Saariaho: 'Petals'

Structure:
How many sections are there in the piece?

7

Tonality:
Describe the overall tonality of the piece.

Atonal

Tonality:
What tonal centre is suggested and how?

C, repeated pitches

Melody:
Give some examples of ornamentation in the piece. (3)

Trills, mordents, grace notes (acciaccatura)

Melody:
Give two features of the melodic patterns in the piece.

Repeated pitches, ascending lines

Melody:
Which melodic features make the music sound intense and uncomfortable? (2)

Microtones, absence of melodic content

Harmony:
How does Saariaho respond to conventional harmony ideas?

Largely absent

Harmony:
What kind of dissonance is created in Section 6?

Tritone dissonance (F# and C pedal)

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What three rhythmic features does this piece lack that make it sound 'free'?

Bar lines, coherent rhythm, time signature

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre/Sonority:
What electronic feature adds to the free time?

Reverb

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What rhythmic features emphasise the 'agitated' sections? (6)

Syncopation, sextuplets, quintuplets, varied note values, demisemiquavers, dotted rhythms

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
Describe the opening tempo (Section 1).

Lento (slow)

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What does the term 'leggiero' mean?

Lightly/gracefully

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What effect does the tempo marking 'calando' achieve towards the end of the piece? (i.e. what does the tempo marking mean?)

Diminishing in volume and tempo

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What effect does the tempo marking 'dolcissimo' achieve towards the end of the piece? (i.e. what does the tempo marking mean?)

Very sweet/soft

Texture:
What is the texture at the start of the piece? (Staves 1-3)

Monophonic

Texture:
How does the texture develop in Sections 3, 5 and 7?

Two-part textures

Texture/Tonality/Sonority:
What textural feature blurs the tonality and creates an intense/uncomfortable sound?

Pedal/drone textures

Sonority:
What does 'sul tasto' mean (and what kind of sound does it create)?

String is bowed near/above fingerboard (ethereal sound)

Sonority:
What does 'sul ponticello' mean (and what kind of sound does it create)?

String is played near/above bridge (high overtones)

Sonority:
How are 'glassy' high notes created?

False harmonics

Sonority:
Give some examples of cello techniques/non-electronic sonority features in the piece. (6)

Vibrato, glissando, varied bow pressure, tremolo, sul tasto, sul ponticello

Sonority:
Give some examples of electronic techniques in the piece. (3)

Reverb, harmoniser, amplifier

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What tempo marking creates an 'agitated' feel?

Agitato