370:, where it serves as accompaniment to an impassioned recitative. In this case the figure is not identical on each repetition, but is freely modified, in such a way however that it is always recognized as the same, partly by the rhythm and partly by the relative positions of the successive notes. This manner of modifying a given figure shows a tendency in the direction of a mode of treatment which has become a feature in modern music: namely, the practice of transforming figures in order to show different aspects of the same thought, or to establish a connection between one thought and another by bringing out the characteristics they possess in common. As a simple specimen of this kind of transformation, may be quoted a passage from the first movement of Brahms's P.F. Quintet in F minor. The figure stands at first as at (
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mass of the harmony, but should be playing something which is worth playing in itself. It is of course impossible for any but the highest genius to carry this out consistently, but in proportion as music approaches to this ideal, it is of a high order as a work of art, and in the measure in which it recedes from it, it approaches more nearly to the mass of base, slovenly, or false contrivances which lie at the other extreme, and are not works of art at all. This will be very well recognized by a comparison of
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groups of figures, such as real musicians only can invent, and the gradual unfolding of all their latent possibilities, continuous and logical works of art may be constructed; such as will not merely tickle the hearer's fancy, but arouse profound interest, and raise him mentally and morally to a higher standard.
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any department in music in which true feeling and inspiration are more absolutely indispensable, since no amount of ingenuity or perseverance can produce such figures as that which opens the C-minor
Symphony, or such soul-moving figures as those in the death march of Siegfried in Wagner's 'Götterdammerung.'
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That figures vary in intensity to an immense degree hardly requires to be pointed out; and it will also be obvious that figures of accompaniment do not require to be so marked as figures which occupy positions of individual importance. With regard to the latter it may be remarked that there is hardly
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In music of an ideally high order, everything should be recognizable as having a meaning; or, in other words, every part of the music should be capable of being analyzed into figures, so that even the most insignificant instrument in the orchestra should not be merely making sounds to fill up the
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As the common notion that music chiefly consists of pleasant tunes grows weaker, the importance of figures becomes proportionately greater. A succession of isolated tunes is always more or less inconsequent, however deftly they may be connected together, but by the appropriate use of figures and
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this is not the case, as on the one hand the words assist the audience to follow and understand what they hear, and on the other the quality of voices in combination is such as to render strong characteristic features somewhat inappropriate. But without strongly marked figures the very reason of
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If the term is used alone it usually refers to instrumental figurations such as ... The term figuration is also used to describe the general process of melodic embellishment. Thus, we often read of "figurated" melody or of chorale "figuration." ... Figuration has nothing to do with
198:. According to White, motives are, "significant in the structure of the work," while figures or figurations are not and, "may often occur in accompaniment passages or in transitional or connective material designed to link two sections together," with the former being more common.
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334:
Bach and
Beethoven were the great masters in the use of figures, and both were content at times to make a short figure of three or four notes the basis of a whole movement. As examples of this may be quoted the truly famous rhythmic figure of the C minor Symphony
38:
246:
existence of instrumental movements can hardly be perceived, and the success of a movement of any dimensions must ultimately depend, to a very large extent, on the appropriate development of the figures which are contained in the chief subjects.
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A very peculiar use which Bach occasionally makes of figures, is to use one as the bond of connection running through a whole movement by constant repetition, as in
Prelude No. 10 of the Wohltemperirte Klavier, and in the slow movement of the
317:
a method of treating the accompaniment of his songs and the method adopted in the large proportion of the thousands of 'popular' songs which annually make their appearance in this country. For even when the figure is as simple as in
250:
though it must be observed on the other hand, that there are not a few instances in which masterly treatment has invested with powerful interest a figure which at first sight would seem altogether deficient in character.
241:, in which it is necessary that a strong and definite impression should be produced to answer the purpose of words, and convey the sense of vitality to the otherwise incoherent succession of sounds. In pure
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The use which Wagner makes of strongly marked figures is very important, as he establishes a consistent connection between the characters and situations and the music by using appropriate figures (
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Examples of this kind of treatment of the figures contained in subjects are very numerous in classical instrumental music, in various degrees of refinement and ingenuity; as in the 1st movement of
259:
As clear an instance as could be given of the breaking up of a subject into its constituent figures for the purpose of development, is the treatment of the first subject of
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the figure is there, and is clearly recognized, and is as different from mere sound or stuffing to support the voice as a living creature is from dead and inert clay.
