Lark Ascending Analysis

Section one is introduced with a pedal solo which is used to maintain the rhythm of a ¾ pattern that is consistently present throughout the entire piece and initiates the ostinato theme. A significant part of section one can be distinguished in measure 33 where the melody of both hands shifts to the swell organ manual. Also, the melody switches again to the choir organ manual in measure 49.

There were a lot of instruments you could hear when you first listened to this piece. The first instruments that I heard right away were the violins, flutes, and oboes. As I kept listening I noticed the clarinets, bassoons, cello, viola, and the French horn. The instruments that seemed like they were the most important in this piece were the violins, because they started the piece and through-out the rest of the piece they were always there being the main part of this piece.

The piece makes use of an allegro tempo (‘moderately fast’), setting the foundations for the relentlessly aggressive nature of the piece. This is supported by the irregular aforementioned 5/4 time signature, which when combined with the allegro tempo, creates an intense, uneasy, and unnatural mood. A 5/4 time signature will almost always ‘place the listener on edge’, as it is an irregular time signature, due to the odd number of beats (5) in each bar. This manipulation of tempo and time signature was an ingenious decision by Holst, as it establishes the foundation of the piece through his portrayal of the unnatural, uneasy atmosphere of war. However, the addition of a time signature change to 4/4 in bars 68-92 (C1 – see figure 2.1) would be extremely effective in assisting the sections’ ‘military’ atmosphere (as the act of military marching is typically rigid, regular, and constant), further supporting Holsts’ theme of unpredictability. The strings ostinato at the opening of the piece is coloured by a mechanical timbre, achieved through the use of ‘col legno battuto’ (Italian for ‘hit with the wood’). ‘Col legno’ is a technique which involves striking the strings with the wood of a bow, as opposed to drawing the hair of the bow across. The obvious manipulation of this technique results in an extremely effective mechanically percussive

The sonata begins softly but with unmistakable energy. The trill like sixteenth notes on the third beat of this motif surge the piece forward into the next bar. The two bar motif appears again, and is then varied and

Throughout the piece, the brass plays the theme in alteration with the timpani and tam-tam. Although the theme is simple, together they create a long musical idea. The overall dynamic of the brass grows throughout creating a sense of power especially when

A main conflict throughout the plot of Catherine, Called Birdy is person vs. fate. As daughter of a country knight and Lady Aislinn, Catherine must behave a certain way. The conflict of person vs. fate is first introduced in the inciting incident. “Now my father, the toad, conspires to sell me like a cheese to some lack-wit seeking a wife” (Cushman 6). Once her father decides she ready for marriage, he begins to invite suitors to the manor. However, Catherine will not allow her father to force her into marriage. Throughout the rising action, Catherine scares away each suitor. Despite, all her schemes, Lord Rollo arranges a marriage between Catherine and Lord Murgaw. Catherine strongly opposes this marriage but it seems she will not be

The first is evident in m. 3, when the bass, tenor, and alto sing “Care”, and a c seventh diminished chord is sung. It then breaks off, and is resolved into a B major chord. Nevertheless, dissonance is portrayed in this word again when the soprano joins in at m. 7 and an augmented c triad is sung. This is significant in delineating the sadness of the piece. This first section continues with this technique, oscillating between dissonance and consonance. A highly consonant area is in the following section starting at m. 15, rightfully expressing the joy that music can bring. In m. 23, there is a dissonance for a one beat duration before the piece returns to the melancholic text. A dissonance is heard again in a c diminished chord between the top three parts in m. 26 in the word “deadly”, bringing back the text’s tension. The dissonances become less prevalent as the piece moves into the next section discussing happiness. Properly, the first part ends on a major chord, providing an uplifting end and supporting the triumphant mood the text brings.

sunrise theme of the development which is ‘y-y-x’ then ‘x-x-x-x’) and the fact the second melodic phrase of the sunrise theme is one bar longer. The development then continues again similarly to

