Assignment 5: A Harmony in the Round

Despite being confined to a limited number of chords in this composition, I wanted to give this piece a classical and melodic feel, avoiding the use repetitive of ‘pop chords’.  As it is the instrument I have most knowledge of, I chose to use a keyboard to compose this piece, beginning in C major but including a number of key changes.  My main aim here is to create a piece which makes use of a number of interrupted cadences, building suspense but not using the perfect cadence until the last few bars.  However, I want this piece to mainly be flowing and gentle with just a touch of tension in the middle section. 

As the theme of this assignment is to use a cyclic chord progression, I have decided to base this piece on another cycle, this time the human life cycle.  Throughout the composition I hope to achieve a sense of development, moving from childhood simplicity, through a tense ‘adolescent’ period, into adulthood and finally old age.

My initial structural ideas for this piece are as follows:

Principal Section A	Secondary Section B	Subsidiary Section C	Secondary Reprise B	Principal Reprise + closing A + D
Cmajor bpm = 85 20 bars	Cmajor bpm = 85 5 bars	C major bpm = 106 15bars	Ebmajor bpm = 85 5 bars	Ebmajor moving to Cmajor bpm = 85 30 bars

Project 14: Improvisation on a dominant

Having earlier identified the dominant chord as one of notable importance in composition, I wanted to look a little deeper in the theory of static harmony to enable me to further understand the potential of this exercise. 

I found quite a lot of information relating to the Dynamic and Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony which was quite interesting and led me to listen to quite a number of pieces which take advantage of this method. 

I found the idea of a descending root pattern to be quite interesting in how the suspense is maintained by the static notes of the chord whilst the notes move chromatically down the scale. 

With this composition I tried to keep the idea quite simple, whilst giving the whole piece the overall feel of deep complexity. I began by choosing my treble line to sustain the dominant chord across two voices.  I simply used whole notes in one voice to portray two notes from the Bb triad and then added a second voice displaying a quaver rhythm, swinging between the other notes in the chord.  Along the way I inverted this chord to add further suspense and variation. 

On the bass line I composed a simple pattern of semiquavers running up and down the G-major chord in the first two bars.  I then repeated the pattern but transposed it by either a 3^rd or 5^th to add melodic interest and a distraction from the suspension of the dominant Bb chord.  At the end there is a very simple and sudden movement to the tonic, which surprises the listener with the instant resolution of the piece. 

Overall I am happy with how this piece turned out and feel as though this method could have continued for quite a while longer before becoming too familiar for the listener.  I hope to experiment with both static and dynamic harmony in later sections.  

Composition of Perfect Cadence

I really enjoyed experimenting with the different possibilities when writing a Perfect cadence.  I found that using both major and minor keys enabled me to play around with different moods and motions. 

My first composition is in C-major and moves from the dominant chord (G) to the tonic (C), but passes through the subdominant (F).   I suppose that technically this doesn’t achieve perfect cadence with the movement of IV – I, but as it has been written as a ‘passing phrase’ I feel that it works well in this instance. 

The use of a major key and the use of a Moderato tempo keep the piece feeling bright and the use of triplets gives the overall composition a delicate and light feel.  When composing the bass line for this piece, I wanted it to be a harmonic accompaniment of the treble, but without overshadowing it.  To achieve this I kept the bass line relatively simple, but ensured that it didn’t ‘get lost’ by introducing the longer triplet and use of notes such as Bb, which do not normally correspond to the scale. 

My second cadence in D minor carries a darker and deeper feel, mainly due to its composition on two bass lines.  Its almost militant rhythm is interrupted with short staccato quaver runs, moving solidly from v – i.  Unlike my last cadence, I wanted both staves to carry equal relevance, so I tried to mimic the rhythm on both lines and imitate various phrases to a textural detail. 

This more playful and up-tempo cadence is another simple movement from V – I.  Here I have tried to intertwine the two melodies to give the impression of them playing together.  I have used very simple dynamics of mf in this piece and a mood direction of Scherzando to ensure that the simplistic nature of the piece can be heard. 

This cadence carries a much brighter feel than my previous attempts.  I feel that the ‘jump’ to the tonic chord at the end is a good portrayal of the excitement and the two melodic lines excitedly closing. 

