February 2004 Notes

Meeting with Steve Larson

We went over examples 1, 2, and 8 here in Bloomington . A few of the high points were:

• Example 1f: the C-E-F-E-D-C motion can be explained by the Schenkerian pattern of leaping up at the start of a segment and following with stepwise motion through the reference alphabet. I used a preference for varying harmony to explain this example, but harmony is a more complex explanation than this.
• There is a preference to avoid repetition of a climax
• Preference to avoid monotony – there is an expectation of surprise “after saturation sets in”
• Example 1g, m.3: the surface-level notes here come from the device of “filling in” between deeper structure notes as necessary with stepwise passing tones. In measure 3 in particular this relates to the physical motion of circling around (as in the Bouree of Bach's English Suite in A minor.)
• Example 2, m.5: I analyzed beats 2 and 3 of the measure as a suffix, but based on the previous note they can be more simply explained as connective notes.
• Example 2e: We discussed why the E in the start of measure 7 seemed unnatural. The E is repeated in measure 2, so why is it different in measure 7?
• One problem with this continuation is the lack of a feeling of completion (changing from an unstable to a stable feeling would help bring about completion).
• There may be an expectation of harmony changing: the first measures have I I V I, leading to an expectation of I I V I again, but instead we hear I I I I.
• Also, we compared Example 2c with Example 2d. 2c seems to have a more natural physical motion because is continues smoothly for a longer span, and the reversal of direction comes at a natural point, just after dipping below the C goal tone.
• In example 8, it was necessary to understand the compound structure of the melody to develop a continuation. Additionally, determining the meter and key was a bit of a problem in this example.