Set works

Spring
“Spring” from Vivaldi’s 4 seasons
Symbols used
Tutti ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------played by all
f--------------------------------------------------------forte-------------------------------------loud
p-------------------------------------------------piano-------------------------------------------soft
7------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------quaver rest
Tr----------------------------------------trill--------------------------------decoration on note
Solo vln-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------solo violin
<dot above note>-------------------------staccato----------------------------short note
<three lines through note>---------tremolo-------------------------play lots of notes
<eye shape>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------pause
C--------------------------------------------------------------------------------4⁄4 common time
<squiggle above note>----------mordent--------------------decoration like a trill
<top hat>-----------------------------------------------------------------minim rest (2 beats)

The four seasons – spring – 1st movement

The 1st movement is in ritornello form where the main theme keeps returning played
by tutti (ripieno). In between the ritornello theme, solo episodes are played by three
violins.

H.W 4th November pg 183

The key signature of the 1st movement of spring is E major.
It is in 4⁄4 or common timing.
It is allegro which is fast.
The texture is polyphonic.
The form of the music is ritornello.
Violins (strings) and harpsichords are used in the piece.
This movement is form a concerto (solo instrument + orchestra).
The rhythm of the opening ritornello theme is quavers and semiquavers.
The title of this piece came form the poem it is based on. (the four seasons)
I think the lines of the poem do help my enjoyment of the piece as they help me to
understand what each part is meant to represent.

Programme music
This is music that paints a picture or tells a story eg spring.
(A) bars 1-3: bright, loud happy tune for “spring”
(B) bars 14-27: high trills (tr) & mordents (m) for “birds”
(C) bars 31-40: smooth semiquaver rhythm on violins for “murmuring”
(D) bars 44-55: ascending scales, repeated notes, tremolo, triplet semiquavers
for “thunder”
(E) bars 59-65: 3 solo violins, repeated notes + trills, ascending chromatic scale
for “return to calm”

Vivaldi 1st and 2nd movement spring – symbols used

<x before note>-----------------------------------------------------------------double sharp
< “tr” followed by squiggle>-------------------------------------------trill/decoration
Largo-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------slowly
Pianissimo sempre------------------------------------------------------------------always soft
<eye symbol>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------pause
<curved line joining two notes, one of which is higher than the other>----------------slur
– play smoothly
<curved line joining two notes on the same level>----------------------play 1st note + hold
for 2 notes
<note resting on small line above or below stave>-------------------------------------ledger
line

L’Arlesienne suite
L’Arlesienne suite – farandole movement 4
Theme March rei Danse fris March rei / March rei &
danse fris / danse fris
march rei /
danse fris
Tonality D minor D major B minor D major
(key)
Metre (time) 4/4 2/4 2/4 2/4
Tempo Allegro deciso Allegro vivo et ditto Ditto
(speed) (tempo de deciso – fast,
Marcia) – fast lively and
and decisive decisive
(marching
pace)
texture Homophonic & homophonic homophonic polyphonic
polyphonic

L’Arlesienne suite – memory sentences

Intermezzo – George Bizet’s Intermezzo on horns, woodwind, strings, then
saxophone.
March rei – march out loud in D or B minor is then is canon later with danse fris
allegro
Danse fris – the danse on flute and clarinet accompanied by Tambourin, staccato
quavers run along D major is the key.

L’Arlesienne suite movements 2 & 4 – differences

heading mv. 2 mv. 4
form ABA ternary form ABA&B binary form
tonality Eb major D major, B minor, D minor
Time/metre 4/4 4/4, 2/4
title Intermezzo (between the acts of farandole
a play)
texture Monophonic at start, mostly Homophonic, polyphonic
homophonic (canon)
instruments Saxophone, horns, woodwind Tambourin, tutti, fl, cl, 8ve
tempo Andante moderato con moto – at Allegro deciso (tempo de
moderate walking pace with Marcia) – fast and decisive
movement, allegretto moderato (marching pace), allegro vivo
– moderately fast, allargando – e deciso – fast, lively and
slow/broad decisive

L’Arlesienne suite
L’Arlesienne suite no. 1 – dictionary
Strs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------strings
ww---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------woodwind
hns-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------horns
fff-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------extremely loud
p-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------soft
allegretto moderato-------------------------------------------------------moderately fast
<small crossed out note before note>------------------------grace note (short) acci
acatura
(+ob)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------oboe
Allargando-----------------------------------------------------------------------broadly – slow
Cresc. Molto-----------------------------------------------------------------get much louder
Molto rit.----------------------------------------------------------------ritornello – slow down
Dim. Molto------------------------------------------------diminuendo – get much softer
<8ra-------->------------------------------------------------------------------------up an octave
ff---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------very loud
pp--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------very soft
>below note-------------------------------------------------------------------------------accent
^above note------------------------------------------------------------------------------accent
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------sharp
b-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------flat
sf----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------forced note
7-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------quaver rest 1⁄2

L’Arlesienne suite 2nd movement – intermezzo

Dynamics softest to loudest
Pp<p<mp<mf<f<ff<sf<fff

(written to be played between the acts of a play called L’Arlesienne)

This piece is in ternary form ABA.
A= heavily accented opening bars on strings, ww & horns repeated a 5th (5 notes)
higher.
B= saxophone, horn and clarinet play hymn like melody in key of E major,
accompanied by strings. Rhythm becomes double dotted. Melody goes high and ff
played by tutti. This is the climax of the movement (bar 40).
A= returns, similar to first A section, quiet end, before ff accented 2 final bars.

Ripples in the rockpools

Granuaile is a set of songs based on the life and adventures of the legendary Grace
O’Malley. Grace was an Irish chieftain, a pirate queen and a commander of a fleet of
war and trading ships, along the west coast of Ireland during the 16th century. This
was a time of great social and political unrest in Ireland. Grace’s first husband was
called Donall an Chogaidh (Donall of the war). He was later killed by the Joyce clan.
Grace was a very brave woman. When she was in her 60s she sailed to London in
order to persuade queen Elisabeth I to release her son and her lands.

Solo voice – narrator / Granuaile – soprano tells story clearly

Unison singing – chorus – choir – some voices sing same tune as soprano, adds lift to
chorus
Part singing – soprano sings melody + tenor sings harmony line eg vs. 3+4 provides
and echo/stronger line
Changing time signatures – continuous ripples – note: reel 4/4 has also some 5/4 bars
Instrumentation – orch + uileann pipes, acoustic guitar + congas + xylophone intro.
Drone on violas + cellos, reel on uileann pipes
Word painting – changing time signatures ‘ripples’

Key signatures
3 sharps: f# C# G# in key signature
This should be key of A major however the G# is changed to G natural regularly
therefore this piece is not in a major key, it is in an old type of key called a mode.
Traditional irish pieces are often in modes (modal).