Before I head off back into the fathomless depths of Takemitsu’s All In Twilight, I thought I would just post an analysis on this short little piece often played by students. In fact it was part of the grade 7 repertoire by Trinity college back in 1989. I don’t know if it is still in the repertoire and if it is still at grade 7 level, maybe someone can let me know if they are aware.
I would class it as a moderately simple piece, with some nice changes, a few interesting sequences and two jam packed Brouwer moments. It starts with the opening riff, F Major to A Neapolitan minor. NB: There was a short period in the 1970’s – 1990’s that disregarded the correct use of accidentals either purposefully or nonchalantly, shall we say, and this is one of those pieces that has accidentals that only obfuscate what is really something quite straightforward.
Bar 1: The F Major to A Neapolitan minor opening passage which is the basis for the driving rhythm of the piece. Have a look at Example 1. You can see at the end of the bar there is an A and an Ab played together.
This is actually A and G#. Now the Bb before it in the bar signifies F Major (F G A Bb C D E). There is no need to think of it as an eight note scale. By raising the G of G Dorian (mode II of F Major) we get mode VII of A Neapolitan minor (A Bb C D E F G#), so:
G Dorian (+1) = G# Alt bb37
So, with the initial invention stated for the piece, lets move on. Bar 5 introduces the change back a fifth to Eb Major, see example 2.
The G natural takes us back to F Major, and then E Locrian (-1) = Eb Lydian, mode IV of Bb Major.
The first invention is then repeated which takes us to the first sequence of changes, beginning in bar 14. The previous bar ended in A Neapolitan minor (A Bb C D E F G#) and the first altered note is B natural, marked as 1 in Example 3. Mode II of Neapolitan minor is Bb Lydian #6 (+1) = B Locrian nat 6, mode II of A Harmonic minor.
Then we have Eb, which is A Harmonic minor b5 (marked as 2.), and the Bb once more makes A Locrian nat6 which is marked as 3. Now these scales are unstable and need resolving and the first note in bar 17 is a G natural. So, A Locrian natural 6 (A Bb C D Eb F G#) with a G natural = (A Bb C D Eb F G) = Bb Major. There is the resolution, marked as 4. See Example 4.
The next altered note is the F# marked as 5 in Example 4. Remember, from Bb Major (Bb C D Eb F G A) we raise the root of the mode on F Mixolydian, which gives us mode VII of the relative G Harmonic minor scale: F Mixolydian (+1) = F# Altbb7
Next is E natural (number 6) so take G Harmonic minor, G A Bb C D Eb F# and find the mode on the sixth degree, Eb Lydian #2 and raise its root: Eb Lydian #2 (+1) = E Aeolian b5
This is now mode VI of G Melodic, and it stays in G Melodic for the whole bar. I’m now going to jump to my favourite sequence on the final page, as I don’t want to make this post too long. This is a classic use of the (+1) incremental method, meaning altering the notes step by step by raising roots of modes followed by the reverse and a clever little twist. Bars 68 – 70 are shown below in Example 5.
Now, our starting scale is Eb Major, Eb F G Ab Bb C D. Mode I is Eb Ionian (+1) = E Altered, mode VII of F Melodic, F G Ab Bb C D E, marked as 1. Next is F#, marked as 2. Mode I of F Melodic (+1) = F# Alt bb3, mode VII of G Neapolitan Major, G Ab Bb C D E F#. Now the music reverses, F natural, number 3 makes F Melodic, and now the shift occurs. Instead of Lowering the E back to Eb to reach Eb Major again, the Ab is raised to reach F Major:
F Melodic mode III, Ab Lydian+ (+1) = A Phrygian (marked as 4). Finally, the Eb at 5 is simply a change backwards through the circle of fifths to Bb Major: F Major mode VII= E Locrian (-1) = Eb Lydian, Bb Major mode IV. This sequence is now shown below in all its simplicity:
Eb Major (+1) = F Melodic (+1) = G Neap. Major (-1) =
F Melodic (+1) = F Major - (-1) = Bb Major
A lovely, simple but effective sequence. Leo Brouwer’s command of modulations and also his taste changed somewhat over the next couple of decades, making his music far more complex but also more accomplished, culminating with El Decameron Negro. I have analysed all three movements of EDC and the posts are up on the group, here is the link to the first part:
I’ll be back with more music soon, thanks for reading.
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