Applied Music:
46. Barrington Pheloung Morse on the Case
Melody
Form
There isnt an obvious overall structure in thi
piece. It is possible to state that no structure
actually exists because of the nature of the
piece - incidental music. One way to look at it
is:
Section A (1 c50) has horns and
oboe and harp havent been heard yet.
Section B (ending of A 97) this section
has oboe and doesnt have harp or
horns.
Section C (bar 98-112) shorter closing
section. Features for the first time four
horns, harp and lower strings. It has also
got oboe, piano, violins and viola.
OR:
Section I (1 - 60)
Section II (60 112) begins after the
first complete silence in the piece with
oboe playing rising fourth A-D.
Harmony
The harmony of this piece is not
functional.
There is no use of primary chords or
cadencies to establish tonality.
Harmony is created by overlapping
different strands of melody across the
instruments.
Major and minor triads are avoided
with dissonances dominating the piece
(2nds 4ths and 7ths) generally quiet
dynamic.
Three uses of stronger dissonance:
Bar 52 compound major 7th between
piano and oboe, dynamic is mp. With
almost two octaves between the notes
the effect isnt harsh.
Bar 67: Minor 9th in the piano against D
Rhythm & Metre
Texture
There arent many standard descriptions of
texture present:
There is monophony present in bars 59
64
Sustained notes on the strings have
projected against them certain harmonic
passages in piano, wind or harp. They
are always slow moving and sometimes
static.
Doubling: violins and viola up to bar 14 of
the piece.
Changes of density: texture is thinned
down from several instruments to just
two at bar 53
Monophony from 59-64
Sustained octave in oboe and violins (66-
68) piano has a melody with alternating
notes and harmonic intervals.
Tonality
Ends with a C major chord.
However not always in C major:
It is sometimes undecided between
A minor and C major.
Sometimes verging on bitonality or
In Aeolian mode as the G natural is
heavily featured throughout the piece.
 in violins. Too high and quiet to be as
dissonant as it would ordinarily be.
Bar 92 95: A flats in piano and oboe
against A natural in violas have a
stronger effect impacting the structure
as well as Section C begins shortly after.
The piano enters with mf accents but
this moment is dissipated in bars 96-97
Long notes arent pedals because this
implies a change in harmony while note
is sustained. Can be called drones.

See table on the notes!

Resources Other notes:
Background information: Barrington Pheloung
has been based in the UK since 1970. This
piece is form the TV series Inspector Morse
episode Second Time Around. This episode
was released in 1991 and its from the 5th
Season of the series.