Key Terms

Answer

Main or secondary theme, usually executed in the dominant or sub-dominant key.

Baroque Music

Music produced during the 1600-1725 period, characterized by elaborate ornamentation and improvisation.

Big Beat

Sub-genre of electronic music popularized by The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim.

Coda

Individual improvisation by a specific instrument, placed at the end of a section.

Counterpoint

Compositional technique, where different melody lines run against each other.

Dominant Key

Key that is a perfect fifth (seven semi-tones) above the tonic.

Exposition

Introduction of a fugue, where each voice or part exposes either the subject or the answer.

Figured Bass (basso continuo)

Compositional feature, where the composer indicates the bass root notes to be played, and the executioner improvises over those, forming chords.

Fugue

Compositional form, dominated by contrapuntal devices.

Half Cadence

Progression from the IV to the V chord.

Modified String Quartet

Used by Schubert. Includes violin, viola, violoncello and contrabass.

Perfect Authentic Cadence

Progression from the V to the I chord.

Piano Quintet

Chamber ensemble composed of a piano and a traditional string quartet (two violins, viola and violoncello).

Pizzicato

Performance technique, consisting of plucking a stringed instrument from the viol or violin family with the finger.

Real Answer

Where everything is literally shifted to another key.

Recapitulation

Classical closing section, where the subjects are restated before moving to a final Coda.

Staccato

Performance technique, consisting of quickly bowing, in one movement, a stringed instrument from the viol or violin family.

Sub-Dominant Key

Key that is a fourth (five semi-tones) above the tonic.

Subject

Main theme executed in the tonic key.

Tempo Moderato

Speed and feel indication used in classical music. Sits between andante and allegro.

Tonal Answer

Where intervals are kept in order to preserve the original key.

Tonic Key

The root key indicated by the key signature.

Tremolo

Performance technique, where a stringed instrument from the viol or violin family is quickly and repetitively bowed, producing a distinct vibrating effect.

Trio Sonata

Chamber ensemble, composed by two melodic instruments and a figured bass duo.

Voice (part)

The same as a part, played by a specific instrument.

Introduction

In the mid Nineties, the British music press devised the term Big Beat to describe the work of The Chemical Brothers. Other artists in this genre were Bentley Rhythm Ace, Mr. Oizo, The Prodigy (to some extent) and, most notably, Fatboy Slim. This peculiar electronic sub-genre is characterized by its use of heavily compressed and distorted rock drum lines with sampled drum sounds, acidic synthesizer lines, heavy jazz loops and punk, blues and soul-style vocals. Generally, it can be said to combine elements of traditional electronic genres with pop-rock structures.1 My specific choice of an original work to re-interpret was Fatboy Slim's Right Here, Right Now. It is a somewhat repetitive song, with two main recognizable themes and a crescendo structure created by the layering of different parts.

For long I have had an irrational dislike of Baroque music, with its exaggerated ornaments and seemingly shallow nature. Thus this assignment seemed to be the perfect opportunity to dwell into it and resolve the issue, hopefully proving me wrong.

The early years of the Eighteenth Century were a period of transition between the Baroque and Classical Periods. One particular musical form, or better, a compositional technique, was the Fugue, characterized by the use of contrapuntal devices, polyphony and figured bass. It was dominated by major/minor tonalities.2 This specific period would effect the usual baroque fugue with elements of homophony and instrumental standardization.

This re-interpretation is a study on a late Baroque performance (1700-1725) of Right Here, Right Now, played in Tempo Moderato (115 bpm), in a public theatre by a modified trio Sonata ensemble, constituted by an uncommon string quartet: violin, viola, violoncello and contrabass; and harpsichord. While uncommon, trio Sonatas often employed more than three musicians, as the use of figured bass usually required two instruments (harpsichord and violoncello or contrabass).3 The use of this particular string instrumentation also has a precedent in Franz Schubert's Trout Quintet, which used it with a piano in place of the harpsichord.

Analysis

Exposition (bars 1-23)

The exposition is based on the slightly uncommon form SAAS, used in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. (S - subject; A - answer). Because every instrument has to expose either the subject or the answer, and there are five instruments, this particular piece follows the SAASS[AAS] form. One voice, or part, exposes the subject, in the tonic key, and another answers, in the dominant. The use of either real (subject literally transposed to another key) or tonal (some intervals altered to stay in the same key) answers is allowed.4 For this piece, I chose to use mainly tonal answers.

