Music 251A: Seminar in Orchestration, Spring 2003

A framework for Analysis: Examples from Stravinksy's Firebird (1910 Ed.)

(Page numbers are from Dover Edition)

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1) What is the foreground?

"Dance of the Firebird," (PP. 18-29).

"Magic Carillon, Appearance of Kastchei's Monster Guardians and capture of Prince Ivan," (PP. 86-97).

2) Is there a melodic complex?

"The Enchanted Garden of Kastchei," (PP. 5-7)

3) How is the accompanimental texture activated?

"Appearance of the Firebird, Pursued by Prince Ivan," (PP. 8-17).

"Dance of the Firebird," (PP. 18-29).

a)Use of counterpoint and/or heterophony.

b)Static elements

PP. 164-165. (Also "Magic Carillon")

4)What is the composer's control of register?

"The Princesses' Game with the Golden Apples," (PP. 57-63)/

5)What is the perception of tonality?

a)Traditional triadic elements.

Tableau II: "Disappearance of Kastchei's Palace," (PP. 166-172).

b)Chromatic or symmetrical elements

PP. 140-154.

c)Special scales.

"Introduction," (PP.1-4).

6) "Hard edge" vs. gradual development of contrasts.

"Sudden Appearance of Prince Ivan," "Khorovod of the Princesses," (PP. 71-76).

7)Composer's use of the metric pulse.

"Infernal Dance of All Kastchei's Subjects," (PP.118-129).

8)Tutti passages

PP. 100-102, 146-151, 163-165.

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Students will apply these criteria to the other two ballets and select relevant passages for analysis in class.