Reich - New York Counterpoint Movement II

Rhythm and Meter
1. Simple triple throughout
2. Short rhythmic units featuring grouped semiquavers, with longer notes and separated by rests
3. What should be syncopation - isn't because the meter isn't clear
4. Meter is hard to discern
Structure
1. Structured through control of texture
2. Falls into two distinct sections
  1. The first section builds up complexity with addition of layers
  2. The second section is characterized by the addition of bass clarinets and more freedom for the live clarinet
Texture
1. Paired texture - the interval is not always 3rds, it is sometimes 4ths
2. In bar 13 the music divides into three undoubled homorhythmic pairings and a three part canonic texture with each entry at one quaver distances
3. The piece grows from two homorhythmic instruments into counterpoint at bar 3 - this then develops further with more instruments
Instrumentation
1. All one instrument - the clarinet - Bb clarinet and bass clarinet
2. Higher register is avoided
3. One live clarinet - others are pre-recorded - which has the most interest
Melody
1. Bar 25 - live clarinet constructed from segments of other melodies - this is a resultant melody
2. Diatonic throughout
3. Based on a hexatonic scale
4. Mainly disjunct but with some stepwise movement
Tonality
1. Key signature suggests B major
2. No key defining cadences as piece is based on IV and V
3. Never clearly extablished
Harmony
1. Essentially diatonic
2. An alteration of chords IV and V form the main harmonic movement
3. Overlap of chords results in brief dissonances
4. Frequent D# causes dissonance

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Reich - New York Counterpoint Movement II

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	Created by Alec Hewstone over 11 years ago