Musical analysis La cathédrale engloutie

1 musical analysis

1.1 form
1.2 thematic/motivic structure
1.3 context
1.4 parallelism

musical analysis

the organ chords feature parallel harmony.  play (help·info)


form

the form of piece can traced through progression of tonal centers , pitch collections. debussy uses pentatonic modes, mode c-d-e-g-a, moving mode through several tonics. in introduction, starting @ measure 1, g major pentatonic, g-a-b-d-e, featured. mode holds until measure 7, beginning short section using same mode in c#. in measure 13, g idea returns 2 bars. measure 15 marks beginning of new formal section, a, beginning in b major pentatonic, made distinct eighth note triplets in left hand. after 3 bars, modulates eb pentatonic, continuing same thematic idea, again 3 bars. next section subset of a, noted c in timeline. begins in measure 28 , introduces diatonic key first time, key of c major. melodic statement here in c major climax of piece. within climactic section, measures 21-45, debussy briefly modulates f major, finishes again in c major. next section, b, measures 46-67, composite of earlier themes. first, brings material middle of section, again centered on c#, in c# minor. remaining in c#, skips material beginning of b, , continues material until bar 67, modulating briefly through e , g# minor pentatonic. in measure 67, debussy transitions between g# pentatonic pitch collection french-sixth; using f-sharp, g-sharp, c, d (m.70). debussy uses unstable pitch collection, no clear tonic facilitate smooth transition between g# minor pentatonic c major pentatonic. acts transition b section a’ section of piece. a′ begins @ measure 72 , lasts until measure 84, brief restatement of opening material in g major pentatonic acts postlude.

the symmetrical form of intro-aba-outro helps illustrate legend debussy alluding in work, , markings point toward both form , legend. example, first section described being “dans une brume doucement sonore,” or “in sweetly sonorous fog.” then, @ measure 16, markings “peu à peu sortant de la brume,” or “little little emerging fog.” change in imagery (as accompanying change in tonality) represent cathedral emerging under water. @ measure 72, marking says “comme un écho de la phrase entendue précedemment,” or “like echo of heard phrase,” cathedral had emerged gradually getting farther away , perhaps returning water. implies section mirror of 1 came before, giving further support intro-aba-outro structure. finally, marking @ measure 84 says, “dans la sonorité du début,” or “in sonority of beginning,” further emphasizes symmetry of piece , supports idea of measures 1-14. , 84-90 being paired “intro” , “outro.”

thematic/motivic structure

in piece, debussy composes music using motivic development, rather thematic development. after all, “debussy mistrusted [thematic] development method of composition.” fundamentally, entire piece made of 2 basic motifs, first motif existing in 3 different variations, making 4 fragments in total (not counting inversions , transpositions of each). motifs are: 1) d-e-b ascending; 1a) d-e-a ascending; 1b) d-e-g ascending; 2) e-c# descending. debussy masterfully saturates entire structure of piece these motifs in large- , small-scale ways. example, motif 1 appears in bottom of right-hand chords on 2nd, 3rd, , 4th quarter notes of measure 14 (d-e-b), , again in next 3 quarter note beats (d-e-b). not coincidence, motif 1b heard in 4th, 5th, , 6th quarter note beats of measure 14 (b-d-e). motif 1 heard on broader scale in bass notes (dotted whole notes) in measures 1-16, hitting notes of motif in inversion , transposition on down-beats of measures 1, 15, , 16 (g-c-b). within measures 1 through 15 2 occurrences of motif 2 (g in measure 1, e in measure 5; e in measure 5, c in measure 15.) motif 1 heard in soprano voice measure 1-15: high d in measures 1, 3, , 5; soprano e octave occurs 12 times measures 6-13; high b in measures 14 , 15. throughout of motivic repetition, transposition, , inversion, themes (longer phrases made of smaller motifs) stay static, occasional elongation or shortening throughout piece: rising pentatonic theme in measure 1 (theme 1) repeats in measure 3, 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 84, 85, , slight variations in measures 28-40 , 72-83. second theme (theme 2), appearing first time in measures 7-13, repeats in measures 47-51.

context

this prelude typical of debussy s compositional characteristics. complete exploration of chordal sound encompasses entire range of piano, , includes 1 of debussy s signature chords (a major tonic triad added 2nd , 6th scale degrees). third, shows debussy s use of parallel harmony (the section beginning in measure 28, especially), defined coloration of melodic line. quite different simple melodic doubling, 3rds in voiles, or 5ths in la mer, not heard alone without significant accompanimental figure. parallel harmony forces chords understood less functional roots, , more coloristic expansions of melodic line. overall, prelude, representative of 24 preludes, shows debussy s radical compositional process when viewed in light of previous 200 years of classical , romantic music.

parallelism

debussy’s la cathédrale engloutie contains instances of 1 of significant techniques found in music of impressionist period called parallelism. there 2 methods of parallelism in music; exact , inexact. inexact parallelism allows quality of harmonic intervals vary throughout line, if interval sizes identical, while exact parallelism sizes , qualities remain same line progresses. inexact parallelism can give sense of tonality, while exact parallelism can dispel sense of tonality pitch content cannot analyzed diatonically in single key.

debussy uses technique of parallelism (also known harmonic planing) in prelude dilute sense of direction motion found in prior traditional progressions. through application, tonal ambiguity created seen in impressionist music. can noted took time impressionist music appreciated, critics , listening public warmed experiment in harmonic freedom.