Symphony of Psalms, Movement III (Stravinsky) 1938

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  • Created by: HollzF97
  • Created on: 03-04-14 17:45
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  • Symphony of Psalms, Movement III (Stravinsky) 1938
    • Structure
      • Several contrasting sections
      • Slow Introduction (alleluia) - bars 1-23
      • Fast passage - Bars 24-98 & 104-149
      • Alleluia - Bars 99-103 & 205-212
      • New slow section - Bars 150-162 & 163-204
    • Tonality
      • Some ambiguity and a hint of bitonality
      • Opening melody suggests Eb major, accompanied by a C major triad
      • Some ambiguity arising from combining major and minor
      • Section from bar 163 is on Eb
    • Harmony
      • Non-functional, lacking regular cadences
      • False relations - E & Eb bar 6
      • Dissonance arising from bitonality and added note chords
    • Texture
      • Various textures
      • Wind in Homophony - Bars 1 & 2
      • Four part choir - Bars 2 & 3
      • Piano & harp octaves double tenor and bass - bars 4 & 5
      • Imitation - bar 150
      • Alto and tenor in octaves - bar 65
      • Bass voices with woodwind and brass support - bars 72-79
    • Instrumental & vocal writing
      • Large use of wind and brass
      • No soloists
      • Stravinsky aimed for an objective unemotional sound
      • Latin text to promote 'objectivity'
      • Unexpected interpretation of the text
      • Verbal and musical accents sometimes conflict
      • Rhythmic displacement
      • Syllables often become split up into self-contained units
    • Other
      • Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms was written to celebrate the 50th annual season of the Boston Symphony orchestra
      • It it a Latin setting of Psalm 150
      • Although set to a religious text, it was intended for concert performance
    • Rhythm
      • Slow opening section in 4/4 with one bar in 3/2
      • Features include syncopation; three crotchet ostinato opposes the prevailing pulse
      • Fast section changes between 4/4, 2/2 and 3/2
      • Features include 6 quaver motif; triplets; longer note values in the vocal parts
      • Slow section from bar 150 in 3/2 with prominent dotted rhythms
      • Slow section from bar 163 in 3/2 with a four-minim ostinato in harp, pianos and timpani
      • Long notes in the tenor and bass
    • Melody
      • Interval of a third is significant throughout
      • Use of monotone; mainly stepwise; broken chord at bar 150
      • Often syllabic; not declamoatory
      • Broad contrasts between narrow and wide range melodies
      • Mainly conjunct
      • Occasional large leaps
      • Often revolves around a central note
      • Ostinati

Comments

michael

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This is perfect!

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