Debussy - Estampes: Pagodes & La soirée dans Grenade
Harmony & Tonality
Melody
Rhythm & Metre
Instrumentation
General Context
Texture
Structure & Form
Harmony is non-functional and draws heavily from pentatonic material
Slow harmonic rhythm w/ 'changing background' approach - when same melodic material is played w/ diff harmony, often associated w/ 19th century Russian composers
Key sig suggests Bmaj or G#min and other keys are implied but none properly established
Textures vary considerably in density and type
various types of homophony, often layered
Pagodes
La soirée
Introduction
Main Section (A)
Loose ternary form:
B section
He reacted against the 19th Century German Romantic style by composing in his own distinctive style - commonly described as French Impressionist
Impressionism suggests the atmosphere/environment of the subject rather than being fully descriptive/programmatic
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was one of the most influential composers of the late 19th/early 20th century.
Debussy's music places more emphasis on colour and texture, relying on allusion and understatement rather than a more direct expression of emotion
Almost full range of piano spanning around 6 8ves
Pedal is required throughout although indications are ambiguous
Pagodes
La soirée
Variety of diverse rhythms w/ technical features associated w/ Impressionist style:
Syncopation bar 1 even before clear beat is established; Tied notes weaken 'on-beat'
Pagodes
La soirée
Mostly built on 2-bar phrases drawing on pentatonic structures - 1st melodic line constructed from 4 pitches w/ 5th note of pentatonic scale in the accompanying harmonic structure
4-note figure later presented in triplet variation w/ 2-part counterpoint and even later there is a contrasting pentatonic pattern w/ chromatic harmony and at 37 there is a final pentatonic motif that draws on original set of pitches
Pagodes
La soirée
Several of his piano pieces showed that he was influenced by non-Western scales and instruments
Debussy's piano writing often used extreme registers, widely spaced chords and parallel movement. He also took a new approach to pedalling, which produced subtle blending effects
He often put the titles of his pieces at the end so that they didn't influence the listener's first impressions
Estampes (Prints)
Set of 3 pieces for piano - composed 1903
Where Debussy begins to first explore main elements of new impressionist style:
Brevity (Romantic - extreme length of piece) - of structure + melody; Pentatonic/Modal melodies inspired by Eastern music and Western folk; Non-functional tonal schemes; Parallel harmony; Use of sus pedal on piano to produce misty effects and blend sonorities
Debussy first encountered Javanese Gamelan at the Paris World Exhibition of 1889
Other prominent features: Dim triad bar 16, interval of maj 2nd, pentatonic harmonisation from 37, parallelism and open 5th harmony
Fusion/Influence
Varying tempos as in Gamelan
Use of ostinato, shimmering layered textures and interlocking rhythms
Pagodes = Javanese/Balinese Gamelan
La soirée dans Grenade = Habanera/Guitar/Moorish Song
A section with references to B
Coda with references to A
La soirée
Pagodes
La soirée
Pedal points, parallel chords, whole tone harmonies, false relations between adjacent chords, open 5th chords, chords of 5ths and 4ths, simultaneous false relations, parallel triads
Series of motifs in various, but not easily recognisable, keys - mostly related to F#m tonic
Pagodes
Distinctly sectional, series of motifs in various keys. Framed at beg and end by Moorish Lament motif
Modérément animé (moderately quickly) w/ pulse subject to rubato + ritenutos
Simple quadruple 4/4 time sig changes to 2/4 twice to give temporary 6-beat structure
Beginning - 'Mouvement de Habanera' - slowly w/ nonchalant graceful rhythm
Simple duple time (2/4) w/ distinctive habanera rhythm: dotted quaver, semiquaver and 2 quavers
Dynamics from 'délicatement et presque sans nuances' (delicately and almost without dynamic variation) to full ff
Whole tone element in melody of central section
Opening gong-like open 5ths - gongs are essential Gamelan instruments
Added notes in chords e.g. opening G# added 6th --> avoids conventional triads and recreates Gamelan harmony
Melodies influenced by pentatonic scale like Javanese Slendro scale - equivalent to what is played by metallophones in Gamelan ensemble
Habanera - rhythm of piece is based on habanera - originally a Cuban dance which spread to southern Spain in the 19th cent - 19th cent French composer Bizet also uses it in a famous section of his opera Carmen
Instructions at beginning are 'Movement de Habañera' (Habanera tempo) and the dance is in simple duple time w/ distinctive rhythm of dot quaver, semiquaver and 2 quavers
Fusion with French Impressionism...
Built on different motifs that are repeated:
6 8ve range
Staccato is essential characteristic of Habanera style and can be found continuously in 5-16. Often 1st note of rhythm will be low pitched, as in bar 1. Habanera rhythm is present in all first 16 bars and then frequently reappears throughout
Guitar chords - guitar - essential instrument of southern Spain and required for Flamenco dance style - Debussy refers to it in the spread chords/arpeggiation heard frequently in piece -->imitates feeling of strummed guitar chords and 1st appears bars 17/18
Moorish Song - melody beginning at 7 is similar to a Moorish lament. Starts w/ extreme dissonances and distinctive aug 2nd of flamenco music can be heard I n3rd bar of the melody. Otherwise distinctly conjunct melody w/ fluid rhythm rather like improvisation important in flamenco.
French Imp - Parallel chords, added note chords, whole tone scale
well-sustained sound through pedal points as at opening and (although not always notated) through the use of the sustaining pedal.
