Bach to the Future

An Analysis of Dallapiccola’s “Simbolo” and “Quartina” from

Quaderno musicale di Annalinera

Chris MacRae
12/19/2013

Music 602 – Analytical Techniques II – Boston University, Fall 2013

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In Luigi Dallapiccola’s 1952 Quaderno musicale di Annalinera, a piano notebook composed for

his daughter, the composer uses his admiration for Johann Sebastian Bach and models the work

after Bach’s own Notebook for Anna Magdalena. This paper will look at the first movement

“Simbolo” and the last movement “Quartina”, and analyze how Dallapiccola develops the rows

to create implied tonal harmonies, but also how he incorporates a personal tribute to JS Bach

himself.

Simbolo:

This movement is in an ABA ternary form, 1-16, 17-36, and 37-46, and uses a few methods to

differentiate between them. The opening A section utilizes a very rhythmic ostinato in the left

hand with a very accentuated staccatissimo articulation, while the right hand is sostenuto block

chords without pedal. In measure 6, both hands use the same progression of block chords in a

much faster eight note progression, before repeating this pattern in measure 13. There is a

marked textural change in measure 17, where the the staccatissimo ostinato is replaced with

more of a legato oscillation, and the lyrical line moves to the left hand. The return of the A

section is announced by the return of the staccatissimo ostinato in the bass line, although the

right hand returns with block chords before playing the same opening theme in measure 42.

There are two other factors are used to delineate the ABA sections, the first being tempo

markings, and the third voicing. The opening A section and the A’ are both marked with

tempo=84 while both hands begin in the bass clef, while the B section moves just a bit faster at

tempo=92-96 where both hands start in the treble clef.

While there are opportunities for invariance and hexachordal combinatoriality in the row used in

this piece, Dallapiccola chooses instead to focus on the implied harmonies that are included

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within the row itself. The final trichord of the Prime row [0,4,9] creates a minor sonority, while

the final trichord of the Inversion row [4,8,e] creates a major sonority, both prime form (037).

With these (037) trichords, Dallapiccola selects his rows to create a quasi-tonal Baroque chord

progression throughout the entire movement (Figure 1).

A section: P10 R11 P5 R5 I6 P5 R4

am a#m em em CM em gbm

B section: RI10 R0 P7 R7 P7 R7 P7 I8

EM Bm F#m-------------------------------------- DM

A’ section: R10 P10

am am

Figure 1 - Rows and (037) implied sonorities in Simbolo

In addition to the sonorities included within the rows, Dallapiccola creates groupings within the

row that highlight other implied tonal chords. For example in measure 2, there is an eb minor

triad [3,6,t,(e)] followed by a Bb7 chord with a missing fifth [t,(e), 2, (5), 8] in measure 3,

followed by a half-diminished G7 chord [7,t,(e),1,5] in measure 4, which leads to the a minor

[9,0,4] chord from the end of the P10 row.

Even though the ordering of the row is contained within the chords, Dallapiccola offers the

listener and/or performer the opportunity to discover the prime row, by only presenting one row

at a time. The first four rows, P10-R11-P5-R5, pretty much present the same thematic material

and chords, so that the listener can start to recognize the progression. At the end of the B

section, we see a similar back and forth progression when, starting in measure 25, there are five

prime and retrograde rows back to back (P7-R7-P7-R7-P7). This progression solidifies the tone

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row by subsequently repeating and rewinding the row over and over again, but also has a

”standing on the dominant “ function signaling a return to the A section.

While not included in the row itself, Dallapiccola most notable “symbol” of this work, is how he

quotes Bach’s own BACH motive [t,9,0,e] in this movement This motive is used as the main

theme of this movement, and is first seen in measure 2 as a T7 transposition of the original

[3,2,5,4]. The motive itself is inversionally symmetrical and appears twelve times in various

transpositions and inversions (Figure 2).

Measure Integers Transposition

2 3,2,5,4 T7P
6 5,6,3,4 T6R
7 T,9,0,e T0P
8 E,0,9,t T0R
11 1,2,e,0 TeI
17 4,3,6,5 T3RI
21 6,7,4,5 T7R
25 0,e,2,1 T2P
29 0,e,2,1 T2P
33 3,4,1,2 T1I
42 3,2,5,4 T7P
Figure 2 - BACH motive appearances

In addition to these direct quotes of the BACH motive, Dallapiccola uses the prime form of the

motive (0123), and layers it within the motive itself. There are three lines that are woven

together to create the BACH motive (Figure 3): The first is the actual motive [3,2,5,4] (0123);

the second or middle line uses the same first two notes, but instead of moving up an IC3, it

continues downwards by half step [3,2,1,0] (0123); the third or bass line is a different pitch order

[6,8,7,9], but still shares the same prime form (0123).