The poem progresses from mourning of the deceased to praising of his achievements and fate to die before his glory withered. Therefore, the tone shifts from somber and quiet to upbeat and positive. Such shift of tone is achieved by Housman’s use of sounds. In first two stanzas, Housman describes the funeral procession as he remembers the time when the young athlete was proudly brought home after he won a race. Then, he solaces the mourners by reminding them it is better that the athlete “slip betimes away from fields where glory does not stay” (lines 9 and 10) because the laurel “withers quicker than the rose” (line 12). The soft “s” sound stands out especially in second and third stanza and it creates a sense of calm and quiet tone and evokes an image of townspeople mourning the death of their “hero”; Consonance of “s” sounds is present in words “shoulder, set, threshold, townsman, stiller, smart, slip, betimes, fields, does, stay, grows, withers, and rose.” In addition to consonance, soft sound alliteration in “road all runners” (line 5) helps to create a quiet tone. As the poem progresses into praising of the young athlete in stanzas four through seven, the consonance of hard “c”, “t”, and “f” sound become prominent. Readers can immediately detect

Both Poems are faced with the problematic situation of inner hassle. Piano’s narrator struggles with his oppression of his emotions in sentimentality. When he is listening to the sounds of the chant from the women singing he says “In

The first half of the performance was a complete orchestra of woodwinds, strings, drums, brass, excreta and a four part choir. Overall the performance took no longer than thirty minutes to play the three-part Symphony of Psalms. This Symphony was much shorter than I was

The cello and organ provide the basso continuo, following the figured bass. The modulation in bar 10 to A major ends in a V7 - I, providing strength to the piece. This differs from Sonata pian’e forte which is in the Dorian mode with lots of root position chords (bar 1 and 2) and suspensions (bar 3). The melody is mostly stepwise and the tierce de Picarrdie in bar 4 gives a sense of balanced phrasing. This is felt again in bar 8, due to the consonant 4th. The modal harmony in bar 13 creates an imperfect cadence to mark the end of the A1 section. An interesting phrygian cadence (IVb - V) is used in bar 16 leads into a short circle of 5ths (bar 17) and then a perfect cadence in F major with a 4-3 suspension (bar 20). This ‘busy-ness’ before cadences was not uncommon, due to the very expressive works that were composed in this era.

The tempo throughout the song varies from adagio to allegro, but favors the allegro speed in most of the piece. As most of us have agreed, this specific movement is very repetitive in texture and tone. We believe repetition is a main them in the song to help the listener get a feel for the piece and help them memorize it better. As the melody progresses, the tone and volume of the piece make a drastic change. It slows down as to show the time of year is slowing. No longer are children running and playing outside, it portrays winter being right around the corner. The tone continues to fall lower, giving the listener a feel of sorrow, as if death is in the air. The visualization of leaves falling is imprinted in the listeners mind. Then suddenly, the tempo rapidly picks up and jumps right back into the main chorus, which is abruptly cut short. The tune firmly begins to build up as it almost lullabies the listener through the composition, while the volume steadily increases. I can picture myself swaying in the wind to the cool fall breeze as the sun sets on the warm colors of the fall leaves. Just as the lullaby seems to pick up in pace, it slowly fades in to the distance. Once again the volume of the piece quickly increases and has the listener on the edge of their seat as joy fills the air. The pitch jumps from low to high between each instrument as they begin to

The 1st movement is in sonata form. The slow introduction to this symphony is unusual in that it begins in the subdominant key - E minor, solemnly introduced by the bassoons. It modulates into B minor and the tempo increases for the principal subject. This theme is elaborated and developed, and a march-like motif forms a bridge passage leading to a climax. The strings then introduce an amorous, song-like second subject in D major. The development section enters with a bang. This section brings no startling thematic growth or transformation, but is

The fourth movement, “Omnia sol temperat” is sung in a completely different way. It begins with a male soloist singing, accompanied softly by violins. The way Orff chose to display this movement shows that there is no defined rhythm he is following. The soloist singing in a profound masculine voice sets the tone for this movement.