General Knowledge for Sarah N.:

List A Piece: Charles Dancla "Variations on a Theme" Op.89 No.5
-- Charles Dancla was a French composer ands viollinist of the Romantic Period in music: the Romantic period lasted 1820-1910 and Dancla lived 1817-1907. He studied with a famous teacher by name of Baillot and later himself became a professor of violin at the Paris Conservatoire. Dancla is best known for his violin method works and studies. He also wrote a number of popular pieces for violin.

-- A theme is some main melodic material (tune) on which composer bases their work. It may be a composed tune or a "borrowed" one from other music works (for example, some composers "borrowed" aria tunes from operas).

-- A variation is an alteration or development made to the theme by, for example, changing the key mode from major to minor and vice-versa, changing the tempo through changes in note values (therefore changes in rhythm) or by changing the harmony. These alterations may occur one at a time or as a mixture of the above ways.

-- Time signature in the Theme and all Variations is 3/4: simple triple time, because there are 3 (as in triple) simple beat notes (crotchet notes) in a bar.
-- The form of the Theme and each variation is "rounded binary", which means there are 2 easily recognisable sections, where section B returns with some material from section A (but this return is not in full - if it was, then the form would be "ternary" and it would be shown as ABA, where section B is entirely different).

-- The key for the Theme and all Variations is G major: look at the key signature: F#; look at last note of piece: G, which is the tonic note for G major. Tonic note is the first degree of a scale.
The composer pretty much stays in that key throughout.

-- types of playing techniques used in this work: double and triple stops, harmonics, left hand pizzicato, bariolage (alternating stopped notes with open string - popular technique in 18th century music, like sonatas), ricochet bowing.

-- the phrases in the Theme start with anacrusis ( in other words, on last beat of the bar)

-- C# in bar 1 of Theme does not constitute a key change - it is just a chromatic change for a moment. The Theme consists of simple tonic and dominant harmonies.

-- Also notice the syncopation, ties, and triplets.

-- In Var. I the theme is hidden in the triads and arpeggios. Anacrusis is dropped

-- In Var. II the anacrusis returns and the is dropped again in section B. Where the repeated Ds appear, it is called "dominant prolongation" - since D is the Dominant of G major key. Contrast of style/mood/character is clearly visible in comparison to the Theme.

-- In Var. III anacrusis is dropped again. Romantic style is felt throughout due to the long legatos/singing line and natural harmonics.

-- The Coda starts in bar 65. It concludes on a broken arpeggio based on G major tonic triad.

Test yourself:
  • What is the form of the Theme?
  • Are the Variations written in the same form as the Theme?
  • Does the feature of the second beat accent in the Theme occur anywhere in the Variations?
  • Which sections of the work start with an anacrusis?
  • Describe what is meant by ricochet bowing. In which part of the bow is it best executed?
  • What are the repeated Ds in Var. II called?
  • Describe the simple harmony used in the Theme?
  • Is the same harmonic structure used in the Variations?
  • What is the technique used in bars 11 and 12 of Var. II called?
  • Where do Var. III and the Coda start?
  • What are the intervals of the double stops in the final bars of the Coda called?
  • What key is the Theme in?
  • Are the Variations in the same or different keys?
  • Find some descriptive titles for the Theme and each of the Variations (to reflect mood/character perhaps?)
  • How much higher does Var. I go than the Theme?
  • The Theme has a repeat. Do any of the Variations have repeats?
  • Where is the highest note in the work?
  • Describe the virtuosic techniques required in this piece.
  • Name the aspects of your playing that you are using this piece to develop particularly.


    • List B Piece: Georg Philipp Telemann "Allemanda and Corrente" from Sonata in D major
    -- Telemann was a German composer of the Baroque Period in music. The Baroque Period lasted 1600-1750 and Telemann lived 1681-1767 (notice how he was born just before Bach and died 17 years later; his other contemporaries were Vivaldi and Handel, with whom Telemann was good friends).
    Telemann was a self-taught musician and actually studied law when in university. He is known mostly for the fact he composed music for unusual sets of instruments, like several violas or trumpets. In his lifetime, Telemann held various important musical positions - he ended up being a musical director of a number of large churches in Hamburg (a city in Germany).
    Telemann is thought to have written over 3 000 works, of which most are unfortunately lost and only around 800 have been published or known. These include operas, oratorios, cantatas, chamber music and concertos. Violin students usually learn some of his sonatas, sonatinas or fantasias.

    -- ALLEMANDE:
    name comes from French for "German" as this instrumental dance form is based on variety of popular 16th century (Renaissance) German dances. Originally, allemande was in duple time (2 beats per bar) and in a moderate tempo. Later, French composers experimented with allemande in 17th century: they would, for example, change time to quadruple and use variety of tempi (speeds). Italian and English composers would even use counterpoint. German composers would try similar changes in allemandes for keyboard instruments, but ensemble allemandes would remain in a more traditional form.
    Lack of syncopation is one of characteristic features of an allemande.
    Allemande was one of the most popular dance forms in Baroque music and it was a standard element of a suite.
    Examples of composers who wrote allemandes: Bach, Corelli, Telemann.

