How does Debussy get a feeling of metric ambiguity in voiles
Irregular phrasing
Notes are hardly ever played on the 1st beat of the bar
What scale has been used in the opening scale of voiles
Whole tone
What does cedez mean
Yield (slow down)
What does En animant mean
Becoming very lively
What does tres doux mean
Very sweet
What does toujours pp mean
Always pianissimo
What does doucement en Dehors mean?
Prominent, softly emphasised , to make Melody stand out
What structure is voiles
Loosely Ternary form:
B section is extremely short
Final A is much shorter than 1st and could be considered a coda
What interval is the final notes played in the Lh in voiles
Tritone (augmented 4th)
Where is there a perfect cadence in voiles
There are no cadences!!!
What is voiles scored for
Solo piano
Discuss some key melody features in voiles
Use of short motives
Lots of chromaticism
Fragmented (use of rests)
Motifs are repeated with slight variations and extensions
Melodies created form exotic scales:
- wholesome (in opening)
- pentatonic (in B section)
What scale is predominantly used in the B section of voiles
Pentatonic
Name a way that the repeat of the A section is developed in voiles
With wholesome cascades
Comment on harmony and tonality in voiles
Ambiguous tonality
Bb pedal runs through most of the piece
Use of cluster chords
Parallel mvt of chords
Extended chords
Unresolved dissonance
Lack of cadences
Harmony built on wholetone and pentatonic scales
Comment on rhythm and metre in voiles
2/4 time sig
Pulse is unclear due to fragments
Melody on different beats of the bar
Use of cedez / a tempo
B section is slightly faster
Syncopation in pedal ostinato
Comment on texture in voiles
Opens homophonic
Texture thickens as the piece goes on
What style is voiles
Impressionism
