Week 19-20: Exploring Themes

Themes

All composers work with the same basic elements when writing, regardless of style and genre. They generate musical ideas, exploring, developing and formalizing them into complete and comprehensible pieces. Such an idea, motif then becomes the subject of a composition, usually a melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based. This also known as a theme.

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001) defines a theme formally as: 
"The musical material on which part or all of a work is based, usually having a recognizable melody and sometimes perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, independent of the work to which it belongs. It gives a work its identity even when (as is frequently the case with a theme and variations) it is not original to the work."

Below, I discuss pieces of music that I think have a strong theme in them.

1. "Brucia La Terra (The Earth Burns)" - Giovanni "Nino" Rota

Performance by John Maddock on two mandolins and one octave mandolin:
https://soundcloud.com/john-maddock/godfather-theme

I selected this rendition, performed by mandolins, because the mandolin has such a strong presence in Italian traditional music. To me, it adds to the authentic feel of the performance. Also, the text suggests that a lover is standing underneath the balcony of the one he loves. He might as well be actually playing the mandolin himself to accompany his plaintive song. A full orchestra would not really convey this image.

This beautiful, melancholy ballad in B minor was written by composer Nino Rota (1911 - 1979). Rota was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor and academic best known for his film scores for films by Fellini and Visconti, This epic composition is so well known and has been simply labelled "The Love Theme from the Godfather".

Different sets of lyrics for the song were written in French ("Parle plus bas"), Italian ("Parla più piano"), English text ("Speak Softly, Love"), and Spanish ("Amor háblame dulcemente"). These all evoke an image of two lovers together making passionate vows of love. On the contrary, the subject matter of the Sicilian text ("Brucia la Terra"/ "The Earth Burns") is entirely different in subject matter and much darker, like little Shakespearean drama. It conveys the burning passion and anguish of the protagonist, whose passionate love remains unanswered. I find the latter to be more in keeping with the minor, sad feel of the ballad. The song makes you feel that something beautiful has been irretrievably lost.

Sicilian text:

Brucia la luna n'cielu E ju bruciu d'amuri
Focu ca si consuma Comu lu me cori
L'anima chianci Addulurata
Non si da paci Ma cchi mala nuttata
Lu tempu passa Ma non agghiorna Non c'e mai suli S'idda non torna
Brucia la terra mia E abbrucia lu me cori Cchi siti d'acqua idda E ju siti d'amuri
Acu la cantu La me canzuni
Si no c'e nuddu Ca s'a affacia A lu barcuni
Brucia la luna n'cielu E ju bruciu d'amuri Focu ca si consuma Comu lu me cori
L'anima chianci Addulurata
Non si da paci Ma cchi mala nuttata
Lu tempu passa Ma non agghiorna Non c'e mai suli S'idda non torna
Brucia la terra mia E abbrucia lu me cori Cchi siti d'acqua idda E ju siti d'amuri
Acu la cantu La me canzuni
Si no c'e nuddu Ca s'a affacia A lu barcuni
Brucia la luna n'cielu E ju bruciu d'amuri Focu ca si consuma Comu lu me cori

English translation:

The moon is burning in the sky And I am burning with love The fire that is consumed Like my heart
My soul cries Painfully
I'm not at peace What a terrible night
The time passes But there is no dawn There is no sunshine If she doesn't return
My earth is burning And my heart is burning What she thirsts for water I thirst for love
Who will I sing My song to
If there is no one Who shows herself On the balcony
The moon is burning in the sky And I am burning with love The fire that is consumed Like my heart
My soul cries Painfully
I'm not at peace What a terrible night
The time passes But there is no dawn There is no sunshine If she doesn't return
My earth is burning And my heart is burning What she thirsts for water I thirst for love
Who will I sing My song to
If there is no one Who shows herself On the balcony
The moon is burning in the sky And I am burning with love The fire that is consumed Like my heart

The melody has a flowing quality without extreme jumps from one note to the next, much like a human voice speaking to you. The melody is syllabic and very balanced with the phrasing. 

The ballad has a strong call-and-answer phrasing. The composition starts with a calling phrase consisting of a three note anacrusis or "pick up", followed by a line that ends in the fifth (F#, dominant). Then, the same line is repeated in answer, ending in subdominant E. This leaves the part still unresolved. Next, two short phrases, one ending in a calling C and a responding Bb. This is then resolved in a longer answer that ends on the tonic (B), marking the end of the "section". This evokes an image of the frantic protagonist, restless, conversing with himself.

