Elaborate Cadences

 For this exercise, we are asked to make four contrasting attempts at 'dressing up' a perfect cadence, each in a different key, of which two should be major, and two minor. I was looking forward to attempting this exercise, as the theory is straightforward but there is lots of room for creativity.

Elaborate Cadence 1 - A Major

 

 

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For this first cadance the left hand follows the basic cadential progression of V7 - I, in the form of sustained chords. The right hand initially starts with a dotted rhythm using notes of the chord, but in bar two becomes a descending chromatic triplet pattern, before resolving simultaneously with the bass on chord I. The chromatic notes in no way distract the ear from the very strong harmonic movement, strengthened with the use of effective voice-leading to create contrary motion.

Elaborate Cadence 2 - B Major

 

 

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For this cadence all of the notes are diatonic to the key. To create interest I opted to use 'extended' chords; the right hand playing V9, then V11, then V13 before a simple chord V triad, and a rhythmic use of three tonic chords. Some people may recognise this cadence to be very similar to that used at the end of Burgmuller's etude The Storm; I did heavily borrow from that piece, but experimented with my own choice of chords.

Elaborate Cadence 3 - C Minor

 

 

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I wanted to see if I could compose my own version of the baroque/classical cadence that I heard in my research pieces. The left hand plays the dominant triad in alberti bass style, and with the right hand I wanted to include some chromaticism to see if I could 'throw off' the cadence. The right hand starts with an arpeggiated diminished 7th chord before returning to notes of the scale, with more rhythmic vitality. The move to chord I is anticipated with a fast trill in the right hand, terminating with a mordent onto the tonic. The sense of a perfect cadence is strong throughout.

Elaborate Cadence 4 - B Minor

 

 

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This cadence has a Latin feel, due to the key, syncopation and jaunty rhythm. All notes are diatonic to the key aside from the raised 7th note of the scale. The resolution to the tonic feels prolonged as the arpeggio figure in the bass falters on the leading note, finally resolving in bar five.

Conclusion

 

This was a fun exercise, and as stated in the introduction it's all about the creativity. There's little in the way of technical work, as a perfect cadence is always V - I; its about how you can creatively express the chord change. The exercise also demonstrates how strong the cadence is, and how it exerts its dominance even with varying rhythms or chromatic melodies.

Listening to Cadenzas

 In this first piece of research for part five of the course, we are asked to listen to some cadenzas by well-known composers. Firstly though, here is wikipedia's definition of a cadenza:

In music, a cadenza, meaning cadence; is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display. Indicated by a fermata in all parts if improvised, a cadenza is usually over a final or penultimate note in a piece or important cadence and the accompaniment rests or sustains a note or chord. Thus it is often before a final coda or ritornello.

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.3 in C Major

 

This first example exemplifies the above definition. The cadenza in this movement appears at the end of the recapitulation, and is followed by a coda. It is written out, as opposed to improvised, utilizing a four semiquaver - two quaver pattern, first in the right hand then in both hands, eventually landing on a G7 (Dominant 7th) chord, followed by a short chromatic descending run to land on a C chord, completing the V-I perfect cadence. There are no bar lines in this written-out cadenza, suggesting a certain freedom of tempo.

Mozart Piano Concerto No.23

 

This concerto was unusual in that the written out cadenza was included in the manuscript. Usually if the cadenza was composed rather than improvised, it was included on a seperate sheet. This is the only one of Mozart's piano concertos where the cadenza was included in the manuscript. The character of the cadenza is that of fast runs interspersed with slower sections, often in the minor mode (I could hear fragments that were reminiscent of Mozarts Fantasty in D Minor). The return of the orchestra was signaled with a right-hand trill and a single, heavy dominant chord in left hand, the trill terminating in a turn or mordent.

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.5

 

This is a very long cadenza, at 65 bars and around 3 minutes that Bach notated. It starts off fast paced but fairly innocuous, before building to a frenzy from around the two minute mark. Like the Mozart, this cadenza appears to end with a trill and a turn or mordent on the end and the dominant chord in the left hand, which is a clear signal that the other instruments should return. This cadenza is obviously written to showcase the virtuosity of the harpsichord player.