Misplaced Pages

#381618

38-510: An organ concerto is an instrumental piece of music for a pipe organ soloist with an orchestra. Not included in this definition are a number of solo organ works without orchestra, such as the organ concertos of J. S. Bach and his contemporaries. Some examples of the Organ Concerto include: Organ concerto (Bach) Bach also made several transcriptions of Vivaldi's concertos for single, two and four harpsichords from exactly

76-520: A nonchord tone and thus required to resolve , unlike a drone, or a pedal point may simply be a shorter drone, a drone being a longer pedal point. There are numerous examples of pedal points in classical music. Pedal points often appear in early baroque music "alla battaglia", notably prolonged in Heinrich Schütz 's Es steh Gott auf (SWV 356) and Claudio Monteverdi 's Altri canti di Marte . In Henry Purcell 's "Fantasia upon One Note" for

114-407: A trill ; this is particularly common with inverted pedals. Another method of producing a pedal point on the harpsichord is to repeat the pedal point note (or its octave) on every beat. The rarely seen pedal harpsichord , a harpsichord with a pedal keyboard , makes it easier to perform repeated bass notes on the harpsichord, since both hands are still free to play on the upper manual keyboards. With

152-702: A "pedal-point groove ", in which the "bass remains static on the tonic as chords move above the bass at varying speeds", with the Genesis songs " Cinema Show " and " Apocalypse in 9/8 " being examples of this. "By the late 1970s and early 1980s, pedal-point grooves such as this had become a well-worn cliché of progressive rock as they had of funk ( James Brown ’s "Sex Machine" ), and were already making frequent appearances in more commercial styles such as stadium rock ( Van Halen ’s ' Jump ') and synth-pop ( Frankie Goes to Hollywood ’s ' Relax ')." Film composers use pedal points to add tension to thrillers and horror films. In

190-405: A bass pedal point: Pedal points are also used in other polyphonic compositions to strengthen a final cadence , signal important structural points in the composition, and for their dramatic effect. Pedal points are somewhat problematic on the harpsichord , which has only a limited sustain capability. Often the pedal note is simply repeated at intervals. A pedal tone can also be realized with

228-464: A consort of viols, a tenor viol sustains a C throughout, while the other viols weave increasingly elaborate counter-melodies around it: Pedal points are often found near the end of fugues "... to reestablish the tonality of the composition after it has become clouded by the numerous modulations and digressions along the way within the middle entries of the subject and answer and in the connecting episodes". Fugues often conclude with figures written over

266-414: A dissonance until the harmony ", not the non-chord tone, "resolves back to a consonance". Pedal points "have a strong tonal effect, 'pulling' the harmony back to its root ". Pedal points can also build drama or intensity and expectation. When a pedal point occurs in a voice other than the bass, it is usually referred to as an inverted pedal point (see inversion ). Pedal points are usually on either

304-431: A lost concerto by Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar, which has been reconstructed as a Concerto for Two Violins in C major  [ scores ] . Only one movement, without tempo indication, but also indicated as Allegro. Exists in a variant for harpsichord, BWV 984 (first movement). This transcription of Vivaldi's Concerto in D minor for two violins and obbligato violoncello, Op.3, No.11 (RV 565), had

342-436: Is a sustained tone , typically in the bass , during which at least one foreign (i.e. dissonant ) harmony is sounded in the other parts . A pedal point sometimes functions as a " non-chord tone ", placing it in the categories alongside suspensions , retardations , and passing tones . However, the pedal point is unique among non-chord tones, "in that it begins on a consonance, sustains (or repeats ) through another chord as

380-415: Is a pedal that is not in the bass (and often is the highest part.) Mozart included numerous inverted pedals in his works, particularly in the solo parts of his concertos . An internal pedal is a pedal that is similar to the inverted pedal, except that it is played in the middle register between the bass and the upper voices. A drone differs from a pedal point in degree or quality. A pedal point may be

418-520: Is a transcription of Antonio Vivaldi's double violin concerto in A ;minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522  [ scores ] . Movements: This concerto is a transcription of Antonio Vivaldi's Grosso mogul violin concerto in D ;major, RV 208, of which a variant, RV 208a, was published as Op. 7 No. 11. Movements: A transcription of the first movement of

SECTION 10

#1732798542382

456-524: Is composed in ritornello A – B – A form. In the opening bars the first and second violins play in tutti the opening theme with its repeated quavers and clashing dissonances. Bach used the same theme for the opening chorus of his cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 , first performed on 17 June 1714, shortly before ill health forced Prince Johann Ernst to leave Weimar for treatment in Bad Schwalbach . [REDACTED] Although each return of

494-486: Is remarkable for its detailed specifications of organ registration and use of the two manuals. As explained in Williams (2003) , their main purpose was to enable the concerto to be heard at Bach's desired pitch. The markings are also significant for what they show about performance practise at that time: during the course of a single piece, hands could switch manuals and organ stops could be changed. First movement. From

