Gallery of Simple Examples, volume 2

I have posted a sequel to the gallery of simple examples (link to volume 1). The title is A Gallery of Simple Examples of Extended Rising Melodic Shapes, Volume 2: link to volume 2.

Here is the abstract:

This second installment of direct, cleanly formed rising lines offers examples from a variety of sources, ranging from a short early seventeenth century choral piece to Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, and from Scottish fiddle tunes to Victor Herbert operettas.

Here is a combined table of contents for the two volumes, arranged chronologically and with the volume number indicated:

Praetorius, three-voice motet "Preis sei Gott in der Höhe"       -- vol. 2
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, Partita ex Vienna, Courante      -- vol. 2
Böhm, Suite in F minor, Courante       -- vol. 1
Anon., Chelsea Stage    -- vol. 2
Anon., The Duchess of Gordon     -- vol. 2
Anon., The Kerry Jig       -- vol. 2
Anon., The Nabob        -- vol. 2
Anon., The Runaway Bride   -- vol. 2
Anon., Shepherds Jigg   -- vol. 2
Anon., Yankey Doodle      -- vol. 2
Mozart, 12 Menuets, K176n1       -- vol. 1
Haydn, String Quartet in D Major, Op76n2, III       -- vol. 1
Haydn, Symphony no. 86, III      -- vol. 1
Beethoven, 12 German Dances, WoO8n1       -- vol. 1
Hummel, from 6 German Dances & 12 Trios, op. 16      -- vol. 2
Schubert, Wiener-Damen-Ländler, D734n15       -- vol. 1
Schubert, Valses sentimentales, D779n13       -- vol. 1
Schubert, Ländler, D814n4       -- vol. 1
Schubert, Deutscher Tanz, D769n1       -- vol. 1
Schubert, Grazer Walzer, D924n9       -- vol. 1
Johann Strauss, sr., “Champagner Galop,” Op. 8      -- vol. 2
Johann Strauss, sr., Das Leben ein Tanz, oder Der Tanz ein Leben!, Op.49       -- vol. 1
Johann Strauss, sr., Exotische Pflanzen, Op.109       -- vol. 1
Johann Strauss, jr., Künstlerleben, op. 316       -- vol. 1
Brahms, “Über die See”       -- vol. 1
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, March       -- vol. 1
Herbert,  Sweethearts, n7: "Jeannette and Her Little Wooden Shoes"      -- vol. 2
Herbert, Naughty Marietta, n17: "The Sweet Bye and Bye"      -- vol. 2
Herbert, Babette, n23: Finale III      -- vol. 2
Prokofiev, Classical Symphony, Gavotte      -- vol. 2
Gershwin, Shall We Dance, "Slap That Bass"      -- vol. 2
Waxman, Rebecca, "Hotel Lobby Waltz”      -- vol. 2 

Interlude: Three from Victor Herbert, continued

In yesterday's post, I wrote about movements from Sweethearts (1913) and Naughty Marietta (1910). Today's focus is on no. 23, the final number in Babette (1903). This short and uncomplicated finale—no extended szena!—is a reprise of two earlier numbers, n5: "The Letter Writing Song," in which Babette sings about her work writing letters for others, and n2: "My Honor and My Sword." The reprise of n5 is an invitation to Babette's wedding, n2 a trio (in the subdominant), and an instrumental version of n2 closes the operetta. Both n2 and n5 independently have rising-line-based designs.

The "trio": reprise of n2: "My Honor and My Sword."

The instrumental conclusion: reprise of n5.

Interlude: Three from Victor Herbert

"Interlude" in the title refers to a short break from the "JMT series," which will resume soon.

I spent a week or two earlier this month going through vocal scores of Victor Herbert operettas. By the time I was done, more than ninety pieces—songs, marches, scenes, finales—emerged with ascending cadence gestures. I have chosen three to present here because they are typical of Herbert's writing and because each has a design that can be heard as a simple rising Urlinie.

The first is from Sweethearts (1913), the second from Naughty Marietta (1910). The third is discussed in a separate post: from Babette (1903).

 Sweethearts, n7: "Jeannette and Her Little Wooden Shoes." A solo version is presented here for efficiency's sake. See further below for the original quartet version (where three other singers accompany a soloist). This is the refrain of a verse-refrain (or chorus) design, and it is followed by a purely instrumental repetition ("Wooden-shoe Dance"). The sforzando C5s establish the register that is then occupied by a strongly defined focal tone Bb4. The ascent to the cadence is quite straightforward. And of course all of it is repeated in the instrumental dance. The style is close to that of the rural Schnadahüpfl and related dances and dance-songs (link).

Original quartet version, opening.

 Naughty Marietta, n17: "The Sweet Bye and Bye." Similar to the preceding in that a focal tone is firmly established—here even more directly, with clearly identifiable figures moving above and below—and the ascent in the cadence unmistakable.

Post-Schubert Composition list

In posts last month, I introduced examples by Schubert from my PDF essay Scale Degree ^6 in the 19th Century: Ländler and Waltzes from Schubert to Herbert, published on Texas Scholar Works: link to the essay; link to the first Schubert post.

Here is a list of the compositions discussed in the final section of Part I of the essay and in Part II (“After 1850”).

Josef Lanner, “Die 28er” Ländler, op. 20
Josef Lanner, Altenburger-Ländler, op. 40
Johann Strauss, sr., Feldbleamel’n (im Ländler-Style), op. 213
Brahms, Walzer, op. 39
Brahms, Liebeslieder-Walzer, op. 52
Johann Strauss, jr., An der schönen blauen Donau
Johann Strauss, jr., Künstlerleben
Johann Strauss, jr., Geschichten aus der Wiener-Wald
Josef Strauss, Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb’ und Lust, op. 263
Eduard Strauss, Das Leben ist doch schön, op. 150
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Waltz of the Flowers
Fauré, Dolly-Suite, Kitty-Valse
Chaminade, Valse-Caprice, op. 33
Debussy, Valse romantique
Victor Herbert, The Only Girl (1914), Overture