Lesson with Mark

Originally Posted by Mark

The Passacaglia:
| / i - | ii* V - | i N6 V7 | VI V V7 | i - - |
You agree?

I shall start on some sarabande-y type ideas now, using a few secondary dominants as well, and trying out the different melodic uses of the b2.

Your analysis is almost perfect.... the issue here is your ii* chord. You could interpret the first eigth of the second measure as an ii* chord... but right away the G resolves like a suspension to F# and thus vii065.

Of course neither the composer nor the listener hears all that. The second measure all fulfills dominant function and thus is free to pass through inversions of both vii07 and V7. Notice how the leading tone is irregularly resolved in the tenor and taken up instead in the soprano. Both those voices reach their goal G at the beginning of the third measure.

I'm sure you noticed that all, however. I just wanted to point out that you could analyze the second measure without an ii* chord at all. What you want to label the chords as is relatively unimportant; understanding their collective tonal function is our goal.

So actually your analysis is fine.



And for the sarabande, I could try to soon post a brief survey of the rhythms and textures of the harpsichord sarabande from its rise to its fall, with plenty of examples. For now please be writing sarabande melodies. I advise that you primarily focus on melody before harmonizing. Of course you may want some counterpoint here and there for contrast.

Do you understand the basic rhythm of the sarabande and how composers played with it? With dance music, rhythm is almost as important as melody. And rhythm is a subject as deep or perhaps even deeper than melody; unfortunately few books cover its intricacies, which are especially important to counterpoint. I may also soon post that lesson about melody and rhythm.

And of course I planned and still plan to write detailed lessons about III+6, the augmented sixths (which like the N were not really baroque, although they showed up occasionally), mode mixture, the raised sixth and lowered seventh degrees in minor, and chromatic nonchord tones. And perhaps a lesson about early chromaticism and modal harmony. Many of those would be combined lessons, of course.

What I've deduced about the Sarabande from a bit of reading and a lot of listening/analysing is that it's always in Binary form, and in 3/4, a harmonic and/or melodic rhythm of | * * - | seems to be common, with an accent (again, melodic or harmonic) on the second beat of the bar. It seems the the first section is usualy one to two periods, between 8 and 16 bars and the second section is longer, more harmonically adventurous with more developmental features.

I shall start on Sarabande melodies now I have a few Bach Sarabandes printed off and sitting at my piano (and guitar in one case) and I also printed off that Rameau one for analysis so I shall be looking in detail at the melodies and seeing what charictarises them as Sarabande melodies.

I'm also working on some short phrases in four part harmony and in some cases three part counterpoint using the neopolitan chord, just to get its sound into my head and become as comfortable with using it as I am with secondary dominants. I started an attempt at a Sarabande style phrase but found it difficult working the N6 in there without it sounding awkward, so I'll work on getting myself more used to using it in a variety of contexts

As for your plans for future lessons - all sounds great and I can't wait (well, I can, plently to work on atm )

Here I present the four best (and most recent) of my attempts.

They're all 8 bar periods, consisting of an anticedent and consequent phrase.

I'm not happy with the second phrase of the third one, but apart from that I'm fairly pleased with them.

Sorry about the scanned image - my computer's not happy with running finale at the moment

Just to let you know, I have not forgotten our lessons... I have been gathering examples for a lesson on melody and another on the sarabande.

I think your melodies are mostly fine (I will critique them carefully in that next melody lesson), and I would like for you to try harmonizing some of them in a typical sarabande keyboard texture. Naturally I mean more than just adding block chords in the left hand. Seeing at least one such harmonization will help me know what exactly to put in the sarabande lesson.

I attached a midi of your melodies. I think you may have forgotten a few accidentals; I entered everything exactly as you wrote. Also I have attached a few of my secondary dominant exercises in major. The third one, without inner voices, I wrote after noticing that the second melody could also be harmonized in a minor. If your are bored you could fill in those inner voices. Generally I write chorale-style harmonizations this way, beginning with the outer voices.

Sorry I've not posted anything - I have had a good few tries at harmonising all of the melodies, and a few more that I've written since, but have scrapped each attempt very quickly - as it seems to sound just wrong. Would you be able to post a few tips or examples on the sort of texture/harmony we're looking for?

