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MODULATION AS A RATE OF CHANGE
On the Peasant-Bear Vignette from Stravinsky's Petrouchka
Igor Stravinsky's balletic masterwork Petrouchka is replete with brilliant orchestration, innovative settings of Russian folk tunes, and stunning harmonic effects. With respect to the latter, the composer's manifold ways of modulating between different pitch collections (eg diatonic, octatonic, whole-tone) provide fascinating material for discussion. Today we focus on one especially salient modulation from Tableau IV: The Shrovetide Fair (Toward Evening).
The overall sound of Tableau IV is similar to that of the opening, as it provides a sonic representation of hustle and bustle — a wide variety of human interactions all taking place in one place at the same time (Ex 1)...
Copyright © 9 December 2013
Andrew Schartmann, Connecticut USA
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