FILIPE PIRES
Cantiga Variada 1
Francisco Monteiro
Paris, October 1977, Piano solo.
Support: copy of the manuscript, ten pages with the music and one cover page with the
music (no lyrics in the manuscropt) of the song (Cantiga de S. João - Covilhã)2.
Premiere: Covilhã, 1978, Piano competition "Cidade da Covilhâ".
This piece was commissioned by the organisation of the Covilhã's National Piano
Competition to be included as compulsory piece. Cantiga Variada is a kind of
Variation-Fantasy over a folk song of Covilhã: a song of Saint John.
The score is divided in bars that, sometimes, correspond to meter divisions, some others
only to different tempi, textures, etc.
Analysis - Methodology:
This piece is, perhaps, the only piece written by this generation of composers in this
period that is inspired by Folk music.
It requires a thorough analysis of the theme — the folk melody — and the different
ways this theme is varied throughout the piece.
PLAN OF ANALYSIS
1. Analysis of the theme: melody, harmony, structure.
2. Ways the composer changes the theme.
3. Different use of the theme throughout the piece.
4. Structure of the piece.
5. Hermeneutic approach.
1 Varied song.
2 Folk song quoted from Gallop, Rodney (1937): pages 84 and 85.
Analysis
THE THEME
This song is built upon a diatonic scale between C# and lower D. It is harmonically
characterised by the use of both C#, F# or C and F. It is a Doric mode using F# and C#
in order to soften the F-B
tritonus.
It is also interesting that the
C# has no function as a
seventh degree — resolving to D, the first — as it descends always to B and then to A
— the middle tone of the melody.
The harmony of this theme is associated to the contour of the melody and to its rhythm,
especially the — supporting — long notes. The first phrase (bar 1) has as main notes A,
F# and C#, making a minor chord on F# 3. The second phrase (bar 2) evolves between
C# and A — possibly an A major chord. The next phrase goes from G to D, supported
also on the notes A and F (as an ornament first the F# and then as an F - a fourth); this
phrase seems to change to a D, F, A chord, passing through G. The fourth phrase (bar 4)
and fifth (bar 5) reinforces the last harmony (D, F, A).
The last 2 phrases (bars 6 and 7) appear to be a synthesis of the melody. Very close to
phrases 2 and 3, it give us an A, C harmony and the D, F, A chord.
3 The main notes are the extreme and the longer notes
THEME - "CANTIGA DE S. JOÃO - COVILHÃ"
THEME- NOTES USED
The structure of the melody is, therefore, a 2 phrase antecedent, a 3 phrase consequent
and a synthesis (2 phrases) which include a phrase of the antecedent and one of the
consequent.
Phrases/bars 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Main notes A C# F# A C# A G A F D F A F D E A F D A C# A G A F D
Meter 4+3+4 5+3+4 5+3+4 4+3+4 4+3+4 4+3+4 5+3+4
Harmony F# minor A major D minor D minor D minor A minor D minor
Contour
Phrases A A' B B' B'' A'' B
Structure antecedent consequent (synthesis)
Generally the motion of the contour of the phrases is a descending one, giving emphasis
to the principle of singing/air economy: less air, less strength to sing higher pitches; the
voice tends to drop down in each phrase/breath. Made with such short phrases, the
whole melody seems to be a kind of succession of sighs.
The meter and the rhythm of the melody are also important: the change between 3, 4
and 5 eights; the use of rhythms — the change between 3 and 4 eight groups.
THE PIECE
THE WAYS FILIPE PIRES USES THE THEME
THEME - ANALYSIS
A short look at the piece tells us that Filipe Pires uses not only the melody as such but
small portions of the melody — halves of the phrases — and their inversions. These
portions are mixed up, creating many more possibilities in melodic and harmonic terms
and different melodic patterns.
There are several motives that will be repeated and developed throughout the piece. The
first one is a long succession of quick semiquavers, mainly piano, covering all the
keyboard (first bar); the second has two parts — a quintuplet together with a sextuplet
— very quick and forte (bar 2); the third motif is a sequence of long and slow notes
(minims), in piano (bars 3 and 4); the next motif is, like the first one, a melodic
succession with the same figures, now with eighths; motif 5 is characterised by the use
of thirds (simultaneously) or other 2 note chords in a slow tempo; motif 6 uses a small
succession of semiquavers in two parts that is repeated (deriving from motive 1); motif
7 is characterised by the use of the melody (pitches and rhythm, using the smaller
sections and inversions already explained above) all over the keyboard range.
THEME - SMALLER PORTIONS AND INVERSIONS
This last motif is, undoubtedly, the most important, as it uses whole theme many times 4
and it is developed much more than the others. It is the main content of the piece, cut
here and there by the appearance of interludes with other motives.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PIECE
Section 1
The first section of the piece (pages one and two) has the following sequence:
Bar 1
Mot. 1 Mot 2 Mot 3 Mot. 3 Mot. 4 Mot. 2 Mot.4
Bar 8
Mot. 2 Mot. 4 Mot. 5 Mot. 6 Mot. 7 Mot. 2
Section 2
Then follows a big section, developing motif 7 (last system of page 2). The following
picture shows this section: the meter of each bar and a possible division in different
phrases and sentences.
3 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4
3 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 3 4
4 Or mixed with some inverted bits.
CANTIGA VARIADA - MOTIVES
5 3 6 4 3 8 5 6 4
4 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 4 4
5 4 6 5 3 4 4 6 4 5
3 4
The last sentence of this section clearly features a decrease of the continuous
counterpoint movement, presenting in the last 6 bars a more slow moving harmonic
sequence, close to motif 5.
