20th Century Wider Listening

Sonata for Horn,Trumpet and Trombone by Poulenc

Harmony and Tonality 

• Diatonic harmony with mainly primary chords especially in section A
• Unusual modulations such as from G to Eb
• Added note harmonies and unexpected dissonance
• Second part of A is unstable with minor hints in the horn
• Modulates to Db at the end of section B

Texture and Sonority

• Unusual combination
• Melody and accompaniment with omm-pah in bridge
• Horn and trombone swap parts in section B with horn taking the bass
• Large leaps such as in trumpet at end of B
• Doubling in thrids and sixths

Melody and Rhythm

• Short, memorable motifs in Classical style
• Developed througout such as augmented in coda of A
• Regular phrases given an irregular feel with changes in metre
• Main idea is simple descending triadic 
• Some chromatisim such as in coda

Structure

• Modified ternary
• Link between section B and A has tonality of B with the feel of A
• Coda of A augments motif and imitiates between instruments to modulate to a minor key
• Contasting sections with changes of mood, tempo and modulation 

Quartet Op.22 by Webern

Harmony and Tonality 

• No clear tonic but starts and ends on C# 
• Sparse chords with only ocassionally more than two notes together
• Maximally chromatic
• No traditional heirchay of chords and scales
• Very dissonant with 2nds, 7ths and tritones

Texture and Sonority

• Sparse texture creates pointilism effects
• Melody fragmented between instruments (Klangfarbenmelodie)
• Polyphonic even in piano parts
• Extensive use of imitation and mirror canons

Melody and Rhythm

• Fragmented between instruments (Klangfarbenmelodie)
• No more than three consecuative notes in the same part
• Chromatic with no diatonic patterns
• Repeated but not obvious because of serial structure
• Large, awkward leaps 

Structure

• Only traditional aspect based on sonata form
• Exposition and development use the same form of the row but presented in different ways to show traditional changes in key
• Development uses different from of the row
• Marks changes in section by repeats and slight ritenutos
• Introduction and coda are in retrograde

String Quartet by Ravel

Harmony and Tonality 

• Chromatic descending scale at the end of section A
• Starts and ends in Aeolian mode but doesn't have a clear tonailty
• Added note chords such as domiant sevenths 
• Second idea suggest C# but never established
• Whole tone in bar 8
• Ends chromatically with augmented sixth resolving to chord I

Texture and Sonority

• Wide range of techniques and effects such as tremolos and mutes
• Tremolos in violin at the end…