Homework from last week

Essay Homework – due Monday (A) / Tuesday (B)

Write a short essay on the development of the orchestra in symphonic music from 1750-1900. Use the list of pieces on the organiser given out in class to guide your research on the development of the symphony web page.  You could also read the introductory section of the Rhinegold Study Guide.

Your essay must then be structured as followed, keeping symphonies in chronological order:

• Introduction (include explanation of basso continuo and transition from Baroque to Classical)
• Explain a few examples of early Classical pieces
• Brief mention of Haydn 104 (you can look at the score and notes on Moodle in the Year 12 Revision guide). You should use this as an example of the mature classical orchestra but mention the restrictions of natural brass etc.
• Explain a few examples of early and then late Romantic pieces
• Brief conclusion pointing out the major changes.

Work set for next week
Composition

• Correct your 8-bar modulating period according to feedback and then add a quartet texture taken from the simple quartet textures on the WCT Hub. This will be the FIRST eight bars of your piece
• For the LAST eight bars of your piece you need to rewrite the period so that it has no secondary dominant and does not modulate. Make sure you finish with an idiomatic cadence like I6/4 V I or ii6 – V – I and end on the FIRST beat of the EIGHTH bar
• For at least four bars before this write a dominant pedal that will lead into it you must use some of the dissonant and chromatic harmonies discussed in class (from the WCT Fingerprints page)
• Leave a gap of six bars or so before, so the whole structure will be:
  • Modulating period
  • 6 blank bars
  • dominant pedal with harmonies over it
  • Modified non modulating period