jesshmusic
04-20-2005, 12:14 PM
HAHAHAHAHA! Finally, the third assignment! I thought I would give you all something to do while I still catch up on checking people's assignments.
FORM: Passacaglia (More info below) - This is important, as it is the focus of the exercise.
INSTRUMENTATION: Violin, Viola, Cello. (Ahhhh, strings at last)
MOTIVE: See below.
TIME SIGNATURE: 3/4
Passacaglia: This form ends up being the motive. A Passacaglia is a form in which a short ostinato is repeated over and over again while the other voices play counter melodies. The passacaglia does not have to be in the same voice every instance, but it may not be transposed, inverted, reversed, shortened, or lengthened.
Follow these guidelines for this exercise:
- - Passacaglia ostinato is four bars long.
- - Ostinato starts in the cello, but may move to the other voices.
- - Include articulations, slurs, dynamics, tempo markings, etc.
- - Be aware of string techniques other than pizz and arco. ;)
- - If you write using common practice harmony, this exercise will be harder because then you will be getting into counterpoint... so think MODERN! :D
- - Most Passacaglias are in 3/4, so let's keep this in 3/4.
I will post an example of a Passacaglia tonight, so you guys may want to wait to start until then unless you feel confidant you understand the form.
From en.wikipedia.org:
One of the best known examples of a passacaglia in classical music is the one in C minor for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 582. A later example is the finale of Josef Rheinberger's 8th organ sonata. Perhaps the most frequently heard passacaglia, however, is the finale of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4 (although Brahms did not explicitly call it a passacaglia, it follows the rules of one and the repeated figure is based on one found in Bach's Cantata No. 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich).
Good luck! And if anything is unclear, please ask before writing. ;)
FORM: Passacaglia (More info below) - This is important, as it is the focus of the exercise.
INSTRUMENTATION: Violin, Viola, Cello. (Ahhhh, strings at last)
MOTIVE: See below.
TIME SIGNATURE: 3/4
Passacaglia: This form ends up being the motive. A Passacaglia is a form in which a short ostinato is repeated over and over again while the other voices play counter melodies. The passacaglia does not have to be in the same voice every instance, but it may not be transposed, inverted, reversed, shortened, or lengthened.
Follow these guidelines for this exercise:
- - Passacaglia ostinato is four bars long.
- - Ostinato starts in the cello, but may move to the other voices.
- - Include articulations, slurs, dynamics, tempo markings, etc.
- - Be aware of string techniques other than pizz and arco. ;)
- - If you write using common practice harmony, this exercise will be harder because then you will be getting into counterpoint... so think MODERN! :D
- - Most Passacaglias are in 3/4, so let's keep this in 3/4.
I will post an example of a Passacaglia tonight, so you guys may want to wait to start until then unless you feel confidant you understand the form.
From en.wikipedia.org:
One of the best known examples of a passacaglia in classical music is the one in C minor for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 582. A later example is the finale of Josef Rheinberger's 8th organ sonata. Perhaps the most frequently heard passacaglia, however, is the finale of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4 (although Brahms did not explicitly call it a passacaglia, it follows the rules of one and the repeated figure is based on one found in Bach's Cantata No. 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich).
Good luck! And if anything is unclear, please ask before writing. ;)