Ballet Music

I want to tell "L'oisau de feu" and "The Nutcracker".

L'oisau de feu

Stravinsky composed "L'oisau de feu". The performance time is about 42 minutes.

The first part

･Story

 Phoenix appears. Phoenix begins to dance. Phoenix is finally captured by the prince Ewan. The prince Ewan lets Phoenix go by dancing this entreaty. 13 princesses put on magic show up. Free time of princesses ends when daybreak approaches. It enters the castle gate of Kaschei. The monster appears, and the prince Ewan is captured. The devil appears. Phoenix appears. The monster is made to hear the baby-sitter song. After, Kaschei dies.

･Progressing of music

 It starts from the rhythm by the pizzicato of the percussion instrument and the cello. The horn symbolizes the prince Ewan. The phrase of the oboe symbolizes the prince Ewan's appearance. The subject of the dance of Phoenix appears to the woodwind. It divides into an unstable melody, and the stringed instrument and the woodwind perform this alternately. This composed three parts. The motif caused by the clarinet shows the princesses' appearance. It is possible to hang, and the motif with an eerie piccolo and flute is performed. In the scene of the death of Kaschei, it is symbolized with the bassoon, the tympani, and cymbals. A cold melody is played with the viola and the  violin.

The second part

･Story

 The castle and the magic of Kaschei disappear. Knights made a stone revive.

･Progressing of music

 The subject of the horn appears to the tremolo of the stringed instrument. It is performed with all musical instruments through the flute as the violin repeats this. The scene of the coda is grandly performed with the trumpet, the trombone, and the tuba. Afterwards, the finale is received with all musical instruments.

・L'Oiseau de Feu-All act- (49:48)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_MltLpFCl4

The Nutcracker

 

Tchaikovsky composed "The Nutcracker". He is born in Russia in 1840. The performance time was about 45 minutes in the first act and about 45 minutes in the second act.

The first act

The first

1:Scene－The Christmas Tree

  ・Mr. and Mrs. Stael decorate the Christmas tree with the servant for the preparation of the party.

  This music is 4/4 rhythms in the allegro. The woodwind expresses the light of the candle. The children's appearance is shown by performing the tympani.

2: March

 ・ Children dance around the Christmas tree.

  This music is 4/4 rhythms. The clarinet and the brass instrument perform the melody like the fanfare. The violin expresses children's movement.

3: Children’s Galop and Entrance of the Parents

　・A new customer appears. Then, children dance further blithely.

  The violin performs the galop of 2/4 rhythms. Afterwards, it is shown that the guest came to the hall in the minuet of 3/4 rhythms.

4: Dance Scene

  ・Drosselmeyer elderly person comes. The elderly person takes out the doll with setting the spring. The harlequin of the soldier doll begins to dance with Columbine of girl's doll.

  Drosselmeyer elderly person's appearance is performed with the viola and the trombone. When the elderly person takes out soldier's doll, comical is expressed in the waltz of 3/4 rhythms.

5: Scene and Dance

  ・Children try to take the bedroom the doll. The elderly person hands The Nutcracker. Children start the scramble for the doll. Flit is angry, it throws out to the floor, and it destroys it.

  This music is 6/8 rhythms in the andante. The place where the elderly person puts out The Nutcracker is performed by a bright melody.

6: Scene－Invited Guest's Coming Home and Night

  ・The party ends. She timidly approaches The Nutcracker. The mouse appears. The Christmas tree becomes a gigantic tree. In addition, the soldier doll appears, and it begins to walk in the room.

  The clarinet and the bassoon have expressed Clara's fear. The piccolo shows rat's movement.

7: Scene－The Nutcracker and Rat's Kings' Fights

  ・The soldier doll begins to fight against the mouse. Clara helps when the doll is attacked, and the doll wins. And, Clara is invited to the country of the cake that helped reward.

  The comical scene that seems to be the combat of march trumpet and soldier's shouts and report of a gun, etc. is expressed. When dolls win victory, a graceful melody is performed.

The second

8: Scene－Dance of Pine Woods / 9: Waltz of the Snowflakes

 ・ The energy of the snow meets it. The energy of the snow prince begins to step a waltz with the queen.

  The harp accompanies the arpeggio. The violin repeats the subject. Afterwards, a waltz fantastic the syncopation of the flute is expressed.

The second act

10: Scene－Castle of Magic in Country of Cake

　・It enters the castle of magic in the country of the cake more and more.

  The woodwind performs the subject, and the appearance that enters the castle of magic is shown.

11: Scene－Appearance of Clara and Prince

 ・ Meeting the energy of queen Confetti candy is received. The prince speaks the person to whom one owes one's life Clara. Clara is welcomed.

  The duet of the celesta, the harp, the clarinet, and the bassoon is alternately performed. When music becomes an allegro, the combat with the rat is reproduced. It is expressed that Clara is welcomed by the fanfare.

