Music Anitra's Dance

Introduction

A minor

Section A

A minor - E minor

Section B

E major - A minor

Section A1

D major - D minor

F major - A minor

Section A2

A minor

Coda

A minor

What key is A minor?

Tonic Key

What key is E minor?

Dominant minor key

What key is E major?

Dominant major key

What key is D major?

Subdominant major key

What key is D minor?

Subdominant minor key

What key is F major?

Submediant major key

Composer

Edvard Grieg

Influenced by:

Felix Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann and folk music of Norway

Nationality

Norwegian

Period of time

Romantic era

Composition date

1875

Why was it composed?

As incidental music for the play, Peer Grynt

Instrumentation

Violins 1 and 2, cellos 1 and 2, viola, double bass and triangle

Tempo

Tempo di Mazurka - allegro/ fast

Dynamics

pp-f

Texture

Homophonic, melody and accompaniment with some imitation

Melody and pitch

Conjunct and disjunct movement, well balanced, range of nearly 3 octaves

Harmony

Diatonic, with some chromatic movement

Rhythm

Simple rhythm including quavers, crotchets and minims to semibreves

Dotted rhythms used in contrasting section

Time Signature

3/4

Bars in introduction

1-6

Bars in section A

7-22/23

Bars in section B

24-39

Bars in section A1

40-69

Bars in section A2

70-89/90

Bars in coda

91-93

Which sections are repeated?

A, B, A1 and A2

How does the piece begin?

With a paused/ sustained dominant chord played by the violins and violas

Arco

played with the bow

Pizzicato

plucking the strings

Con sordini

play with a mute

Divisi

Performers must divide into two parts, with half playing each note

Theme W

First introduced in bar 7 by the violins and it\[s the main idea.

It's rhythmically simple, but contains a number of important motifs.

It begins with an anacrusis, and contains both conjunct and disjunct movement. As well as, a range of ornamentation - 4 trills and an upper mordent

Theme X

Bars 15-22/23

Second part of section A begins with melodic patterns which are still based around the chord of B major.

The ideas are in chromatic style, and played arco and pp at first by the 1st violins and cellos.

The phrase ends with two notes B-E, an interval of a 4th which outlines the perfect cadence in E minor.

There is a mordent on the final note E.

Theme Y

The music is built around the chord of E major - so this section begins in the opposite mode to the previous section, which finished in E minor.

This harmony is known as a higher discord, because it has the 7th and the 9th added.

The texture remains homophonic with the melody delivered by the 1st violins ( arco and divisi ) and the accompaniment remains relatively the same.

Violas are also divisi to enhance the harmonic interest.

The first cellos play the root and 3rd of the tonic chord on beats 2 and 3 of each bar, while the 2nd cellos persist with the root and the 5th of the chord, echoing the dominant and tonic of the key.

Dynamic is p. A single crotchet beat is played by the triangle in bars 24 and 26.

Theme Z

Four bar motif, which is a four note quaver idea.

Introduced by the 2nd violin and viola, played pizzicato and in unison.

Imitation is also used which is echoed in the violins.

Cellos play arco, staccato and in unison.

The double bass and triangle rest in this transition.

Harmonically it is based on a diminished chord as the root of the chord is omitted.

Bar 31 - cellos add a descending scalic link from the root of the chord (E) down to an A in the next bar. This is a perfect cadence into the new key of A major - this is the home key but the opposite (major) mode.