STAR DANCE ANALYSIS
Background
Star Dance was composed by Keyna Wilkins originally for Sydney-based flamenco ensemble Pena Flamenca in 2013 for 8 piece flamenco ensemble including flamenco dancer and was performed many times around NSW including Darling Harbour Fiesta, The Basement, VIvid Festival, Camelot Lounge. It was arranged for solo piano for Wilkins' solo piano concerts around Australia including MONA, Sydney Women's Jazz Festival, Foundry 616, Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, and then for Wirripang's Anthology of Piano Music by Women Composers published in 2019. The style is neo-romantic flamenco.
Music Analysis
The opening introduction is played with rhythmic freedom, using block rolled chords in the left hand providing harmonic support to the lyrical melody in the right hand. Harmonically, the chords revolved around chord 1-2-5 in the key of E Dorian mode, finishing on a very free arpeggiation of B7b9 over 3 octaves. Section A is Bar 8-26 which involves neo-romantic style virtuosic chord arpeggiation, grace notes, in the key/tonality of E Minor, sometimes with sharp 5, adding chromatic colour. This section is in 6/8 but played with some rhythmic freedom. Bar 27-28 is a linking passage, hands in unison playing scalic passages over B phrygian mode. Section B is 29-42 and is a development of Section A this time in the dominant B phrygian mode, and played with even more expressiveness and freedom, concluding with a flourish B7b9 arpeggiation and trill in right hand. Section C is suddenly very rhythmic and staccato with precision required, both hands in unison playing a staccato melody largely in E phrygian mode with some chromatic colour. Section D is 59-74 represents a contrasting section with triads in the left hand played very steadily, while the right hand plays a improvisatory-style passage with numerous tuplets and irregular lengths of phrases. To conclude the work, Section C returns in Bar 75, this time more extreme dynamics and both hands moving an octave outwards to provide more depth and width to the finale phrase.
Texturally, the piece is mainly homophonic with right hand melody and left hand chordal accompaniment, with some sections being monophonic with both hands in unison playing the melody.
Overall, Star Dance in the key/tonality of E Phrygian mode - sometimes using sharp 3rd and sometimes using flat 3rd. The use of this tonality links back to the flamenco origins, as the phrygian mode is a prominent feature of flamenco music.
In every performance Wilkins will improvise sections of the music, so this approach is completely acceptable.
Background
Star Dance was composed by Keyna Wilkins originally for Sydney-based flamenco ensemble Pena Flamenca in 2013 for 8 piece flamenco ensemble including flamenco dancer and was performed many times around NSW including Darling Harbour Fiesta, The Basement, VIvid Festival, Camelot Lounge. It was arranged for solo piano for Wilkins' solo piano concerts around Australia including MONA, Sydney Women's Jazz Festival, Foundry 616, Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, and then for Wirripang's Anthology of Piano Music by Women Composers published in 2019. The style is neo-romantic flamenco.
Music Analysis
The opening introduction is played with rhythmic freedom, using block rolled chords in the left hand providing harmonic support to the lyrical melody in the right hand. Harmonically, the chords revolved around chord 1-2-5 in the key of E Dorian mode, finishing on a very free arpeggiation of B7b9 over 3 octaves. Section A is Bar 8-26 which involves neo-romantic style virtuosic chord arpeggiation, grace notes, in the key/tonality of E Minor, sometimes with sharp 5, adding chromatic colour. This section is in 6/8 but played with some rhythmic freedom. Bar 27-28 is a linking passage, hands in unison playing scalic passages over B phrygian mode. Section B is 29-42 and is a development of Section A this time in the dominant B phrygian mode, and played with even more expressiveness and freedom, concluding with a flourish B7b9 arpeggiation and trill in right hand. Section C is suddenly very rhythmic and staccato with precision required, both hands in unison playing a staccato melody largely in E phrygian mode with some chromatic colour. Section D is 59-74 represents a contrasting section with triads in the left hand played very steadily, while the right hand plays a improvisatory-style passage with numerous tuplets and irregular lengths of phrases. To conclude the work, Section C returns in Bar 75, this time more extreme dynamics and both hands moving an octave outwards to provide more depth and width to the finale phrase.
Texturally, the piece is mainly homophonic with right hand melody and left hand chordal accompaniment, with some sections being monophonic with both hands in unison playing the melody.
Overall, Star Dance in the key/tonality of E Phrygian mode - sometimes using sharp 3rd and sometimes using flat 3rd. The use of this tonality links back to the flamenco origins, as the phrygian mode is a prominent feature of flamenco music.
In every performance Wilkins will improvise sections of the music, so this approach is completely acceptable.
