MUSIC FULL ESSAY

Graeme Koehne’s Powerhouse and Elena Kats-Chernin’s Suburban Rag are both Australian
compositions that were composed in the 1990s within 5 years of each other but in different styles
and for different instruments. While they share some similarities in [ ] and [ ], they also have major
differences in terms of [ ] and [ ]. Both works develop their ideas differently using [aspect] and
[aspect], ultimately achieving a complete and engaging piece of music.

Both Koehne and Kats-Chernin develop musical ideas melodically in their works. An upbeat and a
melancholic atmosphere respectively is enhanced in the two pieces by manipulating recurring
themes and motifs with fragmentation and expansion to create various qualities while still keeping it
recognisable. This is evident in Powerhouse when the flute solo in bar 41 [see quote 1] is played by
the strings in bar 70 in a different register [see quote 2]. Similarly, Kats-Chernin extends the melody
from bar 34 into double octaves and quavers become split octave semiquavers. However while this
theme in Powerhouse uses the repetition of a single note quite often and doesn’t change even when
it reappears in a different section, Suburban rag features more stepwise movement in the melody as
shown in the two quotes above.

Furthermore, the melody Powerhouse is considered quite tonal but has some disjunct themes that
contrast with the themes with repeated notes, demonstrated by the introduction of the montuno
idea in bar 318 by the piano [see quote 3]. When the left hand melody is introduced during bar 94 in
Suburban Rag, it primarily uses diatonic steps both ascending and descending to convey the melodic
figure, making it more conjunct. Both works modulate frequently between minor and major
tonalities. They can also be considered to have progressive tonality, with Powerhouse starting in a C
Ionian Mode, ending in a G major key and Suburban Rag starting in D minor and ending in A flat
major.

Harmonically, both pieces are very different to each other. Koehne favours the use of chromaticism in
Powerhouse, using it in almost all of the instruments and themes. The passage by the violins in bar
81 [see quote 4] raises the C to a C sharp and lowers the F sharp to a F natural, demonstrating the
effect of chromaticism in creating harmonic tension and building up towards a louder fortissimo
section. On the other hand, Kats-Chernin’s rag uses harmony mainly from the diatonic scale and does
not involve much chromaticism. This includes harmony in octaves, thirds, fifths and sixths, which is
evident when the melody expands in bar 17 [see quote 5]. This diatonic harmony also creates
tension which is heightened by the four note E flat chord and is later resolved.

The way that the harmony develops within the works is also executed differently by Koehne and
Kats-Chernin in the two pieces. With Powerhouse, the harmony constantly changes whenever a new
idea is introduced and is either in the same rhythm as the melodic line or a fragmented part of the
idea such as in the bass clarinet in bar 164 compared with the oboes [see quote 6]. Harmony in
Suburban Rag is characterised by thick bass chords in the left hand. These chords are also constantly
changing depending on the melodic line, and help to build the plodding character of the piece
through harmony.

Both of the pieces use a similar aspect of rhythm to engage listeners, which is the use of syncopation.
The two works are based upon two different genres of music with different backgrounds, which gives
them their unique style. Powerhouse is based on a Latin inspired rhumba and clave rhythm. The
prominent clave rhythm is already evident at the very start of the piece by the woodwinds and
strings [see quote 7] and gives a syncopated beat throughout the whole piece. On the other hand,
Suburban Rag as it name suggests is based on a rag, with strong beats on 1 and 3 in the left hand and
a syncopated rhythm with accents on 1 and 4 in the right [see quote 8]. Similarly to Powerhouse, it is
reliant on syncopation to build the rhythmic sophistication.

In addition, the tempo and playing style of each piece rely on the rhythm. Koehne himself describes
his piece Powerhouse as a composition with ‘perpetuum mobile’, meaning an endless stream of
notes. The fast pace of 100 minim beats per minute and the tempo marking molto allegro energico
contribute to this perpetual motion and pushes the piece forward. On the other hand, Suburban Rag
is slower at 116 crotchet beats per minute and the pulse is slower. There are few short sections of
fast movement balanced with longer minims such as in bars 171-172 [see quote 9] in contrast with
short note values in Powerhouse. Therefore, the rhythmic character of the pieces appear different
despite both featuring syncopation.