12: Divertissement

 ・ It is welcomed by dancing the dance of the dance of the dance of the dance of the dance of Spain and Arabia and China and Russia and the reedy pipes and harlequins.

  The dance of Spain is a bolero. The trumpet performs the melody. The violin performs a main melody to the dance of Arabia. Dances of China are 4/4 rhythms. The flute performs a main melody. Dances of Russia are 2/4 rhythms. The violin performs a main melody. Dances of the reedy pipe are 2/4 rhythms. The flute performs the melody. Dances of the harlequin are 2/4 rhythms. The violin performs a main melody.

13: Waltz of the Flowers

・The energy of Confetti candy dance in magnificence.

This music is famous. The horn performs the subject. The clarinet succeeds the subject.

14: Pas de Deux

・ The energy of Confetti candy dances with the prince of The Nutcracker.

  This is composed of four. It is a composition of adagio, tarantella, tarantella 2, and the coda.

15: Waltz Finale and Apotheosis

  ・All members dance lively. Clara who wore the crown is blest by people in the country of the cake.

  This music is a waltz of 3/4 rhythms. Ten subjects appear at the end, it becomes apotheosis, and the finale is received.


・The Nutcracker-All act- (1:41:38)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6R9KFCzurg&list=UU11mor-YyQss50NThfIsAgw&index=1

Piano Piece

  I will introduce "Nocturne op.9-2" and "Piano sonata K.331" from the piano piece. It is both tunes that everyone has heard somewhere.

Nocturne op.9-2

 This music was composed by Frederic Francois Chopin. This music was made in 1832, when Chopin was 22 years old.

  

  Chopin made 21 nocturnes. Only 20 in that were specified for “Nocturne” by him. However, only the C sharp minor of existing music in 1830 was allowed the title as “Nocturne” at the time of making in 1875 public.

  

   Nocturne op.9-2 is the most famous music in his nocturne. This music undertook other composer’s influences with Nocturne op.9-1.

  

  The composition of this music is a rondo style form. This music is 12/8 rhythms in Andante^[1] in E flat major.

 A-B-A-B-A-C-C

There are two themes of A and B, and it is repeated alternately. There finishes is different theme C at the end. The right hand chants from beginning to end the coloratura style^[2] to attaching of the grace note, and the accompaniment of the same rhythm is repeated as for the left hand.

Piano Sonata K.331

 This tune was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The made time is not understood well. There is a theory of composition in Paris at 1778, when Mozart was 22 years old or a theory of composition in Vienna at 1783, when he was 28 years old. The powerful one is a theory composed in 1783. This music is the second of three sonatas assumed to have been made in the age. This music consists of three movements. The rough composition is as follows.

  

  The first movement consists of the subject and the variations of andante grazioso. The second movement is a minuet of the trio luck. It is recorded though the third movement is an allegretto, "Rondo alla turca". The style of the east style at that time is remarkable.

  The first movements are 6/8 rhythms in A major. It consists of the subject and the variation. The subject of andante grazioso is two composition in the first half and the latter half. It was graceful though was simple. The style at this time is reflected. In the first variation, the movement of the sixteenth note^[3] is a center. As for the second variation, the accompaniment of three group notes^[4] feature. The third variation is transposed to the in A minor. The fourth variation returns to the in A major. The accompaniment is played by the right hand, and the high pitched sound part and the basso are played by the left hand. As for the fifth variation, it not only accompanies but also the tempo begins to change into the Adagio^[1], and to move in the right hand three minims. The sixth variation becomes 4/4 rhythms Allegro^[1]. It becomes a light, bright variation.

  

 The second movements are 3/4 rhythms in A minor in the minuet. The large-scale trio is lucky. The subject of the minuet starts by the unison of solo. The trio transposes in D major. The left hand intersects with the right hand, and has inserted the unison.

  

 The third movements are 2/4 rhythms in A minor in the Allegretto^[1] (rondo alla turca). This is said, "Turkish march". The form of this movement is assumed to be a France style rondo. The famous subject appears the in A minor. The episode of the in A major starts after this part is repeated. Next, Passage of the sixteenth note continues. It is ended that the episode of the in A minor reproduces it after that. Next, it returns to in A minor again, and the main subject is repeated. In addition, it transposes to the in A major key. It is a colorful and outlandishness movement.

[1] It is a music term that shows the speed. Adagio means "It is gradual". Andante means "Speed where it walks". Allegretto means "It is a little fast". Allegro means "It is fast".

[2] Syllable that gives decoration to fast phrase, and makes colorfully.

[3] Length of 1/16 of whole note.

[4] Generic name of note with length in which a certain note is divided into three.