532-550: Is the Prelude in D ♭ , Op. 28, No. 15, (the "Raindrop Prelude") which, like the Purcell, features one repeated note throughout. The piece is in ternary form , with its serene outer "A" sections contrasting the brooding middle "B" section: In this prelude, the repeated bass A ♭ that pervades the outer section becomes, through an enharmonic change , a G ♯ in the minor key middle section, where it moves from

570-480: The Hitchcock thriller film North by Northwest , Bernard Herrmann "uses the pedal point and ostinato as techniques to achieve tension", resulting in a dissonant, dramatic effect. In one scene, "The Phone Booth", Herrmann "uses the timpani playing a low pedal B-flat to create a sense of impending doom", as one character is arranging for another character's murder. Other notable examples from similar genres are

608-411: The organ for its ability to sustain a note indefinitely and the tendency for such notes to be played on an organ's pedal keyboard . The pedal keyboard on an organ is played by the feet; as such, the organist can hold down a pedal point for lengthy periods while both hands perform higher-register music on the manual keyboards. A double pedal is two pedal tones played simultaneously. An inverted pedal

646-451: The ritornello and solo episodes of this movement—a form of [[siciliana|Siciliano]—is unusual in Bach's writing for organ. The widely spaced chords that accompany the solo melody in the original are replaced by simple chords in the left hand. For Griepenkerl, the sweetness of the melody reflected the tender personality of Wilhelm Friedemann. Fourth movement. The last movement of Op.3, No.11

684-471: The tonic or the dominant (fifth note of the scale ) tones. The pedal tone is considered a chord tone in the original harmony, then a nonchord tone during the intervening dissonant harmonies, and then a chord tone again when the harmony resolves. A dissonant pedal point may go against all harmonies present during its duration, being almost more like an added tone than a nonchord tone, or pedal points may serve as atonal pitch centers . The term comes from

722-531: The "mixed reception" given to the Requiem , particularly this movement, which "was greeted with many expressions of disapproval; the continual pedal point—intensified by the too vigorous work of the drummer". The openings of the first two operas of Wagner 's cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen ("The Ring of the Nibelung") feature pedal notes. The prelude to Das Rheingold features an E ♭ pedal tone in

760-448: The album Giant Steps , has the notation "E ♭ pedal" to instruct the bass player to play a sustained pedal. Jazz musicians also use pedal points to add tension to the bridge or solo sections of a tune. In an ii-V-I progression , some jazz musicians play a V pedal note under all three chords, or under the first two chords. Rock guitarists have used pedal points in their solos. The progressive rock band Genesis often used

798-458: The author, the transcription was first published as a work by Wilhelm Friedemann in 1844 in the edition prepared for C.F. Peters by Friedrich Griepenkerl. The precise dating and true authorship was later established from the manuscript: the handwriting and the watermarks in the manuscript paper conform to cantatas known to have been composed by Bach in Weimar in 1714–1715. The autograph manuscript

SECTION 20

#1732798542382

836-474: The bass for 162 bars: Robert Donington (1963, p. 35) says: "The Ring opens quietly, but with an effect which in the context of harmonized music is apparently unique. For a very long passage there is not only no modulation but no change of chord. A chord of E ♭ major builds up: first the tonic sounds in the abysmal depths; next a fifth is added; then an arpeggio movement on the complete triad, calm but swelling, an embryonic motive ... But still

874-467: The bass to the top part. There are other examples of piano music where a single note pervades almost the entire piece: a persistent B ♭ features in both Debussy 's piano prelude "Voiles" and "Le Gibet" from Ravel 's Gaspard de la Nuit . The term "pedal point" is also used to describe a bass note that is held for a long period in orchestral music, as in the symphonies of Jean Sibelius . Pedal points for orchestral music are often performed by

912-531: The chord does not change ... A sense of timelessness sets in." By contrast, the stormy prelude to Die Walküre features an inverted pedal: the sustained tremolos in the upper strings offset the melodic and rhythmic activity in the 'cellos and basses: Alban Berg ’s expressionist opera Wozzeck makes subtle use of a pedal tone in Act 3, scene 2 , when the jealous, put-upon soldier Wozzeck murders his unfaithful wife, Marie. Douglas Jarman (1989, p38) describes

950-557: The development of the piano, composers began exploring the potential of a pedal-point in creating mood and atmosphere. An example is the inverted pedal that pervades the right hand part of the piano accompaniment in Schubert 's song Erlkönig : According to Eugene Narmour (1987, p. 101) "There is no instrument on which a pedal point sounds better than the piano (with its ready-made damper mechanism), and, safe to say, no composer more fond of harmonic pedals than Chopin ." An example

988-404: The dissonant suspensions in the opening quaver figures, these include quaver figures in parallel thirds, descending chromatic fourths , and rippling demisemiquavers and semiquavers in the left hand as an equivalent for the tremolo string accompaniment. Towards the end of the piece, Bach fills out the accompaniment in the final virtuosic semiquaver solo episode by adding imitative quaver figures in