My final cadence in F-minor holds a much more mysterious feel, making use of a large range of the fifth, supertonic and tonic chords.  I have used Arpeggio chord lines to aid the dramatic feel and a direction of Expressivo to indicate the emotion behind this piece.  Between these dramatic points I have kept the melody simple and flowing and have made heavy use of slurred sections and varying dynamics.  

A Look at Cadence

A Look at Cadence

“The commonest cadences are: (a) Perfect cadence (for full close).  Chord of the Dominant followed by that of the tonic. (b) Interrupted cadence.  Chord of the dominant followed by that of the submediant. (c) Imperfect Cadence (or half close). Chord of the tonic or some other chords followed by that of dominant.  (d) Plagal cadence.  Chord of the subdominant followed by that of tonic."

Kennedy & Kennedy (2007)

I found this quote interesting and decided to further explore the use of these forms of cadence and their influence of compositions.

Perfect Cadence

The V – I (major) or V – i (minor) cadence, sometimes using V7 or IV – V – I, has been described as “virtually obligatory as the final structural cadence of a tonal work." Randel (1999:105).  It is often seen as a strong way to define the key, define key moments and provide harmonic and melodic closure to any piece. 

To achieve this form of perfect cadence, the root of each chord should be on the lowest note played (in the bass) and the final chord must contain the tonic in the highest voice.  An example of this perfect cadence can be found in the closing bars of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.8 Op.13 (1779) where the chord moves from the dominant G-min (V) to the tonic of C-min (I). 

Of course there are variants upon this perfect cadence, but the principle of moving from V – I remains the same. 

Interrupted Cadence

Interrupted cadences can be described as a surprise to the listener.  When they are expecting to hear perfect cadence (V – I), the dominant chord (V) instead moves to any chord, other than the tonic, thus continuing the feeling the music.  This is often seen by the dominant chord (although commonly V7) moving to vi in Major or VI in Minor.

This form of cadence in often used to prolong the sense of resolution for the listener, most famously seen in the Coda of Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 582) (1730) in which we still the use of the V chord to provide ‘fake cadence’ and build the listener's sense of desperation for that final resolution of the tonic.

Imperfect Cadence

An imperfect cadence can be any chord progression that ends on the dominant, thus feeling unfinished and calling for resolution.  Therefore, if the piece is composed in C-major, we may see a progress of C – E  - F – G.  By ending on the dominant chord of G, the whole feel of the piece changes to a ‘suspended’ feeling, desperately calling for either the resolution of the tonic or the continuation of the composition.   

If the chord preceding the V is the tonic (I), it provides the exact opposite of the Perfect cadence, and could therefore be used to open a section or create the idea of a new beginning.  However, if the preceding note carries a relationship to the fifth degree, i.e. using the ii, then it forms the beginning of the commonly used cadence ii – V – I.

Plagal Cadence

Plagal cadence in the method of moving from VI – I and is often referred to as the ‘Amen cadence’ as it is frequently used in hymns with the syllables of Amen being set to each chord.  This progression is believed to be a weaker form of cadence as the VI degree has less ‘pull’ to the tonic.  When playing around with the use of a plagal cadence on my piano, I found it to give the feeling of relaxation and calm. 

There are of course, a huge variety of possibilities in terms of cadence and my research here has only touched upon its abilities.  However, I did come across an interesting idea, popular mainly in the baroque periods called Tierce de Picardie.  This method follows the idea that the final chords of a piece written in a minor key, can be finished with the same root note’s major chord i.e. a piece composed in C-minor would expect a resolution of C-minor; however this method uses the idea of resolving and finishing the piece with a C-major chord instead. 

Cadenza

A cadenza was originally designed to be a vocal flourish as part of an Aria and later developing in more of a instrumental ‘solo’ seen in concertos, sometimes improvised, sometimes composed, whilst the rest of the Orchestra or Ensemble rest.  Many composers have made use of a cadenza in their compositions, but they are not to be used without caution.  I have recently heard many attempts at a cadenza which I feel spoils the original feel and movement of the composition.  However, there are many examples in which the cadenza proves to be a textural gem within a composition.  Please see my listening log for further thoughts and ideas on cadenzas.