Bars 9 and 10 mark a new section briefly hinting that the ballad will transform to the key of major, which it ultimately does not. It is a clever device, for it conveys the feeling of eager anticipation that the protagonist has as he watches the balcony for a sign of his love. 

The song is played twice. Its is first played by the mandolin, with some imitative embellishments made by second mandolin. The octave mandolin provides a tasteful bass line of single notes ending in a chord to mark the end. This provides a balanced scaffolding for the melody.

A second time, the melody is played by the octave mandolin and the mandolins hit more drawn out notes. Finally, the main theme is repeated again by the mandolin. The octave mandolin provides a dramatic resolution by sounding an ominous, low B minor chord. Alas, the finality of the rejection: His love will not appear  to answer his desperate calls.

2. "Theme from Jaws" - John Williams

This theme, proves that iconic themes do not need much, and are sometimes incredibly simple. This theme consists essentially of two alternating notes (E and F), creating a menacing, suspenseful mood of approaching danger. I certainly remember as a child the hairs on my arm standing on end, hearing this terrifying music.

3. "Here Comes your Man" - The Pixies (author: Black Francis)

This is a song by American alternative rock band The Pixies. It is written and sung by the band's front man Black Francis.

The song in the key of D kicks of with a bluesy dominant 7th sharp 9th chord (root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th and sharp 9th), giving this otherwise very poppy tune a raw and dirty edge. This start also rather feels like the ending. Maybe this is the reason: The song is very cheerful, but it contrasts with song's subject matter of drifters trapped in a train hit by an earth quake.

The chord is allowed to ring and then, the catchy, twangy two bar theme melody is played by guitarist Joey Santiago and it is doubled by bassist Kim Deal. It features a song call-answer pattern: in the call it ends on the 5th (A-note) and the answer ends on the tonic (D-note). It is supported by the acoustic guitar playing a simple D–G–A chord progression. Santiago uses a chord based picking pattern when Black Francis commences to sing.

4. "Cissy Strut" - The Meters

Such a classic catchy New Orleans funk song! It is in the key of C major just features a 2 bar theme consisting of syncopated descending line (call) played on the guitar by Leo Nocentelli. The line is doubled by the bass line. This melodic line is answered with a high sounding two chord answer (Bb-Bb, F-F).
This line is played four times, after which a break is played which showcases an innovative, brilliant and challenging drum work by Joseph Modeliste accenting up beats and ending in a rivetting "Tsss Tsss" on the hi-hat cymbals. You cannot NOT bob your head to this! No wonder it has been sampled in many hip hop songs.

5. "Every Valley" - George F. Händel

I was introduced to Händel's composition "Messiah" through a gospel record that my parents used to play a lot at home when I was a child: the famous album "the Young Messiah" by The New London Chorale. I was very moved by these triumphant, uplifting compositions "Hallelujah", 'O thou that tellest" and "Every Valley". The voice of Madeline Bell in the latter is still incredible, vocal dynamite to me. Gripping and moving to stirring crescendo's.

I also really love this rendition sung by Mark Padmore with the London Symphony Orchestra, directed by Sir Colin Davis. Padmore performs the incredible ascending vocal melisma's on the phrase "exalted". This is an effective figure to illustrate the idea of "lifting up".

The song carries a tremendously hopeful note: "Every Valley" is about change, an inspriring, perhaps social - change where all obstacles and injustices will be levelled and corrected, a change for the better through the coming of Jesus Christ.

Every valley, Every valley
Shall be exalted
Shall be exalted
Shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill made low
The crooked straight, and the rough places plain
The crooked straight ,the crooked straight, and the rough places plain
And the rough places plain

The composition carries this very strong and simple ascending melodic line, which repeated by various voices in the composition (do-re-mi-so-so):

The melodic line is such a humble thing, much it holds an emotional load which makes it almost like a rhetorical question. Such a question could only demand one definitive, answer. The line "shall be exalted" receives a beautifully upwards spiraling melisma (-al-), like it is suggesting a staircase to the heavens:

6. "Gloria in excelsis deo" - Antonio Vivaldi

"Gloria" is an integral part of the Ordinary of Mass, and Vivaldi composed this very popular setting of this mass. When I first heard this composition as a child I was immediately gripped by this melodic call:

It is very rhythmic octave interval, which sounds like a call to arms, answered by two answering lines ending on the A note.

