# Elaborate Melodic Gestures



## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I had no idea what to call this, and what I chose is probably a fairly poor representation. Let me give an example of something that I love for this attribute, whatever it is:






Music starts at 0:47, go from at least 1:07 for the build-up, and I'm talking about the few seconds from 1:15.

I don't know how to describe why I like that figure so much - it's just the way it kind of "goes round the houses" in an almost breathless way before finally settling on the end of the phrase. Do you know what I mean? Can you think of any other examples?


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

I faintly understand what you're talking about. Something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjzHlev00c#t=55s ?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Webernite said:


> I faintly understand what you're talking about. Something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjzHlev00c#t=55s ?


Exactly!  MOAR OF THESE.


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

So basically, any ornament at the end of a phrase. Try Mozart. He has lots of those.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

It's not an ornament - it's more protracted than that, and I want the most protracted ones possible.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I think I have *exactly* what you're looking for!


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Webernite said:


> So basically, any ornament at the end of a phrase. Try Mozart. He has lots of those.


Indeed, it's a very "mozartian" sound.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Here's a much better example to show that I'm not talking about ornamentation.






Go from 1:17 for the build-up, and then the relevant part is from 1:26. The point is that it's very drawn out, goes around lots of notes without consecutive repeats, and (the first time you listen to it) goes on longer than you might expect. I want _these_.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

I don't know if this is what you say, but I always loved this part:






the build-up starts at 7:51 and then at 8:06 the quick passage.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

aleazk said:


> I don't know if this is what you say, but I always loved this part:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's similar, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. The key difference is that your extract from the _Pathetique_ gives a definite downwards pattern that is just repeated at different pitches. If you listen to the Faure and other Beethoven, you'll hear that the passages undulate between ascending and descending motifs without any significantly repeated patterns.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

How about this, from 0:29-0:34 (this famous extract from Mozart's Requiem has always struck me as compositional perfection).


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I obviously didn't explain it well, but I don't know how else to. :/


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## brianwalker (Dec 9, 2011)

Am I doing it right?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

brianwalker said:


> Am I doing it right?


A time reference might be useful.


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