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The Duchess (Melody (End titles (Theme A 1-8., Theme B 9-16., Themes B and…
The Duchess
Melody
Opening
MDH, D major, mixolydian with inflections, e.g. C natural in bar 7. Theme A up an octave at bar 10. Theme B aypogitura at 17 and 18. Theme C bar 35 and 37-43 stepwise descending and ascending line. Leaps of 3rds, 4ths and 6ths. Rising and falling motif at b.37.
6 years later
Main element- waltz- rising broken chord on D major b.3-10, falling broken chord(A minor) b.10-14 from The Duchess opening.
Bassoon enters playing "E, A, C", stepwise movements play "Oom, pah, pah" in lower strings.
Mistake Of Your Life
Sustained sounds of 2 bars, moving up and down through minor 2nd D to E flat- danger- foreboding atmosphere.
Motif 1 like 1st cue from bar 19 rising conjunct line in G minor like theme B.
Motif 2 from bar 35 in piano- auxiliary note figure- from bar 2 of theme A in minor mode- falling 3rds replaced by descending minor 6ths.
The 2 melodies rise from tonic to dominant, sharing a 2-quaver figure with appoggiatura at highest point.
At bar 27, complete sequential repetition of bars 19-26, but melody up a tone from G minor to A minor.
End titles
Theme A 1-8.
Theme B 9-16.
Themes B and C 17-24.
Theme C 25-40+repeat of theme C.
Ascending and descending theme C 51-end.
Mainly conjunct with quaver-crotchet-crotchet figure.
Never See Your Children Again
From bar 7- drawn-out line, rising by step, evokes "Mistake Of Your Life"(Derived from Theme B of Opening).
Bars 26-33 are thirds.
Repeating quaver motif on D in second violins and dissonant minor 2nd chord- makes foreboding atmosphere.
Melody mainly in violins and mainly conjunct, with harp taking over from bar 26.
Mainly conjunct non-functional D minor.
Wider listening
Descending and ascending line in both Chocolat and Duchess. Frequent stepwise movement in flute solo and also in Duchess opening and also in Duchess opening in bars 11-14.
Harmony and Tonality
Opening
D Major, functional with perfect cadences, e.g. 41-43. Mixolydian at bar 7(C natural). Tonic pedal b.15-36. Cue is built on alternation of tonic(D) and modal dominant(A), so drive to cadences is weak. Use of non-cadential 2nd inversions. Unprepared and unresolved 7ths, e.g. at b.11.
Never See Your Children Again
Alternates between D minor and D Aeolian(Natural Minor). Finishes on D minor 2nd inversion. Clash of E-F-D in b.34-37. C natural at b.8 and 18 makes it Mixolydian- feeling of threat and melancholy. C natural minor relates to melancholic tone.
Mistake Of Your Life
G Minor, modal harmony Aeolian, natural minor. Dominant pedal b.1-18. Minor rising sequence b.27-34. b.39-42- F major descending sequence, b.81-82: unstable Ic. EFD clash at bar 5. C natural dissonance. Minor 3rd on F and D in b.26 and C# with E at b.28, b.30- G and B(Minor 3rd). Enharmonic D flat at bar 34. Clash chord. Minor 3rd D and F natural at b.9.
End Titles
Harmony- D mixolydian, no modulation, b.12- Am7, b.13- unrelated F major.
6 Years Later
D Major, Mixolydian at b.30, alternates between D and A minor, b.30 Mixolydian. Clash of E# with E at b.4. b.25 and 27- D augmented triad.
Wider listening
Chocolat- arp. harp in G Aeolian. Opening of Chocolat. c.f. arp. harp in Duchess opening titles.
Both intervals are a perfect fifth.
Appoggiaturas in b.18 of The Duchess and also in flute line of Chocolat.
Continuous quavers in Chocolat and Duchess opening.
Cadences- Duchess opening is imperfect, Chocolat is plagal.
Both are modal. Chocolat- G Aeolian, Duchess- D Mixolydian.
Duchess opening- 7 chords over pedal, also in Chocolat slow section of opening movement.