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141:. In hearing a phrase as a figure, rather than a motif, we are at the same time placing it in the background, even if it is ... strong and melodious
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which, having been repeated twice in different positions, appears finally as the figure immediately attached to the
Cadence in Dâ™, thus—
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309:. The beautiful little musical poem, the 18th fugue of that series, contains as happy a specimen of this device as could be cited.
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White would classify the accompaniment as motivic material since it was, "derived from an important motive stated earlier."
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A similar very fine example—too familiar to need quotation here—is at the close of
Beethoven's Overture to Coriolan.
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359:), but it must be said that examples in his works are almost innumerable, and will meet the student at every turn.
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The common expression that a subject is very 'workable,' merely means that it contains well-marked figures;
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Music and
Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music (Musicologie générale et sémiologue, 1987)
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defines the figure as "the exact counterpart of the German 'motiv' and the French 'motif
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A phrase originally presented as a motif may become a figure which accompanies another
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originally presented or heard as a motif may become a figure that accompanies another
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194:. It is perhaps best to view a figure as a motif when it has special importance in a
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may be constructed entirely from figures. Scruton describes music by
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in architecture: it is 'open at both ends', so as to be endlessly
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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167:, except insofar as numerals often designate embellishing notes.
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621:. Translated by Abbate, Carolyn. Princeton University Press.
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in that a figure is background while a motif is foreground:
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347:). As a beautiful example from Bach may be quoted the
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is the shortest idea in music; a short succession of
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Shortest phrase in music, a short succession of notes
643:. Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 1999).
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394:) are progressive modifications towards the stage (
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172:Allen Forte, Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice
692:. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
160:
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305:fugues, as for instance Nos. 2, 7, 16, of the
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581:(3rd ed.). Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
125:, however, a figure is distinguished from a
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297:G minor Symphony; in the same movement of
727:Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
378:). Its first stage of transformation is (
158:as being applied to two distinct things:
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96:, often recurring. It may have melodic
237:Figures play a most important part in
146:Roger Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music
579:Tonal Harmony in Concept and Practice
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7:
185:, such as in the second movement of
730:. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan.
269:As an example of his treatment of (
287:) appears at the close as follows:
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1605:Formal sections in music analysis
602:Dictionary of Music and Musicians
218:figures...endless daisy-chains".
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669:. London: Bloomsbury Continuum.
667:Conversations with Roger Scruton
444:
374:), then by transposition as at (
57:, as in the second movement of
1:
261:Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony
221:A basic figure is known as a
1374:History of music publishing
301:; and in a large number of
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724:Grove, Sir George (1908).
1579:Category:Musical notation
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1445:Numbered musical notation
1236:Scientific pitch notation
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605:. Vol. 2. New York:
515:Scruton & Dooley 2016
1226:Helmholtz pitch notation
299:Beethoven's 8th Symphony
1569:List of musical symbols
1440:Nashville Number System
684:White, John D. (1976).
641:The Aesthetics of Music
528:The Aesthetics of Music
1119:Transposing instrument
307:Wohltemperirte Klavier
227:American popular music
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839:Techniques and styles
688:The Analysis of Music
615:Nattiez, Jean-Jacques
233:Importance of Figures
133:A figure resembles a
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22:
607:Macmillan Publishers
102:harmonic progression
1465:Percussion notation
773:Musical instruments
548:, pp. 392–393.
530:. 1997. p. 61.
154:describes the term
599:(1908). "Figure".
330:Bach and Beethoven
239:instrumental music
114:Grove's Dictionary
79:
47:
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1531:Mensural notation
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699:978-0-13-033233-2
676:978-1-4729-1711-9
650:978-0-19-816727-3
609:. pp. 35–37.
597:Grove, Sir George
517:, pp. 25–26.
493:, pp. 61–63.
481:, pp. 31–34.
