Classical Convert

All The Single Shostys

This is classical music:

This isn’t classical music:

But both of them were gamboling together over the weekend, like two little musical lambs. This symptom was brought on after reading a piece from a while ago: A compositional analysis of Single Ladies by Beyonce, as well as diverse comments blabbing on about the interesting touch of polytonality in the chorus. That was something I had not noticed in my previous exposure to this tune, which mostly consists of drunken post-midnight dancing. Not so much of musicology.

So I revved up the old youtube, the bassy bit in the chorus hits and bam, Shosty 10. Not word for word, or note for note, or anything exactly for anything — it’s more like when a sudden gust of smell reels you back to a different time and location. There’s something really similar about the feel of that section.

I was well pleased to discover that S10 is in E minor.