Kalinka for Balalaika

Kalinka for Balalaika

Russian Folk Music

		Russian Folk Song
Pitch		Small pitch range, ranges from high G - octave below E Range of an octave and 3rd
Melody		A - smooth, pivotal contour B - wave like contour Strong subdominant/dominant relationship, cadences on A from subdominant - D Starts on dominant Melody generally centres around D (subdominant)
Rhythm		Very basic, semibreves, minims and crotchets
Timbre		Very improvisatory sounding, as tempo is varied
Dynamics		None marked in score Recording,
Texture		monophonic
Context		Traditional Russian folk song - arrangement for Balalaika instrument (like a lute) About juniper ‘kalinka’ and ‘malinka’ raspberry, offerings to old slavic goddess of the earth, spring, love and fertility “Lyuli” 1860 by Ivan Larionov The refrain of the song refers to the kalinka, which is the snowball tree (Viburnum opulus). It has a speedy tempo, light-hearted and cheerful lyrics - Wikipedia + solo balalaika
Structure/Form		A B A Arguably A A B B’ A A as B is repeated but with a developed ending to create interest into the repeated A A A B B A A Ternary form A - first 7 (full) bars plus anacrusis, so 8 repeated B - 12 bars (B’ - 12 bars with developed ending) A - 7 (full) bars plus anacrusis, so 8 repeated
Tempo		None marked in score, but very varied

Mozart's Rondo in D Major

Mozart's Rondo in D Major

Musical Elements

Original Key: D Major

Stepwise, syncopated opening melody: A G F E D  Dominant to Tonic 

Light style of piece (can be seen in opening melody)

Harmony (left hand) plays chords (tonic and third and then fifth in quavers)

Perfect Cadence Bar 4  Vc 7 - I

Balanced Phrases

Exposition: bars 1 - 59

Section A begins at bar 1 and ends at bar 15

Some use of chromaticism in bars 7 and 8 to create interest, as otherwise bars 9 to 15 would be almost a      straight repeat

B(transition): bars 16 to 52

Modulation to B Minor bar 21. This is the relative minor key

Modulation to A Minor in bar 23. This is the dominant minor key of D Major

Alberti bass bar 21

Bar 36 Modulation to A Major. This is the Dominant Major of D Major

Bar 39 alberti bass in right hand and melody moves to left hand in a sequence from section A

C(codetta): bar 53

A Major ending, Tonic Pedal in the left hand

Development Section: bars 60 to 94

Modulation to A Minor (dominant minor) goes to B Minor (relative minor key)

Bar 60, reference to original motif, melody in unison in both hands

Bar 71, G Major, sub-dominant key of D Major

From bars 79 to 94 lots of modulations back to Tonic Key: G Major -- A Minor -- B Minor -- D Major

Recapitulation: bars 95 to end

A, Transition, A, Codetta, A

Transition is in the key of D Minor

Modulates to F Major in bar 112

Modulates back to D Minor in bar 120

Goes back to Section A at bar 125

Alberti pattern, with melody in left hand

Melody, left hand, exact pitch and copy of original A section

Bar 130, modulates to E minor

133, modulates to back to D Major

Interrupted Cadence, bars 135-136

Modulation to Bb Major in bars 138

Back to D Major in 144

Codetta Starts at bar 148

Section A restarts at 158. Continues through to end.

Ends with typical Mozart extended cadence (crotchet -- crotchet -- minim)

Context

Classical Style, written in Spring 1787

Response to one of Mozart's friends dying

Written for solo piano, to portray a sort of melancholy feel

Structure

Sonata-Rondo (or Rondo-Sonata)

Exposition:  A B(transition) C(codetta)

A, bars 1 to 15

B, bars 16 to 52

C, bars 53 to 59

Development: bars 60 to 94

A fragments: bars 60 to 70

A: bars 71 to 94

Recapitulation: bars 95 to end

This is one of the pieces of my Musical Links Investigation! :)

Brahms St Antoni Chorale Variations

BRAHMS ST ANTONI CHORALE VARIATIONS

First Movement

MUSICAL ELEMENTS

Movement is in Bb Major

Romantic Era

Some use of Chromaticism

Though this is not to change key only to embellish piece

Phrase 1 ends on an imperfect cadence   Bb - F    bars 1 - 5

Bars 5 - 10 end on a perfect cadence F- Bb

Bars 11 - 18  imperfect cadence   Bb - F

Bars 19 - 30 perfect cadence F - Bb

2/4 Time

A section lasts 10 bars (or 20 with repeat)

B section lasts 8 bars

A' section lasts 11 bars (excluding coda)

We can see that the third section is developed as it is transposed up in pitch

STRUCTURE

Form:    A B A'

or A A B A' B A' with repeats

CONTEXT

Brahms Variations

Original Theme by Haydn

Orchestral Piece
Romantic Piece

Widmung

IB Music 2013

A Listening Diary - Widmung by Schumann

Musical Elements

Piano and solo soprano

Piano introduction made up of broken chords/arpeggios

Homophonic

Ab major 

3/2 time

Large range of dynamics

Section A is very expressive, with a large range of pitch and dynamics

Section B, the soprano acts as sort of the accompaniment for the piano, with little dynamics and note range

Section A is mostly the same as the beginning but with a developed ending

"Mein himmel du" phrase is melodically developed to build tension up to high F (third to last note)

Context

Piece of German Lieder

Romantic piece

Influenced by Schubert's Ave Maria - melody is taken from this

Structure

Balanced phrases

Points of tension, eg second phrase with high F

ABA Ternary Form