The textures in the two respective pieces build up towards a certain point to create musical tension
between the different parts. Whenever a new idea is introduced in Powerhouse, the texture is quite
sparse and feature a solo instrument before other instruments add on to it such as when the
montuno melody begins in bar 318 [quote 3]. This then builds up towards a climax with a tutti where
the texture is quite full. Similarly in Suburban Rag, a theme starts quite thin with single line melody
[see quote 10], but reappears as double octaves in bar 126 [see quote 11]. From this, it can be
concluded that the textures in both pieces start thin and build tension towards a point of arrival.

Furthermore, the melodic line moves through different voices in both pieces. In Powerhouse, various
instruments take turns to play the melodic theme and it often shifts between the woodwinds and the
strings. There is generally only a single voice backed up by harmony in the same rhythm. In Suburban
Rag, the melody enters the middle register in both left and right hand during bars 81-82 [see quote
12] and is the most prominent between the two voices in this section. Later, it is in the bass played
by the right hand [see quote 13]. This interplay between parts and variation develops the piece with
complexity and engages the audience.

In addition, the orchestration of the piece is very different, as one is scored for an entire orchestra
whereas the other is for solo piano. As a result of this, Powerhouse generally has more variation in
tone colour especially between the woodwind, brass and strings. The percussion also adds another
layer of rhythm on top of the melody and harmony and the violins shift between bowed and plucked
in bar 128 [see quote 14]. In the piano part in Suburban Rag, there is not very much variation. The
music material is mostly slurred and legato, with only a small section with staccato and bass stays
constant except for towards the end.

The timbre of the pieces also differentiate because of the orchestration. A mysterious, brooding
atmosphere is created by the strings when they play in unison. Meanwhile the bright and playfulness
of the flutes and marimba counter and balance this to maintain the upbeat atmosphere. Finally, the
bongos, congas and maracas such as in bar 165 emphasise the importance of Latin inspiration on the
music. Suburban rag follows a more melancholy, relaxing and easy-going mood. This is done by the
slurred legato phrases and the systematic pedalling every time the harmony changes. Thus, there is a
big contrast between the way the audience perceive the two pieces, as one has a wide range of
instrumental combinations and the other is quite limited in options.

Therefore, the two Australian pieces from the 1990s do share some similarities, but differ more in
terms of [ ] and [ ]. However despite these differences, both still develop the music effectively and
create interest for listeners.
INTRO
Graeme Koehne’s Powerhouse and Elena Kats-Chernin’s Suburban Rag are both Australian
compositions that were composed in the 1990s within 5 years of each other but in different
styles and for different instruments. While they share some similarities in [ ] and [ ], they
also have major differences in terms of [ ] and [ ]. Both works develop their ideas differently
using [aspect] and [aspect], ultimately achieving a complete and engaging piece of music.
POWERHOUSE
Melody
- Both Koehne and Kats-Chernin develop musical ideas melodically in their works. An
upbeat and a melancholic atmosphere respectively is enhanced in the two pieces by
manipulating recurring themes and motifs with fragmentation and expansion to
create various qualities while still keeping it recognisable. This is evident in
Powerhouse when the flute solo in bar 41 [see quote 1] is played by the strings in bar
70 in a different register [see quote 2].
- Furthermore, the melody Powerhouse is considered quite tonal but has some
disjunct themes that contrast with the themes with repeated notes, demonstrated by
the introduction of the montuno idea in bar 318 by the piano [see quote 3].
Harmony
- Harmonically, both pieces are very different to each other. Koehne favours the use of
chromaticism in Powerhouse, using it in almost all of the instruments and themes.
The passage by the violins in bar 81 [see quote 4] raises the C to a C sharp and lowers
the F sharp to a F natural, demonstrating the effect of chromaticism in creating
harmonic tension and building up towards a louder fortissimo section.
- The way that the harmony develops within the works is also executed differently by
Koehne and Kats-Chernin in the two pieces. With Powerhouse, the harmony
constantly changes whenever a new idea is introduced and is either in the same
rhythm as the melodic line or a fragmented part of the idea such as in the bass
clarinet in bar 164 compared with the oboes [see quote 6].
Rhythm
- Both of the pieces use a similar aspect of rhythm to engage listeners, which is the use
of syncopation. The two works are based upon two different genres of music with
different backgrounds, which gives them their unique style. Powerhouse is based on
a Latin inspired rhumba and clave rhythm. The prominent clave rhythm is already
evident at the very start of the piece by the woodwinds and strings [see quote 7] and
gives a syncopated beat throughout the whole piece.
- In addition, the tempo and playing style of each piece rely on the rhythm. Koehne
himself describes his piece Powerhouse as a composition with ‘perpetuum mobile’,
meaning an endless stream of notes. The fast pace of 100 minim beats per minute
and the tempo marking molto allegro energico contribute to this perpetual motion
and pushes the piece forward.
Texture
- The textures in the two respective pieces build up towards a certain point to create
musical tension between the different parts. Whenever a new idea is introduced in
Powerhouse, the texture is quite sparse and feature a solo instrument before other
instruments add on to it such as when the montuno melody begins in bar 318 [quote
3]. This then builds up towards a climax with a tutti where the texture is quite full.
- Furthermore, the melodic line moves through different voices in both pieces. In
Powerhouse, various instruments take turns to play the melodic theme and it often
shifts between the woodwinds and the strings. There is generally only a single voice
backed up by harmony in the same rhythm.
Tone Colour/Orchestration
- In addition, the orchestration of the piece is very different, as one is scored for an
entire orchestra whereas the other is for solo piano. As a result of this, Powerhouse
generally has more variation in tone colour especially between the woodwind, brass
and strings. The percussion also adds another layer of rhythm on top of the melody
and harmony and the violins shift between bowed and plucked in bar 128 [see quote
14].
- The timbre of the pieces also differentiate because of the orchestration. A
mysterious, brooding atmosphere is created by the strings when they play in unison.
Meanwhile the bright and playfulness of the flutes and marimba counter and balance
this to maintain the upbeat atmosphere. Finally, the bongos, congas and maracas
such as in bar 165 emphasise the importance of Latin inspiration on the music.
CONCL
Therefore, the two Australian pieces from the 1990s do share some similarities, but differ more in
terms of [ ] and [ ]. However despite these differences, both still develop the music effectively and
create interest for listeners.
Suburban Rag

