Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BY BENJAMIN BRITTEN
THESIS
MASTER OF MUSIC
By
Denton, Texas
December, 1986
rn--
Frackenpohl, David J. , Analysis of Nocturnal p. 70 b
approach.
form in Nocturnal.
@1987
Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Chapter
I. BENJAMIN BRITTEN ....... . . . . . .
.
Short Biography of Britten
Background on Nocturnal .70
Variation I "Musingly"
Variation II "Very agitated"
Variation III "Restless"
Variation IV "Uneasy"
Variation V "March-like"
Variation VI "Uneasy"
Variation VII "Gently rocking"
Variation VIII "Passacaglia"
Variation I "Musingly"
Variation II "Very agitated"
Variation III "Restless"
Variation IV "Uneasy"
Variation V "March-like"
Variation VI "Dreaming"
Variation VII "Gently rocking"
Variation VIII "Passacaglia"
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS-- Continued
Page
Chapter
Variation I "Musingly"
Variation II "Very agitated"
Variation III "Restless"
Variation IV "Uneasy"
Variation V "March-like"
Variation VI "Dreaming"
Variation VII "Gently rocking"
Variation VIII "Passacaglia"
Correlations
Continuity
Conclusion
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
V
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
.
2. Inflections on Repeated Pattern in
mm. 5-9. ......... ........ 14
.
4. Expansion and Extension of Pattern
in Phrase Five, mm. 14-15. . . . . . . . 15
.
5. The Shifting Registral Stress and
Expansion of Groupings in Phrase
Six, mm. 16-18 16
6. Inflections of Pattern in mm. 19-26 . 17
7. The Subgroupings Found in Phrase .
Two, m. 3 . . . . 18
.
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-- Continued
Figure Page
vii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-- Continued
Figure Page
.
33. Local Connections for "Musingly" . . . . 54
.
34. Focused Network for "Musingly"
.
57
viii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-- Continued
Figure Page
ix
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-- Continued
Figure Page
x
1
CHAPTER I
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
1924.
2. Ibid., 8.
2
favorite forms.
Albert Herring and The Little Sweep are based on texts from
Britten's love for his native country and its literary (and
musical) treasures.
when not written for voice, his music has a poetic, vocal
4. Ibid., 294.
4
Metamorphoses after Ovid, for solo oboe. For the next ten
later wrote four more works for the Soviet cellist. His
work.
1963. The work was written for Julian Bream, who helped
until the close of the piece, making the piece like a theme
themes.
Dowland song).
mind.
(1965).
treasures.
number of solo songs for the English tenor Peter Pears. For
other works: Lachrymae op. 48, and The Third Cello Suite
quality about it. Britten talked about the work with Donald
Mitchell:
CHAPTER II
RHYTHMIC ANALYSIS
focus of discussion.
Variation I "Musingly"
ation proceeds.
resembles the end of phrase two, with two eighth notes fol-
6 .cw Nes Ix
pNt(ASe3 FUT)
I~fflMILO '1
4 shows how both the beginning and the ending are expanded.
by an arrow.
16
N m~. i
0
3 3 3 h1L
the end.
T4
1' 1
3 1 1 I 1.J 7.. 6
1t_1_Ir____
T q
(I, r I m m.J 4
"9"_Tl_"__fv M
__ " 1
7 19Z
3--, 3 1'
r5 4 a'"
2. Ibid., 78.
23
~Qjg
__ JilJ d IJI_______
d\161
V4-30
I ov \ol
3 z.- 3 j I j1 Ij?
:f-% gi
*
\Iy 1 110JJJJi\J JJJ.IgJJI
__-60 _ _ 60
b1-69 I4
Fig. 10--Continued
25
on the first beat of the measure, and the next will enter at
duration.
26
-r J
2. . J3.j .JbeioawZ A
13
(6 jJ tll elow.
3L.
I7. J1flj"AL4
IJ .47J.--- - e Z
36
16 n oI oaZ.
31
kyI3
I3 . . bv
63 134 I 1b__e_____
65 belw> Z-
Y
65 13 Iabv.
