A Schenkerian Analysis of Preludio from Bach’s Unaccompanied Violin Partita Essay

Very few theorists touch upon the topic of motivic and structural coherence in Bach’s dance suites. The keyboard and lute suites deservedly have more published analyses than the string suites – considering there are simply more of them – leaving the cello and violin suites pristine and practically untouched, and unjustifiably so. The most obscure are the violin suites, particularly the BWV 1006 in E major. With the exception of the well-known published analysis by Schenker of the Preludio, Carl Schachter’s analysis of the Gavotte en Rondeaux, no other analysis can be found of this partita. Building on Schenker and Schachter, I present my own Schenkerian analysis of the Preludio. With the help of David Beach’s book on unity in Bach suites and Joel Lester’s book on Bach’s solo violin works, I address motivic and structural coherence in this partita with some observations that apply to all of Bach’s violin suites. Bach composed six unaccompanied works for the violin in the year 1720, three Sonatas da chiesa and three Partitas. The â€Å"partita†, as understood during Bach’s time, was a set of variations; as one might infer, this definition implies that some or all movements of each partita are variations of each other. The BWV 1006 has seven movements and the only violin partita that begins with a prelude. David Beach addresses the first two of three violin Partitas in his book, observing the importance of the neighbor motion as a motivic pattern in the first and second Partitas. I wish to call attention to the great significance of the neighbor motion that is present in the third Partita as well. The Preludio opens with a lower-neighbor figure E-D#-E, and the figure occurs within every modulation. It’s noteworthy that Urlinie itself, in fact, contains an incomplete neighbor. The Gavotte en Rondeaux is the literal embodiment of the variation concept. Being the only violin partita with a Rondo movement, the notion that a partita is a set of variation is most evident through this partita. Regarding Gavotte en Rondeaux, Carl Schachter suggests that as the episodes increase in complexity, the ritornello seems more and more parenthetical. In a sense the two episodes can be organically linked over the ritornello, and thus the concept of the Rondo is realized even more so beyond its surficial sectionalized design. Continuing with this notion, I suspect that as a whole, the movements of BWV 1006 can be linked together specifically because it is a set of variations, despite its superficial differences. Structural coherence of the partita can be inferred from the Preludio. The piece is typically heard as two sections that are quite similar, while this division seems insignificant, it suggests a subtle element of variety. Being a prelude, it would not be presumptuous to assume either one the two things: the other movements will have similar two-part divisions, or other movements will also have varying sections. To facilitate an in-depth analysis of the Preludio, I have produced foreground and middle ground graphs. However, I made my graphs after consulting Schenker’s own analysis of the Preludio. As one of Schenker’s earlier analyses, it is noteworthy that he reads the Urlinie as an 8-line; this octave-line interpretation creates more problems than a reading from 3. However, the basic, fundamental idea Schenker presented provides a blueprint for a reading, which, in my view, is more accurate. Schenker offered FIG. 1 in conjunction with the 8-line Urlinie, without specifying exactly what the relationship is. I propose that Schenker intuited the significance of the neighbor motion in the Urlinie, and read 8 as a cover tone. From Schenker’s figure above I present my notion of the incomplete upper neighbor [FIG. 2]. The de-emphasis of the returning 3 as a passing tone from 4 to 2 lends importance to the incomplete upper neighbor A, supported by IV. This self-contained tonal area stretches over half of the Preludio. A reprise of an opening passage at the initiation of the A prolongation gestures its independence from its surrounding, indeed a smaller organism enveloped within the larger animal. This is evident through the internal auxiliary cadence to A that accompanies the tonal area IV. In retrospect, the IV is already a long-term goal from the beginning. The first 58 measures properly set the stage for the emergence of IV. The first step on the path to IV is the movement to VI as a short-term goal. This is done by first moving to G# (m. 39) through F# (m. 37), creating a third progression E-F#-G# in the process. The G# is employed first in the top voice as primary tone and then in the bass as pedal point, also the fifth to the incoming C# (m. 51) [FIG 4.  