the whole, like a fractal,
9 sections, 30 bars long
Each section broken up into smaller units 252 262 272
End of each section marked by double barline, Cage was influenced by Eastern philosophy and religion, focuses on harmony that exists in nature, fractals
(Before, Cage, 1st Construction in metal)

Question 32

Structure based on tempo

Answer 32

Tempo marking=88, each 30 bar section takes 40 secs to perform Strongly contrasts against aleatoric chance elements like sonority

Question 33

Structure based on rhythm

Answer 33

Each smaller group has a different rhythm
P1 RH, continuous quavers in 3s,
(After, Rag Desh, Shankar) related to the Indian tala, however Indian music groups beats than bars