OK, finally the next lesson:

I'm not sure whether to post the sarabande lesson or the melody lesson first. You seem to be gaining more melody-awareness, so I think...

THE SARABANDE
(Sorry, I like big fonts.)

History
with many listening and viewing examples and commentaries

I hope you can view PDF files; many of the examples I will present are on the Werner Icking Music Archive, a site with quality, public domain PDF editions of mostly Baroque and Renaissance Music. I have also entered into Finale passages from sarabandes I could not find on the internet; these are attached.


The sarabande apparently began as a spanish dance brought over from the new world (sarabanda or zarabanda). Lore of its early history is not particularly relevant to our discussion, but you might be surprised to hear it was a fast, lascivious dance so popular that the church attempted to ban it.

Clearly it survived and somehow transformed into the slow triple meter dance we are familiar with. Dance music was obviously secular and thus was performed chiefly by consorts and the harpsichord or lute rather than the organ. As the consorts died out, they were replaced, of course, by the string orchestra with basso continuo.


Among the first composers to cultivate the sarabande was Chambonnieres, the "father" of the French harpsichord style.

Listen to tracks 3 and 5 of Hanneke van Proosdij: Harpsichord suites of Chambonnieres

You see in track 3 that the sarabande was not necessarily a slow dance yet. French treatises of the early Baroque sometimes asserted that the courante was a slower dance than the sarabande!

The first sarabande (track 3) has a memorable melody, lightly ornamented, accompanied by subtly light (never distracting!) brisee arpeggios. I will discuss the style brisé in detail below. Essentially it is a careful way of notating overlapping arpeggiations and suspensions, extremely beautiful and idiomatic to the harpsichord. In this first sarabande, the focus in entirely on melody, and thus presents a sophisticated yet simple example for you to emulate.

The second Chambonnieres sarabande (track 5), however, is more typical of the paths the sarabande would take in subsequent generations. Instead of using the style brisé, tall majestic chords are rolled across the keyboard and more emphasis is placed on harmony. (Notice that if entered into Finale this would sound harsh and percussive. Almost all chords are rolled on the harpsichord: Do not be afraid to write tall and dense harmonies; they will sound lush and expressive when played by a harpsichordist. If this really becomes a problem I could perhaps record your pieces on my harpsichord.) Slower than the other example, this sarabande is majestic and noble. Notice how emphasis on harmony and melody is carefully balanced. You should also attempt this chordal style.

Neither of these examples are particularly contrapuntal. In fact, sarabandes were usually the most homophonic of the suite dances. That said, contrapuntal effects are added here and there to add depth; the bass might, for example, imitate the melody at the end of a phrase. I also recommend listening to other dances on this CD; try some of the courantes, my favorites.


d'Anglebert was Chambonnieres's replacement at the court of King Louis (the Sun king? not sure...).

Play through and analyze http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...-Sarabande.pdf

This sarabande is particualrly rich in expression and varied techniques. Just looking at the first four bars, we see d'Anglebert uses a charactertistic rhythm with simple style brisé accompaniment. The next four bars abandon the style brisé and place the melody in the bass, with descending chords in the upper voice. Notice that in the first section there is no second beat accent. Melody and harmony are alternately emphasized. You should emulate all these textures, maybe just experimenting for a few bars, expanding your familiarity with the styles. By the way, this score comes with a midi file, but keep in mind that it simply plays the written notes without expression, ornaments, inégal, or arpeggiating the chords: http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...-Sarabande.mid
(You do know about inégal, right? Just in case, you should know that the French performed the predominant small note value (in the example above this would be the eighth note) with a lopsided rhythm emphasizing the strong beats, much like swing rhythm in jazz.)


Just for fun, listen to track 6 of James Edwards: Canarios
You see that in Spain the sarabande remained closer to its faster roots.


Once again, I would like for you to listen to track 6 of Trevor Pinnock: Rameau - Les Cyclopes
and play through and analyse it at http://icking-music-archive.org/scor..._Sarabande.pdf

Our two examples from the early and mid Baroque can be contrasted with Rameau's sophisticated late Baroque piece. Particularly interesting are the novel arpeggios Rameau carefully writes out; naturally all the notes are meant to be sustained. The dotted rhythm and full chords lends majesty to the style; the second beat is accented almost everywhere. Unlike Chambonnieres, the harmony is never modal. These textures are also worth experimenting with. Of course finale will not play these ornaments and arpeggios properly; don't let that limit your creativity! Work at the piano when you want to find out if a particular texture works.


