A little analysis help?

[RJVB]

Maybe I should have posted this in the "other styles" subforum but I decided to it here because I approach the piece as such and more importantly, play it on classical guitar for/in classical guitar class (a "masterclass" organised by my local musicschool, in fact).

So, I'm preparing one of Michael Chapdelaine's original compositions, part 1 of his Red Sand suite ("Chant"). It has a rather surprising, very suspended ending (a "chord" of just a C and a B). It's nice, but it does very much hint at a continuation so I wondered if it couldn't be modified just slightly to make the movement end more like a stand alone piece, without altering the "affect" too much.

And then I realised that whatever harmonic progressions are used here, they're well beyond my admittedly very limited knowledge of music theory.

The piece can be downloaded for free from Michael's website (which is still up) but I'm attaching the final section with the cadenza that leads into it, from my own re-engraving (that I only made because it's easier to read for me, plus I find it can help to have a "truly metronomic playback" option when getting this kind of music into your fingers). (That also means I have a MusicXML version that might be readable by analytic software, if that exists.)

Red_Sand-Chant-fin.pdf

FWIW, the 2nd movement starts in what appears to be D-minor (1 flat, drop-D tuning). And yes, I realise that the different parts of a "suite" aren't necessarily as inseparable as the movements of, say, a sonata.

I'd also appreciate some performance hints for that wildish cadenza, in particular on where I could/should use the right hand. I'm simple unable to tell that from Michael's own 2 or 3 recordings of the piece, except that I kind of hope he's not doing the whole riff with the left hand after the initial note...

Thanks!

[ragman1]

It has a rather surprising, very suspended ending (a "chord" of just a C and a B).

Actually it doesn't, it just ends on the B. The C has been carried over from the previous three bars and by the end isn't heard (3.55).



What's French for 'over-thinking'? Just play it. It's very nice, why complicate life?

[RJVB]

Actually it doesn't, it just ends on the B. The C has been carried over from the previous three bars and by the end isn't heard (3.55).

You're right that the original score has the note tied and Michael doesn't seem to repeat it for the last note as I had in my recollection ... but the note isn't there for nothing and coming from an instrument that could actually maintain it I read the way it's tied as an indication that it's not (strictly) intended to die out (= can be re-played if necessary, as legato as possible).

What's French for 'over-thinking'? Just play it. It's very nice, why complicate life?

That's a bit of a surprising answer to get on here
It's also exactly why I'm not good at theory etc. ... and sometimes it can really help to understand how to go beyond just playing the notes if that's not immediately obvious everywhere. Like it is here. I'd rather not just blindly copy the existing interpretations.

Anyway, the note is written, so at the very least it co-determines the tonality (and playing only the final B doesn't make the ending significantly less suspended).

[Mick-7]

So, I'm preparing one of Michael Chapdelaine's original compositions, part 1 of his Red Sand suite ("Chant"). It has a rather surprising, very suspended ending (a "chord" of just a C and a B). It's nice, but it does very much hint at a continuation so I wondered if it couldn't be modified just slightly to make the movement end more like a stand alone piece, without altering the "affect" too much.

Actually, it doesn't end with only the B & C notes played, it's a C^7 chord (sans the 5th), because the note E in the treble clef of the previous bar is sustained, that's what the fermata symbol above the note means.....

"The musical symbol of a horizontal parenthesis (or arc) with a dot below it is a fermata (or pause/hold) placed below a note or rest. It instructs the performer to hold or sustain the note longer than its standard, written duration, typically at their own discretion."

[Dave70]

It's good to watch the man play it himself:

[RJVB]

Agreed, but also a bit discouraging.

I prefer his (I think) earliest recording, on classical. Not so much for the sound, but in that video he plays it too fast to my taste.

[Dave70]

Discouraging? You can see how he plays that "wildish cadenza" you were asking about. With that and the sheet music you should be able to figure it out!

[RJVB]

Discouraging? You can see how he plays that "wildish cadenza"

Sure, on my airguitar I can flutter my fingers that way and get the exact same result ...