With a 48-bar, A-A-B-C form (16 bars in each
A section) the A sections open with the “hook” phrase,
“Night and Day” or “Day and Night,” and close with
“Night and Day.” In each case the melody is just
the same, one note either played or held for two
and one-half measures. And in between the openings
and closings of the A sections are additional full
measures of repeated notes. The effect of all the
repetition is the flattening of the melody, which
transfers the emphasis to the harmonies and the
Latin beat, all bonuses for a dancer like Astaire
and jazz improvisationalists. -JW
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Musical analysis of
“Night and Day”
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| Original
Key |
Eb major |
| Form |
A1 – A2 –
B |
| Tonality |
Major throughout |
| Movement |
It descends
primarily via steps and small skips, then
leaps back up to its starting point. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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The beauty of the opening harmonic progressions
lies in the initial V7 which is preceded
by a major seventh chord a half step higher
(in the original, Bma7-Bb7). This is purely
an embellishment; the melody would work
just as well without it but would sound
quite bland. The consequent eight measure
phrase uses a descending progression that
was quite remarkable for its time: #ivø7
– iv – I(3rd in bass) – biii˚ - ii – V7
– I (in the original key, this is Am7(b5)
– Abm – Eb/G – Gb˚7 – Fm7 – Bb7 –Eb). This
chord progression has been used
subsequently as an “outro” for so many
tunes by so many jazz players
(particularly big band arrangers) that
it has nearly become a cliche.
The “B” section contains another surprise
when it leaps up to the bIII chord, going
back and forth between it and the tonic
I chord. This particular harmonic progression
was later used frequently in the film scores
of biblical epics, but Porter’s use of it
in a popular song context seems to be unique.
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K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath’s book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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