An analysis of the music of Gil Evans (and others)
Sorry it has been a while since the last post. In the next couple of posts I'll be looking at the opening of the Birth of the Cool classic Moon Dreams. For my harmonic definitions have a look at a previous post. Bars 1-4 The chords above the bass are the ones that are included … Continue reading Harmony #7A – Moon Dreams
The next two posts will continue the comparative analysis of My Man's Gone Now. These will focus on the harmonic differences between the original and the arrangement. I will just select a few phrases that outline most of the important differences between the two. I have transposed the examples from Gil's arrangements up a tone … Continue reading Re-composition #5 – My Man’s Gone Now D
This post is a continuation of the previous one. It finishes the comparative analysis of the melody and rhythms in My Man's Gone Now. Theme C1 Gil changes the rhythm of the rising 'Ah' figure, and the target of the figure has been placed off the beat. Gil also adds a slight twist in the … Continue reading Re-composition #5 – My Man’s Gone Now C
This post is a continuation of a comparison between Gershwin's original aria and Gil Evans' arrangement/re-composition. The next two posts will focus on melody and rhythm. I have transposed the Gil Evans version to allow for easier comparison with the Gershwin original. Refer to the first post of this series to see how the form … Continue reading Re-composition #5 – My Man’s Gone Now B
Over the next few posts I will be comparing Gerswhin's original aria from Porgy and Bess with Gil Evans' arrangement. This post will focus on general observations and form. General Observations - Being an opera, the original has a voice as its lead (in this case a solo soprano). Miles takes the part of the … Continue reading Re-composition #5 – My Man’s Gone Now A
Gil's arrangement of Gone, Gone, Gone from the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess is a beautiful short mood piece that evokes the sadness and vocal quality of the original. This post will just look at a couple of examples of the orchestration in the ensemble parts of the piece. General observations Form and Rhythm Gil … Continue reading Orchestration #7 – Gone, Gone, Gone
This is the third post about the harmony in Gil’s magnificent arrangement of My Ship. This post will cover the harmony in the double time swing feel section of the bridge. Some clarification of terms is necessary first: Target chord – The chord that was aimed toward in the harmonisation. The target chord usually occurs … Continue reading Harmony #6 – My Ship C