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168:
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128:
124:
123:Roger Scruton
116:
115:
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107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
84:
73:
64:
60:
56:
51:
42:
33:
29:
25:
24:Accompaniment
21:
1450:Klavarskribo
1425:Figured bass
1299:Appoggiatura
1246:Articulation
1044:Abbreviation
902:
846:Alberti bass
725:
712:
687:
666:
663:Dooley, Mark
640:
618:
601:
578:
575:Forte, Allen
567:Bibliography
558:Scruton 1997
553:
541:
534:Nattiez 1990
527:
522:
510:
498:
491:Scruton 1997
486:
456:Alberti bass
432:
428:
423:
421:
418:
412:
395:
391:
387:
383:
382:); further (
379:
375:
371:
364:
356:
355:in D minor (
344:
340:
336:
333:
323:
320:Wohin, Mein,
319:
311:
292:
284:
280:
278:
270:
268:
258:
247:
236:
220:
215:
214:as "nothing
209:
206:Philip Glass
200:
189:
176:
165:figured bass
161:
155:
150:
132:
112:
89:
85:
82:
80:
1536:Music stand
1410:Chord chart
1389:Scorewriter
1366:Sheet music
1164:Dotted note
1099:Repeat sign
1074:Ledger line
956:Backup band
881:Power chord
786:Double bass
709:Attribution
243:vocal music
152:Allen Forte
111:. The 1964
34:, Op. 166.
26:figures in
1594:Categories
1510:Shakuhachi
1485:Ekphonetic
1470:Simplified
1435:Lead sheet
1309:Grace note
1174:Note value
1169:Grace note
1137:Accidental
903:Figuration
856:Banjo roll
821:Pipe organ
546:Forte 1979
503:Grove 1908
479:White 1976
462:References
424:Leitmotive
324:Ave Maria,
156:figuration
139:repeatable
90:figuration
1505:Swaralipi
1495:Kunkunshi
1455:Tablature
1420:Eye music
1304:Glissando
1279:Fingering
1064:Dal segno
966:Orchestra
923:Obbligato
532:Cited in
351:from the
1515:Znamenny
1356:Tonguing
1341:Staccato
1294:Ornament
1269:Dynamics
1221:Interval
1184:Notehead
1159:Cue note
928:Ostinato
861:Bassline
851:Arpeggio
791:Drum kit
665:(2016).
639:(1997).
617:(1990).
577:(1979).
438:See also
315:Schubert
295:Mozart's
255:Examples
211:Akhnaten
208:such as
170:—
144:—
135:moulding
106:rhythmic
65:(1893).
28:Schubert
1610:Harmony
1524:Related
1490:Gamelan
1480:Chinese
1460:Parsons
1331:Portato
1314:Mordent
1289:Marcato
1274:Fermata
1264:Damping
1259:Caesura
1216:Tremolo
1147:natural
1059:Da capo
888:Comping
353:Toccata
83:musical
1615:Melody
1346:Tenuto
1284:Legato
1254:Accent
1211:Tuplet
913:Groove
722::
696:
673:
647:
625:
585:
349:Adagio
303:Bach's
183:melody
179:phrase
104:, and
86:figure
55:melody
1500:Neume
1324:Trill
1319:Slide
1206:Tacet
1196:Pitch
1152:sharp
1104:Tempo
1089:Scale
1084:Ossia
1026:Staff
898:Drone
871:Chord
816:Piano
196:piece
127:motif
109:meter
98:pitch
94:notes
32:Octet
1336:Slur
1201:Rest
1189:stem
1179:beam
1142:flat
1079:Mode
1054:Clef
938:Vamp
933:Riff
908:Fill
694:ISBN
671:ISBN
645:ISBN
623:ISBN
583:ISBN
223:riff
71:Play
40:Play
1351:Tie
1049:Bar
390:) (
386:) (
322:or
225:in
216:but
88:or
61:'s
30:'s
1596::
1039:15
661:;
469:^
398:),
229:.
177:A
100:,
81:A
1034:8
1010:e
1003:t
996:v
757:e
750:t
743:v
702:.
679:.
653:.
631:.
591:.
536:.
396:n
392:m
388:l
384:k
380:j
376:i
372:h
357:g
345:f
341:e
337:d
335:(
285:c
281:b
279:(
271:a
119:'
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