Analytical Techniques for Tonal Music - T551

Prof. Frank Samarotto

Assignment 3: Song without Words, Op. 53 No. 4
September 8, 2021
Isaac Terceros

Measure 1:

The main melody (in the right hand) is preceded by a “secondary” melody present in
the accompaniment gesture (left hand). In my opinion, this is very significant, because
the motion and the energy does not begin on beat 3, rather, it starts to be accumulated
since the very beginning of the piece. Particularly on the second beat of the
accompaniment, the top notes present the melodic figure A – G – A – Bb – A – Bb. This
initial A, could be consider a stable pitch on the scale of F major, is followed by a
descending step to G. It would be possible to think that gravity is attracting the motion
to the tonic F, however, the line reverses to return to A, where inertia takes place to
conduct the movement to the Bb, a rather unstable pitch which looks to resolution,
whether upwards to the C, whether downwards to the A. The latter is what happens,
but only to soon return to the Bb.

Another very interesting aspect of this opening is the melody in the bass line (left
hand). “Mirroring” the double neighboring motion of the top melody, this gesture
displays F – G – F and F – E – F followed by another F – G – F before stabilizing the
gesture on the tonic F in the second bar.

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Harmonically, these movements sound more like neighbor harmonies or neighbor
chords, rather than a harmonic progression. With the exception of the last beat, where
the dominant sonority is clearly present, despite the dominant chord appears with an
inversion.

Still on measure 1, the main melody (right hand), begins on the third beat and with a C,
the dominant degree of the scale. It is followed by a E, the leading tone (grace note).
Because of inertia and magnetism, it would be possible to anticipate a movement
towards the tonic F, however, the melody moves downwards to D and returns to the
initial C.

Measure 2:

A natural resolution for this initial melodic motion would certainly be: C – E – D – C – F
(tonic, stability, resolution, arrival., etc.). Yet, the composers decided to jump straight
into the A, certainty, a major 6th leap that was not expected. Anyway, from that A,
gravity could easily take action to bring the motion down to G and resolve finally in F.
However, there are more surprises on the way: the A goes up to Bb and Bb does not
resolve as usual, rather, continues the movement up to the C.

Articulation is something worth noting in this second measure. Bb and B natural have a
slur and dots, indicating a “portato” motion, which also implies a special effort, even a
physical effort in order to arrive to the high C (the highest pitch in the melody at the
moment)

Finally, the long-expected resolution descending movement: C – A – F. The tonic triad

that brings momentaneous stability. And I say “momentaneous”, because this is not a
cadence on F, nor an interruption of the motion on a long F. This F is display on the last
eight note of the third beat, in other words, the weakest of the metrical possibilities in
this measure. This, certainly does not bring any stability or sense of melodic rest.

Measure 3

This measure displays the continuation of the descending figure started on the
previous bar, C – A – F goes down to E, however, here not acting as the leading tone,
rather, as a dissonance that needs to resolve downwards to D because of the harmony.
Inertia and gravity have brought the movement to a certain stability; however, this will
soon be disturbed because on the third beat, the harmony moves to F major and that

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“stable” D now is turned into a dissonance that seeks for resolution into C. Melodic and
harmonic tension and resolution are very interrelated in this measure. A pitch that
could be considered melodically stable, is harmonically unstable and when that given
pitch finds harmonic stability, it turns into a melodic unstable note.

Measure 4

The last C of the previous measure is here reiterated, however, with accompanied by
the dominant chord in second inversion. Is very noticeable the dissonance Bb – C that
will eventually resolve in the second beat of the measure to A – C.

Another significant element in this measure is the opposite motion displayed by the
main melody and the bass. The main melody presents: C – D – E – F – A – F (and F – E in
the following bar), while the bass moves from G t0 F – E – D and finally C. This contrary
motion tends to concentrate an important amount of energy, perhaps due to the
opposition between gravity and inertia (or even a double magnetism).

On the last beat of the 4th measure, there is a repetition of the F intercalated by the A.
Melodically, it would be possible to see this passage as a stable moment in the tonic
key, however, if the harmony is considered this is rather a very intense and unstable
passage. The C on the accompaniment is a dissonance that will resolver downwards to
B natural, forming a diminished triad under the last F.