    CORRENTE:
    Corrente was a general term given to a dance in triple time in late Renaissance and then in Baroque – a dance in which the dancers used fast running and possibly jumping steps. Especially in the beginnings, the name was often inconsistent, sometimes also appearing as courante, coranto and corant.
    Corrente was most commonly used in Baroque music. There were two varieties of corrente in Baroque: French (with cross-accents and slower) and Italian (faster and more free-flowing).
    In the Baroque instrumental suite, the corrente would usually come after allemande and before sarabande, so it would be either 2nd or 3rd movement, as some suites would have allemande first and others would have a prelude as 1st movement just before allemande.

    SONATA:
    the term comes from Italian “sonare” for “to sound” or “sound out” as opposed to “to sing”. Baroque sonata would usually be for one or more instruments with continuo accompaniment. Continuo was often performed by more than one player – it was a harmonic progression played as background for the solo instrument music and always required at least one instrument that was capable of playing chords, like harpsichord, organ, harp or guitar. Later this would change into a sonata for any solo instrument and keyboard instrument accompaniment (in modern day a piano).
    Two types of sonata existed: sonata da chiesa (church sonata) and sonata da camera (“ordinary” or chamber sonata). Sonata da chiesa would have a slow first movement, followed by allegro, then a cantabile movement and finished with a lively finale.
    On the other hand, sonata da camera would contain a selection of dance tunes only and later new type of composition would derive from this – a suite.





    List C Piece: Johann Sebastian Bach "Arioso"
    -- Bach was a German organist, clavichordist, harpsichordist, violinist, composer and teacher of the Baroque Period in music. The Baroque Period lasted 1600-1750 and Bach lived 1685-1750.
    Some of his best known works include: St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion- choral works, and Mass in B minor - he wrote many more masses, too.
    Bach wrote oratorios - large musical compositions including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists, somewhat fashioned on operas, however, unlike operas which are meant for stage, oratorios would be performed as concert pieces
    Bach wrote motets - highly varied choral musical compositions, as well as psalms, chorales, cantatas (equivalent of sonatas, but for voices rather than instruments), numerous works for violin and other solo instruments.

    -- This "Arioso" is really a sinfonia taken from the cantata "Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe", which is a German title meaning: I stand with a foot in the grave. It is also interesting that the sinfonia is based on a lost oboe concerto movement.

    -- Time signature is C: common time, also described as simple quadruple and it means there are 4 crotchet beats to a bar. It is equivalent to 4/4 time signature.

    -- The Arioso is written in the key of A major: look at the key signature: F#, C#, G#; look at the last note (or the last base note in the piano part): A, which is the tonic note for A major key.

    -- The work is in the rounded binary form - see explanation of rounded binary form in notes for your Theme and variations.

    -- Major key changes are as follows:
    Section A: A major (bars 1-3), E major (bars 4-7)
    Section B: B minor (bars 8-11), A major (bars 11-12), D major (bars 12-13), A major (bars 13-15)
    Section A1: A major (bars 15-17), D major (bars 17-18), A major (bars 18-end).

    Test yourself:
  • What is a cantata?
  • What does the title mean?
  • What does the BWV mean?
  • Who was Johann Sebastian Bach?
  • In what key is the piece written?
  • What key does it modulate to in the B section?
  • Where is the key introduced?
  • What are the names of the sharps in the new key?
  • Imagine what this piece would sound orchestrated - cellos/double basses playing the bass line, upper strings perhaps playing pizzicato.
  • What is the name of the written out ornament in bar 10?
  • What indications confirm that the piece is in rounded binary form?
  • Locate three instances of syncopation.






    • List D Piece: Timothy Kraemer and Natasha Kraemer "Cossack Dance"
    -- Tempo marking moderato means "at a moderate speed"
    -- ad lib. stands for ad libitum and means "at your freedom" or "freely"
    -- molto espress. stands for molto espressivo and means "with much expression"
    -- allegro means "fast and lively"
    -- 8va means to play one octave higher, because it is placed above the note
    -- tr~~~ stands for trill - a fast alternation of adjacent notes
    -- In bar 5 you have some long grace notes called "appoggiaturas" - they are not crossed out and so they differ from "acciaccaturas" (like in bar 60), which are crossed out and are shorter.
    -- In bar 6 the line going from low to high "A" stands for glissando when you slide your finger up until you reach the new note
    -- Time signature is 4/4: simple quadruple time, because there are 4 (as in quadruple) simple beat notes (crotchet notes) in a bar.
    -- At bar 7 time signature changes to "simple duple time" (the crossed C sign), because there are 2 (as in duple) simple beat notes (minim notes) in a bar.
    -- a small "o" over a note indicates a harmonic like in bars 6 and 14
    -- presto means "very fast" or "brisk"
    -- An arch with a dot (like in bar 55) over a note stands for fermata - a musical term for a "pause" - hold the note slightly longer.
    -- rall. stands for rallentando and means to "slow down"
    -- maestoso means "majestically"
    -- sim. stands for simile and means "in a similar manner"
    -- sf stands for sforzando and marks a "suddenly stronger note"
    -- A small > under or over a notehead stands for accent and marks a "stressed/stronger note"


    GOOD LUCK!!! I know you'll do just fine. :)







































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