Musical Analysis
Leontovych originally created the piece as an assignment for a harmony course he was taking by correspondence to demonstrate the use of a four-note known as ostinato. The ostinato motif, a repeated four-note pattern within the range of a minor third, is thought to be of prehistoric origins: a New Year's chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk" .
The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device, known as hemiola, in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). This device however is lost in the English translations and rarely is used in non-Ukrainian or instrumental performances.
The original work was intended to be sung a cappella by mixed four-voice choir. Two other settings of the composition were also created by Leontovych: one for women's choir (unaccompanied) and another for children's choir with piano accompaniment. These are rarely performed or recorded.
Read more about this topic: Carol Of The Bells
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