Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

an experience further before finishing with the imagery.” Like in the Brahms analysis
I will now follow the guidelines of HMA in order to uncover the image potential, and
the music will be described from four perspectives. A phenomenological description
is given in Table 8.3, and the musical perspectives are summarized in this Intensity
Profile (Figure 8.6).
Table 8. 3 Phenomenological description. J.S. Bach: Double Concerto, 2nd
movement.
Short description.
The movement is written for two solo violins of equal ’birth’, accompanied by a small
string orchestra with continuo. (The recording is from the sixties, in the romantic
tradition, and it is often not possible to tell which of the soloists is playing what). It is
written in a major key (but includes episodes in minor keys), and the structure is
relatively simple, ternary form, however, it can also be experienced as themes with
variation. The orchestra has a purely supportive role, stressing the soft and elegant
siciliano rhythm (12/8) and moving either stepwise up- or downwards (including
octave shifts, or in harmonic sequences. The soloists are perfect partners, and the
distribution of their phrases is complementary (e.g. they switch parts in the
recapitulation as compared to the exposition, – even if this can not be heard, only
identified in the score). 4 themes are presented and rather freely sequenced
melodically and harmonically (following the rules of counterpoint writing), and every
new theme grows organically out of the preceding.
The first theme is a dignified and beautiful stepwise descending through an octave
followed by a sequence of two fourths leading back to the starting note. The theme
continues in a motive in semiquavers, going as a strain through the whole movement,
either as an obbligato counterpoint to the first theme or shaped as a melodic motive in
its own right. The second theme forms a gentle melodic contrast, as it begins with a
rising fourth followed by a falling sixth, held as a ‘seufzer’ to the resolution of a
(minor or major) second. The third theme is also a sequence of three or four notes,
this time with expanding ambitus, and presented as a close interplay of the two
soloists. The fourth theme is a series of three octave notes, dropping two octaves,
sequenced down- or upwards. There is also a small closing ‘formula’ between some
of the episodes. The harmonic structure is predominantly consonant, and the harmonic
and melodic progressions predictable. There are only minor deviations from the quiet
and peaceful mood and the stable dynamics.
An Intensity profile has been drawn (Fig. 8.6).
The conclusions of both descriptions – concerning image potentials of the movement
– are:
• The movement is in ternary form – A B A’ – however it may be experienced
as theme(s) with variation, as the melodically poignant main theme reappears
several times.
269