Music Composition DUMmIES

The Long and Short of Musical Themes: Motifs and Phrases ..................

Often a composer’s entire body of work belies a tendency towards melodic

long-windedness — using long, elaborately developed phrases — whereas

other composers are more at home with shorter, choppier motifs.

Take a look at Maurice Ravel’s long and winding opening phrase in his famous

one-movement orchestral piece, Boléro (Figure 7-1).

If you’re not familiar with Boléro, and you have a high tolerance for pruri-

ence, go out and rent the film 10 , starring Dudley Moore, a heavily be-braided

Bo Derek, and lots of jogging. You’ll be glad you did.

Now, compare Boléro to Figure 7-2: Beethoven’s four-note exclamatory motif

in his Symphony No. 5 (Opus 67).

&

?

4

3

4

3

œœœœœœœœ

∑

œ œœœœœœ

∑

œœ

œœ ̇

∑

œœœœœœœœ

œ

∑

&

?

œœœ œœœ œ

∑

œ ̇

∑

̇ Œ

∑

œ œ. œœ

œœœ

∑

&

?

œœœ œœœœœœœ

œ

∑

œœœœœ

œœœœ

∑

œœœœœ

œœœ

œ

∑

œœœœœœ œ

∑

&

?

œ œ

œœœœ

œ œœ

∑

œœ. œœ œ

œ

∑

̇œœœ

œ

∑

̇.

∑

Figure 7-1:

The first

and most

recognizable

phrase, or

theme, of

Ravel’s

Boléro.

70 Part II: Melody and Development