Poulenc Trio Analysis PDF

AoS E: Into the Twentieth Century Poulenc Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano Francis Poulenc Born in Paris in 1899, he was infl uenced by Debussy, Satie and Stravinsky. One of ’Les Six’ composers – Milhaud, Poulenc, Honegger, Auric, Durey and Tailleferre. They deliberately made strong reacti...

AoS E: Into the Twentieth Century Poulenc Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano Francis Poulenc Born in Paris in 1899, he was infl uenced by Debussy, Satie and Stravinsky. One of ’Les Six’ composers – Milhaud, Poulenc, Honegger, Auric, Durey and Tailleferre. They deliberately made strong reactions to the romanticism of Wagner, and modernism of Schoenberg. Openly gay composer, who was always at ease with his sexuality. He wrote irreverent music with cheeky, jazz-fi lled melodies. Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano Poulenc was infl uenced by a number of composers, most notably by Stravinsky and Satie. There are a number of references to Stravinsky’s writing in this set work. Structure falls in line with 18 t h century models – modifi ed rondo and ternary forms. Cellular writing: 1-2 bar phrases. Themes would also be repeated in diff erent keys. Texture is mostly melody-dominated homophony. Harmony is often chromatic but there’s clear use of functional techniques in this piece. Tertian harmony is also clearly evident (move between chords a third apart). Seventh and ninth chords are frequent but intense chromaticism (as in expressionism) is exceptionally rare. Test your knowledge of the Trio When was the Trio written? What instruments is it written for? Which movement of the Trio is our set work? What is the tempo marking of the Trio? What key does the movement open in? What is the structure of the Trio? How does the movement depart from the rules of classical structure? Give examples of classical elements in the movement, and elements that are 20 t h -century Test your knowledge of the Trio When was the Trio written? 1921-1926 (during his second “Neoclassical”) period What instruments is it written for? Oboe, bassoon and piano Which movement of the Trio is our set work? Movement 2 What is the tempo marking of the Trio? Andante con moto What key does the movement open in? Bb major What is the structure of the Trio? Ternary - ABA How does the movement depart from the rules of classical structure? There is limited contrast in the B section – the A section does not return to the tonic key of B b major (ends in F/ Fm) Test your knowledge of the Trio Give examples of classical elements in the movement, and elements that are 20 t h -century: Classical 20th-century Ternary form Lack of contrast in B section and no return to tonic key in final A section; final A1 section is shorter than A Standard metre (4/8) Change of time signature = polymetre unbalances the metre Melodic phrases 2-bar cells rather than 4 bar Q+A phrases Diatonic harmony Harmony not always functional – use of first inversion chords to blur key; chords resolving in unusual ways; interrupted cadences; move to flattened 6th chord (median relationship/ tertian harmony) Octatonic writing, augmented and added 9th chords, “wrong” notes Tonic-dominant key Moves to remote keys such as E minor; ends on F minor chord but with a relationships (Bb – F) dissonant major 7th E natural and much ambiguity Tonic/dominant pedals Added note chords and dissonance over pedal notes Chromatic and octatonic bass lines creating shifting harmonies  Key features: Ternary Form, but not following the conventional rules of 18th Century structure. Extremely melodic – a feature of Poulenc’s writing style. Melodies are short – one or two bar phrases. Melodies are mostly conjunct. Harmony is generally diatonic and functional. There are plenty of cadences in related, but also unrelated keys. Poulenc clouds the harmony with avoidance of root position chords. Evidence of Octatonicism – a feature of music by Stravinsky and Debussy. Melody-dominated homophony throughout.  Section A – bars 1-16 Which chord do we move to here? How does What is the key? it relate to bar 1? Describe the texture at this point What name do we give Describe the melody to a change of time Identify the harmonic signature? What effect does it create? feature in the bassline in bars 1-6 Identify the cadence here Can you identify the chord on beat 2 in these two bars (C E G Bb)? What is the interval Where does this lead? between the oboe and bassoon parts? Describe the melody here Can you identify the What chord is this three chords in this bar (name and inversion)? (parallel movement)?  Section A – bars 1-16 Accented passing note (Eb)on beat 2 Chord of Gb - bVIb triad Begins securely in Bb. (median relationship/ The first movement was in A tertian harmony – use major, so we could describe this of chords a third apart) movement as being in the flattened supertonic of A Melody in right hand Polymetre = uneven phrase accompanied by alternating lengths which unbalances the metre. Feature of sixths; tonic pedal in bass Stravinsky’s writing Melody in 2 bar cells Preparation and modulation to F major with a V-I cadence C major 7 in third inversion in second half of the bar (suggests move to Oboe and Bassoon in 8ves F major) Conjunct, single bar phrase IVb–Vb– I in Eb Major Straight back to Bb major, (subdominant key) but starts with 1st inversion chord, so less definite There is more Can you identify this chord? sequential harmony Identify the cadence here: can you identify and key here… the chords? …and the key here What is the key Which section signature? What remote key starts here? have we moved to? Which scale is this melody built on? Where have we seen a How is this scale created similar melody before? Where does this Name the arpeggio new oboe melody take its rhythm from? Which scale is used here? Can you identify What harmonic feature is used this chord? in the bass at this point?  