66 1 Ibelu
66
67 bJI __
67
68 1 I A 66
-belo
I A.
Fig. 11--Continued
28
becoming fragmented.
with the lower voice starting on the same beat as the upper
the upper phrase starts where the lower one ends. Figure 12
voices both start with a five note group, and then break
3 3
Variation IV "Uneasy"
sixteenth notes.
31
SSS q 5
ItiLOisinMce.T hdwi
rify newutey7h
Fig. 15--Expansion and Compression of Groupings in mn. 5
Pi abe0 , ll t hytmicides 0tat4re0nflte
TABLE I
i a AAi 3
s
.J J.Mh)
Variation V "March-like"
e,0
007 7,40 4
3 3 3 3 3
3 (although the
could be perceived as the metric indicator."
6 6
3 3 3L
3 3 3
.3 3 3 .3 ; 3 3- -
-
3 33
3 3 3 6 3 3 3-
31 3
3
3
y 4y
6 4
IZ.-13
17- .WfflJ W
6 6
44
*FJJ 1.rFf7lj \ f 6
FflJ zzZ fif TJ* r4 T
Variation VI "Dreaming"
There are no meter signs given for the two ideas. The
groupings.
3 3
Dee. IF1HI4
rj flnJJ11 ?
MJ flJ 7JTJ . fJ
1' tI.. . t1
6~ JJTJ * fTJ J1J JTJ!
.
8_ *\ ~ ~%
' . .t
length until measure 15, where they are grouped in three and
the bass ostinato and the material written above it. There
Section One
Section Two
first three beats of measure 17, all the motion (save for
__"s
LJ J
-j-n~J DajronjOI
IM 0JLmJ oU UJLJ1,0MJ
0 .0L'LJr'L1 IJ
~z ~.WluJ2T
Section Three
the eighth notes are accented, the slurs will provide a cri-
2~7 7
3 5
|3 1 . 3
Ml 3!
29 , r
Z9Jfl- 43 I
Section Four
leading into the final section. The rhythm for each phrase
"Passacaglia."
48
JTJ3i}120.
3]MI
Section Five
39.
36
37
WJI .[
CHAPTER III
ration between two set types of the same size. Each set
Variation I "Musingly"
where the predominant set type is 5-10, and all other set
5-10 and other related sets are present and perhaps allude
('-3 f T
OA - 1
p
,.. -
I' -_ T,.
li
- -L-2
H-'l-\H-- 13
33.
A b-f- Lt 0- 4 , . * ". h.
v -TV
Fig. 33--Continued
56
(6- 1
--
f
Do-0
- _ - . ..;_o., ._ ..
'Ll- Zi
Ps
Fig. 33--Continued
57
6-31
1-10 the set types are scaler in nature; many are chromatic.
both instances the chords are set type 3-7. This rela-
Figure 37 shows the chords and their set types for "Very
agitated.
"
59
3- 3-a 3-2.
5-13-
+Ib bb bs
.oA.
- q -ow- _-lo
-t4
p r
a J..
I
.
-- -T --
I
..--....... ---- --
+
3- _-___-___-
6--26
Fig. 35--Continued
61
000 awm
0
+
#
It A
v W-P"
6--4 6-3
Fig. 35--Continued
510
4-3
.to18
-I-4-
excluding the six-note set, the set types are smaller, and
39, with set type 5-25 being the focal set. This network is
measures 54-58 the solo voice drops out and the accompa-
I- 20
A __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _
vv T
.
-
3..L 3-L- ;- 3-. 3-i--
2! -30
14+ 4w . * kLJA L A il A-
f FF
-ft-~~~w g.#-r, *e
-
A '"" ;
.
0 O-O=
1*
J5-
I----
'5 r
a1
Fig. 38--Continued
66
F-No
3-1-3-6- -- 23-.
