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Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Handel-Were'er you walk

I've heard this piece performed before, and have to say that its always interesting to compare what you learn from a live performance, and then from really critically looking at a piece the way that we do in this class. I feel like the piece is fairly straight forward.
It seems to be in simple ternary form, just because it develops this A theme in Bb Major comprised of two assymetrical periods the first ending in m.7 on a half cadence, and the second ending in m.16 on an authentic cadence that at first was difficult for me to pinpoint as being perfect or imperfect but I hear it as perfect. There is a cadential extension after the authentic cadence which is followed by another PAC. Then the B section modulates clearly to G minor, the relative minor, giving a distinct, new flavor and independent idea to the piece. The B section also seems to be a bit tonally unstable and very open with emphasizes its independent nature even more. The A theme returns in the original key of Bb Major completing the cookie cutter "statement-contrast-restatement" format that is so typical of a ternary form. The da capo really gives that away, the Temko talks about the Baroque Da Capo Aria as being a prime example of simple ternary form with its three basic divisons.

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