France dominated the suite tradition, but other composers around Europe emulated the style. (I do regret not having the time to include examples by Frogerger or L. and F. Couperin.)


Haendel was more influenced by the Italians than the French. In this piece he shows little trace of either's influence. It is very German.

Play through and analyze http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...de_D_minor.pdf

In fact, this piece is hardly a sarabande except for its triple meter, accenting the second beat. The style is severe and the textures not at all harpsichord-like. The piece is in fact very suited to the organ because it keeps a fairly consistent number of voices. The three sections are variations on a harmonic progression similar to but not quite La Folia. The first variation focuses on the unadorned harmonies, with a melody appearing only at the cadence. The next section is not particularly melodic either, but hints at counterpoint by animating the harmonies with little figures in all the voices. The final variation finally has a long melody in the lowest voice, though it is mostly simple sequential figuration.

Even though it abandons the traditional binary sarabande form, it is majestic and very expressive; given some inégal and improvised ornaments (and of course arpeggiation) it would be nice on the harpsichord too. You might want to try this style too, since the texture is very straightforward. There is an organ midi: http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...de_D_minor.mid


Bach was of course also involved with the suite. One of my favorite Bach sarabandes is from his French Overture. I have not found it notated or performed online, so I have attached the opening of the second half of it in a Finale file.

Play through and analyze the attachment.

Like with Haendel, on gets the feeling that Bach with his counterpoint fetish begins to abandon the traditional suite (and thus I am uncomfortable with Bach's French suites and partitas in particular). The counterpoint, however, is masterfully done. The sixteenth note motion is not very characteristic of the sarabande rhythm, but the second beat is subtly accented. Notice that Bach also includes homophony, accenting his always favorite diminished chords. Melody is often compound and sometimes subservient to the imitations he uses. It would also do you well to imitate this contrapuntal style with a few bars of experimentation.





Next I will post some tips on writing your own sarabande. For now, listen and play all the examples above very carefully, noting what effects you enjoyed and then writing a few bars of your own in the same textures and rhythms. I am interested to hear your thoughts on some of the above examples. Don't worry about writing or posting your own music just yet; in the next lesson I will describe all these techniques from the standpoint of the composer. In the meanwhile, really do analyze at least some music. Listing out chords is important, but also qualitatively analyze textures and rhythms. Notice which beats are accented and where the composer uses chords versus the style brisé. Do not fear that this sort of analysis will destroy your individuality. If you know to write like Bach and d'Anglebert and Couperin, you will only understand better the harmonies and gestures and craftsmanship that you prize the most. You will combine your favorite ideas with ideas of your own to eventually write like Mark.

As always that was a fascinating and very enjoyable read. I want to thank you again for putting so much time and effort into this - it really is appreciated

I was aware of the Sarabande's roots, and its somewhat controversial introduction to Europe. All I can say is that I'm glad the Church didn't get their way!

The Chambonnieres examples were very nice - I especially enjoyed the first one. I'm not familier with the 'style brisé' but having looked at the first four bars of the d'Anglebert example as you said they were in this style I recognise the texture from having seen it in a few Bach Sarabandes I think - although not a great deal - Bach clearly uses a contrapunctal texture much more. I couldn't open your Bach example for some reason, finale objected, so I found a score of the French Overture (French Overture). Is the Sarabande in this the one to which you were refering?

The Haendel Sarabande I know very well, having played a Guitar arrangement and played in a Brass Band arrangement. I like it, and I think I'll try emulating this texture first, as it's certainly the least complex of the ones you've discussed.

The Jean-Henry d'Anglebert Sarabande is gorgeous! This is by far my favourite of the ones you've shown me, and other Sarabandes I've listened to and played. I love the metrical confusion in the first phrase, the way you don't quite get where the pulse is until the second phrase starts.

The Rameau one I still enjoy a lot, but I find the massive amount of ornamention a little annoying. I know this is a very important part of that style, it's just not to my tastes. The harmonies, however, are gorgeous

I shall be printing off all of these scores for analysis, paying close attention to the texture, and any differences in texture between phrases, harmony; especially any chromatic harmonies; and melody. I'll have a pop at composing some short phrases using all of the different textures we've looked at - or should I stick to analysis until you post the next installment with more in depth discussion of that?