Variation IV "Uneasy"
set types 4-2 and 3-5. In measures 1 and 2 both the linear
material and the following chord have the same set type:
3-7. This is the only instance where the linear and chord
measures 7-9, set types 5-10 and 5-16, among others, emerge,
types 4-1 and 4-2 for its focal sets. This network reveals
-7337
K%3-7
______/ t1-2-.
AL
&
r-
w
1
-*~
- A-
Df .--.
A. Ai
'~
,---
T
.AL
-~~-'b
.
iIYY
YYYYYIYY
Y5 p *
*
~
~L 9~LL
4%6
F4
-
6-L
6-2:6
Fig. 41--Continued
70
2 6 _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _
A- -b:
r u -r- v .w...
TI
LI.96
Variation V "March-like"
guitar.
72
-, .., 1 .1 4* a tA ,
#
-2 32- -2-3-6 No-6
6-23 6-
,8-6f 4 3-H6 ~ t -4 9 * ~
y-13
S9
b4-h-A- t-C 4. 4t hI
'__*#A:4_a__V_.^-___-r__
-
6-3 77(
Fig. 44--Continued
6-30
Z04-
% i
u i 21
f( '
"
10 f _..-.
..
V w/7
C i + hrAr
..
k-LL 3-i
Variation VI "Dreaming"
ideas. In measures 1-4 both ideas start and end with their
structure is displayed.
.mum
- f -- .m. 7
err ar .. r s .wW w~r A W- Illllo .mo
... J. L
.
5-I16 UMMMA
3 Lle&r
2 f 2L ~ 2 -j 2f 0
LIt
SI
I
'~-- -~~
-- .S. *
12-
.
f1 I -r
v K7U
-43Q
-
Fig. 47--Continued
78
6
70
4#1+
L*4e.L I
p D v
(f
-... r
15-2-7
7 /..ne.-
+ + + ;i
/
.. 2. 22-.. Cl.-1.
Fig. 47--Continued
79
.1)3)5) 07
3-9 S-3o
5-2-35
Cwezs-4)6) 8,i0
_____K
3-
Fig. 48--Continued
to the accompaniment.
the focal set. There are six different four-note set types
of this variation.
time.
- -- l4 a +I,- r -
,
~vt~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4
I-'L
I II-
f k+
-- 9+2>
S-zS-,
+- *brf+
I -IL-Ii H 3--
\\j 7 Lf 24
'I
Fig. 49--Continued
83
' ,-L.3
-1-p.
-- ..
,
L1~. j I 3
5-35
Fig. 49--Continued
3-3
5
-
Section One
unity.
one there are periodic instances where the ostinato set type
--6
6-6
---
e
I
(I
___i
Io- 3
+----
Fig. 51--Continued
87
bzL2 #+t-- + ~
6-2,6
1-16
-- 3-
Fig. 51--Continued
88
37
Section Two
the ostinato set type 6-26. Again the focal set type corre-
(7-fq
q -26-4-2
-2-64
1.-Z
,--3-3-1 5 I
6. -J4
6-2-
1z4
-- U
3--29
26
/
72
+ -A-+
6---y'- f
f S-Z6-26
Fig. 53--Continued
91
23-Z2-
6-Z6
52X-26
I 4-i2F-~-I- 6-36
Fig. 53--Continued
92
56-20
Section Three
set type that is more chromatic than the previous set types.
set only two other set types are in the network: 6-26 and
Again, the focal set type correlates with the ostinato set
type.
2.~-2
& L.-.A-
iV-J6 -I- I 4 -j.
AT
38
H-'r I- Ll - "f-2-3
L+ _ _
ILH7-I
Section Four
In this case the focal set is 6-26, the ostinato set type.
95
4J., + -f -k
A 61 *4~#~
-29 H-IIr
-3'A
-3?-
Section Five
6-26. The only other set type is 3-11, the major triad set
M-31
-- Z0
-
6-zb _ _ _ _ _6-2.
3T-38
\J/
-Z--.626-zb
38 -39
_h
-
3I
-00-L1Z.
-/- . It ,-- I S
''#7
6- a6 6-16 6-Z-2.
Fig. 59--Continued
99
56-L
22Z
3-8
CHAPTER IV
REDUCTIVE ANALYSIS
Nocturnal.
on the graph.