Measure 5

All the energy and tension displayed on measure 4, continues to be accumulated during
the first part of this measure 5. All these energies – gravity, inertia and magnetism – will
lead in a half cadence in to dominant harmony. For this reason, the F, transformed now
in a very unstable dissonance, looks for resolution into the E (the third of the dominant
scale). The B natural, in a motion that was already anticipated on measure 2, acts now
as a leading tone that resolves into the C. For some reason, G (or even B natural) is
avoided in the bass line, rather, a C is presented anticipating the resolution of the
second beat.

On the last part of this measure, another phrase starts with a movement that
resembles the melodic motion on measure 1. In this case, the melody is presented a
fifth upwards: G – Bb – A – G. The harmony is still built above the dominant chord;
however, the 7th note of the scale is now in the bass.

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Measure 6

The natural resolution for the Bb in the bass is the downwards motion to the A natural
(this is that happens), while in the melody the expected movement is to the F (this is
not what happens!). Instead of this, there is an ascending leap to C, which will be
followed by a stepwise motion in the opposite direction: C – Bb – A – G – F (Surprise!
This is not an F natural, rather, a F#).

While this is happening with the main melody, there is another very interesting
descending motion that takes place in the inner voices. With a distance of a third, the
moment presents: C – Bb – A – G – F – Eb – D / A – G – Eb – E – C – Bb – A. This could be
interpreted as a Bb major scale or G minor scale. In fact, the Eb on the second beat
completes an A diminished chord that leads to a possible Bb major. However, on the
third beat, the D on the bass indicated that the harmony is moving to a different
direction, indeed, a D major chord with 7 th (and 9th, the Eb) is completed (the 7th being
on the bass).

Very noticeable, this passage - where gravity, inertia and magnetism apparently bring
stability and the search for a resolution – is one of the most intense and unstable
because of the harmony.

Measure 7

The F# present on the last beat of the previous measure is the leading tone of G.
Therefore, its natural resolution would be F# - G. However, this is not what the
composer decided to do. Instead, – and similarly with other passages in this excerpt –
there is a big ascending leap to the high D. The bass resolves to the Bb, the third of the
G minor harmony. Soon, gravity and magnetism bring the melody to a descending
motion D – Bb – A – G. It would be possible to think that this a movement towards a
certain stability on G minor, however, this is going to be disrupted in the last beat.

As already happened in other instances during this excerpt, the last beat is a moment
of melodic and harmonic intensification. Melodically, the descending movement
started at the beginning of this measure, continues to F – D and resolves on C at the
downbeat of the next bar. This motion (caused by inertia, gravity and magnetism)
towards C have been already seen previously (measures 3 – 4). Nevertheless, what is
more significant here is the motion from Bb to B natural and then C on the bass. The B

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natural is the third note of the G major 7 th chord. In the context of G, this B natural
could be considered a stable note, however, here is a very unstable pitch that is in
movement towards another pitch, in this case, C. Furthermore, this motion from Bb to
B natural and C, has already happened before, for example, on measure 2, and partially
on measure 5.

Measure 8

Harmonically, this measure could be considered very stable on the dominant harmony.
Yet, melodically the only tone that is maintain is the bass in C. All the other voices are
very active shaping together an ascending motion. For example, the main melody
presents: C – E – F – A – G – A, mirrored by a similar motion a sixth below E – G – A – C –
Bb – C and another additional harmonic notes.

There are three elements that are worth observing here: the ascending motion from C
to A, the neighboring motion A – G – A and the resolution E to F. First, the ascending
movement could be considered as result of the magnetism towards F and A, or maybe
as a negative gravity. In any case, inertia conducts the motion from C all the way to the
A. This interval was already presented in other instances during the passage (measures
1-2 and measure 4). Possibly, it could be considered as a motivic element together with
the neighboring motion A – G – A that was displayed on measures 1 and 5, for example.
And last (but not least), the motion E – F that would be seen as leading tone – tonic,
however, the harmony prevents to hear this long-expected resolution. The leading
tone will remain present during the last beat of the measure to finally find stability on
the following measure.

Measure 9

Finally, a perfect authentic cadence in the tonic F, however, the resolution is still
delayed until the second beat of the measure. The melodic descending line presents G
– F. After all this unstable and intense motions, the melody finds stability and rest. The
bass displays the cadential motion from C to F and all the other voices resolve into the
tonic chord.

This delay or displacement of the resolution from downbeat to beat 2 could be also
understand as a suspension that intensifies the tension and delays the arrival to the
tonic.