BACH: 3 2 5 4
Middle: (3) (2) 1 0
Bass: 6 8 7 9

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Figure 3- Layers of BACH motive

We see that in this opening movement, Dallapiccola incorporates a number of baroque

“symbols” into a piece that is clearly an homage to JS Bach. The tone row contains (037)

trichords which, in combination with the ordering of rows, implies a quasi-tonal chord

progression in a ternary form. The composer also uses the BACH motive in both direct

quotations, as well as layering the prime form underneath it, in prime and inverted forms.

Quartina

Unlike the first movement of this work, the final movement Quartina is a quatrain without

words, and is modelled after an arioso/recitativo that would commonly be found in the operas of

early 17th century Italian composers. It is in this movement that one sees more similarity

between Dallapiccola and a more traditional approach to serialism.

Even though there are no words, this movement is set up as a sung melody line over a chordal

accompaniment. There are four phrases in this movement, 1-5 6-9 10-13 14-18, and can be

divided into two distinct halves. The first two phrases are set in an arioso style, while the

rhythmic aspect of the second half is reminiscent of early Italian recitative.

Each phrase is comprised of two opposing rows which are superimposed on top of one another,

and horizontally, each of the melody and accompaniment lines are comprised one of each of the

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four inversions of the prime row (Figure 4). With the exception of one shared note in the second

and fourth phrases, there are no elisions or overlapping of the rows.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

RH I10 R0 RI6 P0
LH R1 RI6 P9 I4
Figure 4 - Quartina Rows

By always having opposing rows, there will always be both a major and a minor trichord built

into each phrase. As happened in the first movement, Dallapiccola creates implied tonal

sonorities through his tetrachords and groupings, although these rows do not follow a quasi-tonal

chord progression.

There is some invariance between these rows, which connect them all together. I10 and P9 both

start with [9,t,2,5], R1 and RI6 both start with [7,0], and obviously using RI6 in the

accompaniment of the second phrase and the melody of the third phrase.

Dallapiccola uses a row that contains three discreet tetrachords, (0158), (0147), and (0358)

which unifies each of the phrases into one cohesive movement (Figure 5).

I10: [ T 9 5 2 ] [ 0 6 7 3 ] [ 1 8 e 4 ]
Normal form: [9,t,2,5] [0,3,6,7] [8,e,1,4]
Prime Form: (0158) (0147) (0358)
Figure 5: Discreet Tetrachords of Quartina Row

Also hidden in the invariance of the rows, the first three rows either create a chromatic tetrachord

(0123) or a whole tone tetrachord, by either having invariance, or being excluded from the

invariance of the hexachords. For example, both I10 and R1 of the first phrase share [t,0] and

[e,1] in their respective hexachords, which when combined, created the (0123) chromatic

tetrachord which is also the same prime form as the Bach motive seen in the first movement. In

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the second phrase, there is invariance between all of the notes in the both hexachords, with the

exception of [0,2,4,6] (0246) which is the whole tone tetrachord. This opening up of the

tetrachord provides a sense of harmonic tension and release.

In these opening and closing movements of Dallapiccola’s Quaderno musicale di Annalinera, we

see how the composer has created and developed these movements with serialism, while also

incorporating several baroque elements. We see how Dallapiccola went beyond traditional

serialism, embracing tonal sonorities and quasi-tonal progressions that were embedded within the

row, how both movements use baroque forms, and how the Bach motive is used both as main

thematic material, but also layered underneath other material.

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Quartina:

Consider the ways in which Dallapiccola organizes his rows, which is different from the

first movement.

Unlike the first movement, where the row order is hidden within chords, the last movement uses

a very linear melodic line in the right hand, while having more of a choral/accompaniment

setting in the left hand.

Unlike the first movement, this movement presents two contrasting rows simultaneously, in the

right and left hands.

As there are four phrases, each phrase uses one of the four variations of the row.