Melody

- Similarly, Kats-Chernin extends the melody from bar 34 into double octaves and quavers become split
octave semiquavers. However while this theme in Powerhouse uses the repetition of a single note
quite often and doesn’t change even when it reappears in a different section, Suburban rag features
more stepwise movement in the melody as shown in the two quotes above.
- When the left hand melody is introduced during bar 94 in Suburban Rag, it primarily uses diatonic
steps both ascending and descending to convey the melodic figure, making it more conjunct. Both
works modulate frequently between minor and major tonalities. They can also be considered to have
progressive tonality, with Powerhouse starting in a C Ionian Mode, ending in a G major key and
Suburban Rag starting in D minor and ending in A flat major.

Harmony

- On the other hand, Kats-Chernin’s rag uses harmony mainly from the diatonic scale and does not
involve much chromaticism. This includes harmony in octaves, thirds, fifths and sixths, which is
evident when the melody expands in bar 17 [see quote 5]. This diatonic harmony also creates tension
which is heightened by the four note E flat chord and is later resolved.
- Harmony in Suburban Rag is characterised by thick bass chords in the left hand. These chords are also
constantly changing depending on the melodic line, and help to build the plodding character of the
piece through harmony.

Rhythm

- However, Suburban Rag as it name suggests is based on a rag, with strong beats on 1 and 3 in the left
hand and a syncopated rhythm with accents on 1 and 4 in the right [see quote 8]. Similarly to
Powerhouse, it is reliant on syncopation to build the rhythmic sophistication.
- On the other hand, Suburban Rag is slower at 116 crotchet beats per minute and the pulse is slower.
There are few short sections of fast movement balanced with longer minims such as in bars 171-172
[see quote 9] in contrast with short note values in Powerhouse. Therefore, the rhythmic character of
the pieces appear different despite both featuring syncopation.

Texture

- Similarly in Suburban Rag, a theme starts quite thin with single line melody [see quote 10], but
reappears as double octaves in bar 126 [see quote 11]. From this, it can be concluded that the
textures in both pieces start thin and build tension towards a point of arrival.
- In Suburban Rag, the melody enters the middle register in both left and right hand during bars 81-82
[see quote 12] and is the most prominent between the two voices in this section. Later, it is in the bass
played by the right hand [see quote 13]. This interplay between parts and variation develops the piece
with complexity and engages the audience.

Tone Colour/Orchestration

- In the piano part in Suburban Rag, there is not very much variation. The music material is mostly
slurred and legato, with only a small section with staccato and bass stays constant except for towards
the end.
- Suburban rag follows a more melancholy, relaxing and easy-going mood. This is done by the slurred
legato phrases and the systematic pedalling every time the harmony changes. Thus, there is a big
contrast between the way the audience perceive the two pieces, as one has a wide range of
instrumental combinations and the other is quite limited in options.