How do I go about comparing two pieces of music in an analytical essay?

In order to structure a comparative essay at this level it is best to break the pieces down, and compare and contrast them in terms of their melody, rhythm, harmony, instrumentation, texture and structure (use the acronym MR HITS as a memory aid). There are a few ways in which to structure the essay; for example, you could go through each aspect in turn, looking first at melody in both pieces, then harmony (and so on), or you could talk about each piece separately. However you structure the essay be sure to COMPARE and CONTRAST, not just to comment on or state, as comparison is what the question specifically requires. (i.e. BOTH of these pieces use suspensions to create harmonic tension before cadential resolutions / Beethoven’s movement is clearly in a key and uses functional harmony to define its tonality, WHEREAS in Schoenberg’s the pitch content of the musical material is determined not by conventional tonality (major/minor keys) but by a 12-tone row.) In this question, don’t be afraid of stating the obvious. You are often required to compare pieces from very different historical periods or even parts of the world, so many of the differences between them will be characteristic of the historical period or geographical location from which they come. For example, it may seem obvious that the instrumentation of a late 20th century pop song differs from that of a piece of Renaissance vocal polyphony, or that both a Haydn symphony and a Beethoven string quartet use functional harmony, but don’t forget to state these obvious similarities or differences. Also, make reference to the score if you can(!) Try also to convince the examiners that you know what you are talking about(!) While stating may be sufficient to gain marks (i.e. 'both pieces use functional harmony', 'both are in sonata form' etc.), you may touch on more details of the music you are analysing (thus gaining more marks), and improve the quality of your prose through explaining what you mean, or expanding on the musical effects of a particular technical observation: 'Both pieces use functional harmony and therefore clear, conventional cadences which reinforce/create the clear tonalities throughout the piece that play a primary role in determining thier sonata form structures.' - Here the observation that both pieces use functional harmony leads succinctly into a comment on the integral link between tonality and sonata form (covering harmony, tonality and form/structure in one). Here are some questions to consider in relation to each of the six elements mentioned above: Melody Are the melodic lines conjunct or disjunct? Is there lots of ornamentation? How are the phrases structured? (periodic phrasing?) How does the piece use motives? Are there salient melodic themes? Rhythm Which metre do the pieces use? How is metre used? Are there metric modulations? Irregular metric structures? Additive rhythms? Is there use of syncopation/hemiola? Are polyrhythms used? Harmony (/tonality) Which kinds of chords are used? Simple and diatonic? Modal? More complex/chromatic? Do these chords function to reinforce particular tonal centres, tonalities or modalities? Are there cadences? How is dissonance managed? Are suspensions or appoggiaturas used? What is the harmonic rhythm? Instrumentation Which instruments are used? How does this relate to the piece’s genre? How many of each instrument are used? Chamber/larger ensemble? How are capabilities of specific instruments used in the music? (i.e. extended techniques, double stopping, flutter tonguing, brass mutes, harp harmonics, electronics etc.) Texture Are the parts organised clearly into melodic and accompanying roles? Are there moments of free counterpoint? Are there moments of homorhythm? Are melodies doubled at the 3rd/6th/octave? Structure (/form) What is the form of the piece? (Sonata form? (Rounded) binary? Rondo? etc.) If the piece is a part of a larger work, where is it situated in that work? Is the form determined by conventional cadences/tonality? Are there any interesting/unconventional moments in terms of the piece's formal considerations? (i.e. Are there any moments where conventional expectations are undermined?) Are there thematic links between structural elements?