1026-481: The double basses with the bow, which creates a sustained, organ-like bass tone underneath the changing harmonies in the upper voices. The closing section of the third movement of Johannes Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem , "Herr, lehre doch mich" (bars 173–208), features a sustained timpani roll on D natural for over two minutes until resolving in the final chord: Ernest Newman (1947, p. iii) wrote of

1064-481: The fugue; the writing does not distinguish between soloists and ripieno; parts are frequently redistributed; and extra semiquaver figures are introduced, particularly over the prolonged pedal point concluding the piece. The resulting fugue is smoother than the original, which is distinguished by its clearly delineated sections. Williams (2003) remarks that the way Vivaldi inverts the fugue subject must have appealed to Bach. Third movement. The scoring for organ in

1102-569: The harpsichord transcriptions probably originated between July 1713 and July 1714. The organ concertos, BWV 592–596, are scored for two manual keyboards and pedal, and probably originated from 1714 to 1717. This concerto is a transcription of Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar's Violin Concerto a 8 in G ;major  [ scores ] . Bach arranged the same concerto for harpsichord ( BWV 592a ). Movements: This concerto

1140-482: The heading on the autograph manuscript altered by Bach's son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach who added "di W. F. Bach manu mei Patris descript" sixty or more years later. The result was that up until 1911 the transcription was misattributed to Wilhelm Friedemann. Despite the fact that Carl Friedrich Zelter , director of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin where many Bach manuscripts were held, had suggested Johann Sebastian as

1178-589: The knife into Marie’s throat." Examples of jazz tunes which include pedal points include Duke Ellington 's "Satin Doll" " (intro), Stevie Wonder 's " Too High " (intro) , Miles Davis 's "On Green Dolphin Street" , Bill Evans 's "34 Skidoo" , Herbie Hancock 's "Dolphin Dance" from his Maiden Voyage album, Pat Metheny 's " Lakes " and " Half Life of Absolution ", and John Coltrane 's "Naima" . The latter, from

Organ Concerto - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-431: The lower parts. Williams (2003) compares the dramatic ending—with its chromatic fourths descending in the pedal part—to that of the keyboard Sinfonia in D minor, BWV 779. Probably neither composed nor transcribed by Bach, and rather a trio sonata , by a composer of a later generation, than a concerto. Movements: Pedal point In music, a pedal point (also pedal note , organ point , pedal tone, or pedal)

1254-508: The music for the opening title of the TV series "Sherlock" by David Arnold and Michael Price, and one of the main themes of Interstellar by Hans Zimmer : "[...] to sustain a dominant pedal at length as this theme does gives an impression of a prolonged avoidance of resolution. Indeed, given the enormous length of time that elapses during Cooper’s absence, this is an entirely appropriate sentiment.". In small combo jazz or jazz fusion groups,

1292-468: The original is "no substitute for the lost rhetoric of the strings." Second movement. The dense chordal writing in the three introductory bars of the Grave is unusual and departs from Vivaldi's specification of "Adagio e spiccato". Bach adapted the fugue to the organ as follows: the pedal does not play the bass line of the original allegro but has an accompanying role, rather than being a separate voice in

1330-406: The outset in the original piece, Vivaldi creates an unusual texture: the two violins play as a duet and then are answered by a similar duet for obbligato cello and continuo bass. On the organ Bach creates his own musical texture by exchanging the solo parts between hands and having the responding duet on a second manual. For Williams (2003) , Bach's redistribution of the constantly repeated quavers in

1368-428: The powerful dramatic effect of this episode: "Marie and Wozzeck are walking through the wood. Anxious, Marie tries to hurry on but Wozzeck detains her. A disjointed, sinister conversation follows until, as the moon rises, blood-red, Wozzeck draws a knife. A long crescendo begins as the note B natural, which has been present as a subdued pedal point throughout the scene, is now taken up by the kettledrums. Wozzeck plunges

1406-591: The same period in Weimar. The original concertos were picked from Vivaldi's Op.3, L'estro armonico , composed in 1711, a set of twelve concertos for one, two and four violins . The publication of these Bach transcriptions by C.F. Peters in the 1850s and Breitkopf & Härtel in the 1890s played a decisive role in the Vivaldi revival of the twentieth century. In his Weimar period Bach transcribed concertos by, among others, Antonio Vivaldi and Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar for organ and for harpsichord. Most of

1444-463: The theme with its chromatic falling bass accompaniment is instantly recognizable, Bach's allotting of parts between the two manuals ( Oberwerk and Rückpositiv ) can occasionally obscure Vivaldi's sharp distinction between solo and ripieno players. Various elements of Vivaldi's string writing, that would normally be outside Bach's musical vocabulary for organ compositions, are included directly or with slight adaptations in Bach's arrangement. As well as

#381618