CASM 4 Analysis Prelude in C Minor – Frederic Chopin
The piece that I am analyzing exists in a tonality of C minor, with multiple modulations throughout. These modulations, as the primary harmonic technique apparent in this score, give the composition direction, and clearly identify the movement of the harmonic progression. This technique combined with the varying contours of the bass line further emphasizes the movement of this piece, whilst fully realizing each tonal modulation. The first two bars of this excerpt feature the same melodic and harmonic contours, with a modulation from the tonic t onic C minor to the 6th, Ab Major. This technique of sequencing helps to maintain the motif while highlighting the harmonic development. The chord progression for bar 1 features a i – IV – V – i movement, ending in a perfect cadence, while the second bar contains a I – IV – V – I progression. The technique of perfect cadences clearly establishes the tonality of each bar, and with the first and last beat of each bar featuring the tonic chord, the harmonic direction is more absolute.
While the second bar features a modulation to Ab Major, the use of the Db major chord on the second beat, which acts as the IV of Ab, also exudes another harmonic technique, the Neapolitan 6 th, which is the major triad of the b2nd of C minor. This chord is used to both continue the harmonic contour seen in the first bar, while emphasizing the transition between chords with chromatic movement. A technique used throughout the piece, primarily in the bass, is that of chromatic descent. This technique is used to contrast the almost arpeggio-like movement movement seen in the bass part during the first four bars, and this transition helps to emphasise the change in direction, more noticeably highlighting the contour of the phrase.
This descending pattern reflects the direction of the melody, which also features a descent with various chromatic movement, but while the melody features occasional leaps, the bass continues its descending pattern, anchoring the phrase in its direction.
The contrasting movement in the bass, which is featured in bars 1-4, exists as chords in root position moving by 5ths. This clearly defines the tonality of each bar, and helps to solidify the center of each tonality. The exclusive use of root position chords further emphasizes lack of ambiguity in each tonal modulation, while the movement of 5ths creates a strong harmonic development.
From bars 5-8, the tonality of the phrase develops some ambiguity, as seen in bar 5 with the transition from the dominant chord to the minor dominant.
This technique is used to emphasise movement, as the phrase begins an extended descending pattern, in which the harmonic structure is expanded. This contrasts with the phrases of bars 1-4, as they features microcosms of this structure, with more defined tonalities, anchored in each bar. While the harmonic progression is the primary feature of musical manipulation in this composition, a technique which highlights this development is that of a uniform rhythm. The rhythmic pattern remains exactly the same in every single bar, minus the last chordal fermata. This constantly repeated rhythm obviously emphasizes the
harmonic progression, as the familiar rhythmic pattern allows us to focus on the developing harmonic structure. The entire bass part exists as crotchets, which effectively establishes a solid foundation for each chord, while highlighting the direction of the phrase. These octave crotchet notes in the first four bars exist as the roots of the chord, and, as previously stated, move in 5ths, giving a very strong definition of the movement and tonality of each phrase. The rhythm remains the same from bar 5 to the end of the piece, but with the contrasting chromatically descending movement, the bass plays an entirely different role. While it still has some bearing on the direction of the phrases, this comes not from its anchoring as the root note of each chord, but in an unwavering descending pattern, emphasizing the harmonic structure of a larger scale. The melodic and chordal rhythm of the right hand part also features a constantly repeated rhythm throughout the piece, but with a slightly more complicated rhythm, which clearly highlights the melody.
The only real difference in rhythm from the bass part is the addition of a semiquaver pick up to the 4 th beat of each bar. This change, while very minor, drastically emphasizes the movement of the melody, particularly when heard in the rubato performance style in which the piece is composed for. This extra note is most often used as a passing note between chords, which creates a very strong transitional effect, and eliminates the otherwise block chord movement. Throughout the piece this constant rhythm is a technique which is extremely effective for a piece which features harmonic development. From bar 7 to the end of the piece, the manipulation of inversions is the technique used to most effectively convey the harmonic direction. The chord progression in each two-bar phrase is repeated until the final tonic chord, and exists as a I6 – IV - V6 – I, VI – bII - V7 – I progression. This again features the Neapolitan 6 th in a similar capacity as the opening bars, as well as featuring both tonic chords on the first and last beats of each bar. Each phrase is also completed with a variant of the perfect cadence, which truly solidifies the tonality of each movement. The use of variant inversions is what truly highlights the harmonic progression in this section of the piece, as the transition between inversions and root position chords, as
seen in the bass part of bar 7 between beats 1 and 4, aids the harmonic contour, and the transition to a root Neapolitan 6 th emphasises its use both as a substitution and as a transitional chord. While this piece features a somewhat limited variation of chords, the manipulation of various harmonic techniques in order to execute them effectively is extremely prudent.
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