Mable Bailey

"Prankster" by Mable Bailey

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 01:19:03 +0000

"Prankster" by Mable Bailey Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/10/2020 - 18:19

Fuweiyu Li

"Prankster" by Mable Bailey is a short and lively atonal composition. Its duration is around one minute and forty-five seconds. The title of the composition describes its characters very well; it is odd, eccentric, and "naughty" like a prankster. The composition follows no conventional harmonic progression; it relies on the quality and effects of dissonances such as tritones, 2nds, 7ths, and various diminished intervals that make up the majority of the composition. The use of staccatos and accents also intensifies the sharp, tricky feeling of the composition.

The composition is approximately at the late intermediate level and it has very detailed articulation and dynamic specifications. There are plenty of accidentals throughout the piece. The rhythm is pretty straightfoward despite the fast tempo. The composition also follows several patterns, both rhythmically and melodically, which make the composition easier to learn.

By studying "Prankster", a student could realize that beauty exists not only in the "traditional" harmony but also in dissonances. Studying "Prankster" also will improve the student's ability to shape and articulate since the composer gives very detailed instructions on how the performer should execute the performance.

��Ĺ��ý the Composer: "Mable Bailey was born in Canton, Mississippi, and moved to Oakland, California, with her family as a child. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 1963 with a double major in education and music. She began to compose while she was a graduate student at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, and studied composition at the College of Holy Names in Oakland, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Denver. She has taught in the Denver Public Schools since 1976, and composes choral, vocal, and instrumental music." (Hildegrad Publishing Company)

Sources:

Hildegard Publishing Company. Music by Women Composers.
Photo shared by the composer

Prankster, by Mable Bailey. Performed by Indigo Farmer.

Traditional

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"Dance," by Mable Bailey

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 03:41:17 +0000

"Dance," by Mable Bailey Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 04/25/2020 - 21:41

Indigo Farmer

“Dance” for piano is a 4 page piece in 6/8 time, that sometimes switches to 9/8. It is marked presto, and has the feeling of two or three larger beats per measure. The writing is rhythmic, and could be a good introduction to complicated time signatures because it is not too difficult to comprehend, but uses a variety of patterns within this meter. The first six bars have six different dynamic markings (a new one each measure), which makes the dynamic changes wildly fast. Detailed and changing dynamics continue throughout the piece. Although the harmonic language is dissonant, speechlike rhythmic motifs that repeat for a few bars at a time make the piece musically intuitive. This, along with its shortness and technical approachability, make it a great late intermediate piece. There are frequent seconds and tritones in the harmony which make the piece sound fun and not too strict. Overall, this piece would be a great introduction to lots of musical challenges such as quick tempo, lots of dynamics, dissonance, and compound meter.

Mable Bailey was born in 1939 in Mississippi. She grew up in California and got undergraduate degrees in music and education, and then began composing as a graduate student, studying composition at the College of Holy Names in Oakland, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Denver. She teaches music in the Denver public schools. She is a pianist and vocalist and is known for her art songs.

Sources

Hildegard Publishing Company. Music by Women Composers.
Photo shared by the composer

Performed by Bryan Chuan.

Traditional

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“Dialogue,” by Mable Bailey

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 03:37:43 +0000

“Dialogue,” by Mable Bailey Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 04/25/2020 - 21:37

Indigo Farmer

“Dialogue” is a 12 page piece at the Advanced level. It is not too fast or technically challenging, but I marked it Advanced because it is very long. The indication at the top is “Dramatic,” which is fitting for the structure and character, yet also unusual. The conversation is clearly between the left and right hands, both of which have their own lines. These two voices persist throughout the entire piece, and they are interwoven so that their shapes and rhythms overlap in different ways. Slurs indicate where the gestures begin and end, and they are extremely varied in length, as in conversation. Hairpins also indicate separate shapes for each hand. This writing creates a contrapuntal effect, although the piece is dissonant overall and the voices don’t align harmonically. This piece would be great for developing melodic playing in both hands, as the left hand here never serves as accompaniment, but always has its own melodic voice. The lines are entirely unharmonized, except for two times when the upper voice is harmonized with sixths (these parts are both marked “espressivo”). Sometimes both hands break out into octaves, always in the forte dynamic, indicating an aggressive turn in the conversation. The piece is structured so that these dynamic climaxes get slightly bigger and more dramatic each time they recur. It first reaches fortissimo on the sixth page, with legato, tenuto octaves. On page seven, there is another fortissimo, this time the notes are accented and the hands are off from each other by an eighth note which makes the exchange sound quick and violent. Nearing the end (pages ten to twelve), there are four more climaxes, escalating in length and intensity until the last one reaches fff and in the last two bars there is a sforzando on every note. There is a unique pedagogical value in this piece because the structure is very obviously related to the title, “Dialogue,” and that word is central to the interpretation, rather than an image that is evoked or some vague expression. This could help with interpreting music that is dissonant, because the title and structure provide tools to find the meaning when one does not rely on traditional harmonic patterns and catchy melodies.

Note: a newer score shared by the composer in November 2020 include seven Dialogues, written in 1986 and 1991. They seem to use the same type of language and techniques outlined above - very abstract contrapuntal and imitative writing.

Source

Hildegard Publishing Company. Music by Women Composers.
Photo shared by the composer

Dialogue II, by Mable Bailey. Performed by Indigo Farmer.

Traditional

White

Mable Bailey

"Prankster" by Mable Bailey

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