This chord – Bbb-Db-Fb (sounds as A-C#-E) is a Neapolitan 6th Sequential (bIIb) in Ab major harmony: IVb–Vb–I in Db Major. (Db major is V7-I in Ab Major – this is a bVI of tonicisation of Ab major F Major) Return to Db Major Key Signature change loses all Beginning of Section sense of Bb major. B It never returns Move to the remote key of E minor Octatonic Melody Continued use of 2 bar cells – melody An octatonic scale uses a from bar 3 and 4 tone-semitone-tone- semitone-tone pattern New oboe melody C major over F# pedal! copying bassoon rhythms from bars Octatonic Scalic Descent 17 and 18 Diminished 7th Harmony is implying that we’re modulating to B major Chromatic bassline: E- with chord V (F#): we expect E#-F# then F# pedal a perfect cadence in B…  Name the texture created What section is by oboe and bassoon this? Can you identify this Where have we added note chord? modulated to? Identify the chord and inversion Describe the bassline What is the interval in bars 23-28 between bassoon and oboe at this point? Identify the chord and this one Which scale is being used? (name and inversion) Name this chord: and this one Describe these chords and this chord this chord: Instead of B major, we Section B1 Bassoon and Oboe create arrive at B minor but antiphonal texture with a 1st inversion chord. This is a E9 Chord – E deliberate technique by minor with Poulenc to make the added 7th (D) harmony less stable and 9th (F#) Rising Octatonic Bass Line – Bassoon and Oboe 8ve E-F#-F; then repeated with + sixth apart rhythmic diminution (compound major 6th) Diminished 7th chord B minor Harmony is now anchored in 1st inversion Octatonicism – feature of Debussy and Stravinsky G7 which resolves to: C major. This is a bIIb Descending dissonant chords chord in B minor: (dominant 7ths / augmented 6ths) Neapolitan sixth B minor chord in Em9 chord 1st inversion We move the major here: what is the name Name the harmonic for this technique? feature in the bass Can you identify this added note chord? Identify this cadence and the key Can you identify Describe the bassline and explain the in bars 37-44 cadence here? Identify this What does “Anime chord (name and un peu” mean? inversion) Where does the oboe melody come from? What do you notice about the piano part here? Move to B major here: Tierce de Picardie B pedal in the bass A9 chord (A-C#-E Poulenc finally gives with B in the bass) us a V-I root position cadence in B major G7-Ab: V-VI Chromatic bassline – interrupted B-C-C-C#-D-D-D#-D# etc. cadence in C We could also describe these minor as a series of chromatic 63 chords Ab major 1st “Anime un peu” – inversion section speeds up as we approach return of section A Oboe melody taken from bar 1 of the “Wrong” notes in the piano piano part chords plus augmented 5ths a typical feature of neoclassicism  Describe the melody Can you identify the and texture here key at this point? …and the chord and inversion What is this section? Identify the key here What is unusual about the recap? Can you name this chord? Explain how this and this cadence plus section is similar to A the key it is in? and what are the differences? Can you name this chord and inversion? What is the harmonic feature in the bass? What effect does it create  Melody hear is Harmony anchored entirely diatonic; in C major as the antiphonal texture expected perfect cadence set up with the G7 in bar 37 Section A1 finally resolves Secure feel of F major with..but to a first root position chord and inversion, so weak change of key signature Unusually, the recap in our Harmonic rhythm speeds ternary form is in the dominant up with slightly more (F) rather than tonic (Bb) chromatic harmony landing on Diminished 7th on G Melody from end of Section A now in the RH followed by C7 V-I cadence in F major of Piano in F major New material added in the inner Db Maj in 1st inversion parts with acciaccaturas bVIb triad of F major Tonic pedal F for most of the F major - chords follow last 13 bars makes harmony progression of the opening feel static  Can you identify the cadence? This note suggests a modulation to which The bass only moves key? away from F at two points. Can you identify the chords in these bars Identify this and how they relate to chord – name F? and inversion This chord is different to that in bar 59 (Ab in place of G). What key does the Can you identify it? piece end in? What makes this unclear? Identify neoclassical features in this section  Briefly in C major with V-I cadence B natural indicates preparation for C major Bb to F in bass (dominant of F major) creates the feel of a plagal cadence (IV-I); although the chord is Db augmented Db augmented in 2nd in 2nd inversion inversion (bIVb) and then a Half-diminished 7th The movement ends on an F minor chord with chromatic harmony, with The melody is built on an only a hint of F with the octatonic scale; the final pedal notes in the LH chord is a dissonant major 9th (E natural over Fm); the The ambiguous ending ties at the end don’t link to is a typical feature of anything over the page… neoclassical writing