Variation I "Musingly"
tone scale.
that follows.
/I Lfif
i1-z8
Fig. 61--Continued
104
4AI"'
1
_ a/
w,1l-+
m YZ \/, SAP
Fig. 62--Continued
staff, and the highest note from the scale in measures 26-28
38-46 are all related to the same octatonic scale, but the
nence since they are the highest pitches used to this point.
S .2t -30
(47-
vim- -
h A7
-
It w .......
,
Fig. 63--Continued
Variation IV "Uneasy"
out of the four pitches that are repeated this way are open
Nn t''
w.I.
y w W~
Fig. 64--Continued
Variation V "March-like"
Fig. 65--Continued
Variation VI "Dreaming"
R
.', I / l 1A
sm
moIW\
__Io lei
-
"'\
/11+4
I
C4 14
2 wwnwmmwmw
/"'+'"
1 - 111
I EMI I IMIM il MI.., Li - _
f7|
i
rnrii r n
1..
Fig. 66--Continued
118
harmonics.
p r~
- 1~ T t
r"I somm 4l y In I^
dMMWAPO
AWMAD
+t= = b 16+ 1 f r di
17 h
lSF7
s5L~AkC( c4kr 41
r:1
mj; -7-
I
meow V
(tooie:
T
Fig. 67--Continued
121
30-35, and 36-42. Each section has its own character and
Section One
for section one: measures 1-5, 6-9, and 10-16. The first
other material.
A
yr vm A
/IT N I
AOL
w
lw
Ita- VIF :bvw
TT V
Ql'j
.... r I r-I IA
A-
-
_ _ _ _ _ _ __-_ _ _ _ _
W
Fig. 68--Continued
124
Fig. 68--Continued
Section Two
ostinato.
VA. W'Ll
-17|1
.K J
VA .2.7.
trw 9
Li L..j
ter-
"
L1
Fig. 69--Continued
127
Fig. 69--Continued
Section Three
string pitches.
V..
f.40
I ilk
WMMWAM I
---
1 1
,F1'i _t~R_ _ __ __ _
w,
ww
Fig. 70--Continued
130
Section Four
I - I- "Am-
Section Five
the
Figure 72 is based on the starting and ending notes of
3431-I
...
-iLT
I _ __ _ __
V4
-
Fig. 72--Continued
dominant.
133
/'m
7-0- .a.L -#-1 I
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
/
________________________7--4___________
- -~
77r _____
/w
____
____ -
-
Nom
CHAPTER V
Correlations
minor.
of the variation.
this measure.
motivic base.
by prominent pitches.
material.
137
first time this motive has been heard since variation VI.
to E-major tonality.
(only two set types occur: 6-26 and its subset 3-11). The
Continuity
highest strings).
N1
-f-=0
Ymt-
4m4
,:6].].
Fig. 74--Continued
143
IkA, LA.
nom
_ _' 4.wr
Fig. 74--Continued
144
v4rtik+ *(O'v% U
-
.....
*
,..r
-- of
.s
.+ 1 ape wrr
12. , >
n go
w~r~n 1l 4 .i r .. ,,- .....
_2 Tl_-
w - % - bi j . L I k
Pt y
Wv
swommo
t + 'Z
I =11
)
Ti
Fig. 74--Continued
145
dec.
-n
... U~-
e - 9
Fig. 74--Continued
146
Vs6T
6ez 3 L
.
NL(
410)
0j7
"ON
1 L - + .4c._ ..t
-
F - - I ........, -AJF- - 1
. V-.._
--jp
I aY- Z71 L- - I
/ -- I.
A LIU I
AM
I
*1, *11 / r% II
1I i
ii !
1 1
s -r 9 L- - e I I ..-
w --- A .i
Ii14 1/1-N ~I J f7 'J utw
Iy ,% .t p 1 'I
.oo-
w
++
1
lul
i M
6A- 2 do
v W. 0-
ww i i r i irrr ir w
.mw
y I -J
a
Fig. 74--Continued
147
Conclusion
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