Coursework Music in Practice II (25193)

Coursework Task 3

Purpose
This coursework is designed to assess your understanding of serialism from both
compositional and analytical perspectives.

Tasks
Compositional Stages
1. Build a tone row. Explain its internal patterning.
2. Generate a tone row matrix for your tone row.
3. Compose three melodies using the following elements of your tone row (labels adopt
the ‘absolute’ approach):
a. P4 for trumpet
b. I0 for cello
c. A permutation of your choice for a woodwind instrument of your choice
4. Compose a dyadic chord sequence that adopts smooth voice-leading in the middle
range of the piano using:
a. A prime form of your row
b. An inversion
c. A retrograde inversion
5. Compose a triadic chord sequence that adopts wide registral spacings for piano
using:
a. Two different transpositions of the prime row
b. A retrograde form of your row
6. Compose a chord sequence for string quartet that exploits tetrads.
7. For all of the above, label your scores appropriately to indicate the serial structures
you have adopted.

Analytical Stage
8. Analyse the second movement of Anton Webern’s Variations for Piano (op. 27).
Score provided overleaf.

Submission
Informal deadline: two weeks from today (tutorial time available during office hours – please
email for an appointment)
Formal deadline: as part of the final portfolio submission: Wednesday 23 May 2018, 2pm
Coursework Music in Practice II (25193)