Use of staccato, use of legér et lointain staccato articulated guitar-like strumming sounds gives distant, 'off-stage' effect
No specific request for una corda and dynamics cover wide range from ppp to ff
Block chords with single sus bass note
Opening dominant pedal in bass, reinforced by treble rising 8ves and habanera rhythm in middle of texture
Bars 7-14 - melody in LH w/ very high inverted C# pedal in RH
Towards ends, 3-part texture with hand-crossing
Opening - bare 5ths - gong-like and light texture
Parallel chords - dense, homophonic
Sudden switches to 3/4 for two distant interjections
Switch between rubato and tempo guisto(strict time) also --> 38 = very rhythmically and 67 = with more abandon
Piece is dominated by habanera rhythm, use of triplets, syncopation, heterorhythm e.g. 2 against 3, scotch snaps/lombardic
triplets & quintuplets; heterorhythms/cross-rhythms; long, gong-like bass
Moorish Lament first heard bar 7 - Moorish qualities derive from juxtaposition of semitone and aug 2nd intervals, delicate ornamentation, limited range, internal 1-bar repetitions, overall descent, unbalanced phrasing
second motif = balanced 2 phrases, ascends conjunctly, repeated notes and harmonic parallelisation
Liszt - Große Konzertfantasie über spanische Weisen contains many Spanish dance rhythms
Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnole was performed at the World Expo in Paris 1889 - attended by Debussy and Ravel. Ravel went on to a Habanera for 2 pianos, 1st performed in 1898 - also influenced La Soirée dans Grenade
Erik Satie also hears the Gamelan @ Paris expo - influence seen in Gnossienne
Debussy Images - Poissons d'or - end of - typical gamelan texture - also polyphonic texture created by layering of multiple parts - Gamelan
Use of pentatonic scale similar to the slendro scale found in Javanese gamelan
Debussy Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (The Moon Descends on the Temple Ruins) - pentatonic (slendro) scale and interval of 2nd to create bell-like sounds
The moon - ornamented 8ves - reminiscent of several different-sized metallophones playing simultaneously
The Moon - melodic fragments typically begin with a gong-like chord in the bass
Cloches à travers les feuilles - typical gamelan texture & creates bell-like sounds through use of piano pedals
Book 2 or 2nd series of Debussy Images = Cloches à travers les feuilles (Bells through the leaves); Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (The moon descend on the the temple ruins); Poissons d'or (Golden fishes)
Cloches à travers les feuilles - creates bell-like sounds through use of piano pedals - pedalled staccato effect also used to create this timbre
Cloches à travers les feuilles - creates bell-like sounds through use of whole tone scale
Debussy - pour le piano - pedal points (one 30bars long!) and Gamelan inspired textures
Pour le piano - long trills
Pour le piano - ends with whole tone scales
Cana Quema - Familia Valera Miranda - influence of Spanish traditional dances fused w/ Latin American
Satie - Gnossienne - cyclical structure like Gamelan
Gnossienne - extensive use of acciacaturas - reminiscent of gamelan metallophones playing at slightly different times
Gnossienne - modal scales reminiscent of gamelan seven-note Pelog scale
Cage 3 dances - sound of prepared pianos is similar to gamelan metallophones
The Moon - parallel harmony - French impressionism, dissonant, non-funct harmony
Gnossienne - steady pulse provided by ostinato-pedal; slow w/ no change of metre
Gnossienne - repeated melodic fragments
Gnossienne - more functional - stronger sense of tonal drive but still use of unusual harmony/tonality e.g. use of scale similar to pelog scale
Gnossienne - strong feel of mel dom hom
The Moon - repeated melodic patterns & use of ornamentation
The Moon - wide range of piano, hand-crossing, sus pedal, spread chords
The Moon - rubato, element of free-rhythm as a result of syncopation and tied notes
Debussy was drawn to music of composers who were rebelling against 19th cent German romanticism and Wagner. While at world expo - not only saw Gamelan, also heard Gypsies from Grenada perform flamenco music and dance.
Spanish composer Manuel de Falla credits Debussy w/ creating modern Spanish music infused w/ traditional Spanish sounds - acknowledges in article that Debussy taught Spanish comps to embrace tradit Spanish guitar harmonies which had been previously 'despised as barbaric'
Capriccio Espagnole - 5 movements: Alborada, Variazioni, Alborada (change of key), Scena e canto gitano, fandango asturiano
Bizet Carmen - reference to Habanera
Capriccio Espagnole - Alborada - mel dom hom - alternating tutti sections and melody dominated sections
Capriccio - Opening Alborada - repeated melodic pattern - ascending pattern w/ trills and flamenco-style arpeggiation
Capriccio - more functional - distinct maj tonality in opening Alborada
Capriccio - slowing of tempo for Variazioni (andante con moto) from faster Alborada (vivo e strepitoso)
Capriccio - freq use of trills e.g. opening Alborada; orchestral timbres; bold dynamics e.g. p to f suddenly
Constant Lambert Rio Grande - symphonic jazz, ragtime, Brazilian influences e.g. rumba dance, harmonies/rhythms inspired by Duke Ellington, traditional English choral sound
Constant Lambert The Rio Grande - alto, choir, piano, brass, strings, 15-instrument percussion section of 5 players
Rio Grande - homophonic choral texture but overall polyphonic texture created by multiple instrumental layers.
Rio Grande - highly chromatic solo vocal part
Rio Grande - syncopated, off-beat rhythms