Casuarina - Musical Analysis

Maxwell Hanks C.MusAGM

May 27, 2021

Contents
1 Art Music 1

2 Casuarina - Analysis 2
2.1 Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2 Musical Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2.1 Section A (Bars 5 - 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.2 Section B (Bars 13 - 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.3 Section C (Bars 21 - 28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.4 Section D (Bars 29 - 38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.5 Section E (Bars 39 - 56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.6 Section F (Bars 57 - 64) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1 Art Music
Art Music is predominantly referred to music descending from the traditions of
Western classical and contemporary music. It in many contexts derives from
classical traditions focusing on formal styles, technicality, detailed deconstruc-
tion, and demands attention on the listener. In typical western practice, art
music is considered primarily a written musical tradition, some styles preserved
in the form of musical notation, as opposed to be transmitted orally, alike folk,

1
2 CASUARINA - ANALYSIS 2

traditional and pop music. Art music can be known for utilising fusion of dif-
ferent musical-cultural backgrounds, alike Australian Art Music.
Many Australian composers, arrangers, and other musicians when writing
music attempt to portray a specific idea, story, or note, through musical elements
and concepts. Some may fuse Australian type music with other styles such as
taking African concepts, such as poly-rhythms, free time, condensed scales, and
some instruments such as djembes and kalimbas.
Much Australian music also utilises Celtic styles, some of which coming
from traditional Western Europe, such as Scotland, Ireland, Wales, etc. Most
of these cultural fusions will be inclusive of unique obscurities whether it be
through technicality, musicality, instrumentation, or some sort of element that
sets it apart from traditional Western-European music.

2 Casuarina - Analysis

2.1 Abstract

Casuarina is a composition deriving from Australian and Celtic styles, through

harmonies, timbre, instruments, and overall musicality. It, as said through the
name is depicting a forest, exploration, adventure, and jive throughout. This is
a piece written for a full concert band, or in other words a wind orchestra. This
is with a full wind and brass section, with some strings, being cello and double
bass, for its Celtic style and wide range of registers and timbres.

2.2 Musical Structure

This piece is in septuple time (78 ), in Ternary Form, and in the key of C Minor,
Z
relatively speaking, with some changes diatonically to E Major throughout 8
bar phrases. It is a relatively fast piece at ˇ “ = 195. The piece begins with
the lower brass for two bars playing notes built up on fifths and octaves from
C, from the Tuba and Euphonium. Through the entirety of the piece there is
a ostinato of percussion coming from Bongos and Castanets, playing quavers,
2 CASUARINA - ANALYSIS 3

accenting on the subdivisions of the bar, 2 crotchets, and one dotted-crotchet.

2.2.1 Section A (Bars 5 - 12)

At bar 5, the melody and simple bass line comes in from the Piano part. The
part played is generally speaking ascending going through different inversions of
its progression. The bass plays an ascending diatonic line starting from C, only
^
to bring in an A (the raised 6th degree based on minor) 2 bars later, going into
the subdominant of an F Major progression. Working up in perfect 4ths, going
from Cm to F over a course of 2 bars, the same process repeats again going up
to B , throughout the (68 ) bars occurring on the 5th bar of each phrase, for 2
Z
bars. Going through the same process again brings us to the perfect 4th above
B ; E . Once the (78 ) bars come back this progression goes back to it’s root
Z Z
of C, and for it’s leading in the last 2 beats of the phrase, goes down to B , Z
to lead back up to C. On the last bar of each phrase though, the subdivisions
are reversed, putting the dotted-crotchet at the start of the bar, then the two
crotchet beats. In theory, the progression played:

(78 ) I Ib — Ib IV — IV IVb — IVb vii

(68 ) vii iiib —viib iii — (78 ) Ib I — I vii

2.2.2 Section B (Bars 13 - 20)

The same melody and bass line in Section A is continued throughout this section,
only to add some key instruments playing the melody (Xylophone and Harp)
and the Cello(s) with the bass. Some glissandos are included once the other
mallet percussion parts come in.
2 CASUARINA - ANALYSIS 4

2.2.3 Section C (Bars 21 - 28)

This section is the modulation to the dominant minor (G Minor). This is

where the middle section motif comes in, based around winds (oboe, flutes and
E Z Clarinet with the melody, and lower brass and bass playing the lower har-
mony. These lower instruments such as bassoon, contrabassoon, tuba, baritone
saxophone, etc. play the root of each chord built up in this section, so Gm, D5,
7
Cm, F, etc. The subdivisions of the 8 bar are reversed every second bar. (2, 2,
3)(3, 2, 2). The notes on the second beat of the bar are accented and staccato
in the winds, and tenor saxophone and horns play a single note, the middle
harmony on a single note accented on the subdivisions of each bar. Percussion-
wise it becomes more articulate with the inclusion of claves on the dominant
beat, and the bongos with occasional rolls, as well as a marimba and xylophone
playing the melody motif. Timpani is similar to bass, only reduced to minimise
much retuning, as its 4 timpani.

2.2.4 Section D (Bars 29 - 38)

This section is the tutti section, where the higher winds in unison with the flute
and oboe part playing in Section C, and the saxophones with the exception
of the soprano, playing the middle harmony, not the melody or bass. Tenor
saxophone, as well as English horn, and plays the syncopated singular notes
alike the horns. With the inclusion of the glockenspiel playing a countermelody
of the bass line, even though it’s the highest in register of the tuned percussion,
for an inverted feel. After the repetition of the motif in Section C, after the 7th
bar is in 38 , followed by 2 bars in simple quadruple, with a descending F Lydian
scale in the bass such as baritone saxophone, tuba, bass clarinet, cello, double
bass, etc. This is with all the other parts like percussion doing a tremolo / roll
and all other wind and brass parts playing F’s building up upon fifths (i.e., C),
with a crescendo leading up to the next section of E.
2 CASUARINA - ANALYSIS 5

2.2.5 Section E (Bars 39 - 56)

This section is a repetition of section A’s motif, and distributing harmony,

melody and bass across all parts. Higher winds playing the original motif,
followed by some alterations in notes in parts such as saxophone, and filled oc-
casional C Dorian scales, played with octuplet demisemiquavers. Other middle
harmony playing notes rather staccato, and horns utilising 4-part vocal style
harmony, for warmth and timbre of the piece. This section is repeated twice,
with alike section D, after the 7th bar being in 38 , almost identical to that bar.
This is followed by alike the previous section, the descending scale in the bass,
and an introduced chromatic scale building from F in higher winds such as oboe,
clarinets, saxophones, etc. Some playing one octave, and the instruments with
larger registers playing up to 2 octaves, with a large crescendo. This leads into
the next section with again, all pitched parts playing F and C, with 2 quavers
in beat 4 of the bar playing G’s in their respective octaves, spanning across 6
octaves.

2.2.6 Section F (Bars 57 - 64)

The whole orchestra is tutti with a G amongst their registers, so across 6 oc-
taves in the entirety of the orchestra. This is the percussion interlude with the
inclusion of Taiko drums, claves, castanets, a gong hit at the start, and the
bongos, as the same. The rhythm is mainly the same except some of the parts
share double strokes amongst each other, and occasional flams / grace notes.