Bands at college football games all play this classical piece. I know I've heard it, but I can't remember what it is. For some reason, I'm thinking it might be by Walter Piston, but it's just a guess. You have to know something about music to be able to get it from this description:
The meter is either in 5 (5/4 or maybe 5/8) or it may alternate between one bar of 3/4 and one bar of 2/4.
The piece is very rhythmic, and is in a minor key. The tonic scale degree (la) is played in unison (octaves) in a regularly repeating rhythmic ostinato. Assuming that the meter alternates between 3/4 and 2/4, this rhythmic pattern is played as follows:
| tri-pa-let 2 3 | 1 and 2 | tri-pa-let 2 3 | 1 and 2 |
There is an underlying bass melody in which each note of the melody is sounded on beat one of each measure and held until beat one of the next measure. the melody is as follows (assume la is the tonic):
|(3/4) la |(2/4) mi | (3/4) ri |(2/4) te |(3/4) la |
What is it?
2007-12-31 12:30:14 · 4 answers · asked by J F 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
If it's Walter Piston, based on the notes and the beat you are describing, I am thinking it's "Ceremonial Fanfare".
2007-12-31 14:48:00 · answer #1 · answered by Mo-Dean 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think I agree with "Mars: the bringer of war" from Holst's The Planets, except that this is mostly for Full Orchestra, with the strings col legno at the beggining in the 5/4 pattern of | tri-pa- let 2 3 4 and 5 | , giving the erie and powerfully quiet tapping sound. The melody for this also extends an extra measure so that there is a whole meaure tied over to the first dotted half of the next like this: (5/4)| la | (1) (2) (3) mi (4) (5) | ri | - this repeats, and then is joined by other instruments and extended a little bit with the 3 and 2 sound from mi to ri. It seems very close though. I would listen to Mars and find out, it shouldn't be too hard to find a recording. I'll put the full title in the source list (except I can't think of the opus number or anything right off-hand).
2008-01-01 01:32:23 · answer #2 · answered by musikgeek 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the second answer. It seems like you're describing "Mars" from Holst's "The Planets." Check out the wikipedia article near the bottom--it has an audio sample of "Mars" played by an orchestra. It's been transcribed for tons of ensembles and marching bands.
The piece is in 5/4, so the first two bars of your rhythmic patterns are all one measure.
[tri-pa-let] [quarter][quarter]
[eighth][eighth][quarter]
Fun trivia:
The Nintendo castle theme used a variation of Mars:)
2008-01-01 01:18:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe the piece in Question is "Mars the Bringer of War" from Gustav Holtz' "The Planets". It's the first movement.
Tripelet 2-3 4and5.
2008-01-01 00:38:23 · answer #4 · answered by Paddy O'Furniture 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