Form of Music

 

It can enjoy the musical expression by understanding the music form of music. As for the music that seems to be made freely, the music form that is basic is used for foundation. There are a lot of forms in the music. I will introduce the rondo form and the sonata form in music form.

Rondo Form

It is what became popular in France in about the 18th century. The rondo form is approved on the assumption of the alternation though it paired.

The basic format is A-B-A-C-A-D. This is called a chain rondo. The type of the rondo form of the music in the classical period is A-B-A-C-A-B-A. As for the rondo form as the music form, the change has been often added. It has the key role in compare in addition to a different structure setting the boundary between musical parts. To conclude the entire music, a musical each part is often enlarged.

Moreover, the conclusion of music is independent as a so called coda, becomes a musical part that reaches comparatively widely to greater or lesser degrees, and is gotten.

Sonata Form

The comparison of two subjects that are the tension of the subject, and contrasted structures and the character are an impellent of the music passage. The array of a time element in a double subject and the array of the material have brought the composer the possibility of music in the classical period expression. The sonata form is a form chiefly used for the first movement of the sonata form. This form might be called "Sonata allegro form" because it is performed at a fast tempo. 

The sonata form is used for all of a piano sonata in the classicism age, the string quartet, the symphony, and the concerto. Two subjects of contrasted character are used in the form of a sonata. It is thought that the sonata form has developed from the church sonata in the baroque age. It is originally assumed that it developed from two forms though it is three forms in the appearance.

The sonata form consists of three parts.

   Presentation part － Presentation of subject

   Development part － Laborious work based on motive and subject materials

   Reproduction part － Return of subject

The presentation part starts by presenting the first subject. The passage part where the second subject is prepared comes out when the first subject is presented. The second subject has the character in contrast to the first subject. As for the passage part, the transposition to the dominant key is included. The conclusion part follows the passage part, and the presentation part ends. This might be repeated.

The motive and the component of the presentation part are being freely processed to the middle paragraph by the composer. The comparison between the first subject and the second subject is lost though the reproduction part is a repetition of the presentation part. To often do a connection taking musical, a harmony detour is done to a temporary transposition. To shut the entire music, the place in the presentation part where it is a conclusion part is enhanced.

Kind of Music

 

 

I want to tell you three types of music.

 

 

Nocturne

Nocturne is a music that expresses the state of a quiet evening. There is no particular musical form. Many of them slow their tempo. They are often used to wear a melody to the accompaniment of the arpeggio. Originally, the short form of music for orchestra and chamber music or refers to the vocal music accompanied by instrumental accompaniment. John Field who was an Irish composer was a founder because he was established as a solo piano music. It is Chopin's Nocturne is famous, and was composed under the influence of John Field.

 

 Suite

  It refers to the instrumental music multiple combined. Suite is divided into roughly divided into classic and modern suite. Suite in Baroque were called classical suite and suite for Kuravusan is it starts. Suite of keyboard instrument format was transmitted to Germany. “Suite British” and “French Suite” for Bach's clavier is representative. The German suite was basic the combination of the four dance called "Armand" "coolant" "Sarabande" "Zeke".

  Armando is a spacious dance music of four-four time.

  Coolant is a slightly faster tempo dance music. 2-3 ​​time and 4-6 time will appear in rotation.

  Sarabande is Spanish in origin. It is a dance of triple time.

  Zeke is a British origin. It is a dance of lilting triple time.

  When toward the end of the 17th century, or join prelude, dance is now sandwiched between.

  Then, Suite will continue to develop into ballet music and opera music. These are made on or after the Romantics, called modern suite. It says the piano and orchestral arrangements were such as incidental music for the concert of play. Since there is no rule as classic suite, are written in a free-form.

 

 

 

 

Fugue

  Vocal music were written in the style of the Renaissance period have developed from the arrangement for the clavier. It is a form of imitation and its melody consisting of the subject come out one after another. However, now produce music to expand the relatively long contrapuntal imitation by the subject matter of the single. It is also used in the field as well as vocal instrumental field. It has become the main way composers of the Baroque era.

  Fugue can be divided into three parts roughly.

         Envoi - imitation parts - the presenting unit

  It is similar to the sonata form first glance but it is not significantly different. As there is a sonata form as the vertices of repeat form, fugue is present in the form of imitation vertex. Fugue keeps always the number of voices. Features of fugue appear in the Envoi. Role of the Envoi is to present the subject. Subject of the fugue is single and certain rules is observed that the method of Envoi.

  It is the imitation has finished presenting unit. It is much larger than that of other portions and Method of deployment of subjects is also a wide variety. It free to move and while the subject material and it is used for various tone name rich in modulation.
  Finally, the conclusion is. It leads to a finale to reproduce the subject. It is free configuration.

  It can say in terms of its influence on modern music, may not measure what you give of fugue, and was greater than that of the sonata form.