EX. 1]. The C#, in a sense, is a midway stopping point from E major on its way to A major. A# in measure 53 leads to B, creating yet another third progression G#-A#-B. The B is to be read not as V of E but as II of A, unfolding to tonic through two consecutive fifths B-E-A [EX. 2]. As we shall see, the contour of the bass forecasts what is to come; additionally this prelude within the Preludio presents the material for further elaboration and development. Now firmly in A, a memorable passage from measures17-28 is restated in the new key, as though a second beginning. This reiteration casts upon listeners a sense of home, even though the music has strayed to a new tonal area. As I stated before, the 58-measures prelude will matured and grow in its new environment. The bass progression moves in the similar contour as the early 58 measures. The F# (VI) in the bass being a third below A, serves as a short-term goal as a midway stopping point on its way to D# (V65). The long-term relationship between A and D# results in a tri-tone which intensifies the arrival of V [E, 4]. The midway F# is unfolded from G# the same manner as the unfolding of A from B, through two consecutive fifths F#-D#-G# [E, 3]. The internal Urlinie is initiated by C# over A in [E, 2], and falls upon an implied B above the D# as 2, the B is prolonged over the V in a 6-5 motion [E, 5]. The path between V on its way back to I is quite sophisticated. In the treble, a sequential circle of fifths is used to take the fifths (E-B) to the octaves (A-A) [E, 5. 5]. With an 8-7 motion, the A octave becomes a B7 chord. The B acts as pedal point at this point in the bass [E, 6]. As the seventh of B resolves to G#, B leaps a third to D#, which then is registrally shifted to a lower register through arpeggiation. The low D# then compose out a D#7 chord reaching a high A, thus the end of the internal Urlinie is reached. It should be noted that Schenker pointed out a large-scale voice exchange, consisting of B and D# between measure 120 and measure 128 [see foreground graph pg. 8]. The V in the bass arpeggiation is now approached with utmost anticipation as the weight of the entire Preludio shifts upon its imminent arrival; with only a few measures left, one has to onder in what magnificent way the V will be executed to counterbalance the monumental build to the IV? As the internal Urlinie is fulfilled in measure 131, two descending third progressions in parallel sixths [E, 7] bring forth the most dramatic, German style of violin execution: one dotted quarter B7 quadruple stop that brings the Preludio to a single halt, as the V is finally in place. The effective but swift gesture is sustained by A, the seventh, no longer an incomplete upper neighbor but supported by V. As the A moves through G# to F#, a 7-6-5 motion is created over V as Urlinie scale degree 2 is reached [E, 8]. The bass returns home to its original tonic E in measure 137, and the Urlinie is satisfied as well with E in the treble. The last two measures are coda, finishing the piece in a similar manner as it opened, unfolding itself back into the high E through two octaves. Extended bow technique is demanded to perform the Preludio, perhaps more so than the other movements; but that is not to say the big shifts and the frequent adjusting to unconventional positions is any more comfortable for the left hand. The consistent stream of sixteenth notes in a fast ? nvokes immediate association to a keyboard prelude. Furthermore, the multiple voices created through exploiting the full range of the instrument allows for keyboard features such as pedal point, register shifts. Combined with multiple subject entries and modulations, this piece contains mature Baroque characters of a Bach keyboard prelude. Ironically, Bach wrote such a prelude for a most unsuitable instrument, perhaps with the knowledge that only with correct and virtuosic execution can its full intended effect be achieved. As I begin to understand the purpose of each note, I play the piece better. Mindless playing and practicing is unfulfilling and futile, and can only produce the most stiff and lifeless imitations of music, if I may quote Schenker. As for the issue concerning unity in all of Bach’s work, both Lester and Beach discussed first two violin partitas at length but strangely failed to address the last partita, I think the research on this topic remains incomplete without consideration of this partita. It would be interesting, if not absolutely necessary to look into the rest of the partita to see what it has to offer.