Comparison to "Story Of My Life"- Aflatmaj7#3, Dflataug and Cm6 chords. NSCA has Daug and half-diminished chords, but Downton Story Of My Life has Aflatmaj7#3, Dflataug and Cm6.
Rhythm, metre and tempo
Opening
116 cbpm. Rit. at 15, a tempo at 15, rit. at 42. Semibreve on bass throughout, quaver harp theme, recurring auxiliary note quaver-quaver-crotchet figure at b.2, 17 and 35. Triplets at b.22. 4/4 time signature.
Mistake Of Your Life
Timp. quaver-crotchet-crotchet figure. 43-67 continuous quavers.
Six Years Later
6/8, 4/4 at b.29. 66dcbpm, 120 cbpm at b.30. b.30 theme A faster than in opening titles. Rits. at b.61, 64 and 65.
Never See Your Children Again
Time signature- 3/4, 66 cbpm, rit. at b.20. Constant quavers and long held pedal internal b.1-25 and bass b.19-end. Time. figure quaver-quaver-crotchet.
End Titles
4/4, 120 cbpm, rit. b.12, a tempo b.13, rit. b.59. Quaver harp theme, semibreve in bass, auxiliary note quaver-quaver-crotchet, b.9-10 appoggiatura, descending triplet b.11-14.
Wider listening
2nd section of Chocolat- syncopation in strings- harmony and flute melody c.f. syncopation in Duchess b.16-17 in timps and celli. Also b.10 in Duchess violins. Oom pah pah rhythm in 2nd section of Chocolat and also in Duchess 6 Years Later waltz. 2/4 in Chocolat, 6/8 in Duchess. 60 dcbpm in Duchess, 84 cpm in Chocolat.
Structure
Opening
Theme A- b.1-16 strings and harp.
Theme B- b.17-26 and 27-34+violin solo+timps and cello V-I figure.
Theme C- bars 35-43- Tutti.
Mistake Of Your Life
Intro: 1-18
Theme I: 19-34
Theme II: 35-42
Theme I: 43-59
Theme II: 62-69
Theme I: 70-82
Six Years Later
b.1 and 2: Intro.
b.3-15: Waltz.
b.16-28: Waltz(Tutti).
b.29: 1 bar link.
b.30-34: Opening theme A.
b.35-36: Opening Theme B.
b.37-63: Opening theme C.
b.64-66: Coda.
Never See Your Children Again
b.1-4: Single held note.
b.5-25: Theme I(Mistake).
b.26-33: 3-chord pattern.
b.34-37:Coda(Hela clash chord).
End Titles
b.1-8: Theme A.
b.9-16: Theme B.
b.25-40: Theme C.
b.41-50: Repeat of Opening theme C.
b.51-end: Theme C descending, then ascending.
Timbre and sonority
Opening
Rhythmic ostinato in harp throughout. Tonic pedals in b.13-56. Cue is MDH.
Mistake Of Your Life
b.1 low strings, woodwind and timps. Dominant pedal b.1-18 in cell and basses to create tension and suspense. Piano, woodwind and horn from b.35 onwards builds up texture. b.43-67- inner countermelody in cello and harp.
Six Years Later
Pizz. strings and harp at beginning. Horn and bassoon accompaniment at b.11. MDH. b.29 single held note in celli and timps. b.35-36 and 37-38.
Never See Your Children Again
D pedal throughout. b.5-21: inner quavers. Long held pedal in bass from b.19-end. Figure in quaver-crotchet-crotchet, b.2-end.
End Titles
MDH, top melody, middle quavers and bass semibreves.
Background
b.1960, produced over 100 scores for film/TV, including Cider House Rules. Duchess composed 2008. First female composer to win film score. Duchess- account of unhappy marriage of duchess to duke of Devonshire.
Influences
Bach
Satie
Ravel
Instrumentation
Sinfonia including woodwind, strings, harp, timps. and horn. Conventional use of instruments includes pizz. in 6 years later.
Comparisons
Lush strings but also have piano, none of in Duchess. Soaring melodies in violins, also compares to opening b.17-34.
Downton Abbey- Story Of My Life: Modal- Mixolydian on E flat. c.f. Mixolydian of Duchess opening.