Instrumental music composition style of 3 musicians - Quang Hai, Nguyen Van Nam, Ca Le Thuan

of classical music, and the succession between them will cause surprises in terms of color changes. But here the author has skillfully led through very complex functional relationships which we will explain as follows:

- From D major to C sharp minor: C sharp minor is the seventh degree of D major , however, the author has created a bridge through two chords D minor and E major to make this correlation more reasonable. D minor is the major-minor key with the same name as D major , and E major is the key parallel to C sharp minor .

- From C sharp minor to D flat major: D flat major is actually the isotone of C sharp minor , which can be considered a major - minor key of the same name but is also continued by the author through a semitone progression going down into the B flat minor chord before moving to its parallel key, D flat major .

- In the final sequence, from D flat major to D major is the most subtle. The author only uses a common chord as a bridge between them, but it has many different functions. The B flat major chord compared to D flat major has a major-minor relationship with the same name of the parallel key. Compared to D major, it has a relationship as a flat sixth chord (the sixth degree of the harmonic major mode) with both the main and the dominant function (TSVI b ). In this case, it has a more dominant function, and the sequence from the dominant to the main is a variational ending that is rarely used to end in classical harmony, but is often used when it is necessary to add chords when the main function is long (I - IV 6/4

- I).

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In less than ten bars, the author has continuously changed the tone, using many functional relationships such as parallel key, isotonal chords, multifunctional chords and especially major and minor chords of the same name that the author uses as if they can replace each other. This is also a new concept about the function of these chords compared to the old concept of classical music, they are very far apart and cannot be used interchangeably.

In the work “Piano concerto”, in the final theme section, musician Ca Le Thuan uses chord progressions in a similar way.

He changed the chord from flat to sharp very unexpectedly. According to the concept that major and minor keys of the same name can be used interchangeably, he naturally continued the chord G minor to A minor and vice versa . In this example, he changed the tune from G minor to E minor by using the same key of G minor , G major , as an intermediary (third measure). Continuing the chord in the fourth measure to the fifth: Am 6 - Gm 6 - Em creates a new color. According to the function of the E minor key , this sequence should be: Am 6 - G 6 - Em, but the author replaced the G chord with Gm .

Example 3.17: Ca Le Thuan - Piano Concerto, ch. I (bars 69 - 73)

In example 3.16, we see that musician Ca Le Thuan only needs an intermediate chord to change from D flat major to D major . But sometimes he uses a very long modulation cycle to change from B flat minor to B minor . Another special point here is that the keys he uses in succession are all minor and are a major third apart (except for the second to third time, which is a perfect fourth). These keys are four accidentals apart, belonging to a very distant relationship, so the musical color is always changing.

Example 3.18: Ca Le Thuan - Piano concerto, ch. I (bars 128 - 140)

In most of his works, musician Ca Le Thuan likes to create chordal sequences between minor keys separated by a major or minor third, forming a harmonic circle as mentioned in the previous chapter. He often uses minor chords plus a “hanging” sixth note. This is similar to the color of the Oan mode in Southern folk songs (C - Es - F - G - A) .

He also used very classic endings at times, including functions such as the ace down, the ace down, K 6/4 and the ace then home.

Example 3.19: Ca Le Thuan - Piano Concerto, ch. III (bars 237 - 244)

He often uses the minor key and ends with a dominant minor harmony to avoid the seventh being increased when returning to the first, making the melody and harmony color softer, closer to Vietnamese folk music . In example 3.20 , we also see the typical classical ending with the participation of the main functional harmonies. He often uses the D minor key, but ends with a D major chord and the melody is in the third, creating a bright color (see also appendix 3C: 3, 4).

Example 3.20: Ca Le Thuan - Symphonic poem (beats 198 - 202)

3.2. POLYMONICAL COMBINATION

3.2.1. Contrasting Opposites

Counterpoint is the art of combining two or more parts based on the proportions between them. [30:8] Each melody has its own independence, but when combined, it will create a unified whole. Complex counterpoint must also comply with certain principles.

Musician Quang Hai often combines many different melodies but not according to the contrasting principle of Western music. He uses the melodies of familiar songs to remind listeners of the memories and images of the content that the songs reflect. However, because of respecting the melody of the song, sometimes the vertical collision between them is not really harmonious. In the symphonic suite "Ky uc Ho Chi Minh", the low part is the melody of the song "Ho keo phao" with the Son Huynh key ( G - A - H - D - E), the high part is the song "Hanh quan xa" in the Son Bac key (G - A - C - D - E), then connects to the song "Giai phong Dien Bien" with the first part in the Son Bac key (G - A - C - D - E) and the second part in the Son Nam Xuan key (G - A - C - D - F). These melodies have their own independence, but right at the beginning of the third measure (not counting the build-up beat), the two notes Si and Do collide. The semitone collision of two melodies on the strong beat is very rare in Western classical music (15), and Vietnamese folk music uses semitones even less. Moreover, these two notes are the most important notes that determine the difference between the two modes Son Huynh and Son Bac. Thus, we can see that the sound of this collision certainly affects the color and character of the two melodies.

15 Western classical music theory often uses strong beat dissonance in the form of a note, meaning that two notes should not be combined at the same time but in turn, and there is careful preparation and resolution for these cases.

Example 3.21: Quang Hai - Memories of Ho Chi Minh, chapter IV (bars 132 - 138)

A similar situation occurs in the second movement of the work when the composer adds the melody of The Internationale . In measure 121, the melody of Trombe and Tromboni (C - E) clashes with the entire orchestra in the key of G major (G - H - D) .

Example 3.22: Quang Hai - Memories of Ho Chi Minh, chapter II (bars 116 - 122)

Composer Nguyen Van Nam is a person who loves melody. His melodies are often built on pentatonic scales and are not influenced by harmony. That is why polyphonic presentation is always his first choice in symphonies.

In Symphony No. 3, composer Nguyen Van Nam used three-part counterpoint to contrast strongly between the melodies. The solo cello part is the main melody playing in a very high pitch with strong nuances, the contrast is the melody in the low pitch.

The bass section of the Contrabassi has a small nuance. While the Cello moves up, the Contrabassi moves in a semitone down. In addition, the Fagotto melody has a short, staccato rhythm that contrasts with the other two long melodies. The tone here is unstable, tense, and includes the main intervals of minor thirds, minor secondaries, and diminished fourths.

Example 3.23: Nguyen Van Nam, Symphony No. 3, ch. I (bars 27 - 31)

The combination of the three parts Violini I, II and Violoncelli in example 3.14, or between the two parts Flauto and Clarinetto in example 3.15 are all simple contrasting counterpoint techniques that are very common in the works of musician Nguyen Van Nam.

Musician Ca Le Thuan not only skillfully used harmonic techniques, but in his instrumental works he also tended to lean more towards counterpoint techniques. He also valued melody, so polyphonic music presentation was appropriate. He not only used simple counterpoint but also complex counterpoint techniques frequently appeared in his works.

In the symphonic painting “Vietnam’s Posture”, there is a passage where musician Ca Le Thuan used the counterpoint to change places in two parts with a thirteen-bar original and three variations. The theme material of the Viole part is steady, strong rhythms accompanied by the precise, mechanical sound of the Tamburo military drum. The contrast is two parallel melodies in the minor third interval played by two Oboi horns. This melody sometimes resonates and sometimes stops irregularly, rising and falling and constantly changing the beat. The sound of the Oboi part alone creates a reduced chord color, the semitone mode gives us a feeling of instability and strangeness.

Instrumental music composition style of 3 musicians - Quang Hai, Nguyen Van Nam, Ca Le Thuan - 12

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