The Truth About Iraq May Be Elusive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Truth About Iraq May Be Elusive - Essay Example Was the intelligence on Iraq deliberately corrupted or was there an administrative blunder that skewed the presentations? Was there an overall rush to war after 9/11 during which period the evidence was disregarded in favor of "groupthink"? To answer these important questions, it's necessary to examine the irregularities that surrounded 9/11 and the events that led up to the War in Iraq. We will find a pattern of mismanagement, deceit, and rationalization. The loudest and most convincing case for going to war was based on the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). United Nations weapons inspectors had been in and out of Iraq on an irregular basis for the 10 years prior to the fall of 2002 and again just months before the war. They had never found verifiable evidence of a WMD program. In November 2002 the UN team returned to Iraq headed by international expert Hans Blix. They were still unable to report with any conviction the presence of WMD. During this period Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, was getting concerned about the lack of evidence for WMD. And he was not alone. General James Marks, in charge of ground intelligence had similar misgivings. When Rumsfeld was questioned about his uncertainty he later admitted that he was unsure. He said, "I was very worried about it" (Woodward 100). When asked if he was aware that a two star general named Spider Marks shared a similar concern about the lack of WMD evidence Rumsfeld replied, "No. I mean, we dealt with the combatant commander's people. I may have met him, but I don't know him" (Woodward 100). It may seem incredulous that in the fine tooth search for WMD, the Secretary of Defense had not talked to, and in fact did not know, the General in charge of ground intelligence. To mislead the public on this critical breakdown in communications would serve Rumsfeld no good purpose. We can only guess that the failure was due to incompetence, indifference, or 'groupthink'. While Rumsfelds's beliefs may have clouded his objectivity, the Niger uranium connection can not be so easily dismissed. During the State of the Union address in January 2003, Mr. Bush said to the nation, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" ("State of the Union Address"). However, the CIA had discredited this information as early as 2002 (Stein). Both the CIA and the State Department had voiced doubts about the authenticity of the documents. Yet, the information was included in the address to the public. Days before the war, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Security Council held that the documents were suspect and inaccurate. The FBI would later investigate them as forgeries (Getrz). In the days before the war, Congress raised concern over the issue of the Niger uranium connection. In a letter to President Bush dated March 17, 2003, Representative Henry Waxman wrote, "In the last ten days, however, it has become incontrovertibly clear that a key piece of evidence you and other Administration officials have cited regarding Iraq's efforts to obtain nuclear weapons is a hoax". Because Waxman could see the wheels of war beginning to spin, he closed his letter with a sense of urgency, "Given the urgency of the situation, I would appreciate an expeditious response to these questions.". Honest leaders would have provided a quick and honest reply. The Honorable Henry Waxman would have to wait a full six weeks. On April 29, 2003 he received a letter from a low level State Department employee. It said in part, "Based on what appeared at the time

