[Smt-talk] I - II- IV as a progression (counterpoint)

[Walt Everett]

On Sep 22, 2009, at 10:10 PM, Murphy, Scott Brandon wrote:
>
> Earlier posts in this thread proposed various rationales for the  
> progression. Here’s another from a film-music perspective: having  
> another chord besides V follow I-#II not only demotes #II from a  
> more “Classical” role of V/V, but also promotes I-#II as a brief but  
> clear token of the “Lydian” sound that plays an important role in  
> many popular film scores. [citations of John Williams' Superman and  
> Star Wars scores, among others].

Scott's right--soundtracks are an important source.  The "Simpsons"  
theme opens with a melodic ^1 - ^#4 - ^5 supported by I - II# - I.   
The beginning of the theme is a quote of "Maria" from *West Side  
Story*, later corroborated by the trumpet's quote of ^#4 - ^5 - ^8 -  
^b7 from "Something's Coming" [see opening and 0:51-52 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqog63KOANc&feature=related 
].  (Hats off also, I suppose, to the Georges Jetson and Antheil.)

Interestingly, the I - II# - I neighboring idea is often performed  
over a ^1 pedal (in examples ranging from the last strophe in  
Schubert's "Gute Nacht" through many Broadway tunes such as "Tonight"  
in WSS, and in many rock songs such as those mentioned in the section  
devoted to the Lydian II in my The Foundations of Rock, pp 256-57),  
but instead of ^1, ^#4 is sustained through this idea early in the  
Simpsons theme--a signifier of wackiness?  I ascribe the sense of  
boundless wonderment to these I - II# - I examples.  What's also  
interesting is the pop-rock song in which a phrase can cadence on the  
major II chord (The Vogues' "Five O'Clock World," BS&T's "Sometimes in  
Winter," both cases leading into wordless fantasy passages).

Then there are the tons of pop-rock dorian alternations over a ^1  
pedal of i - ii - i ("Along Comes Mary") or i - IV - i (I recall John  
Covach once referring to this as the Santana changes). . . .

The descending line, ^5 - ^#4 - ^4 - ^3 ("How dry I am"), appears  
often in the classical literature, but almost always as part of a  
circle of 5ths, as in the support of Susanna's part in the second-act  
trio of Figaro (mm 40-45), where the applied leading tone's resolution  
is elided.  The Beatles' first use of II# - IV for this descent comes  
in "She Loves You," and after "Eight Days a Week" it became a pop  
mainstay.

>
>

Walter Everett
Professor of Music
Chair, Department of Theory
The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
1100 Baits Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI  48109-2085

weverett at umich.edu
voice: 734-763-2039
fax: 734-763-5097

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