PROGRESSION OF MELODIES
Melodies in different culture’s music
develop in ways entirely different within their corresponding pieces. For
instance, Asian music’s melodies a lot of times are developed strictly through
improvisation in order to develop motifs and main ideas of the piece. This can
be seen especially in the piece Midare
as there was originally no sheet music to compose the piece, and much of it was
played and decided before ever being written down on paper. Western influence,
however, creates melodies based on strictly followed guidelines and structures
of melodies (Kamien, 611). Western music sounds seem well practiced and every
note and movement or change in meter is put in the music in order to further
the piece, and the use of improvisation is almost obsolete as the music is
often well thought out and changed on paper in order to get it right. However,
the development of the melodies in each of the pieces, Pagodes and Midare, are
linked through the pentatonic scale rather than by way of that culture’s
designated method of melodic method. The pentatonic scale (Solfege of Do, Mi,
Sol, and La) is used mainly in Asian pieces as it creates the tone we often
refer to as an “oriental sound”.
Japanese
koto music is linked to the pentatonic scale because, like many Asian
instruments, the koto is already naturally tuned to fit the pentatonic scale.
However, in Debussy’s piano piece, Pagodes,
he uses the B major pentatonic scale (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#), which adds to the
feel of an Asian influence for this piece since the pentatonic scale is
primarily used as the typical scale in traditional Asian music.
Since
Debussy used an “Asian” scale as the tonal center for this piece the question
of Asian influence within his compositions can be raised to explain his use of
copious dissonances, glissandos, and the scale used.
Non-resolving
dissonances and phrases ending with descending and ascending glissandos are
also a main factor within the melodies of these two pieces. Each of these
pieces contain clashing notes which are a major factor in traditional Asian
pieces. In the piece, Midare, we can
see both of these aspects within a focal section of the music. From the link
provided above, the clip from 1:19 – 1:50 in the Zumi-Kai piece contains notes
that seem out of place but in reality, these notes serve the purpose of
creating a sense of individuality and personal touch for the composer to add in
harsh emotions. “An unstable tone combination is a dissonance; its tension
demands an onward motion to a stable chord. Thus dissonant chords are ‘active’;
traditionally they have been considered harsh and have expressed pain, grief,
and conflict” (Kamien, 41). The dissonances presented in the clip above are not
resolved quickly and many more clashes stem from the one before creating a
possible motif of harshness or unresolved feelings. Some of these dissonances
come as a sharp staccato note which creates even more of a harsh tone as the
shortness of an unpleasant chord can be piercing to one’s ears. In Debussy’s
piece, the dissonances heard are often long and legato phrases, but do not end
in resolution either. In the section 0:19 – 0:24 from the link to Debussy’s Pagodes, his use of dissonances is
apparent. In the video we can see the sheet music, and within the music you can
see the frequent use of the same dissonant chords (F and G being played
together) repeating over and over within the measures shown.
Ascending and
descending glissandos, or musical runs, are used within both of these pieces as
well. It is seen in the Debussy piece from 1:18 – 1:30, and in the Zumi-Kai piece in the time
frame 1:19 – 1:50.
In Debussy’s piece, the motif of this melody
is established first in the first measure and is the repeated again in the
third measure of this piece, and this descending glissando presents the piece
with another dissonant quality of the tri-tone which establishes an
uncomfortable, eerie feeling right at the start of the piece. This is also seen
at the end of the piece in measures 58 and 60. Debussy sets off with a
descending melody and ascending accompaniment (left hand piano part) in measure
58, which is followed by a separate measure, which is then followed by the same
motif as in measure 58 in measure 60, and this motif is the same one used at
the very beginning of the piece in measures 1 and 3.
This idea of
using glissandos to introduce melodies beforehand is also prominent in Zumi-Kai’s
piece. We can see that glissandos are used as well as dissonances in the focal
section of this piece. Though Debussy also uses this method to develop his
melodies, Zumi-Kai’s use of glissandos serve a separate purpose. Instead of
using this musical element to introduce something that will be repeated, it is
rather introducing a new section of the music, or ending the old section of the
piece. Each time throughout the piece that was are presented with a major
glissando there is a big shift in the tonal qualities of the piece, as well as
the tempo.
