9-8 Gcse Music Form

This piece is a 9/8 time signature and is in the key of D-flat major and C-sharp minor between measures thirty-eight to forty-three. The key also never modulates away from these keys. The structure of this piece is in ternary form with a coda. It can be interpreted that section A consists of measures from one to fourteen or on to twenty-six. Either way is a possibility however I believe that the first section goes on to measure twenty-six and the measures from fifteen and twenty-six serve more as a bridge in between the two sections which is part of section A.

Section A begins with a tonic chord in Db major deviating from rules of convention of voice leading; he lacks the tonic note and only introduces it later in this piece. This could also

The tempo also changes from andante très expressif to tempo rubato giving this section more freedom but the piece stays at pianissimo. This texture continues on but it gradually gets louder and livelier (peu à peu crec. et animé) until measure twenty-five where the music quickly gets softer with the dim. molto. As compositionally inventive as it is though, it still feels like a conventional diatonic harmony even with the occasional

It is worth noting that although we have seen crescendos and diminuendos along with a few hairpins, the change to piano is the first marked change in dynamic. As the composition prepares for the first modulation to E major/ C-sharp minor, it builds up with a crescendo into this new key.

This modulation, being the beginning of the peak of section B and what I believe the whole piece, begins with più crescendo and is en animant. We once again see chromatics being used again contrary to convention of the time. This chromatic scale in the harmony helps to build up to the climax of the piece dynamics wise, where there is a strong forte before Debussy goes back to the calm that came before the modulation. And right before we revert back to the opening theme, we see a repeat in the rhythmic cell that is prevalent throughout this section.

At measure fifty-one, the music is similar to the opening theme with ornaments throughout the theme. However, the measure begins with an ascending iii chord leading into the theme, giving a dissonant feeling with the previous section being unsolved. There are also minor changes in this final section with a tonal ambiguity which was not present in the first