How to Approach Analysis of Text

The following is a useful approach to analyzing text in music:

1. Familiarize yourself with the background of the text, poet, and composer. Knowing the historical background can help the reader better understand the potential meaning of the text.Often we understand something we’ve read much better when we understand the context in which it was written. For example, imagine someone lost all the contacts in his or her phone and received a text from an unknown number that said, “I can’t believe it!” It would be difficult to determine what the tone of the text was. The note could be from a friend who wanted to share the good news that she had been promoted at work. It could be from a different friend who just found out he failed an exam that was 40% of his grade.“I can’t believe it!” is a phrase that is used in many contexts. Without additional information, it is impossible to know what the tone was meant to be. In the same way, the text of a piece can have multiple meanings or be unclear at times. This is why it is so important that performers or directors are familiar with the context of a piece. Not only will they have a better understanding of the message, but they will be able to perform it in such a way that the message is better communicated and more meaningful. Some suggested questions to ask are as follows: Who wrote it? When was it written? Why was it written? Is it a poem or part of a larger work? Who was it written for? Etc.
2. Read the text out loud to find the natural breaks and flow.Taking the time to read a text all the way through not only gives an idea of what it is about, but it can also immediately assist help with knowing how to sing the text. Additionally, this helps the reader better understand the “phrasing” of the poem or text, which will help with performance and other steps of analysis.
3. Analyze the text for structure and form. Looking at how the poem is organized can set some general expectations for musical form. The larger structure can generally be found by looking at the division of the stanzas. From there, examining the lines and location of the enjambments can show further nuance in phrasing that may occur in the music.
4. Analyze the text for meaning. Finding the meaning of the text will help singers and directors better perform a piece. This understanding will allow them to make more informed artistic choices during performance. Finding the meaning also will help with later steps of analysis. For example, it will be easier to locate places in the music that implement text painting. Meaning includes finding elements such as emotion, a lesson or moral the text is trying to communicate, or the overall story. Finding important words or patterns can aid in this goal. Looking at the title of the poem can also give a clue to the overall meaning of the song. This can aid in other steps of analysis because understanding the text can increase understanding of how it interacts with form, harmony, and rhythm.
5. Listen to the piece and pay attention to how the composer sets the text to music. Before diving in, it is important to make note of a few things: 1. Who wrote the music? Is it the same as the person who wrote the text? 2. Which was written first, the music or the text? Which was adapted to the other? 3. Does the music follow the same form as the text? Where are section breaks in the text and music? How does the flow of the text compare to the flow of the text in the music? 4. Have any words been added or omitted? What is the significance? Are there sections that have vocables rather than words (e.g., “hmm,” “ah,” “doo”)? What is the significance? A good place to start is listening to the piece a few times and noting any significant parts that stick out. It could be something in the harmonic progression, rhythm, melody, dynamics, etc. After noting these spots, look at the text surrounding them. Does the notable aspect relate to the text in some way? Has the composer used text painting to better communicate the message of the piece? It’s also important to look at the piece of music as a whole. Does the message of the piece fit the music? Is the tone consistent? If not, what changed? How does this change the message or meaning of the song? Important things to note are the form, text painting, and overall meter of the poem with the musical meter. The composer’s choices (such as omissions, additions, rewording, reframing of stanzas, text painting, etc.) in setting the text to music affect how the text is performed and interpreted. It’s important to note the composer’s interpretive choices of setting the text to music because it can help the analyst find the composer’s specific interpretation of the text. When this is found, it can help with artistic choices that the performers make with the piece (including whether or not to interpret it in the same way as the composer). Remember, the end goal isn’t necessarily to find the exact meaning the composer or author intended. Instead, be looking for meaning to better understand and perform a piece. By studying the relationship between text and music, performers and directors will be better able to communicate the meaning of the text in performance.
6. As a continuation of step five, look for places where expectations are fulfilled (such as trends, patterns, or contrasts that are established in the music), as well as places where expectations are broken. Trends, patterns, and contrasts in the music can often reflect the character of a piece and are important to note. Often a composer will emphasize text by repeating or prolonging it. Stark contrasts (for example, a forte piano dynamic marking) also can play a role in pointing out certain words. Noting these sections can open up pathways for better understanding meaning in text and music. Broken expectations are often interpretive choices of the composer. It is important to note when they occur and make decisions on how to respond to these instances. Ask questions. What are the implications of this? What would the composer’s motivation be for making this choice? Should this affect how the music is performed? Broken expectations can happen with any aspect of the song. Form and harmony are common places to look for broken expectations. In harmony, we often see unexpected chord changes or eliding cadences. In form, sometimes composers group the sections and phrases of text differently than the poet. Broken expectations are a huge part of why music is so appealing. Composers use expectations in text and music such as section breaks, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, rhyme, etc. to create stability and often break them to maintain interest. Another reason a composer or author might choose to break expectations is to make a point. He or she may drop a rhyme to change the mood or add an unexpected chord to delay resolution.

DISCLAIMER: It is important to note that there are multiple approaches to analyzing text in music. As with any aspect of analysis, everyone has a different perspective on how to go about it. The provided approach is not the one “correct” way to do it. There are multiple ways to analyze text in music. Some might find it easier to begin by listening to and analyzing the text within the context of the music before separating the two. It is perfectly acceptable to ignore this order of steps if a different way proves more effective.