National Identity

Isaac Albéniz
Chants d’Espagne, Op. 232
http://manchesterlib.naxosmusiclibrary.com/streamw.asp?ver=2.0&s=101977%2Fmancheslibnml11%2F1797438

No. 1. Prelude
I am very confused when this track starts up. I am familiar with this piano piece as it has been transcribed for classical guitar, and in guitar music it is known as ‘Leyenda’, and less commonly as ‘Asturias’. I was under the impression that this piece belonged in ‘Iberia – Suite Española No. 1’ (for piano) – not ‘chants d’Espagne’. Anyway, Wikipedia clarifies the issue somewhat:

In 1883 he met the teacher and composer Felip Pedrell, who inspired him to write Spanish music such as the Chants d’Espagne. The first movement (Prelude) of that suite, later retitled after the composer’s death as Asturias (Leyenda)…

Additionally, the first paragraph of the liner notes states:

“Pity the musicologists who have tried to make a catalogue of works by Isaac Albeniz, only to find themselves faced with almost insoluble problems. It is practically impossible to make an exhaustive list of the Spanish composers works, and moreover the Opus numbers have been assigned in an arbitrary fashion and do not permit any sort of precise dating. In addition, Albeniz paid such scant regard to his youthful works that he never supervised their publication – which, as one might imagine, became completely disorganised. The titanic task was nevertheless taken on by Jacinto Torres, who in 2001 published his ‘catálogo sistemático descriptivo de las obras musicales de Isaac albeniz’ “.

Anyhow – one of my favourite pieces of classical guitar music. Albéniz does such a good job of composing guitar music for the piano that it translates very naturally to the guitar, and seems very idiomatic of the instrument. Another thing I find slightly odd is the alternative title of ‘Asturias’ which is the name of a region in northern Spain, yet the music of the piece does not really fit this region. To me the music is more evocative of southern Spain and the Andalucía region. I think it’s brilliant and is entirely successful in evoking the musical spirit of Spain. Pretty much like all the other pieces of Chants d’Espagne.

Orientale
The reference to the Spanish guitar is completely evident from the outset of the piece and the use of the Phrygian mode and motifs reinforce this impresssion. The title is again somewhat deceptive. Sounds like Spain and Andalucia to me. Quite syncopated with changes of tempo so that it’s difficult to figure out the time signature (3/8 – I had to check the score!).

Under the palm tree
Sounds quite dancelike and I think at first of the tango but in fact it’s a habanera. Quite syncopated, again with the same spanish guitar feel. It’s the way chords are played followed by little melodic motifs that give this impression.

Cordoba
Slightly more languid feel at the start. It gets very hot in Cordoba!
Very evocative of the Flamenco guitar with lines that sound in the upper register and echoed in a lower register very much in the style of flamenco guitar as well as other other techniques such as fast arpeggios that are idiomatic of the instrument. It actually ‘swings’ a little and has some bouncy rhythms. Paradoxically this also sounds like the most pianistic piece of the bunch. Slightly reminiscent of Chopin?

Seguidilla
Grove informs us that the Seguidilla is ‘A Spanish dance and song…The modern seguidilla is in moderately quick triple time, usually in a major key; the melody ordinarily begins on an off-beat and cadences with melismas comparable with those of other modern Spanish folksongs.
Again the sound of the spanish guitar comes through the work with the use of fast arpeggios and strum-like lively chords.

What musical features might express an English identity?

The first things that spring to mind in conjuring an English identity are a green and pleasant land and Morris dancing. Cliche? Perhaps. But it serves as a starting point and in a way dance and geography form an important part of any national identity. So therefore something both folk-like and dance-like for England. Scarborough Fair comes to mind from the folk tradition (though you wouldn’t dance to it), and something like Vaughan-Williams choral work, ‘Folksongs of the 4 seasons’, and perhaps Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets. The slower bit from which the hymn is derived seems quintessentially English somehow, but even some of the livelier parts could be danced to. One of the things I have picked up over the years is that the Dorian mode gets used quite a lot in English folk and Scarborough Fair is one of those songs in this mode.

Think of a folk song or nursery rhyme that you know, such as Greensleeves, Ring o’ Roses, London’s Burning, Frère Jacques or similar. What is your earliest memory of this song? Who taught it to you – and have you taught it to anyone else? Are these songs being passed on to future generations or are they starting to die out? If you can, do a straw poll of any children that you know and find out how well (if at all) they know your chosen song – or any other traditional song.
How do you think a new folk song develops? Suggest some contemporary songs which might become the folk songs of the future. How might the oral tradition of folk songs be preserved? Think about the structure of your chosen song. How many phrases are there? Are there any repeated sections? Try to describe the structure of the melody in as much detail as you can. Is your chosen song connected with any particular country or region?

Frère Jacques is the song that immediately comes to mind. Quite how I know it, I don’t know. As I spent my childhood in France I’m sure I would have come across this in school, along with other traditional french tunes – Alouette, Sur le pont D’Avignon, Le bon roi Dagobert… I also know some English nursery rhymes but nowhere near as many as some native english friends I have spoken to.

Frère Jacques is a round where each phrase is repeated in a AA BB CC DD pattern where AB could be described as the antecedent and CD as the consequent. Illustrated as below. The antecedent and consequent are balanced phrases with the antecedent rising as a question and being answered by the consequent. The harmony stays on a single chord but you could put V on ‘dang’.

Antecedent
A – Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,
B – Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?

Consequent
C – Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
D – Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

It is of French origin but known in the UK as well.

In terms of how folks-songs develop, I guess they need to be simple but memorable tunes perhaps written to commemorate something, for a special occasion, or celebratory in some way e.g. Sur le pont d’Avignon and Christmas carols.

I don’t know that many children but from a small pool (of teenagers) it seems that the oral tradition is alive and well, and kids still know plenty of these traditional nursery rhymes. Everyone knows Frère Jacques it seems.

As for what modern song could become a traditional folk song or nursery rhyme in future, I honestly don’t think that anything written in the last 50 years, let alone anything more recent, is going to become a ‘traditional’ song. I mean there are enough existing songs and rhymes that suit the purpose, and it would have to be very good to displace the existing traditional songs. The first thought that springs to mind is ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles but it’s rather wordy. Maybe some Christmas songs or birthday songs such as ‘Merry Xmas’ by Slade or ‘Happy Birthday’ by Stevie Wonder.