Well, now I think I've figured out the melodic inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner. Can't not hear it in the Appassionata. Great Series, Sir! ~TD, Boston
🙂 It's just a coincidence. Check out the Wikipedia article about the Star Spangled Banner and follow the link to the Anacreontic Song. That tune was first sung no later than December 1773, when Beethoven was just 3 years old.
Very helpful video but I have to disagree that the loud passage in the Mahler was "surprising". The harmony centering on the dominant, as well as the slow brooding mood, make it feel like something big is coming.
Would the diminuendo that suddenly gives way to a forte dynamic be called subito forte like how a creschendo suddenly giving way to a piano dynamic is called subito piano?
Beethoven uses sudden dynamic changes all the time, even within a single phrase. I mean just look at his Pathetique sonata introduction, it goes from forte to piano within the same phrase. I myself tend to decide on the dynamics late into the composition process. I also tend to compose in blocks so like I might compose one phrase and then decide on the dynamics for that phrase and then same with the next phrase. Here are the things that make me tend more towards sudden dynamic changes, especially fp, like Beethoven: Minor key Big chords after a passage with mostly single notes On the other hand, if I am aiming for a more upbeat, Mozartian character, I rarely if ever use sudden changes and mostly use Crescendo and Diminuendo, usually resorting sudden changes for something like mf -> f
I often have difficulty deciding on dynamics for my pieces. Obviously I need to start building them in sooner!
Well, now I think I've figured out the melodic inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner. Can't not hear it in the Appassionata.
Great Series, Sir!
~TD, Boston
🙂 It's just a coincidence. Check out the Wikipedia article about the Star Spangled Banner and follow the link to the Anacreontic Song. That tune was first sung no later than December 1773, when Beethoven was just 3 years old.
Thanks as always! Looking forward to the next one :)
Thank you! Gonna listen to it as soon as I get home :)
Very helpful video but I have to disagree that the loud passage in the Mahler was "surprising". The harmony centering on the dominant, as well as the slow brooding mood, make it feel like something big is coming.
i under stand it. but as a new composer is hard to decide when and what form to use it and make it uniquely powerful.
Thank you, Alan!
This will be interesting for me, because I often have difficulty deciding which dynamics I need
Would the diminuendo that suddenly gives way to a forte dynamic be called subito forte like how a creschendo suddenly giving way to a piano dynamic is called subito piano?
Thanks!
Tip: The title of the video should be "Dynamics and Musical Form" not "Analysis for Composers #3" (or the combined)
Beethoven uses sudden dynamic changes all the time, even within a single phrase. I mean just look at his Pathetique sonata introduction, it goes from forte to piano within the same phrase. I myself tend to decide on the dynamics late into the composition process. I also tend to compose in blocks so like I might compose one phrase and then decide on the dynamics for that phrase and then same with the next phrase. Here are the things that make me tend more towards sudden dynamic changes, especially fp, like Beethoven:
Minor key
Big chords after a passage with mostly single notes
On the other hand, if I am aiming for a more upbeat, Mozartian character, I rarely if ever use sudden changes and mostly use Crescendo and Diminuendo, usually resorting sudden changes for something like mf -> f