ANALYSIS

Broad Description
How would you describe this composition?

Type/Genre
(suite, motet, overture, etc.)

Background Information
Research the style period when this was written and determine the compositional elements that make it a characteristic or uncharacteristic example of the period.
Research the composer's life and style characteristics. Pay particular attention to those aspects that pertain to your composition and that would interest your students.
Explore why the composer wrote this piece (e.g. commissioned for a special event or written as part of job) and determine whether it is a good example of her/his work.
Determine who originally would have performed this piece and in what setting.
Discuss any traditions that accompany this piece (such as standing for The Hallelujah Chorus).

Additional Choral Information to Determine
If the text is in a foreign language, translate it yourself and then compare it to the given translation.
If the text is written by a famous poet or writer, then research the author and poem to determine its historical/cultural significance.
What story or mood does the text tell or create?
Is this edition historically accurate? Can you check it against a more authentic version of the piece in a collected edition?

Additional Instrumental Information to Determine
Describe solo requirements.
Are the technical challenges appropriate for the target age group or level?
Describe the quality of the transcription or arrangement.
Is this the original instrumentation? If not, how has the original been modified for this composition and why might the arranger have made these modifications?

Background information for nonwestern, folk, or popular music:
Find out about the country and musical tradition from which this composition comes. List style characteristics of the music tradition.
With what instumentation would this music be performed in its original country/culture/ or tradition?
Who would have performed this music and for what reasons?
What can you find out about the arranger and how well this piece represents the tradition within which it is written? How westernized is it?
If your arrangement is based on a folksong, try to find the original tune.
Translate the text if it is not in English.
What story or mood does the text tell or create?
If the text is written by a famous poet or writer, then look up the author and poem to determine its historical/cultural significance.
Discuss any traditions or rituals that accompany this piece. Would it have been just sung, or might there be dancing and instrumental accompaniment?
Think about how these answers might affect your interpretation.

Elements of Music
How are they used and why did the composer make the choices s/he did?

Form - What is the structure of this piece? How is the piece organized - e.g. binary, ternary, though-composed. What recognizable devices does it include - e.g. fugue, chorale, trio?

Rhythm - What are the primary motives? What note values are the most common? Is there syncopation or a peculiar time signature? Are there challenging rhythmic devices such as hemiolas and mixed meters?

Melody - What is the shape of the theme? What is the tonality - major, minor, modal, or a combination? Does it progesss by step or skip? Is there a melodic motive? Is there even a melody? Are there counter-melodies that are important for the audience to hear?

Harmony - What is the harmonic rhythm? How and when does it modulate and what are the key relationships? Where are there dissonances? Are there any suspensions?

Timbre - What are the colors in the piece? Is it primarily bright or dark and what instrumentation or voicing creates the colors? How does the timbre reflect the text, title, or mood?

Texture - Is this piece primarily homophonic, monophonic, or polyphonic? Is it melody and accompaniment or monody? Does the density of the overall texture change? How does the composer contrast textures and what effect does that create?

Expression - What are the dynamics, phrases, articulations, and tempi for this piece? How and when is each element used and applied?

Additional Considerations
How does the composer create moments of tension and release?
How does the composer use and create contrast?
How does the composer unify the composition?
How does the composer sustain interest throughout the composition?
How does the instrumentation contribute to the overall effect of the composition?
How does the orchestration represent the style period?

The Heart
What attrcted you to this piece of music?
What maintains your interest in it?
What gives this music its distinctive qualities?
What do you learn about yourself through the eyes of this music?
How has the composer created your response through compositional devices?

Reasons to Perform this Composition
What is the value of the music in relationship to available rehearsal time and student needs?

Things You could Teach with this Composition
Think specifically about what this composition teaches well or uniquely. Lots of music teaches phrasing or motivic development, but few pieces teach it exquisitely.