Notice, however, that there’s still some intensity in the piano accompaniment. This melody is smoother and more lyrical than what we’ve heard so far in this movement. While the new theme reverts back to the original tempo ( a tempo), Poulenc changes the mood. There’s a brief ritard (slowing down) from the piano to usher in the D theme, but it doesn’t stay slow, as the new theme suddenly ( subito) launches forward in the original tempo (1:07). We get some new melodic material, but theme C reminds us it’s still there at 0:59. We get to spend a little more time with this theme than the bird theme.īeginning at 0:51, we start to transition away from the C theme into our next theme (D). Do you hear the resemblance to the B theme of the second movement (aka the luscious theme)? I love how Poulenc reuses and modifies that idea and gives it a completely different mood from the last time we heard it. Imagine this bit played much slower and smoother. We immediately jump into the next theme (C) at 0:30. The piano even gets a quick shot at it at 0:28. Does it sound familiar? It should – it’s the light, “bird” theme from the first movement, though altered a little bit. As you listen to other pieces, see if you notice any “three and finish” situations*. The phrases aren’t necessarily repeated note-for-note they often alter something about it (pitch, volume, etc.) to keep the momentum going. A common trick in music is to build it up in a series of three repeated phrases then finish the statement. We get three of those rips before hitting a peak and coming back down. Poulenc? Not so much.Īt 0:07, listen to the “rips” up to the high notes. A piece like the Sousa march we discussed earlier has very definite themes that have a beginning, middle, and end. The themes in this piece aren’t quite like what we’ve heard in other pieces, in that they don’t always sound like a statement that finishes with a period. It is essentially in two halves, the first from 0:04-0:14 and the second from 0:15-0:22. We don’t waste any time with an introduction here – we’re immediately off to the races! Theme A starts right at the beginning of the piece.
0 kommentar(er)
