debussy nuages | rotation 4

which theme is heard at the start of rotation 4? how is it different to the original?

x motif from 1-4

- same pitches as clarinets in original

- thinner texture: now just oboe 1 and 2 playing x rather than doubled clarinets/bassoon. as well as fewer instruments, oboe also has a thinner sonority

- new viola melody

now is the solo viola sonority different to the majority of the string writing heard in Rotations 1-3 and what is the effect of this?

not muted (sans sourdines) and solo rather than full section divisi, makes the single line clearer

what interval is heard in viola b59? what is the significance of this?

perfect 5th - outlines tonic and dominant of Bm. perfect 5th has been heard prominently earlier in this work, e.g. b15 db pizzicato, b24 cello/db. tritone and perf 5th intervals are important in Nuages

why is 57-58 of the viola part as a countermelody and bars 59-60 as 'enriched accompaniment'?

b57-58 pitch contour is more melodic - rises perf 5th then up to a 7th above bass before falling in chromatic step. also rhythm is different to x which is heard at the same time. b59-60 moves in parallel with oboe 2 (mostly parallel 3rds) and follows same rhythm so sounds more like x

triad b.57'4?

Bb aug/F#

triad b.58'1?

B7 (no 3rd)/A

triad b.58'2?

C# aug/G#

triad b.58'3?

Gmaj7/B

triad b.58'4?

Bb aug/F#

triad b.59'1?

G#6 (no 3rd)/E# could be understood as G7 no 3rd

triad b.59'2?

D aug

triad b59'4?

E aug/B#

triad b59'5?

C#7

triad b.59'6?

Bm/D

compare b59 and 60

repeated pitches, only differences is first beat of b59 tied from previous bar in viola (so does not sound on first beat of bar) and 59 has crescendo in oboes, 60 diminuendo in all parts

what is the most common type of chord in b57-60?

augmented

what special chord is heard on the first beat of b61?

the Tristan chord (half dim 7th)

name the chords from b61 beats 2-6 (repeated in b63). compare to b14

all dominant 7ths in 3rd inversion but have no dominant function so also described as major-minor7th chords, i.e a major triad with minor 7th from root)

same chords as b14 although b14 chords are 9ths rather than 7ths and some are spelt enharmonically and in b61 final chord is not held, instead interrupted with new harmony in 62