Something's Coming Poem
Bernstein- Something’s coming essay
Melody
Something’s coming has many examples of blue notes. These are either F G# or C, and can be seen in bars 18-20 in the vocal line. A tritone is a jump of 3 tones and can be seen in the vocal line ‘soon as it’, (G# D). The melody is partly fragmentary as it usually contains fragment semi-tones in the rhythmic parts, e.g. there are two fragmented notes F# G in the vocal line, ‘Could it be?’ to ‘if I can wait.’ The words are predominantly syllabic in the vocal line, e.g. ‘It may come’ to ‘bright as a rose’. In section A the melody line is at a lower range than in section B which has a higher range and longer length of lyrics than in section A. For example section A ‘something due’ is split into 3 quavers, whereas in Section B ‘The air’ is a crotchet and a minim.
Rhythm …show more content…
However the exception to this is in the vocal line in Section B. Examples of syncopation include, bar 39 and bar 4 piano. Bernstein uses cross rhythms between the piano and the vocal lines in Section B, with the words ‘Whistling down’ going against the piano ostinato. Push rhythms are syncopated notes which are played with more force and can be seen in the piano part throughout, e.g. bar 1, 3rd note of the right hand.
Harmony
Section A is in D major, Section B is in C Major till bar 70 where it changes back to D Major. Section B1 starts in C Major till bar 125 where it changes to D Major. Section A1 is in D Major throughout. In bars 1 and 2 G # is added to the first chord- an augmented 4th of D Major. In bar 1 the 3rd beat chord is a B Minor 11th chord (B-D-F#-A-E) and the 3rd beat chord of bar 2 is a D Major 11th chord (D-F#-A-E). In bar 31 he voice part modulates to C Major, however the use of an F# in the piano part, creates a bitonal
Melody
Something’s coming has many examples of blue notes. These are either F G# or C, and can be seen in bars 18-20 in the vocal line. A tritone is a jump of 3 tones and can be seen in the vocal line ‘soon as it’, (G# D). The melody is partly fragmentary as it usually contains fragment semi-tones in the rhythmic parts, e.g. there are two fragmented notes F# G in the vocal line, ‘Could it be?’ to ‘if I can wait.’ The words are predominantly syllabic in the vocal line, e.g. ‘It may come’ to ‘bright as a rose’. In section A the melody line is at a lower range than in section B which has a higher range and longer length of lyrics than in section A. For example section A ‘something due’ is split into 3 quavers, whereas in Section B ‘The air’ is a crotchet and a minim.
Rhythm …show more content…
However the exception to this is in the vocal line in Section B. Examples of syncopation include, bar 39 and bar 4 piano. Bernstein uses cross rhythms between the piano and the vocal lines in Section B, with the words ‘Whistling down’ going against the piano ostinato. Push rhythms are syncopated notes which are played with more force and can be seen in the piano part throughout, e.g. bar 1, 3rd note of the right hand.
Harmony
Section A is in D major, Section B is in C Major till bar 70 where it changes back to D Major. Section B1 starts in C Major till bar 125 where it changes to D Major. Section A1 is in D Major throughout. In bars 1 and 2 G # is added to the first chord- an augmented 4th of D Major. In bar 1 the 3rd beat chord is a B Minor 11th chord (B-D-F#-A-E) and the 3rd beat chord of bar 2 is a D Major 11th chord (D-F#-A-E). In bar 31 he voice part modulates to C Major, however the use of an F# in the piano part, creates a bitonal