How to design fashion psychologically Dissertation - 1

How to design fashion psychologically - Dissertation Example There has always been a perceived connection between the designer clothing associated with individuals and their status in the society as well as their identity. There is also the notion that the connection between these aspects decreases with an increase in maturity, nevertheless, designer fashion still influences the views of status. Hypotheses will be tested through gathering literature from research that has been carried out by other people as well as conducting a new experiment.   This research aims at creating a better understanding of how designer fashion influences the social standing of women especially psychologically and physically. This research is particularly important as it is inevitable for people to avoid being judged based on their clothing and will aim at understanding the influence of materialism on status of people of different ages. Problem statementThe main aim of this research is to understand how fashion created by different designers all over the world aff ects the social status and development of an identity particularly in women.   Humans have different ways of differentiating between each other and conforming to societal norms, including the use of clothes. Clothing, especially fashion assists people in identifying themselves with their peers and acts as a method of distinguishing people. Clothing can be easily used in the identification of the form of character and cues that indicate particular stereotypes. These stereotypes may be useful in appreciating the social status.

Managing Change by Managing Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Change by Managing Risk - Essay Example Technological development means keeping the technology up to date for the company in order to remain competitive in the market. Competitive environment forces the companies to retain good quality of the products and services in order to improve customer satisfaction. 3.2 Internal Forces of Change Internal forces of organizational change include such forces, which force the change to occur inside the company. These changes are very significant in order to increase employee satisfaction and employee commitment towards their job responsibilities. The changes include change in the working atmosphere, change in employment rules and regulations, and change regarding employee retention strategies. 4. Risk Management Harrison (n.d.) states, â€Å"Change is inherently ambiguous, and those who deal creatively with change will have a high tolerance for uncertainty†. In case of organizational change, we can say that organizational change needs proper management of risks in order to be suc cessful. Francois (n.d.) states, â€Å"A change management process is a series of business practices used to control and manage change within a large system or organization†. Risk management is one of those business practices that are needed to implement organizational change. â€Å"Much of risk management work is focused on the management of risk in a 'business as usual' and relatively stable environment† (Anderson 2004). Risk management is a process, which is used to identify and measure the risks being faced by a company or a firm. Risk management refers to the concept of keeping the risks under control so that they do not create any kind of dangerous situation for the company. This process of... According to the research there are two types of organizational change, which include external and internal forces of change. External and internal forces of change not only result in altering organizational policies concerning various business activities but also influence major functions of management. The external forces of change include competitive business environment, technological development, and political and social environment of an organization. Technological development means keeping the technology up to date for the company in order to remain competitive in the market. Competitive environment forces the companies to retain good quality of the products and services in order to improve customer satisfaction. Internal forces of organizational change include such forces, which force the change to occur inside the company. These changes are very significant in order to increase employee satisfaction and employee commitment towards their job responsibilities. The changes incl ude change in the working atmosphere, change in employment rules and regulations, and change regarding employee retention strategies. Changes are inevitable in every company or organization whether it belongs top construction industry or some other industry. Managers need to consider several issues related to different business activities before planning to bring some change to the organizational policies. Risk management also plays a key role in change management. Some of the risks related to construction companies include design assumption risk, structural development procedures, fire risk, and environment uncertainty risks.

Identity and Linguistic Repression in Gloria Anzaldua's How to Tame a Research Paper

Identity and Linguistic Repression in Gloria Anzaldua's How to Tame a Wild Tongue - Research Paper Example For instance, issues about linguistic repression and cultural barriers face culturally diverse societies due to the existence and assertion of rights among people in the mainstream and minority cultures. Accordingly, this paper tackles the cultural and linguistic barriers faced by Chicano Spanish in the U.S. in the process of their interaction and integration in the mainstream American society. Further, this paper also studies the different linguistic variations among Chicano Spanish living in mainland U.S. and those living in near the American borders. In relation to Anzaldua’s article, this paper contends that the concept of â€Å"wild tongue† does not actually exist; instead, it is actually a misunderstanding between the mainstream and minority culture concerning their linguistic and cultural practices. Further, this research argues that idea of â€Å"wild tongue† arises out of the outward and seemingly unreasonable restrictions that the American society puts upon its Chicano Spanish immigrants. Relatively, Chicano/as become linguistically aggressive by using the Pachuco language, regardless of the existent linguistic restrictions, and this also brings out the idea of linguistic terrorism. At the end of this research, this paper hopes to identify the implications of linguistic repression on the identity formation of individuals, particularly on how they perceive other cultural denominations. In addressing those objectives, this paper provides the analysis of related literature, particularly scholarly journals and books about the Chicano culture and the Chicano Spanish language. Article Overview Anzaldua’s article highlights one of the most common challenges faced by immigrants in the U.S., particularly those who are non-native English speakers. In the article, Anzaldua defends the origins and authenticity of the Chicano Spanish language while maintaining her assertions concerning the linguistic restrictions in the U.S. as linguist ic terrorism against their language (36). In the article, Anzaldua explains that the Chicano Spanish language comes as a collective desire of the Chicanos/as to assert their cultural and linguistic individuality. For instance, she cites her personal experience on linguistic differences and cultural adaptation wherein she also asserts the repressive impact of such repressions on identity formation. Aside from this, the bottom-line of Anzaldua’s article is her argument about the â€Å"wild tongue† as an assertive response to the existent repressions in the U.S. Anzaldua points out such restrictions in the first few paragraphs of the article, particularly with her encounter with people in the American society. For instance, she cites her meeting with the dentist, who tried to control her tongue. Although the dentist intends to attend to Anzaldua’s teeth, one can say that she misunderstood the dentist’s statement as an outward restriction against her speaking her native language. In the succeeding paragraphs, Anzaldua points out the existing treatment of teachers, both English and Spanish, in teaching English to Chicanos. Specifically, this includes the training both inside and outside the school wherein children, at an early age, are taught to repress their own language and accent to effectively, and easily integrate themselves with the majority culture and language, which is English. Throughout

