Form and Keys in Thom Ritter George’s Bass Trombone Concerto



The form of the Thom Ritter George Bass Trombone concerto is a single movement concerto with an ABA' form.  Although the larger form isn’t unusual in any way, the periods and phrases within the periods are weird to say the least.


There’s a piano only slow section in the beginning of the piece that plays a melodic idea (A), and then the bass trombone comes in with an extended and modified version of the piano theme (A’).




                                        








This is one of the few stable sections in a consistent key (F Minor), and the upcoming fast sections have frequent key modulations that are often distantly related to on another























Now the form of the second group (group B) within section A is complicated, here’s a cropped picture of it.



Within group B a second melodic idea or theme is introduced (B in diagram).  In this there are already many distantly related key modulations happening simultaneously.  The rest of the piece will be like this until the beginning of the next section.





        


Then the piano responds to that idea (B’), which connects to the “C” idea.







A piano feature happens then the bass trombone comes back with a almost completely different idea from idea B, and then an entirely new idea occurs (8th note glissandi followed with the 8th note runs).  







A transition phrase happens and then a new “singing like idea" comes in or soto voce.  The soto voce is in 2 phrases E and E.’







An 8 measure transition happens and then there is group C within section A.  The form for this section is roughly similar to the previous group, but the phrase structure is different.  The most significantly different thing is that the B phrase is repeated.  After this there’s a transition to the next section (section B).








    
   

Since there is a smooth movement from the unstable transition to something that sounds like phrase A from the beginning, that is still a part of the transition.









 


The bass trombone states a varied and shortened version of the A section from the beginning, and then a Cadenza happens.


 

 

After the Cadenza another faster version of the A’ melody is played by the bass trombone, and then an entirely new idea is stated (H).




    

A retransition leads us back to the A' section.



The A’ section is vastly different in form from the A Section, but it still contains melodic ideas and contains a general resemblance to the form of the first section. The first video below has audio for the retransition and the second video has audio for the A' section.









This general resemblance might call for some type of “pseudo - recapitulation” of the A section, as the A section is being repeated in a heavily modified manner.  The piece ends inconclusively, on a strongly inconclusive IAC in the climax of a phrase.  This piece intrigues and fascinates me.  I could think about its form one way, get stumped, and then alternate in between many viewpoints about the form.  Congrats you're halfway there, now it's key change time.


Key changes within the Thom Ritter George Bass Trombone Concerto are interesting.  First off this piece is chromatic when coming to tonal center, so there isn’t a straightforward tonal center with key modulations that relate with each other.  A diagram below shows the rate of key changes within the piece. Follow the table from left to right and move downward once down going right.  Just play the video and follow based on the form of the piece.  An analysis diagram of the form of the piece is below this paragraph to help you follow the table.
















Section A




Group A

A: 1 Key F min 5 measures long

A’ Key F min 14 measures long



Group B

B:                                                                                               4 Keys in the 9 measure phrase.  Key change after 1 measure, the rest of the key changes are every 2 measures

B’:                                                               3 keys in the 7 measure phrase key change after 3 measures, and then a key change two measures later.

C:                                                                                                                                              3 keys in the 5 measure phrase first three measures there’s only one key changes in every other measure and then the last two measures there’s a key changes on every measure 

D:                                                                3 keys in the 5 measure phrase there’s a key change every 5 measures.

E: Stays at one key for most of the 8 measure phrase, but in the pickup to the 4th measure the 7th and 6th of the scale from that key are lowered.

E: Three keys in this measure.  For two measures into the 8 measure phrase the piece is in one key, and then changes to another for 4 measures, and then goes to another key at the end.


Transition Between Group A and Group C


This is a 9 measure transitional section, it has a key in one measure and then changes key suddenly in the next measure, then changes key two measures later, then at the pickup to another two measures later,  then another 4 measures later there is a key change and it remains the same for the rest of the section.



Group C


B’’                                                                                     In this 4 measure phrase there are 4 keys and key changes happen every measure

F:                                                                                                  In this 7 measure phrase there are two keys and the key changes happen every 3 measures.



The 1.75 measure section between Phrase F and F’ stays in one key



F’                                                                                              In this 5 measure phrase the first key change happens after 3 measures and then another one happens after 2 more measures               

B:                                                                         A repeated phrase 3 keys in this 7 measure phrase Key change after 3 measures, and then a key change two measures later.

B’’’                                                                                          In this 7 measure phrase there is a key change after three measures and then a key change 2 measures later, for the last measures the piece is in one key.

 E’’                                                                        In this 8 measure phrase there is only one key.

E’’’                                                                                       In this 8 measure phrase there’s a key change after 2 measures pass and then the key stays the same


 


Transition Between Section A and Section B


  • 27 measure transition, for the first 9 measures there’s is approximately a key change every measure, the next 7 measures stay in one key, and then there is a random and erupt key change, it stays in one key for 4 measures, and then it stays in one key for the rest of the phrase.

Section B


 A’’                                                                                       This section is in a stable singular key of Eb minor, it’s 9 measures long.

Cadenza:  This section is peculiar, but it’s 25 measures long.  In the first 9 measures key changes happen every other measure and then a set key is set, and then for the next 8 measures there is one key and then a key change happens and for the remaining 8 measures the section stays in one key

 A’’’                                                       Stays in one key of Eb minor this section is 18 measures long

 H:                                                                                                       This section is 11 measures long, it changes key every four measures.



Retransition to Section A’


  • This section is 12 measures long and stay in one key except for a single measure.




Section A’

B’’’’                                                                                          There is a key change every 4 measures in this 15 measure long section.

Re-TR:                                                                       There’s no key change in this 4 measure long section.

A’’’’                                                                                       This 10 measure long section has a key change after the first 5 measures, and then another key change in the next measure after the first 5 measures.

 I:                                                           This section is 5 measures long and there’s no key change.

J                                                                                         This section is 3 measures long and there’s no key change.

A’’’’’                                                          This section is 7 measures long and there’s a key change 5 measures in.

TR                                                                        This 5 measure section has a key change 2 measures in.

K                                                           This section is 10 measures long and has a key change 5 measures in and then a key change in the last 2 measures. 












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