Section+A+Question+3

Excerpt: G. Gabrieli //'La Battaglia'//

media type="file" key="10 Concerto for brass ensemble No.1 'La Battaglia'_ La Battaglia.m4a" width="300" height="50" Describe the treatment of texture and melody in this excerpt.

- The first two notes are monophonic with only solo trumpet - Polyphonic texture is temporarily created with the addition of another trumpet with a different melody at the same time - Gradually, each instrumental layer is added. This directly results in a thickening texture. - At times, an interweaving melody enters breaking the chordal homophonic texture and thus creating a polyphonic texture. - Multiple melodic lines are very occasionally played at once creating an even busier texture.

The layers: 1) Trumpet solo perfect 5th 2) Entrance of other trumpet with new melody 3) French horn proceeds to thicken the texture further with a lower register harmonic passage 4) Gradually lower horns and another trumpet is added

- Multiple brass instruments build one upon the other to eventually create a consistently thick texture. - The texture is mostly (chordal) homophonic wit h rhythmically unified lower brass instruments. These tight harmonies accompany a moving melodic line usually played by trumpet. These melodic lines are rhythmically different from that of the chords played underneath, thus the texture is temporarily "frayed" as the lines are not completely unified.

- The melody is introduced by an ascending Perfect 5th played by a lone trumpet. This provides a regal quality to the melodic line. - Two independent "jumpy" melodies are played by 2 trumpets : mostly scalic movement with occasional jumps and leaps to emphasise dotted rhythm. - Wave-like shape. The waves interlap when polyphonic textures are employed. - The lower brass usually plays sustained notes, with little melodic shape with occasional movement following the chordal homophony passages with tutti. - Medium range - Middle to mid-low register - Mostly Scalic - Conjunct - Based on a Major Scale - Fast moving - The main melody interweaves amongst the underlying triadic accompaniment - Call and Response using mimicking echoes with softer dynamics is used as well as a brief scalic response by french horn in response to tutti.

Texture:
 * The texture becomes busy at the beginning of the excerpt, as layers were gradually added, with a polyphonic texture.
 * Generally, the trumpet serves as the melody, despite how that there are polymelodies that are played by another trumpet, a french horn and a trombone.
 * Texture alternates, from two trumpets with the addition of the richer layer of the french horn and the trombone.
 * Trumpets play melodically similar motifs
 * There are 4 layers - 2 trumpets, french horn, trombone
 * Later becomes unified (homophonic) and trumpets, horn and trombone play in harmonic unison.
 * Ends in suspension, from triadic 4th to an F major chord.

Melody:
 * Note values: crotchets, semi-quavers
 * F major diatonic key
 * Range: shorter than an octave
 * Moderately loud dynamics
 * Phrases are within an octave
 * Medium register
 * Major 2nds and minor 3rds mainly used, even uses perfect 5ths
 * Short, stccato, accentuated articulation
 * Rounded contour
 * Even phrases, within a bar
 * Based on a major scale
 * Unpredictable modulations; sometimes harmonic rhythm is slow, sometimes chords change once or twice per bar
 * Use of dotted note values contribute to fanfare effect in the piece.

Chris W

Texture:
 * Initially monophonic – quickly builds to a polyphonic texture.
 * Fugual entries with different melodies
 * The texture becomes polyphonic with individual melodic roles within the different instruments
 * Textual alternations between the upper brass (2 trumpets) and the lower brass (French horn – trombone)
 * They play around the same range which creates the close entries – further conveying a dramatic, upbeat feel and a full, busy, focused texture.
 * Fanfare like
 * It then progresses to a homophonic texture which is characterised by harmonies with the horns - with rhythmic unison

Melody:
 * Generally, short melodic ideas, that are repeated to build character and intensity.
 * Small intervals
 * Medium to large range
 * Generally middle register in most instruments
 * Diatonic – major tonality
 * Repetitive ideas, using the same pitch or intervals in a repetitive way – creates the fanfare
 * Repetition of scale
 * Echoing of melodies – call and response
 * Consistent phrases – generally short
 * Alternation of loud dynamics to softer dynamics

Josh