'losfer Words (big 'orra)'
With the possible exception of "Genghis Khan", this is my favorite Maiden instrumental. Perhaps it's simply nostalgia, as this is the first of Maiden's instrumentals that I ever heard. But I think this one stands up well against the others.
Sorry, I can't report what I voted. I placed my vote long before writing this post, and don't recall what it was.
This seems like a good place to say bit about the history of musical form/structure, and how it has affected Iron Maiden's songs (especially those written by Steve Harris).
Going back to the Classical era of music (1750-1825, best represented by Mozart and Beethoven), several general structures developed on which compositions could be based. The most prominent of these structures is called sonata form; it is also known as sonata-allegro form or first-movement form. It was almost universally used as the form for first movements in multi-movement pieces such as sonatas or symphonies.
Sonata form is essentially ternary; that is, it has three parts in an A-B-A structure.
The first part A is called the exposition. Here, the composer first sets out the themes he will use for the rest of the piece. There are usually 2 themes, and they are usually in different keys. The exposition is frequently repeated before moving on.
Part B is called the development. Here, the composer takes his themes and varies them. He tears them apart and reassembles the pieces into new melodies. He changes the rhythm, the harmonies, and generally anything else that can be changed. In other words, this is where the composer gets to show off his compositional skill.
The second part A is called the recapitulation. It is essentially the same as the exposition, except that the themes - which were originally played in different keys - are now played in one single key.
Many sonata form pieces contain an Introduction at the beginning and/or a Coda at the end.
Now, how does all of that relate to Iron Maiden and specifically Losfer Words?
The first 1:17 of the song is the exposition. Two distinct themes are presented: the introductory guitar riff (with a contrasting section) followed by the more graceful melody played in harmony by the guitars.
Starting at 1:17, we reach the development. Rather than developing the themes already presents, Steve presents a new one. This is varied by adding guitar solos, and by introducing other new melodies. Just as the composer got to show off here in the classical era, this is the chance for the guitarists to show off.
At 3:20 we reach the recapitulation. The themes from the exposition are played again, although this repitition is somewhat abbreviated. There's also a very brief coda to end the song.
When considering if an Iron Maiden song is an adaptation of sonata form, the key element to consider is whether or not the exposition has multiple themes, all of which are repeated in the recapitulation. For example, "The Trooper" is NOT sonata form because the 'exposition' just has a single theme (the intro riff).
On the other hand, many of Steve's longer songs are sonata forms. Perhaps the most obvious example is "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" in which two different verse styles (with a melodic transition) make up the exposition and recapitulation. In "Rime", the development starts at "There, calls the Mariner, there comes a ship...".
Please study this material carefully, as I reserve the right to drop a pop quiz on ya. [!--emo&
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