The violin exposes the subject (ABCB|DCBA|GABA|CBAG)5 - bars 1-5 -, then goes into a counter-subject based on elements of the original (A|B|G|F#)6 - bars 5-9. The viola answers in the same key but in the dominant mode (EF#GF#|AGF#E|DEF#E|GF#ED)7 (one fifth above the lower octave) - bars 5-9 -, then counters the answer now played by the violoncello (A|B|C|D)8 - bars 9-13. The violoncello maintains the tonal answer (still in the dominant mode), lowering another octave9 - bars 9-13. After its exposition, it too plays counter-subject #2, in imitative counterpoint, one octave lower than the viola10 - bars 13-17. The contrabass goes back to the subject in the tonic, three octaves below the violin11 - bars 13-17. The upper string section's (violin and viola) change of counter-subject is noteworthy. Both instruments now play augmented counter-point (A|D|G|C and E|A|D|G, followed by A|B|C|D and E|F#|G|A) against the tonic12 - bars 13-21. The bass then plays counter-subject #213 - bars 17-21. Finally the harpsichord exposes the subject, one octave above the violin14 - bars 17-21.

With every instrument having exposed either the subject or the answer, the exposition is concluded. According to The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, "the exposition is the only essential for the definition of a piece as a fugue". However, "most fugues proceed to further entries of the subject, which may be separated by 'episodes', often based on material from the exposition."15

Developmental Episodes (bars 23-63)

Episode 1 (bars 23-31): the first episode explores the subject in the tonic, but modifies it slightly (D to D#)16, changing its overall tone. The violin part is emphasized. The cello introduces a new theme, adapted from the original (ABCA)17, played by a citar. There is a heterogeneous mix of playing techniques, ranging from bowed instruments (viola) to Pizzicato (contrabass) and Staccato (violoncello and violin).

Episode 2 (bars 31-39): the second episode bridges the tonic based episode 1 with the real dominant key (that is, B minor) of the second episode. This effect is achieved by the change in key of the harpsichord, while the strings "apparently" stay in E minor (only apparently because they merely refrain from using the C note from E minor, which is sharpened in B minor). This smooths out the transition. This section is very homophonic, using mainly bowed strings, which would have resulted from the transitional period (1700-1725) of the piece. This has the consequence of not emphasizing any particular instrument. The harpsichord introduces the second part of the ABCA theme (originally performed by sampled strings) introduced earlier (E|DGF#EDE - transposed here to B|ADC#BAB).18

Episode 3 (bars 39-47): this episode is played on the dominant key, B minor. The viola is highlighted here, as a way of quoting the prominent choirs in the original song (A|B|C|D - transposed here to E|F#|G|A)19. The choice of a tremolo technique helps this reference. The contrabass, violoncello and violin play stretto20, a common type of middle entries counter-point, where one voice enters before the previous one has finished its entry. The theme played also refers to the original second choirs (CA in the original, GE here). The last four bars include a mass shift to the tonic, again. This move bridges the dominant key with the next episode, which is back on the tonic.

Episode 4 (bars 47-55) and Episode 5 (bars 55-63): while the upper string section maintains the CA choir theme, the violoncello and contrabass are evidenced by playing a modified retrograde counterpoint (AABCDC|CDEGG# versus AAEDCC|DCBAA)21. This section is highly polyphonic, and introduces the last episode, in the form of a simple codetta22, performed by the harpsichord, in which both themes introduced in episodes 1 and 2 are joined together, referencing the original song's perhaps most striking musical idea. The string section changes technique into Pizzicato, to help bring forth the instrument's performance. This was used as a way of quoting the original baroque use of figured bass, in which improvisation was key. While the harpsichord does not improvise per se, complex ornamentation was included, therefore enriching the performance.

Recapitulation

The contrabass recalls the subject in the tonic, after which the ensemble follows in stretto, getting back to the main subject line. The harpsichord follows the contrabass two octaves above and playing the figured bass part ABCD, while the melodic section (violin, viola and violoncello) play the augmented counterpoint of bars 13-21. It closes with a half cadence, followed by a perfect authentic cadence in the tonic key (Am to Bm to Em).23

Conclusion

Right Here, Right Now's layered parts structure in crescendo led to the decision of using counterpoint as the main compositional device. The fugue compositional form logically followed, but its specific period was not as easy a choice. In the end, Erwin Ratz explained it:

Fugal technique significantly burdens the shaping of musical ideas, and it was only given to the greatest geniuses, such as Bach and Beethoven, to breathe life into such an unwieldy form and make it the bearer of the highest thoughts.24

Not being a musical genius, I chose to move the piece to a later, "more wieldy" musical period. The positioning in the Baroque-Classical transition allowed for the inclusion of homophonic elements and instrumentation standardization which eased, when necessary, the compositional burden.

The two identified main themes in the original song were explored, and deconstructed by contrapuntal derivations such as imitation, augmentation, inversion and retrogression. All five counterpoint species were employed, as described by Johann Flux's 1725 Gradus ad Parnassum.

The exposition rules of fugue were strictly followed, with the other sections loosely complying with the typical Sonata form. An interesting side effect of these restrictions was the creative energy released after the exposition, where many different musical ideas were, in my opinion, successfully explored. In fact, one could argue that the establishment of clear boundaries only contributed to a better creative flow.

