Melody

Composing a Melody!

Terminology! n  Texture"

•  Monophony" •  Polyphony" •  Homophony"

n  Phrase"

•  Antecedent" •  Consequent" n  Period"

n  Contour"

•  Conjunct (e.g., scalar)" •  Disjunct (e.g., chordal)" n  Accent"

n  Climax" n  Balance"

•  Dynamic" •  Agogic" •  Tonic" •  Metric" n  Range

n  Cadence"

"

n  Tessitura"

n  Unity

vs. Variety"

n  Text

setting" •  Syllabic" •  Melismatic"

n  Word

painting"

Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner! Conjunct motion"

Disjunct motion"

Contour"

Range"

Tessitura"

Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner!

Period"

Phrase 1 (antecedent)"

Harmonic " implications:"

I

Phrase 2 (consequent)"

V

I

Cadence" (imperfect authentic/" half-cadence)"

V

augmentation"

variation"

Rhythmic motive:"

I

Cadence" (perfect authentic)"

Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner!

Metric accents" Dynamic accents" Agogic accents" Tonic accents"

New Melodic Resources!

Various types of nontonal scales: modes, synthetic, and non-Western scales"

From David Cope, Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, p. 27."

Impressionism/Exoticism—Influences! Balinese gamelan and 
 African drummers."

Precedents:" n  Paris

Exposition (1889) "

n  Chicago

World Fair (1892)"

Impressionism/Exoticism!

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)"

Impressionism/Exoticism!

Maurice Ravel 
 (1875-1937)"

Igor Stravinsky 
 (1882-1971)"

Folk Music!

Béla Bartók (1883-1945)
 recording and transcribing folk songs of Hungarian peasants."

Folk Music—Characteristics! n 

Unusual phrase lengths (not restricted to 2, 4, 8, etc.)"

n 

Metric variety: frequent use of mixed and additive meters"

n 

Temporal fluidity: use of irregular rhythmic subdivisions and tempo changes."

n 

Modal rather than tonal melodies; not bound to the tyrannical rule of the major and minor keys (Bartók)."

n 

Not restricted by equal temperament: use of microtonal pitch inflections and scales based on natural tuning systems."

n 

Free from the expressive pretensions of 19th-century art music."

Folk tune transcribed by Béla Bartók."

Irregular phrases" Flexible tempo" Irregular rhythmic subdivisions" Microtonal pitch inflection"

Diatonic Modes! White note version:!

Mode name:! Ionian
 
 Dorian
 
 Phrygian
 
 Lydian
 
 Mixolydian
 
 Aeolian
 
 Locrian"

Starting on C:!

Diatonic Modes! Lydian:" Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)"

Phrygian:" Ralph Vaughn Williams: Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (1910)"

Pentatonic Scales! The most familiar variety of pentatonic scale is the anhemitonic (I.e., without semitones); it may be easily realized by playing on the black keys of the piano."

Derivation from diatonic scale:"

Pentatonic Scales! Anhemitonic variety:" Claude Debussy: Nuages from Nocturnes (1899)"

Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)"

Pentatonic Scales! Other varieties:" Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (1913)"

m2"

Claude Debussy: String Quartet (1893)"

m2"

M3"

P4"

Claude Debussy: Pagodes from Estampes (1903) "

Maurice Ravel: Ma mère l oye (1908)— Laideronnette "

Whole-Tone Scale! A

B

Claude Debussy: Canope from Preludes Book II (1913)"

Claude Debussy: Voiles from Preludes, Book I (1910) "

Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "

Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "

Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "

Octatonic Scale! Two versions:" Major (whole-half) " A

Minor (half-whole)" B

Three transpositions:" 1!

2!

3!

Octatonic Scale! Structure:" Four overlapping [013] pitch cells "

Two nested diminished 7th chords "

Igor Stravinsky: Octet (1922)"

Béla Bartók:
 Mikrokosmos No. 99
 Crossed Hands "

Octatonic pentachord 1 (RH):"

Octatonic pentachord 2 (LH):"

These two octatonic pentachords combine to form a single octatonic collection."

Olivier Messiaen s Modes of Limited Transposition" Mode 2: 8 pitches, 3 transpositions" "( octatonic )"

Mode 1: 6 pitches, 2 transpositions" "( whole tone )"

2

!2

!2

!2

!2

!2 !

1

!2

Mode 3: 9 pitches, 4 transpositions"

2

!1

!1

!2

!1

!1

!2

!4

!1

!1

!4

!1

!1!

1

!1

!1

!2

!1

!1

!1 !

!1

From David Cope, Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, p. 27."

!1

!2

!1

!2 !!

!1

!3

!1

!1

!3

!1

!1 !

Mode 6: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions"

2

Mode 7: 10 pitches, 6 transpositions"

1

!2

Mode 4: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions"

Mode 5: 6 pitches, 6 transpositions"

1

!1

!1

!2

!1!

!2

!1

!1

!2

!2

!1

!1

!!