I've been continuing with my experimentation with the neopolitan chord, and am becoming more comfortable with it's use. I shall continue doing exercises with it until I'm even more familier with it.

I'm going away soon, from this Sunday to the following Thursday - I will have manuscript paper, but no instruments. Can you suggest any exercises I could be doing? As I'll have a lot of time on my hands and very little to do I suspect.

Again, thanks so much for this, these lessons are fantastic, I'm learning loads and I really appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to share it

Yes, that is the sarabande I refer to. It has some very stunning passages.

As for Rameau, part of your objection my be due to Trevor Pinnock rather than Rameau! Trevor Pinnock's ornaments are always extravagant, and it is a sign of virtuosity. You may have explored some of the other tracks too and found them more agreeable. But many harpsichordists would make many of those trills shorter. The quality of the MP3 may also be involved. But I'm sure we agree that underneath the ornaments there are some gorgeous harmonies.

And of course Chambonnieres is great; his style is always down to earth, simple yet deep, and full of rhythmic drive. As for the style brise, I was saving a proper explanation of what exactly it is for the next lesson. I left that a bit unclear. Just keep in mind that it takes a very solid grasp of texture to work with. Like you I am more versed in counterpoint than texture, so I have had lots of trouble working with the brise style. But it is one of the most idiomatic techniques in harpsichord music and thus really ought to be studied.

I may just have enough time tomorrow to post that next lesson before you leave... but don't count on it; I need to work on a sonata. If I do not post that lesson, then yes, I think the most important task ahead of you is analysis, analysis of not only harmony but melody and texture and rhythm too. And also try emulating some of the textures. You can even copy the rhythms note for note and use your own harmonies. Just a few bars of different styles and some of your own textural experiments. Most importantly watch for why the composers' textures work so well; that is in fact the purpose of such exercises, since in your real music you will not be copying textures.

And I also thank you for being interested in these musics! You have done a good job of understanding the styles and harmonies I've taught. It will be a difficult journey, ascending Parnassus, but it is for everyone.

I've found a score of a Chambonnieres Sarabande that looks like it'll be worth printing off and analysing too. There's a lot of chromatic harmony that'll be worth taking a good look at

I will act upon your suggestion, trying out different textures by closely imitating phrases from the pieces we've been discussing with my own harmony and melody.

I listened to the clips from your sonata, and wish you every success with it. As a recorder player myself (descant tenor and bass) I enjoyed playing through the parts, they are very idiomatic - do you play recorder?

Composing the Sarabande

Moving on from chorale harmonies and counterpoint exercises into real music is always a painful process and is always frustrating. Your situation is much better than mine was a year and a half ago. I had spent months learning common-practice harmony, and was left entirely clueless as to how real music worked.

It is most important to acknowledge the two freedoms real music offers in addition to the counterpoint and harmony you have already studied: rhythm and texture. Melody is something all students should have in mind from the very start. So if you start writing a few bars with some nifty harmonies and some counterpoints, do not be surprised if it sounds terrible. But be comforted that both texture and rhythm can be studied and learned just like any other aspect of music. Perhaps good harmony and counterpoint is not enough, but when you combine inspired harmony, counterpoint, melody, texture, rhythm and eventually structure, you will undoubtedly create something fantastic. I do not mean that these subjects should be turned into science, but mastering their technical sides now will only allow you more freedom later on.

THE STYLE BRISE (I've given up on the little French accents)

The style brise originally comes from lute music. Essentially you play a simple melody or counterpoint but sustain some of the tones over the others in a shimmering texture. For the most part this effect is at home on the harpsichord with its clear but sustained tone rather than the piano and organ where it becomes too dense. The style brise or luthee is essentially the "pedal" of the harpsichord, achieved via the fingers rather than the feet.

So lets open the attachment "Style Brise."