There is some invariance between the pairs of rows, especially in the second phrase. First

phrase, the invariance between rows creates a chromatic tetrachord (0123) [t,e,0,1]. Second

phrase excludes a whole tone tetrachord (0246) [0,2,4,6]. Third phrase includes [6,7,8,9] (0123),

while the fourth phrase (with one minor exception) uses the two transpositions of the whole tone

chord

The first and third phrases have a chromatic tetrachord (0123) invariance between the

simultaneous rows [t,e,0,1] for the first, and a [6,7,8,9] at T8 for the third.

The second phrase share all integers, except for a whole tone tetrachord [0,2,4,6] (0246) in each

half of the hexachordal combinatoriality.

The fourth phrase shares invariance as it did with the second phrase, but instead of (0246), the

first hexachord shares [0,4,8] (048), while the second hexachord shares [2,7,9] (027)

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Why do you think Dallapiccola chose the rows he did? Does it hold a relationship to the

title? In what ways might the concept of the piece (reflective of the title) guide row

choices?

I10 R0 RI6 P0

R1 RI6 P9 I4

Horizontally, there is one of each row type. Stacked, there is always an opposing row, so that is

always a major and a minor trichord in the two rows.

Three discreet tetrachords in each row (0158) (0147) (0358)

Connections: The rows I10 and P9 both start with the same tetrachord [9,t,2,5], R1 and RI6 both

start with [7,0] which is a perfect fifth sonority, and by using the same row in the

accompaniment then melody, RI6 and RI6 provides a connection between the two halves.

Within the first three phrases, there is invariance between the hexachords which either creates a

chromatic tetrachord (0123) in the first and third phrases, or by exclusion a whole tone tetrachord

(0246) in the second phrase. This expansion and contraction provides an extra layer of harmonic

tension between the rows.

How would you describe the form of this piece

AABB: Quadrina or Quatrain is a four lined poem or song. Dallapiccola creates four self-

contained phrases, which are clearly organized into two halves. Reminiscent of 17th century

Italian opera, the first two phrases are in an arioso style, while the second pair of phrases are

more recitativo.

What sonority is made by the last three notes of P10?

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A minor triad [0,4,9] (037)

When inverted, what happens to this sonority?

A major triad [8,e,4] (0,4,70 (037)

The tri chords at the end of the P & I rows (start of R & RI rows) hold significance in how

Dallapiccola chose rows for this movement. How so?

Creates a quasi-tonal chord progression

A section

P10 R11 P5 R5 I6 P5 R4

Am a#m em em CM em gbm

B section

RI10 R0 P7 R7 P7 R7 P7 I8

EM Bm F#m--------------------------------- DM

A’ section

R10 P10

Am am

Do these choices relate back to his homage to Bach (think about tonal implications!) and do

they help construct a formal plan for the movement? What is the form of the movement?

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[1,6,t] which is an F# major chord, and is (037), is very predominant in the first hexachords of

the first movement (6xt, 6x6, 5x1) in P10, R11, P5, I6, P5 & R4.

There are many “tonal” sonorities that can be found within the row, and the trichord and

tetrachord groupings that Dallapiccola uses.

The movement is in ternary form.

Besides row choices, what elements of the piece clearly delineate the form and how so?

Tempo changes from 84 to 94-96 and back to 84

Textural change from a rhythmic ostinato with very staccatissimo accentuated articulation, while

B section is legatissimo and linear.

Although not part of the row itself, Dallapiccola brigs ut the BACH motive, which Bach

himself so famously used. We can first see this transposed with p.c.’s 3-2-5-4 in the highest

voice of mm. 2-5. As part of your analysis, continue to trace and mark on the score where

these motives occur, and any T and TI relationships they may hold to this first appearance.

There are a number of very clear setting of the BACH motive, but when it is reduced down to

prime form (0123), we can see that Dallapiccola uses the BACH motive, but also layers in the

(0123) into the motive itself.

Are there interesting ways that Dallapiccola uses his rows that are different from other

composers we have studied?

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In this movement, rows are presented one after another, and are not superimposed on top of each

other. The P & I rows start with a semitone, which he uses like a trill/ostinato underneath an

entire phrase.

He uses the tonal qualities of the rows to create quasi tonal progressions. In the B section , some

of the trichords are used out of row order, but always after the original order have already been

presented.

He repeats P & R rows, to create a standing on the dominant effect before returning to the A

section.

There is hexachordal combinatoriality within the rows, but it doesn’t seem to be something that

interests Dallapiccola in these movements.