Hierarchy, Motives, and Phrase Members
Hierarchy
The process of crafting music is multifaceted and nuanced, with each composer employing a unique approach. While some compositions may appear free-flowing, mirroring the spontaneous ideas of the composer, others exhibit meticulous organization, developing from elementary components into elaborate compositions.
Music's fundamental attributes include rhythm, melody, dynamics, and timbre, which collectively give birth to harmony, texture, and other advanced elements. In this unit, we will delve into the melody, examining its structure and arrangement. By comparing music with language structure, we aim to illuminate these intricate concepts.
Our journey will entail dissecting a piece of music, exploring its integral components.
Music can be understood as a hierarchical assembly of various elements. At the most fundamental level resides the motiveA musical motive is a short melodic or rhythmic idea that acts as a building block for a larger musical composition. It is a distinctive musical figure that carries expressive or thematic significance throughout the piece, often repeated or varied to create cohesion and structure. Motives can be as short as a few notes or as long as a phrase, and they contribute to the overall character and development of a musical work. The word "motive" usually refers to pitch material, but other kinds of motives such as rhythmic or contour also exist.-a short, recurring musical element that is smaller than a complete musical idea. Motifs appear frequently throughout a piece, often undergoing transformations, yet maintaining their distinct identity. Due to their brevity, expansive melodies or segments of melodies should not be categorized as motifs.
Formal analysis typically disassembles a musical passage into its building blocks. CadencesA musical cadence is a harmonic and melodic resolution that signifies the end of a musical phrase or section. It provides a sense of closure and finality, guiding the listener's perception of musical structure and creating moments of musical punctuation. In classical tonal music, cadence types include Perfect Authentic (PAC), Imperfect Authentic (IAC), and Half (HC). Cadences play a crucial role in shaping the overall flow and balance of a musical composition. often signify the conclusion of phrasesA musical phrase is a distinct musical idea or unit that forms a cohesive and recognizable musical thought. It is a self-contained segment of music with a beginning, middle, and end, often characterized by melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements. Phrases contribute to the structure and organization of a musical composition, functioning as building blocks that create musical form and shape. They can vary in length and are typically separated by cadences or points of musical punctuation. In much music, that goal is a cadence; so we might also say that a phrase is a relatively complete musical thought that ends with a cadence., which themselves can be further divided into smaller segments (sub-phrases, ideas, or motifs).
Take note that the terminologies, techniques, and structures we discuss in this unit are most relevant to the melodies from the Common Practice Period (Western music spanning the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods-1600-1910), European folk tunes, and music influenced by these melodic idioms. Contemporary music, whether derived from classical or popular genres, and non-Western music styles might not rigidly adhere to these rules.
As shown in the Form Hierarchy diagram, a composition consists of movements. Each movement contains sections, sections house phrases, phrases embody ideas (and possibly sub-phrases), and ideas consist of motifs.
In this lesson, we'll explore the diverse ways a phrase may be composed of sub-phrasesA musical sub-phrase refers to a smaller segment or division within a larger musical phrase. Sub-phrases are smaller than a phrase but larger than an idea, and do not necessarily end with a cadence. While a musical phrase typically consists of multiple sub-phrases, each sub-phrase can have its own internal coherence and development. Sub-phrases often exhibit smaller-scale patterns and can be identified through melodic contour, harmonic progression, or rhythmic motifs., ideasA musical idea refers to the smallest fundamental and distinctive musical concept or theme. It represents a core musical concept that forms the basis for the development and variation within a composition. Ideas need not end with cadences, and they may combine to form subphrases or phrases. A musical idea can be a melodic motif, rhythmic pattern, harmonic progression, or any other identifiable musical element that carries expressive or thematic significance. Examples include basic idea, contrasting idea, unit, cadential idea, and fragments., and motivesA regularly recurring unit of music that's smaller than an idea. Motives are short, recurring melodic or rhythmic fragments that serve as a fundamental building blocks in a composition and are typically transformed across a work. Motives can be made of pitch, rhythmic, or harmonic material.
In the realm of language, the smallest element we consider is the letter or character. Similarly, in music, we consider the note (or tone) as the smallest fundamental unit.
| Language | Music | |
| Level 1 | Letter | Note |
When we combine letters, we create words, each bearing a distinct meaning when conceptualized as a noun or subject. In the musical context, this combination gives rise to what we term a 'motive'.
Motive
A motive, or motif, is a succinct, recurrent musical figure-a cluster of a few notes that give a composition its characteristic feel and unity. A motif, though it can be of any length, is generally just a few notes long. These easily recognizable melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic patterns reappear throughout a composition, acting as unifying elements deployed by composers.
