[Dixielandjazz] FW: Re Hoagy's'New Orleans'

[Bill Gunter]

Jim "Kash" Kashishian wrote:

>AABA normally refers to a 32 bar song, each one of the facets
>being 8 bars.
>On Hoagy's tune, you get AABA all in the confines of 16 bars, which are
>really AA.

Don't know about that, Jim -  AABA is just a variation of sonata form (ABA) 
which consists of an Exposition (A) a Development (B) and a Recapitulation 
(A). There is no given number of bars required for the form just so long as 
the Development and Recapitulation are essentially the same and the 
Development bears some relationship to the Exposition and serves to link it 
to the Recapitulation. Theoretically the Development (B) could contain any 
number of bars. Same is true for the A part.

The wildly popular John Cage piano composition 4'33" is actually divided 
into three (ABA) sections. The discriminating listener will detect a certain 
type of silence in the Expositon while the Development utilizes a different 
sort of silence altogether (obvious to the discriminating ear) and the 
Recapitulation once again restates the vigorous silence of the Exposition.

The fascinating part about the composition is that each section is only one 
bar long. The fermata above each of the three bars is enormous!

There are those who claim that 4'33" is actually a "theme and variation" 
construction while yet others state it is a "rondo" which is quite absurd. I 
know of one ignoramus who believes it to be a canon which is totally "off 
the wall."

However . . . back to "New Orleans" by Carmichael -- the Hoagy chorus, which 
is 16 bars long, cannot be divided into two 8 bar segments called AA because 
the second 8 is NOT THE SAME as the first eight.

We analyze the tune as being four 4 bar sections. The first two sections are 
A and A (they're virtually identical) the third section forms the 
Development (B), a different melodic line, which links to the last section 
which restates A (same as the first A) for the aggregate AABA.

I submit the parts don't have to be 8 bar sections (though that's what's 
usually done in the standard popular song) . . . they could contain any 
number of bars depending on the composer's fancy.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Maestro" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com

ps - on the other hand, I could be wrong.




>From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
>Reply-To: jim at kashprod.com
>To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] FW: Re Hoagy's'New Orleans'
>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:03:03 +0200
>
>
>Bill "Thimbles" Gunter wrote:
>(A)If you've never seen a quaint old Southern city Just think of New
>Orleans,
>(A)If you've never seen that town, boy, it's a pity, There's nothing like
>New Orleans.
>(B)(bridge)It will remind you of old fashioned lace, A glass of wine will
>greet your smiling face,
>(A)And if you ever see a black-eyed gal like mine, boy, You know you're in
>New Orleans.
>
>
>AABA normally refers to a 32 bar song, each one of the facets
>being 8 bars.
>On Hoagy's tune, you get AABA all in the confines of 16 bars, which are
>really AA.
>Still wondering why he wrote the song that way instead of 32 bars?  No one
>seems to be biting, which means all the knowledgeable (except you, of
>course) are out gigging or simply don't care!   :>
>
>Jim
>
>
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