Bibliography & Discography

Bibliography
"Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Take the "A" Train)." Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Take the "A" Train). JazzStandards.com, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Kuenning, Geoff. "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor."Http://www.lasr.cs.ucla.edu/. UCLA, 1995. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Discography
Ellington, Duke, orch. Take the A Train. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. 1941. MP3.

Bach, Johann S. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. None. N.d. MP3.

Conclusion

-Improvisational techniques started by Bach were developed by Duke Ellington and the other jazz greats of the 20th century

-Both "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" make use of an A-B-A structure even though the actual structure may not be extremely rigid

-"Take the A Train" comes from 1940's Harlem, New York while "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" comes from early 1700's Germany

Improvisational Technique/Influence

While improvisation hadn't been formally introduced in music at the time of Bach, improvisation was a very prominent technique. Bach actually wrote the opening toccata so that it would have many ornaments and pauses, giving it an improvised feel. Additionally, the toccata section also contains several small instances of syncopation. Syncopation was hardly ever used in the Baroque period because it added an unexpected placement of a beat, which some people found to be intolerable due to the unaesthetic nature of the feeling produced. However, it did not stop Bach from incorporating the technique into his toccata. The syncopation in the toccata section makes the work feel randomly generated to the listener because of the lack of a regular beat placement. The addition of all the fermata markings in the toccata also makes the piece feel improvised because they build suspense as the piece builds towards a sustained chord of some sort. The amount of breaks caused by the fermatas make the listener feel as if he's listening a person of great musicianship, but they also create the phrases. Improvisation feel does not feature as prominently in the fugue because the fugue is much more structured than the toccata is.

On the other hand, improvisation plays a key role in "Take the A Train" due to the nature of jazz. Improv has always been one of the cornerstones of good jazz players because it's a chance for one to show their true musicianship. Ironically enough, Duke Ellington's version of "Take the A Train" contains a trumpet solo by Ray Nance which actually became integral to the structure of the piece because Nance played it so well. At the time of Duke Ellington, improvisation was much more possible than it was when Bach was writing music. Bach's exploration of all the major and minor keys set up Charlie Parker to discover that one could use the chromatic scale to move from key to key. The discovery made by Charlie Parker made it possible for jazz musicians to improvise solos in any key. In the context of "Take the A Train", the recording I'm using features Duke Ellington soloing, but Ray Nance does not play his famous trumpet solo. Duke Ellington's composition built on the fundamentals of keys fully explored by Bach, without Bach jazz would probably not exist as it does today.

Ternary Form

Ternary is a term used to refer to the overall structure of a piece of music. Within a piece of music, sections of the work can be divided into smaller musical phrases to be looked at more carefully. Musical phrases that are alike in composition may be grouped together as a larger chunk and can then be put together to describe a piece of music as a whole. In the instance of ternary form a piece of music is divided into three sections, most commonly named A-B-A.

The individual movements of “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” do not constitute ternary form, but as a whole I believe the movements create a ternary form, albeit unusual. The toccata acts as the first “A” section of the work. Within the toccata the rhythmic structure is four bar phrases that always lead to a long/sustained note chord. The “B” section begins at the end of the toccata, marked by the half note sustain of a D minor chord.

It’s harder to judge where the return to the “A” section starts because “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” doesn’t contain a labeled third section. However, in the fugue movement I believe that the shift back to “A” form occurs at the “Recitativo” tempo mark. A large shift occurs at the “Recitativo” tempo mark where the overall feel of the piece changes after a B_b major chord. The fugue changes from a very dark melancholy timbre to a much more light-hearted feel accompanied by an ascending melodic pattern, similar to the ascending sixteen notes found in the 2^nd and 3^rd lines of the toccata. The ascending pattern is much more dragged out though than at the beginning because the final “A” section acts builds toward the conclusion of the work. Another variation on the original “A” theme that plays in is the removal of voices. One can see that the toccata section starts thinly scored because only the right hand plays the melody. However, the toccata section slowly adds in new voices, building to a sustained chord. The reverse happens in the last lines of the work because voices are actually removed, it adds an element of symmetry to the piece. The large pitch jumps observed in the 32^nd notes mirror the opening motif of the work, but also build toward the final sustained chord.

