Chorus
Here’s the meter within the hypermetric phrase structure of the chorus:
5-6-5-5
5-6-5-5
5-6-5-5
6-6-5-5
(The numbers denotes the crotchet beats per bar.)
The main difference between the verse and chorus sections is in the 4th hypermetric phrase which starts with a duple meter that lasts for 2 bars. The effect created with this is that it intensifies the ending of the chorus by creating additional hypermetric beats (on the 2nd and 3rd last bars of the chorus).
Bridge
Here’s the meter within the hypermetric phrase structure of the bridge:
5-5-5-5-6-6
(The numbers denotes the crotchet beats per bar.)
Though only six bars in length, the music intensifies before the chorus is repeated for the last time. This is done so through repetition and diminution of rhythm. Bars 3-4 are a repeat of bars 1-2 with the same rhythm. Bars 5-6beat1 are also a repeat of bars 1-2 but at half the rhythmic value. In addition, the descending major-2nd motif in the melody is repeated one more time than in bars 3-4, further intensifying this segment. The bridge connects nicely to the chorus with the use of the 3-crotchet-note group seen prevalently in the verse sections.
Hypermetrically, this section is increasingly intensifying as the beats get shortened with the diminution of the rhythm with each repetition.
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Note that the hypermetric structure of the chorus is slightly modified the third time round: the last hypermeasure becomes 6 6 6 5. To my mind, a 6 6 6 6 would have introduced a regularity to end the song, but now, by switching back to 5 in that last bar, it reintroduces an instability to bring in the outro.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, after a 6 6 5 5 in the outro, the flute enters with a 7-bar phrase (it was 6 in the first ending of the verse). Thereafter, immediately after that, Sun Yanzi greets the audience exactly at the next downbeat. The timing is critical here, for this is to enter unexpectedly on the 8th hyperbeat so to speak: allowing the underlying 8-bar phrase to complete itself before she speaks would let the energy level drop.
Not sure how you conceive of the additional hyperbeats. There is no addition as far as the vocal melody is concerned but when the instrumental line enters at the 3rd beat of the first ending, it articulates a 6-bar hypermeasure, which sounds like 2+4 in terms of its hyperbeats.
For the bridge passage, there is no shortening of the beats: in fact, it is the hyperbeat this is shortened.
Wow...the ending quite dramatic now that you've pointed it out. Definitely something that I won't forget now that I've known it. This phenomenon's only present in the live version as the studio recording doesn't have this. I didn't notice the hypermetric change in the last chorus but I do concur that the switching back to 5 in the last bar is to link back to the outro.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I think the flute solos prior to the last chorus, are all 8 bars in length, rather than 6, right? Thereby, making the edning on the 7th hyperbeat "more" unexpected.
Ironically, I completely neglected the instrumental lines whilst analysing this piece...haha. However, I hear the instrumental line at the 3rd beat of the 1st ending merely as a fill-in. Hypermetrically, I hear it as 1 bar with an anacrusis of 2 beats.
For the bridge, I mentioned the shortening of the hypermetric beat rather than the metric beat. Perhaps I shouldn't have started that statement with "hypermetrically"...haha.