Instrumental pieces - features (essay Qs)

Debussy 20th Century and Impressionist features (1894)

• Parallel dissonances - cellos move in parallel 7ths
• Use of dissonance for colour and atmosphere, not tonal direction
• Highly selective combination of instruments - emphasis on woodwind and horns
• Very particular performance directions/specific playing techniques - con sourdine in strings, pp, divided (beggining)
• "clouded tonality" - flute melody begins on C# which is not in chord I of E maj
• Flute melody spans a tritone, C#-G
• Flexible approach to rhythm obscures pulse - eg duplets against compound time sig
• "free illustration of the poem" by Stephen Mallarme - tone poem
• Effective placing of silence - b.6 - builds suspense
• Changes of time signature - complex rhythms disguise a regular pulse
• Added 6th chord - 3rd appearance of harp
• Use of whole tone scale - approach to central section
• Antique cymbals on return of melodyin section D
• Dom 7th/Dom 13th chord used toward end of piece

Mozart Classical features (1783)

• Sonata form - commonly used in the classical period - exposition, development, recapitulation
• Use of the classical piano - capable of delicate dynamic effects
• Tonic key of Bb - modulates to dominant (F) and C minor 
• Use of functional harmony   -Cadences define structure
  -Clear harmonic progressions 
  -Emphasis on primary triads
• Melody-dominated homophony -  Ornate melody in RH
  - Broken chords in LH
  - Use of…