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Three Dances for two prepared pianos: No. 1 (Rhythm/Metre/Tempo (mainly…
Three Dances for two prepared pianos: No. 1
Context
John Cage
Experimental
Makes the piano int o a percussion instrument
Written for a dance called 'Dromenon'
African emphasis-history of gamalan for ethic quality
1944 (started in 38-took a while)
Harmony/Tonality
N/A- it is a percussive piece
Melody
Note G is a recurring note-Figure 2,5,14
Ostinato is the most important melodic device
Note addition and note subtraction
Minimalist techniques
Not a very extensive range used for piano-hardly any low notes used
Instrumentation
Piano (prepared)
Retaining some sense of pitch
Removing all sense of pitch and making it entirely percussive
Using screws, rubbers, coins, bolts, plastic, weather strip
Items placed a specific distance from the bridge or dampers
Una corda
soft pedal
Hammer moves to the left-adjusts what sound somes out in terms of object
Piano amplified in performance
Texture
Mainly four-part texture
Monophonic at figure 5
two part at figure 6
three-part at figure 7
occassion silence- figure 64 and 73- gives extra power to music after
Structure
Structure is based on tempo and rhythm
Each main section lasts exactly 30 bars
8 sections of 30 bars with the last being repeated
9 sections in total
Marked with a double barline
Sections follow this grouping: 2-5-2, 2-6-2, 2-7-2
Structure idea is related to the indian tala
Rhythm/Metre/Tempo
88 BPM
Polyrhythm
1st piano has groups of three quavers going across the barline
2nd piano has straightforward crotchet and off-beat quaver pattern
2/2 metre
Emphasises the first beats with accents and also later to emphasise off-beats
mainly crotchets and quavers
Longer note values used to mark the ends of sections
Sextuplets
Figure 20
Moto Perpetuo
Continuos motion
Metrical shift effect
Dynamics
Very important in this piece
Forzando
Lots of dynamic surprise
Lots of cresendos
Sudden piano to forte dhifts