debussy nuages | rotation 1

comment on Debussy's choice of instruments

double ww plus additional bassoon and cor anglais

only brass are 4 horns (4 like late Romantic symphony, horns produce more mellow sound than other brass)

harp (often used by Debussy)

strings (always muted, often divisi)

timpani (used sparingly)

how does cor anglais transpose

in F - down a perfect 5th

how do clarinets transpose

in Bb - down a major 2nd

how do horns transpose

in F - down a perfect 5th

does double bass transpose?

down an octave

what happens at the start of each rotation?

starts with variant of the opening x motif and ends with the y cor anglais melody

what scale is used in bars 1-2 clarinet and bassoon 1?

B melodic minor ascending

what scale is used in bars 1-4 clarinet and bassoon 2?

B octatonic

where is the x motif first heard?

b1-4

where is the y motif first heard?

cor anglais b5-8

what is the relationship between clarinet and bassoon 1, and clarinet and bassoon 2?

octave doubling

which passage in rotation 1 is entirely octatonic?

bars 5-10

what is the texture of violin I bars 7-10?

divisi

give an example of muted strings

bars 7-10 violin I

bar 10 violin II

what happens to the metre in bars 5-8?

metric dissonance - cor anglais y motif is in 4/4 while the other parts are in 6/4