“Take the A Train” also makes use of ternary form, but its version is more straightforward. Similar to the Bach toccata and fugue, “Take the A Train” is also a modified form, but it’s an example of A-A-B-A. The “B” section of “Take the A Train” is the least distinctive of all the sections due to the improvisation that doesn’t always give the piece a straightforward structure. The main melody is introduced at measure 5 with the syncopated quarter notes. Unlike Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”, Duke Ellington’s “A” section builds towards the “B” section, the improvised section. The “B” section is actually known for Ray Nance’s famous trumpet solo, which actually was written into the work because it was played so well. The “B” section builds towards the final “A” section like the Bach, but the final “A” section is clearly identifiable. It starts with the brass choir playing the original melody that starts at 5, only in the last “A” section they play it louder, in a more extreme register, and in a different key. It leads to a thrilling conclusion of a very exciting piece.

Similarities

1.     Ternary Form

2.     Improvisational Technique/Influence

Brief Analysis of “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” and “Take the A Train”

“Toccata and Fugue in D minor” is one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most celebrated works of music. The piece is considered to be one of the best examples of Bach’s Toccatas and Fugues because it is very stereotypical of the two musical genres.

As an example, Bach often wrote toccatas as prefaces to his fugues, “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” is no exception. The toccata section contains many rapid runs up and down arpeggios, but has many different tempo markings throughout the section. It gives an improvised feel to the toccata, whereas the fugue is very structured, at least at the start. The start of the fugue introduces the melody of the piece, known as the subject, played by one hand of the organ player. The subject is passed around in a call and response manner, and also makes allusions to the toccata section. The piece resolves with a D minor chord.

“Take the A Train” is the signature song of Duke Ellington and his orchestra, arguably one of the most famous jazz ever written. Whereas Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” originates from 19^th century Baroque Europe, “Take the A Train” originates from 20^th century Harlem, New York. “Take the A Train” is highly structured similar to Bach’s toccata and fugues, but “Take the A Train” was written for jazz big band as opposed to solo organ. “Take the A Train” is also set in a major key and has improvised sections purposefully written into the music. “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” was written to sound improvised, but improvisation wasn’t formally written into music until the 20^th century. Jazz legends such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis would have to make large contributions in music theory before improvisation could become a staple of modern jazz music.

Introduction to “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” and “Take the A Train”

Music styles and tastes change extremely frequently, but they always give tribute to the styles and tastes that came before. New music must built on old foundations laid by the most accomplished musicians of earlier times. For example, modern jazz as we know it today would not exist if music icons such as Bach and Beethoven hadn’t come along and established standard techniques for music composition.

Bach is particularly important to the development of music due to his contributions in the areas of harmony and rhythm. Bach was unprecedented in his musical writings, his compositional style extensively developed major and minor keys, as well as counterpoint. Bach did not create new styles of music; instead he took old musical techniques and executed them at the highest level. Bach wrote his music primarily for the Church, but the list of Bach’s compositions is extremely diverse. He wrote his music for choirs, orchestras, and most importantly, the organ. “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” is the most well known of all his organ works, but it is also the quintessential example of a Bach Fugue. It starts with a Toccata section, but moves into a Fugue. When listening one should pay attention to the regular, non-syncopated rhythms as well as the call and response melody of the fugue.

“Take the A Train” on the other hand comes from a completely different musical culture. Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington wrote “Take the A Train” in 1941 for jazz big band. The jazz big band that would perform it would generally have 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, an upright bass, a drum set, a piano player, 4 saxophones, and a clarinet player. The instrumentation is very different to the Fugue; you need around 20 people to perform “Take the A Train” whereas you only need one organ player to play Bach’s Fugue. The piece is considered absolute music, meaning that it was written for the sake of the music. “Take the A Train” would also be considered pop music since jazz was especially prevalent in American culture at the time of its composition. Jazz was particularly popular in African American communities through the 20^th century as it takes root in western classical music and slave folk songs.