This theme is repeated in the composition, first featuring strings and second the horn section in the answer. Then a beautiful, long descending line begins from bar 8, providing an introduction for the choir, that repeats this theme.

The composition is beautifully balanced and employs a classic (medieval) responsorial between instruments and choir.

7. "Dead Man Theme" - Neil Young

This is the haunting, modal theme from Jim Jarmusch's film "Dead Man". The composition starts with a waltz-like chord progression, which sets the stage for a heavy, raw guitar melody. At points, de electric guitar is doubled, but towards the end of the song it stands alone. The raw contrast and sparse instrumentation emanates a melancholy "lonesomeness", which suits the film.

Young barely seems to hold control of the distorted sound of the electric guitar; it's like some primitive, primordial force. Yet, for all its wildness, it has a beautiful , hypnotic quality, which complements the frontier landscapes in the film.

The solitary guitar provides a dramatic, percussive outro, when the acoustic rhythm guitar has long faded. Rather like Death, who, as we all know, has always had the final answer anyway.

Speaking of death....

8. "Danse Macabre" - Camille Saint-Saëns

When composing this piece, Saint-Saëns was inspired by the old superstition that "Death" would appear at midnight every year on Halloween. He would raise the dead from their coffins, to dance for him while he played the fiddle.

In this composition the main melody is played by a solo violin with its E-string tuned flat, creating an eery, dissonant sound. I found this good rendition on Youtube:

The piece opens with the harp striking a single D-note twelve times to signify the clock striking midnight. It is accompanied by soft chords from the string section. And then the solo violin starts playing a feverish waltz, striking dissonant double stops using E flat and A. It is Death playing his fiddle. After this the main theme is heard on solo transverse flute, which is repeated by the string section. It is then followed by a descending line on the solo violin.
This theme and the scale is then heard throughout the various sections of the orchestra until it breaks to the solo violin again. 

9. "Rhapsody in blue" - George Gershwin

I found this beautiful performance by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. I am very fond of the first section of this concerto.

This section starts with that epic and beautiful glissando on clarinet in the opening measure, which then plays the first theme (00:00), which is answered by a second theme played by the brass section (00:32). The first theme is repeated with muted trumpet (01:07). A third theme is played by the piano, after which the full orchestra plays theme 1 again. 

10. "Mandolin Concerto in C Major" - Antonio Vivaldi

I have a cd of master mandolinist Avi Avital. I found this fresh perfromance of Vivaldi's Mandolin Concerto in C Major.

I love this humble theme, which utilises an octave interval:

Also this descending answering theme, which descends in third intervals:

Conclusion

Regarding the ten compositions, I conclude that themes are important melody "hooks" that provide interest to music. They often have catchy quality to them; often they have a predictability and simple logic of call and answer, usually ending on the tonic. They appear early in what I consider to be good compositions, quickly drawing in the listener.

Sources

Antti Salonen, 2010. Neil Young - Dead Man Theme (long version). [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-S9lrnLZ8> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

Deutsche Grammophon, 2015. Avi Avital - Mandolin Concerto In C Major - Vivaldi (Live). [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXBWrNN64z8> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

DrGrDo, 2012. Camille Saint-Saëns - La danse macabre. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fZhMXlGT4> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

idontknough, 2006. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvi4iA3PnKE> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

lavinder11, 2010. The Meters - Cissy Strut. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_iC0MyIykM> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

London Symphony Orchestra, 2008. Handel: Messiah, Ev'ry valley shall be exhalted (Sir Colin Davis, Mark Padmore, LSO). [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NCO6UzZ2R8> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

Luister Bijbel, 2010. The New London Chorale - The Young Messiah. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocjqOVPp87s&t=637s> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

Maddock, J., 2005. Godfather Theme. [Download] Available at: < https://soundcloud.com/john-maddock/godfather-theme> [Accessed 19 June 2017].

Sacdie, S. (ed.) (2001) The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan.

Qiyu Liu, 2014. George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic (1976). [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH2PH0auTUU> [Accessed 19 June 2017].