Motives are generally smaller than an ideaA musical idea refers to the smallest fundamental and distinctive musical concept or theme. It represents a core musical concept that forms the basis for the development and variation within a composition. Ideas need not end with cadences, and they may combine to form subphrases or phrases. A musical idea can be a melodic motif, rhythmic pattern, harmonic progression, or any other identifiable musical element that carries expressive or thematic significance. Examples include basic idea, contrasting idea, unit, cadential idea, and fragments.. They are the smallest structural units that maintain thematic identity (White, 1976, 31-34). Our primary focus will be on the melodic content of a motive.
To illustrate the relationship between elements of language and music, consider the following table:
| Language | Music | |
| Level 1 | Letter | Note |
| Level 2 | Subject | Motive |
Throughout this unit, we'll review examples from various musical works and construct a melody that encapsulates key concepts.
A single motif can serve as the foundation for crafting complete melodies, themes, and pieces. The process of Musical development involves the usage of a unique musical figure that undergoes alterations, repetitions, or sequencing throughout a piece or a section of a piece, thereby ensuring its unity. This concept of motivic development traces back to the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti and the sonata form of Haydn and Mozart's era.
Beethoven masterfully elevated this technique to its highest potential; the renowned "fate motif" -a pattern of three short notes followed by one long one that introduces his Fifth Symphony and recurrently appears in the work with surprising and invigorating variations-is a quintessential example.
Let's delve into listening to some notable examples of motives, beginning with the "fate motif:"
In Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, a four-note figure becomes the most important motif of the work, extended melodically and harmonically to provide the main theme of the first movement.
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
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"Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio" [ 00:00-00:03 ]00:03
Listen to the entire first movement of the symphony and notice how the "fate motive" recurs in many different ways.
The motive of the first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor is one of his most identifiable musical gestures. Listen as he develops it melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically throughout the movement.
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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"Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550: Molto allegro - First Theme"
Download the full score of Mozart's Symphony No. 39 in G minor.
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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"Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550: Molto allegro"
Based on the examples discussed, it's evident that motives often comprise just a few notes, typically ranging between two to ten, and span one to two measures. As the musical piece unfolds, these motives undergo further development.
Remember, musical composition, like language, is a nuanced art form. Similar to how some sentences might veil the subject for the sake of poetic license or subtlety, not all melodies are formulated from readily discernible motives. The realm of music composition is marked by the same degree of intricacy and creative flexibility as found in the crafting of language.
Motives:
- Typically recur and are transformed across a work, and thus acquire special importance or are characteristic of a composition.
- Are typically smaller than an idea.
Drawing parallels between the structure of music and language, we now delve into further development of our basic musical components, akin to enhancing a basic subject in language.
| Language | Music | |
| Level 2 | Subject | Motive |
Now that we have our initial building blocks, let's develop it.
Phrase Members (Subphrases)
In linguistic terms, we elaborate on our subject to create a richer description. For instance, instead of merely stating "the dog," we might add detail by saying "the large brown dog" or "the drowsy dog resting in the corner." These detailed descriptions are referred to as "phrases" in language.
In music, a similar progression can be observed when we elaborate on our initial motive to imbue it with greater depth and complexity. This resultant element is known as a phrase member.
| Language | Music | |
| Level 1 | Letter | Note |
| Level 2 | Subject | Motive |
| Level 3 | Phrase | Phrase member |
Here are some phrase members examples from the literature:
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
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"5 Little Preludes: Prelude in C Major, BWV 939" [ 00:00-00:04 ]00:04
Listen to the full composition:
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
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"5 Little Preludes: Prelude in C Major, BWV 939"
Composer: Robert Schumann
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"Album für die Jugend, Pt. 1, Op. 68: No. 1, Melodie"
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
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"Clavierbüchlein for Anna Magdalena Bach, Book 2, BWV Anh. 113-132: Musette in D Major" [ 00:00-00:02 ]00:02
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
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"Clavierbüchlein for Anna Magdalena Bach, Book 2, BWV Anh. 113-132: Musette in D Major"
Composer: Friedrich Burgmüller
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"Arabesque" [ 00:02-00:03 ]00:02
Composer: Friedrich Burgmuller
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"Arabesque"
From the examples provided, it's evident that a phrase member comprises an enhanced motive. Generally, composers expand motives employing techniques such as:
- Repetition
- Sequence
- Contrast
In the first musical example below, the initial measure comprises the motive, while the second measure replicates that motive. The combination of these two measures forms the first phrase member.
In this second musical example, the motive is housed within the first measure, followed by a sequenced version of the motive in the second measure. This pair of elements gives rise to the first phrase member. We will delve further into various types of sequences in a subsequent lesson.
In the final musical example, the first measure introduces the motive, with the second measure presenting a contrasting element to the motive. These two measures together construct the first phrase member.
Core Skill
- Identify and describe the overall form of a music composition quickly and accurately.
- Identify and describe the motives present in a music composition quickly and accurately.