An American In Paris and Petite Messe Solennelle links for those doing IB Music HL/SL
Investigate significant musical links between these two pieces
by analyzing and comparing their use of texture and rhythm. An
American in Paris by George GershwinPetite Messe Solonelle by
Gioachino Rossini
Texture and instrumentationGershwin scored this piece for a
large orchestra, to which he added alto, tenor, and bass
saxophones, which add authentic blues/jazz sound
Taxi horns recreated by closed French horns and glissandi in
strings and woodwind (bar 40-43)
Trumpets use variety of mutes to alter their sound, including
felt crown in the homesick blues theme, mute by cutting rim from
fedora hat
Themes accompanied by bass/chords and countermelodies (bar
12-15) e.g. 1st walking theme has countermelodies in flute/oboe,
bassoon/2nd violin/viola
Built up ostinato patterns across orchestra to a climax in
Coda
Violins: Tremolo (bar 106-109) Switch between pizzicato and arco
(bar 283-301) near the frog play at heel end of bow, result in
percussive attack to sound Glissandi, shared between clarinets and
flutes, and later oboe (bar 324-337)Rossini varies instrumentation
from movement to movement to bring variety across work. Solo voice
+ accompaniment (no. 4, 6, 9, 13) Two solo voices + accompaniment
(no. 5) Three solo voices + accompaniment (no. 3) Alto solo, chorus
+ accompaniment (no. 14) Chorus and accompaniment (no. 1) Chorus
and soloists, unaccompanied (no. 12) Piano solo (no. 11)Harmonium
Sustained harmonies while piano has faster-moving material (Kyrie
bar 2-8; Qui Tollis bar 2-10) Double and support choir (Kyrie bar
9-33) Reinforce loud and climatic passages (Credo bars 3, 6)
Countermelodies or short passages of figuration (Credo bar 100,
114) Short solo in Ritornello before SanctusPiano Chordal
accompaniment (Gloria bar 28-52) Oom-cha accompaniment (Domine
Deus) Syncopated patterns (Cruxifixus) Broken chordal accompaniment
(Qui Tollis) Solo movement (Preludio Religioso) Solo introduction
(Gratias, Domine Deus, Quoniam)Solo parts frequent ornamentation,
greater use of wide leaps and chromaticism Triplet decoration
towards end of Gloria Acciaccatura in bass line in Gratias bar
31-32 Dotted rhythms and trill bass, Quoniam Semiquaver runs in
GratiasChorus Unison and octave unison passages (Credo bar 10-13)
Chordal passages (Et Resurrexit bar 30-33) Homophonic passages
(Kyrie, Kyrie section) Contrapuntal passages (Kyrie, Christie
section) Fugal passages (Cum Sancto Spiritu bar 26 onwards)
Imitative passages (Santus bar 8-10)
RhythmNumber of typical 20th Century rhythmic features heard:
Change in metre e.g. , 5/4, 4/4, , 2/4 (bar 208-212) Syncopation
e.g. 4/4 metre disrupted by 3+3+2 cross-rhythm, emphasized by
trills, trumpet (bar 487-488) Cross-rhythm 3/8 on flute/xylophone,
on bassoon/cello/bass, 2/4 on horns/upper strings patterns at same
time (bar 32-25) Polyrhythm variety of quaver, semiquaver, quaver
triplet and crotchet triplet are all heard simultaneously (bar
174-194)Rhythmic writing drawn from Classical period Dotted rhythms
(Quoniam bar 14-26) Double dotted rhythms (Crucifixus bar 6)
Syncopated rhythms (Crucifixus) Repeated rhythmic figures in
accompaniment (Kyrie bar 2 onwards; Gratias bar 18 onwards;
Crucifixus)Rossini uses constant pulse or repeated rhythmic idea to
set a rhythmically freer melodic line(s) against it.
