After a thorough analysis I think I might have found something...

The success of the song Bohemian Rhapsody in the second half of the XXth century was partially attributed to the evident contrast found within the song. This song can be divided into 6 main sections and within each section in various different subsections. The contrast between each main section is so drastic than in two occasions the music genre varies along with the section. Within Bohemian Rhapsody we can find ballade, opera and hard rock. In order to achieve this “contrasting sections” without ruining the songs smoothness the composer used various musical elements.

Alike Bohemian Rhapsody, the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky is also characterised by its contrasting, well-established sections and subsections. This music piece can be divided into 6 main sections, each of which is characterized by a specific contrasting mood. A difference that should be pointed out between the structures of these two songs is the fact that unlike Bohemian Rhapsody in the 1812 Overture the sections do get repeated along the song (although never exactly the same way).

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The use of "different themes and motifs" to establish distinct, contrasting sections with in the music piece. (How themes and motifs are developed to build up each section of the piece).

• Use of themes and Motifs

The use of different themes and motifs in the two songs is the main element that allows us to determine a change in the section.

Each of the different sections of Bohemian Rhapsody are made up one or two distinct themes that are developed along the section. As soon as a new, main theme is introduce you can tell that it is a new sections. For instance, in section 2 of Bohemian Rhapsody the following piano line is played from bars 15 to 46 (with slight variations) (see score example 1), this theme is fundamental in setting the mood as it is made up of long notes, and as it is repeated, variations are made to specific notes to higher pitch notes (ascending), creating that nostalgic mood. Consequently when the piano line is over the mood that had been previously set completely vanishes, leading to a new section. For this specific case the piano line is followed by a guitar solo that completely contrasts with that melancholic mood set by the theme. But just as in this example, throughout Bohemian Rhapsody the transition between sections can be identified whenever a different theme (that changes the mood of the song) is introduced.

In a similar way, in the 1812 Overture, distinct motifs and themes are also used throughout the song to establish the different sections and subsections within the song. Particularly in this piece, different motifs are used to symbolize features within the context of piece (the Napoleonic invasion). To do so, Tchaikovsky uses leitmotifs (short constantly recurring musical phrases) within counterpuntion. In addition, also Tchaikovsky used motifs from pre existing music pieces to achieve the same purpose. Within the overture you will be able to identify motifs from; "O Lord, Save Thy Lord" (traditional Russian piece) - at the very beginning, "At the gate, at my gate/U vorot, votot" (traditional Russian folk piece" - towards the middle of the piece (bar 207) and "God save the Tsar" (National Anthem of the Nate Russian empire" - All of these specific motifs are used in specific sections, they can be used to determine what part of the "story" is being told and consequently determine the section of the piece.

At various occasions the Motifs and themes are used to construct the different sections, depending on the motif in which the section or subsection in centred, the mood of the section varies. For instance, in bar 78 the following theme is developed (see score example 2). Based on the development of this theme, a number of different musical elements vary, but as the theme vanishes, the rest of the element change consequently; this establishes the introduction of a new section. In another example, towards the 4th section of the song, towards bar 265 a motif is developed and the whole section based upon it.

(See score example3) This theme represents the Napoleonic army and it is a theme taken from the French national anthem. We can see how the composer used this theme as the base of the section; consequently the whole mood was based up on it. As the contour created by the motif disappears the mood and consequently the section changes.

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