debussy nuages | rotation 3

what is interesting about the length of rotation 3?

28 bars = length of rotation 1 (10 bars) + rotation 2 (18 bars)

what is different about the beginning of rotation 3 (b29-30) compared with the start of rotations 1 and 2)?

rather than the original oscillating x 'clouds' motif from b1-4, heard again with some changes in 11-12, b29-30 is more similar to the parallel dominant 9th chords from b14 (which are a development of the original x motif)

however, this time the parallel chords are triads (not dominant 9ths)

describe the instrumentation 29-30

divisi arco strings, no double bass

what dynamic changes happen at b29 and how is this prepared for in the preceding bar?

forte for first time in the piece, crescendo in violins and violas in b28

name the chords heard in b29-30

Bm-F♯m-Em-D-Em (note same sequence repeated although repeat starts at end of bar rather than on beat 1)

which two intervals create the melodic contour from 29-30?

4ths and 2nds (differs to bar 1-2 top line melody spans a perfect 4th and features 2nds, and 3rds)

this melody has a far wider span of a compound major 6th (B-D)

what rhythmic feature is heard from end b29-30 and b30?

syncopation

what unexpected chord is heard in b31 and how is it emphasised further?

C major, sustained chord and horns join strings to emphasise the 3rd of the chord 'timbrally and metrically' - i.e. a new timbre for this rotation which stands out against strings and emphasised further because it starts on 2nd beat of bar

this E forms a link between the first few bars of rotation 3 (29-31) with its tonally clear triads and the following, more ambiguous music

what chord is heard on the last minim of b31?

Em - but no real harmonic function and returns to C in the following bar, also shares two notes with C chord

what chord is heard again in b31?

C major, with horns playing 3rd of the chord a beat after strings as in 31

which previous chords do some analysts consider these C major chords a resolution of?

the G chords: G dyad/G7/G9/G11 in rotations 1 and 2

the most recent G chord is G9 from 21-28

in what ways is the texture of bars 33-42 similar to the opening bars?

2 different lines with doubling

now 1 part in ww, other in strings

however, the two parts are more independent from each other than b1-4 and are rhythmically different. the string theme is similar to original x in its oscillating crotchets whilst ww play new chromatic figure in minims

what is the interval between violas and cello and between clarinets and bassoon in 33-38?

octaves

2 octaves between clarinet 1 and bassoon

how is the 'melody' in violas and cellos b33-38 similar to the opening bars of nuages?

constant quavers, octave doubling, uses 2nds, 3rds and 4ths, keeps returning to the same note (E in b33-34, F♯ in 35-36. although not an exact inversion, sounds a little like an inversion of original x

the material of bars 33-38 is divided into cells of what length?

2 bars

what scale is used in viola/cello melody of 33-36?

whole tone

what word term-15describes the melodic and harmonic progression in 33-36?

sequence

what scale is used in ww in b33-36?

chromatic

what word describes the movement across all parts in 33-38?

parallel - a common feature of debussy's music which helps to avoid functional harmony

describe the use of ww b33-38

- begins with clarinet and bassoon - all playing same chromatic 1 bar rising melody, doubled at the 8ve

- from end of bar 34 there is an overlap with oboes and bassoon 1 and 2 taking over the melody

- from end of bar 36 clarinets and bassoon 3 return and play the 'melodic' part. bassoons 1 and 2 drop out and oboe just highlights the melody notes from b37'5 to b8'1

what scale is used b37-38?

octatonic

which note links the whole tone and octatonic scales in b36-37?

Bb (enharmonic A♯) in ww 38'5-37

Bb at end of b36 ties into b37 and makes the transition from whole tone to octatonic

how does the orchestration change in b39?

fuller texture with all ww parts heard in R3 (ob/cl/bsn) now playing (although no bassoon 3 until b41) and now all strings including db which has not yet played in Rotation 3. violins return after 6 bar break

in 33-38 the violas and cellos played the melodic material. which instruments does the melody shift to in the upbeat to 39?

oboe, clarinets and bassoon 1 and 2 (then bassoon 3 added from 41)

what is interesting about the string parts in b39-41?

all playing Ab at various octaves - this note (enharmonic G♯) links the whole tone and octatonic scales used in this passage

where has the melody in b38'5-40 been heard before in rotation 3 and how is it different here?

upbeat to 33-35 strings (and derived from original x)

not repeated this time (1 bar units rather than 2)

in 39 falls a tone from D-C rather than a 3rd from D-B and the rest of the passage is a tone higher

in 40 starts on F rather than F♯ as in 35

what word describes the relationship between the melodic material in b39, 40 and 41?

melodic sequence - although the 2nd note of 39 (C) is not treated sequentially as bars 40 and 41 fall a 3rd as in previous statement of this theme (33-38). this C is the only non-octatonic note in b39-41

it does not belong to the whole tone scale used in bc/cl/bsn

what scales are used in 39-41?

39 whole tone

40-41 octatonic

(Ab in strings links the two scales)

how many parts are there in b39-41? describe the texture in each of these parts?

2 part texture with 8ve doubling in ob/cl/bassoon and pedal Ab in 8ves in strings, although the metric separation of the violins which play on the 4th beat of the bar creates 2 parts in the strings, resulting in 3 parts overall