The first example is a true classic, a few bars from a Louis Couperin chaconne. You see that the upper two voices combine almost to form a single melody but with notes sustained over each other. The effect is soft and expressive. If only Finale would add in appropriate ornaments and some inegal, we would have a nice performance. This is the lute style at its best. Notice that the three voices take turns playing rather than sounding simultaneously. The overall rhythm can be even since the texture provides sufficient variety. The figurations flow evenly yet the patterns change every bar; when an integral part of the melody itself, the feel must be organic rather than formulaic. You can study this chaconne at http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...conne_Dmin.pdf.
That said, simple brise formulas can and should appear in other contexts. The next example shows a simple brise accompaniment found in many grounds and passacaglias.

The next example from a courante by Johann Mattheson has the chordal style in the right hand (though these chords should be slightly rolled) and brise octaves in the left hand. Such octaves are clearly not parallels; like orchestral doubling, they simply add weight to the sound. Feel free to use them to take advantage of the harpsichord's dark, low bass notes. (My harpsichord goes down to the G two octaves and a half below middle C.)

In the very same suite Mattheson includes a "double," a variation on the same courante. The next example shows how the composer reverses the arrangement; now the right hand has the brise accompaniment figures and the left has two-note chords. The right hand figures sound like the gentle strumming of chords on a harp or lute or guitar. You can find both courantes at http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...in/Suite_1.pdf.

The brise style is very rich and can serve a variety of purposes. It hints at counterpoint and adds depth to otherwise simple two-part music.

SPACING and TEXTURE

In a four part chorale harmonization, the voices are traditionally within an octave of each other (except perhaps the bass) and share similar rhythms. The goal is one giant block of chordal sound.

This is not what you want in an accompanied melody on the harpsichord. Many different arrangements are possible and highlight the melody (or melodies in counterpoint) on different ways.

If composing for the harpsichord, remember that the sound is clearer and that thus fairly dense chords may sound fine fairly low. Thirds do not sound muddy until slightly past the C below middle C. If the thirds are arpeggiated in a brise texture, they can make attractive but tenebrous sounds even lower.

One common texture on the harpsichord is chords in close disposition in the left hand with a singable melody farther away in the right hand. The melody can be separated by over an octave from the accompaniment for an even clearer sound. This is the arrangement Pachelbel uses in the arias of his Hexachordum Appolinis; see the first aria of http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...bel/1hexar.pdf. I strongly recommend studying the simple but inspired arias of the entire collection at http://icking-music-archive.org/scor...el/pahexar.pdf. There are six arias, each with about six masterful variations.

The left-hand chords in such an arrangement are usually about two notes large, sometimes three at cadences. It is vital that the left hand not sound too regular or too loud in such a chordal accompaniment. The number of voices in the accompaniment should constantly change to suit the melody. (Of course the accompaniment can have a faster rhythm in other dances, but care must be taken that the melody is not drowned out. You could, for example, have the left hand play rapid scales, the right hand playing a melody doubled in thirds or in chords.)

In the best homophony there are still hints at counterpoint. Occasionally the accompaniment might hint at one of the melody's motives, as in the second bar of the first Pachelbel aria. The melody can move to the bass or even a middle voice for variety. Any pair of voices can double the melody in thirds or sixths or share a characteristic rhythm.

In your sarabande experiments, be sure to use both the style brise as well as simple rolled chords, separately or together like in the Mattheson courantes.

If you would like to try some phrases or an entire piece in counterpoint, experiment with various dispositions and voicings. The left hand often has accompaniment and the right hand two contrapuntal voices. Or all the voices can share in imitation. The voices should not be too close in the bass, but, as I mentioned, this is not as much an issue on the harpsichord as on the piano.

Brise figures often hint at counterpoint, and the two techniques are often mixed since there is no clear-cut boundary in between them.

RHYTHM

I had planned an extensive section on rhythm, but I don't think I will have enough time today. Most importantly, be sure to observe the rhythms of the sarabandes you study, trying some of them out and observing what beats they accent. The sarabande traditionally accents the second beat of each measure, but some early sarabandes do not and even those that do are never consistent. Phrases may alternate between accenting the second beat and accenting the first and third.

The sarabande is usually a slow piece, but as some of yesterday's examples show, they can be a moderate dance as well, especially in the early 17th century. At a very slow tempo the melodies are likely to have intricate rhythms and flourishes; at a moderate tempo there will be less time for tiny notes but hopefully better flow.



Note: Many of the examples in the attachments do not sound nice in Finale. I might make a rough recoding of me playing them later on to demonstrate the style of performance involved.