Harmony examples 1st mov.
q = 132 Gnattali
example 1. -- page 1 rst bar
#
4 n
R J R #
Piano & 4 #>
{ >
4
&4
Piano
{ ?4
4
maj #11 sound
example 2. -- page 2 - 1st system 2nd bar
b #n
5
Pno. &
{
&
Pno.
{?
b7 and #11 sound
&
2
9 example 3. -- page 2 - 2nd system 3rd bar
Pno.
{&
C7(4) A7(11) D7(#11) C D7 G7 F^
j r j
b nn
& J R # J
J
Pno.
{b
& n
#
j
bb
? b b b nn n
n
J
n
n
example of dominant harmony all over the place. The chromatic movement in the 3rd bar is hard to
&
decipher, but to me it sounds dominant. But whatever it may sound to you is great.
Maybe this extreme amount of dominants stems from choro music ?
example 4. -- page 2 - 5th system 4th bar
13
Pno.
{& ##
B7(b9) B7 C7 F7(9) C7[] pno.
j G7 C7b10 C7(9) F^
## n # ## ###
b
& # n #
n b n n
n n bn b
orq n
Pno.
{ pno.
j
& b #n
b n
b
b
? b
J
endless cycle of dominants. Every dominant can be substitued for its tritone substition. So Gb7 instead
of C7. A lot of alterations. The B7 has both a b9 as a b10, so this will produce a strong tension,
resolving at the Fmaj7. So basically the whole thing is Bb7 - C7 - Fmaj7
3
ute example 5. -- page 3 - 1st system 1st bar
18
Pno.
{&
strings D E E F^
&
#
n
#
#
##n nnnw
w
w
w
Pno.
{?
bbb nnn
w
w
w
a row of dimished chords, all derived from the octotonic scale with one added wrong note, being the
5th in the bottom. It gives extra colour, but it still functions as a dominant. So basically what's
written here is : Bb7 B7 C7 Fmaj7
22 example 6. -- page 3 - 3rd system 3rd bar
# 4
Pno.
{& 8
ute
G7(#11)
4
& w w
8
w
Pno.
{? bbw
w
bw
pno
4
8
a very clear example of Scriabin sounding harmony, which is also directly applied in jazz except for
one note, that being that B in the piano. Because know you have the major third, the fourth and the
raised fourth. For jazz that would be a little to chromatic, but apart from that, it's used in the same
manner. A beautiful Gb7#11 chord.
Because of the #11 you get a whole tone kind of sound. Or it could go on to be a #9 chord so :
Gb Db Bb C E A
4
example 25. -- page 20 - 1st system 1st bar
26
4 3
Pno.
{ 8
& 4
G/F C7/E B A alterated B octo
4 b j b bb 3
& 8 n n 4
Pno.
{? 4
8
bJ
n
3
4
harmonic reduction of the rst 4 bars, at least this is what I think. In this kind of music it's
impossible to notate everything in xed chords, but there are certain shapes that we can nd.
The goal of reduction is much more about nding the overal shape within the chromatic. But the
chromatic voice leading is by far the most important, this is just a tool to make it comprehensible.
example 26. -- page 20 - 3rd system 3rd bar
30
3 4
Pno.
{ & 4 8
C G7b10 C7(b94) F7b19add13 G7b19add13
3 b 4 j
& 4 b 8 nb n
nn
n
Pno.
{?3
4
b# b
n 4 b
8
j
Of course, the voice leading is most important once again; the dialogue between the tenor(bass)
, which goes down into the bass register, and the low soprano is beautiful.
This section is full of dominants, and it has a particular blues feeling because of the added 13.
The b9 thing is rather weird but that resolves at the very last chord.
5
E7(#11) example 27. -- page 22 - 1st system 1st bar
33
#
Pno. & #
{
&
J #
Pno.
{
? n
n
n
Denitely an E7#11 chord, but with a 4-3 suspension which clashes immensly with
the #11 but nally resolves. A beautiful haunting chord that resolves into a kind of Eb
Full tonal harmony 5-1
example 28. -- page 22 - 3rd system 3rd bar
Aocto
A7(b913) E(#11)
37
# # #
b
Pno.
{&
& b # b
#
Pno.
{
?
b
Once again, the chord symbols don't really help in this section, but it is interesting to note the very
clear A7b9 chord in the bass. I think the chord can be sustained the entire bar to create an extended
A7 chord which doesn't resolve.
The voice leading is lovely in this section, the middle voice joining the bass, or the other way around.
6
example 29. -- page 23 - 2nd system 3rd bar
41
Pno.
{&
F F E D D7 C7 C
& b b bb b #n
b b b b b n #
Pno.
{
?
b b b
If you take out all the suspensions and change the rhythmical arrangement, this is what you end
up with.We can cleary see that the melodic material consists of two opposing forces, each going
his seperate direction, but when they collide, the sounds do match.
I think the chord symbols don't quite match the sound, because of the specic voice leading,
but perhaps Gnattali's brain worked in this manner. There's a very clear relation to the way
Jobim thinks, for instance. They have both taken their inspiration from both jazz and classical
music, and most importantly the brazilian rhythm and melodies.
45
#example
30. -- page 25 - 3rd system 2nd bar
Pno. &
{
D7(#11)
& J #
Pno.
{
?
This is the exact same chord as the one in example 27, with the same suspension.
This chord does resolve to Gmaj in a weird way, conveniently enough the next movement starts
in G.
This is all I can do Luis, I hope it gives you some insight into the jazz-harmony.
Yesterday I was discussing the piece with my mother, she remarked that the common form of choro,
ABACA with the B being in minor and the C on the fourth degree, could have had an
inuence on Gnattali. Probably in some way it had, but to myself it's not very apparant.
But then again I know absolutely nothing of choro music, but perhaps you will be able to nd some
parallels between the two.
