Here is the music analysis of a famous piece of music that is the soundtrack of the Stlanley Kubrick 's movie "Clockwork orange". This theme is arranged by composer Walter Carlos is directly borrowed from baroque composer Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695) and has been composed for Queen Margo's funerals.
| Part 1 | 4 bars |
| Part 2 | 4 bars |
| Part 3 | 4 bars |
| Part 4 | 4 bars |
| Part 5 | 4 bars |
| Orchestration | Moog and Fairlight synthesizers |
| 1 unique theme | The unique
theme of this piece follows the
harmonic progression studied here above. It is
divided into 5 parts + Da capo, and does not exceed the
ambitus* of a perfect 5th.
|
The harmony is typically baroque with a kind of modal chord progression on 1 theme only. The main key is C major. The constant contrast between C major and C minor reveals a modal color of the baroque era in which the new tonal and ancient modal languages coexist. For example, the contrast created between the tonic chord C major and the sub dominant modal chord F minor.
| Part 1 | C maj | F min | C maj | Cmaj | ||||
| Part 2 | C min | Ab maj / Ab maj 6 | G maj | G maj | ||||
| Part 3 | G min | C min / D7 | G min | G min | ||||
| Part 4 | Eb maj | Ab maj / Bb maj | Eb maj | Eb maj | ||||
| Part 5 | C min | F min / G maj | Eb maj | Eb maj |
The modulation between these different parts mainly use the "homonym technique", in other words, a changing of mode (from major to minor by keeping the tonic). For example, in bars 4 & 5 (C maj and C min); in bars 8 & 9 (G maj and G min); in bars 20 & 1 (da capo from C min to C maj). The tonal progression remains clear : the 1st and 2nd parts (C major with modal IV chord F minor and modal VI chord Ab maj); the 3rd section (going to G minor = modal dominant of C major); the 4th section (to Eb major = C minor relative), and the 5th section (C minor = Homonym key of C major). The harmonic interest comes from a constant crossfade between transition chords, a kind of bridge betwwen the different keys.
On the rhythmic point of view, the tempo is : quarter note = 80, and the overall moderate rhythm is based on every beat with long note values or a dotted rhythm (bar 6), majestic and "royal" rhythm found in the "French openings" pieces of the 18th century. In this way, we can compare this piece with the Haendel's "passacaille", also a funeral march used by Stanley Kubrick in the movie "Barry Lindon" (1975). Generally, the pulse unit remains the quarter note, sometimes enriched by eighth notes.
| Moog synthesizer 1 | likely to the
harmony, the
melody or the
rhythm, the orchestral version changed by
Walter Carlos' synthesizers has a spare mood including 7
instrumental parts only :</br></br>
|
| Moog synthesizer 2 | A 2nd Moog sound uses timpani in order to ponctuate the beats, then the eighth notes of each bar.
|
| Moog synthesizer 3 | A 3rd moog sound imitates a percussion very similar to a gong, taking place
on the 3rd beat of the 3rd bar, and on the 1st beats of bars 12,13 and 19. This
percussion introduces the piece by 2 notes imitating a clock sound.
|
| Moog synthesizer 4 | A counter melody enters in bars 5 of the da capo, by a special rhythm made of successive half notes.
|
| Fairlight synthesizer | Finally, the piece finishes with a sound effect produced by the very tipical synthesizers of the 70's such as the Fairlight or the Synclavier. This sound is the normal evolution of a waveform changing itself into a sustain chord already found at the beginning of the piece.
|
| Sound | Panorama | Effects | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustain chords | Left + Right | Reverb + Auto pan + Vibrato | |
| Timpani sound | Center | Reverb + Chorus | |
| Gong sound | Spatial | Reverb large hall | |
| Centre arrière | Reverb hall | ||
| Counter melody | Center right | Reverb hall | |
| Sound effect | Center | Reverb + Auto pan | |
| Percussion | Center back | No |
| Title | Duration | Tempo | Style | Measure | Tonality | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2'21'' | noire = 80 | Classical music | 4/4 | Ut | 7 |
| Anacrusis | A melody or a rhythm starting on the offbeat |
| Baroque | Period of the music history corresponding to the 17th century |
| Chromatic neighbour tone | Non harmonic note that decorates a real note of a chord a semi-tone above or below, before returning to the original note. |
| Climax | Highest point of intensity of a melody or a musical piece. |
| Desinence | Resting period and return to quiet of a melody or a musical piece. |
| Homonym | Chords or keys having the same tonic but a different mode; example : C major and C minor. |
| Modal | Melodic or harmonic musical language based on the ancient greek modes, and used between the antic and baroque eras. |
| Opening | Introduction part of a musical piece used at the 17th and 18th centuries, having a majestic mood and generally destinated to the royal courts. |
| Perfect cadence | Conclusive pause going from chord V (dominant) to chord I (tonic). |
| Range | Distance between the lowest and the highest notes of a melody |
| Relative key | 2 keys placed a minor 3rd apart, one is major and the other minor, and having the same signature key. Eg: C maj. and A min. |
| Step motion | Melodic motion proceeding by successive neighbour notes. |
Home
Shop 
