Symphony of Psalms, Movement III (Stravinsky) 1938
- 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
- Structure
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