In conclusion, after an initial analysis of the original song, the planning and execution of the re-interpretation, and its subsequent study, the new work seems to successfully and creatively re-interpret in another light the original piece. The original socio-cultural context was removed and substituted by that of the early Eighteenth Century.

Technical Notes

The following equipment was used in the production of this work:

• Laptop computer with 512 MB of RAM and 1.8GHz Pentium 4m processor
• Digigram VXPocket v2 Soundcard
• Sony MDR-V250 Headphones
• Steinberg Nuendo
• Steinberg Wavelab
• Speedsoft Vsampler
• Waves IR-1
• Miroslav Vitous Orchestral Samples Library

Process:

1. The original Right Here, Right Now MIDI file was downloaded from the Internet
2. Using Nuendo's MIDI capabilities, the original song was decomposed into its sections and instruments, and analyzed
3. The main themes, musical ideas, and perceived subjective qualities were identified
4. The choice of new style, movement and period was made
5. Possible solutions for the production were investigated. An actual string quartet possibility was excluded fairly early on, for unavailability reasons. The Miroslav Vitous Orchestral Samples Library was chosen, because of its combination of high quality samples and relatively manageable size (which was a factor, given the specifications of the computer used)
6. A string orchestra configuration similar to the one Vivaldi composed for was tried, and decided against, because of the magnitude of composing for such a complex ensemble. The decision was made to use the Solo Instruments section of the library to create the chamber ensemble used
7. The previously identified main themes and emotive structure of the original song were used in the exploration of interesting and conformant (to the chosen period) musical ideas
8. The writing of this report commenced when about 75% of the piece was ready. This prompted a re-evaluation of some elements, which were either found to be mannerisms of our time, or aesthetically did not fit well. This action research methodology came full circle several times, with the end result being present in annex
9. The choice of ambience was based on the impulse responses available in Waves' IR-1 library. The selection ended up in being split up between the most pleasing , and the most accurate reverb (in a cultural-technological context). Thus, the choice was the Teatro Valli of Regio Emilia in Italy. Through investigation of its characteristics on the internet, it was concluded that it was the most Baroque-like space in the collection
10. Finally, the end result was mastered and authored in Wavelab, always with a perspective of realism (and therefore not much sound manipulation)

References

1. Big Beat, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_beat
   Accessed 14th April 2005
2. Fugue, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue
   Accessed 14th April 2005
3. Trio Sonata, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_Sonata
   Accessed 15th April 2005
4. Fugue, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue
   Accessed 14th April 2005
5. Audio example 1 - CD track #3
6. ---2 --- CD track #4
7. ---3 --- CD track #5
8. ---4 --- CD track #6
9. ---5 --- CD track #7
10. ---6 --- CD track #8
11. ---7 --- CD track #9
12. ---8 --- CD track #10
13. ---9 --- CD track #11
14. ---10 --- CD track #12
15. Sadie, S., The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, October 17, 1988
16. ---11 --- CD track #13
17. ---12 --- CD track #14
18. ---13 --- CD track #15
19. ---14 --- CD track #16
20. ---15 --- CD track #17
21. Audio examples 16/17 - CD tracks #18/19
22. Audio example 18 - CD track #20
23. ---19 --- CD track #21
24. Erwin Ratz, EinfÃÂ?hrung in die Musikalische Formenlehre: Über Formprinzipien in den Inventionen J. S. Bachs und ihre Bedeutung fÃÂ?r die Kompositionstechnik Beethovens {"Introduction to Musical Form: On the Principles of Form in J. S. Bach's Inventions and their Import for Beethoven's Compositional Technique", first edition with supplementary volume. Vienna: Österreichischer Bundesverlag fÃÂ?r Unterricht, Wissenschaft und Kunst, 1951

Bibliography

Print:

1. DeLone et. al., (Eds.), Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1975
2. Kivy, Peter, Music Alone: Philosophical Reflections on the Purely Musical Experience. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990
3. Lerdahl, Fred, "Cognitive Constraints on Compositional Systems", Contemporary Music Review 6 (2), 1992
4. Richard Middleton. "Form", in Horner, Bruce and Swiss, Thomas, eds, Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture. Malden, Massachusetts, 1999

On-line:

1. Counterpoint, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint
   Accessed 15th April 2005
2. Musical Form, Wikipedia, 2005
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_(music)
   Accessed 15th April 2005
3. Boynick, M., The Classical Music Pages
   http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/
   Accessed 15th April 2005
4. Lewis, M. B., Baroque Ornaments
   http://www.serve.com/marbeth/baroque_ornaments.html
   Accessed 15th April 2005

Discography

1. Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook, You've Come a Long Way Baby, "Right Here, Right Now", Astralwerks / Emd, October 20, 1998