Section 3
In page 4, the 4th
system begins a new section. Somehow continuing the harmonic mood
of the last bars, this section presents developments of:
motif 4 (5 bars, developed through the use of an accompanying chromatic scale in
the left hand and accelerating rhythms);
motif 7 (only 3 bars as a counterpart of the former sequence);
motif 1 (perhaps a "false" re-opening of the piece);
motif 7 (also 3 bars just to finish the sequence);
motif 6 (the first appearance of this motive, being a descending counterpart of the
previous development of motive 1);
motif 7 (6 bars in slow tempo).
Moti.4 Moti.4 Moti.4 Moti.4 Moti.4 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7
Moti 1 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7
Moti 6 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7
Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7
Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti.7 Moti. 2
This section ends with a bigger sequence of bars using motif 4 — mixed with the tempo
and the character of motif 7 —, also with some imitation techniques. This sentence,
which ends with the presentation of motif 2, can be seen as a new beginning of the piece
and/or as a "false" developing section of motif 7. In fact, if this sentence were excluded,
the whole piece would not suffer many changes. It would be, perhaps, more
symmetrical, this section is equivalent to the first one in the structure of the piece. But
this small and quick sentence presents a kind of prophecy of the rest of the piece and, in
my view, increases interest for the audience and the stress towards the incoming music.
In the next section Filipe Pires will increase the development of motif 7, including
imitation techniques and more and more parts (voices) and pianistic challenges, till a
climax just before a very small and fleeting ending.
Section 4 and ending
As in section 2, the composer develops motif 7. Most of the time he uses the melody in
its full original and/or inverted version, distributed in different octaves and with many
"interfering" other notes, chords and counterparts.
He forms different levels of increasing musical stress:
1. The first level (A) he uses the same ways of development as in section 2.
2. Level (B) — after the Poco meno mosso in the 4th
system of page 7 — although it is
less quick, it has many more parts in counterpoint, with different melodies, and
therefore a quicker harmonic rhythm.
3. Level (C) — 4th
system in page 8 — extends the presence of the melody all over the
keyboard, using fewer and simpler parts and many octaves.
4. Level (D) — the last level, after Poco meno mosso on page 9 — corresponds to a
sentence ending with the climax of the piece; the phrases are not explicit, the
composer uses long pauses creating an uncertain tempo, more dissonances (there is
always a "disturbing" second and/or ninth among the octaves) and increasing loud
notes till a FFF with accents.
The piece ends with motif 1 (descending), motif 2 and 2 bars of motif 7. In this ending,
the small sequence forming motif 2 is the only one forte (FFF), the rest is pianissimo
(PP). The following diagram shows this last section, also with the meter for each bar
and divided into phrases and sentences.
A
4 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4
4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4
5 3 4 4 3 4 5 3 4
5 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4
B
4 3 4 5 3 4 4 3 4
5 3 4 5 3 4 4 3 4
4 3 4 4 3 4 5 3 4
C
4 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4
D
4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 6
climax ending
4 6 4 8 3 Moti.1
Moti. 2 Moti.7 Moti.7
The structure of this piece can be synthesised in the following way:
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 ending
Prelude Development 1 Interlude Development 2 ending
Presentation
of the
motives
Development of motif
7
Motives 1, 2,
4, 7
Development of motif 7 (clear use of
the theme, in 3 levels of musical
stress)
Motives
1, 2, 7
HERMENEUTIC APPROACH
The characteristics of this piece by Filipe Pires show an explicit virtuoso attitude
towards the piano: Cantiga Variada was commissioned by a Portuguese piano
competition that happened in the spring of the next year in Covilhã. But it shows also a
joyful attitude of playing, of self-enjoyment concerning the composition and the
performance, especially in the use of a folksong. He worked with the song as an analyst,
then as if it were some material to play with: mixing small parts in the original and
inverted versions, or only as a plainsong (no rhythm) 5
, spreading the melody over the
keyboard, creating second and third voices forming imitations and counterparts. But
there is always some kind of air of the original folksong, or some feature than can be
related to it. Even in the harmony, Filipe Pires seems to enjoy the play of clear
consonances and dissonances (octaves and seconds).
The Portuguese tradition of a playful — even obscene — Saint John feast in the
beginning of the Summer (24th
June) has, perhaps, little to do with this piece; but
certainly much with the original folksong and with the immediate — even physical —
pleasure of composing, playing and hearing this Cantiga Variada.
As we know Filipe Pires began as a pianist with a promising career. And, in the sixties,
he finally decided to dedicate himself to a composition career and worked with the new
compositional ideas coming from Europe's avant-garde. In 1977 he was in Paris,
working as a representative of the Portuguese Government in UNESCO. Perhaps, in this
piece — one of the few pieces of the "Darmstadt Generation" that uses a folk song —
he felt free from any aesthetic constraint, giving himself fully to this commission,
creating a small but important work. Or perhaps the constraint of composing with a
folksong and for a young pianist's competition drove him to use simpler but very
effective resources that he continued to develop silently through his compositional
career.
Another composer that this piece is undoubtedly reminiscent of is Fernando Lopes-
Graça, in 1977 the major representative of an older — and already passed-over—
generation of composers: for the use of folk music, for the mastering of modern
counterpoint techniques and harmony, and for some neo-classic (or post-modern?)
character. Perhaps Cantiga Variada found a way of assuming Portuguese music — a
Portuguese way of composing — in the context of the avant-garde (or post avant-
garde). It is one of the more interesting examples of music during this period of
Portuguese music and Filipe Pires' development in composition, creating a piece close
to the neo-classical tradition. It is a pity it had no direct influence on the Portuguese
music of the next years.
5 Many of Portuguese folksongs are re-interpretations of old plainsong church melodies.
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