L'ARLESIENNE SUITE NO. 2
BY GEORGE BIZET
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iL'Arlesienne is a Suite - If we remember from before - The Four seasons is also a Suite.
A Suite is a collection of tunes. L'Arlesienne was composed by George Bizet - a French composer in the Romantic Era. The Romantic Era was a time when the orchestras were very large and the music was very expressive and dramatic. Intermezzo - An intermezzo is a piece of music played between two acts of a play This Intermezzo is in 3 sections - A B A1 - meaning its Ternary Form Ternary form is when the A section returns at the end. A Section - E flat major - although the opening is in C minor It begins with some 4 bar question and answer phrases for example: Question - 4 bars - Strings and Woodwing playing in Octaves Answer - 4 bars - Woodwind and Horns B Section - There is a change of Tempo to mark this section - Allegretto Moderato (moderatley quick) The Saxaphone and the French Horn features here playing a smooth melody -legato. The Strings underneath play broken chord accompaniment. At first they play it Pizzicato (pluck the strings with their fingers) then they play Arco (play with the bow) There is a big crescendo ( getting louder) and Allargando (broadening out) to the end of the Section fff The A section returns, much more quieter. It is not the exact same as the first A section, there are a few hints of the B sectrion thrown in as well. The End is a big TUTTI finish ( full orchestra) ff there is a molto rit (gradually slow down) Other features: Metre is 4 - The time signature is therefore 4/4 time Tonality - It begins in C minor but most of the movement is Eflat Major Tempo - Andante moderato ma con moto ( at a walking pace, moderately but with movement) changes to Allegretto moderato in the middle, molto rit. at the end. Texture- Homophonic all the way through |