Psychological study of man Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychological study of man - Research Paper Example For many years, the psychologists have limited their work to the study of women psychology. However, with the passage of time and in-depth analysis of various aspects in the field of psychology, the professionals have realized that there are certain behaviors which are associated with men that need to be studied in detail (Blazina and David, 21). In order to make sure that there is sufficient evidence of work on psychological study of man, the experts have undertaken various initiatives to make valuable contributions in the world of psychology. Previously, the psychologists studied the gender roles by comparing them across various cultures (Lavent and William, 70). But recent developments in the research of these gender roles highlighted that the male behave in certain ways not on the basis of biological or social constructs but rather on socially and psychologically constructed entities (Carothers and Harry, 386). Joseph Pleck was the person who developed â€Å"The gender role strain paradigm† in 1981. According to this paradigm, a man has to deal with various strains to live up to the expectations of the society. It was even the starting point for the development of an additional branch of psychology for men (Lavent and William, 2). The gender role is defined as the set of behaviors, actions, attitudes and self-perception methods which are ascribed to all members of the particular biological sex i.e. male or female. There is a specific CPGR (Culturally Preferred Gender Role) which varies according to the cultures. Every male is encouraged to show compliance with CPGR and even forced to adopt it (Lavent and William, 132). According to Szukalowski, a man is generally nurtured on a way that the rules of masculinity are engrained in his personality (45). The three main areas of masculinity are strength (courage, rationality, self-reliance and aggression), action (ambition, dominance, risk-taking and competitiveness) and honor

Good vs Evil - English Essay Essay Example for Free

Good vs Evil English Essay Essay There is neither a definite good nor evil, but only the grey area in-between. The Japanese proverb of Yin and Yang states that in all good there is some evil and in all evil there is dome good thus without good there can be no evil and without evil there can be no good. Evil was once described to me as ‘The inability to feel sympathy’ and at first I agreed with this analogy but upon further thought and deliberation I decided that it was not entirely true, for if evil is the inability to feel sympathy then that makes all acts of sympathy good. However, that analogy would make an act, one that almost the entire world agrees is purely evil, an act of good. The act in question is the destruction of the twin towers of 9/11, because the perpetrators were sympathetic. They were sympathetic towards their country and their people who, contrary to popular knowledge, had already been invaded and were being oppressed by the USA who were trying to secure their oil reserves. There is no way to moderate universally what is considered good and evil. Every man believes in some way that their own actions are just and righteous whilst also believing that their enemy’s actions are acts of evil purely because they oppose his own wishes thus making all man good in his own eyes yet evil in the eyes of those he opposes. Each and every one of us must decide for ourselves what is good and what is evil, and yet we must still conform to the â€Å"norms† of society. The definition of what is right and what is wrong may come from many different places. Some blindly accept what society tells then to where others question society and still others actively oppose society’s views. Some get their definition from the relative religious scripture and follow that without question whereas others merely see it as a general guideline whereupon to base their actions. I believe that the concepts of good and bad, righteousness and evil, just and unjust exist purely to justify man’s actions and that they have and will continue to change to fit the person whose action requires justifying. Alas, these unflinching opposing forces are bound to perpetually clash as they strive for a balance. For without either life as we know it could never exist, perhaps life at all could not exist.