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GCSE music > set pieces > Flashcards

set pieces Flashcards

1
Q

Brandenburg - Performing forces and their handling

A
  • Concertino (solo group) – flute, violin, single manual harpsichord
  • Ripieno (string orchestra)
  • Continuo – harpsichord + cello/bass
  • Harpsichord virtuosic – role as basso continuo & concertino
  • Figured bass
  • No dynamic markings in harpsichord
  • Dynamic markings in other instruments largely for balance
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2
Q

Brandenburg - Structure

A
  • Ternary ABA (unusual – would expect ritornello)
  • A (bb.1-78) – D major with brief sections in dominant; begins in fugal style
  • B (bb.79-232) – begins in B minor (relative); new theme in flute; second theme returns in A major; fragments of A-section theme appear frequently; ends with perfect cadence in B minor
  • A (bb.233-end) – repeat of opening A-section, beginning with D major chord to establish return to tonic key
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3
Q

Brandenburg - tonality

A
  • Tonic key – D major. Used for most of both A-sections
  • B-section modules to A major (dominant) and B major (relative minor)
  • Diatonic
  • Brief modulations to other related keys
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4
Q

Brandenburg - melody

A
  • Subject, answer, countersubject
  • Mostly conjunct
  • Some leaps
  • Scalic runs (esp. harpsichord)
  • Rising sequence
  • Occasional ornaments: trills in harpsichord, appoggiaturas
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5
Q

Brandenburg - texture

A
  • 4-part counterpoint
  • Begins in fugal style (NOT actual fugue),
  • Violin and flute in 2-part imitation
  • Harpsichord in 2-part counterpoint
  • Occasional 3rds
  • Flute/violin sometimes double each other in unison when ripieno is playing
  • Middle section theme – bassline has tonic pedal on B
  • Imitation
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6
Q

Brandenburg - harmony

A
  • Functional – predominantly chords I, IV and V with occasional use of II and VI
  • Mainly root position and first inversion
  • Dominant 7ths in various inversions
  • Perfect cadences at ends of sections
  • Occasional suspensions
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7
Q

Piano Sonata - Performing forces and their handling

A
  • Fortepiano
  • Wide range of 5 8ves and wide dynamic range show development of piano
  • Melody in RH, accompaniment in LH, except beginning of 2nd subject where hands cross
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8
Q

Piano Sonata - Structure

A
  • Slightly modified sonata form with intro
  • Slow intro b.1
  • Exposition (1st subject) b.11 , transition b.35, subject 2a b.51, subject 2b b.89, codetta b.131
  • Link (based on slow intro) b.133
  • Development b.137
  • Recapitulation b.195
  • Coda b.295
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9
Q

Piano Sonata - Tonality

A
  • Tonic key – C minor
  • Modulates to Eb b.5
  • 1st subject Cm
  • 2nd subject (2a) Ebm – this is not a closely related key (more typical of romantic)
  • Subject 2b Eb major (relative major of Cm – closely related)
  • Development goes through many keys – typical of a development section
  • 2nd subject recapitulation in Fm – not Cm as would expect in typical sonata form
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10
Q

Piano Sonata - melody

A
  • 1st subject rising
  • 2nd subject ornamented with mordents
  • Both 8 bar phrases
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11
Q

Piano Sonata - Harmony

A
  • Frequent diminished 7ths create tension –typically romantic
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12
Q

Music for a While – context

A
  • Henry Purcell 1659 – 1695
  • Worked in highly prestigious jobs – for the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey where he wrote a lot of church music.
  • Also wrote for the Theatre Royal – semi opera ie: plays with music and songs, a pre-cursor to opera where everything is sung.
  • Music for a while is for a play by John Dryden with whom Purcell worked a lot.
  • Greek mythology – Oedipus accidentally kills father and marries mother then gouges out his eyes.
  • Alecto is a fury, committed to persecuting those who kill their parents. In this song a priest tries to calm Alecto to allow the ghost of Oedipus’s dead father to rise so they can reveal his murderer. Really jolly stuff!
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13
Q

Music for a While – performing forces & handling

A
  • Soprano & basso continuo (harpsichord & bass viol)
  • Soprano range of a 9th – low E up to F
  • Lots of melismatic writing – often used as a form of word painting eg: ‘eternal’
  • Syllabic writing on ‘drop’ also word painting
  • Bass viol plays the bass line
  • Harpsichord plays chords derived from figured bass in RH & doubles the bass line in LH
  • The bass line is a ground bass (ostinato) – common in the Baroque period
  • Originally this would have been sung by a counter-tenor as women were not allowed to perform on stage.
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14
Q

Music for a While – melody

A
  • range of a 9th – low E up to F
  • phrases largely in 6 bar units
  • mostly moves by step
  • most phrases descend – reflects trying to calm Alecto
  • ‘drop’ more angular
  • Lots of ornamentation – some written out eg: eternal, some by the singer
  • Word painting: ‘drop’ ‘eternal’ ‘wondering’ ‘easd’
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15
Q

Music for a While – structure

A
  • Rounded binary (AB short return of A) – similar to ternary form
  • Rounded binary a common baroque structure
  • Intro 3 bars
  • Link to section B at b.22
  • A returns at b.29
  • 6 bar phrases (twice through the ground bass)
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16
Q

Music for a While – harmony and tonality

A
  • A minor
  • Chromatic notes in the ground bass implies mini modulations through the bass. (Purcell is well known for using chromatic notes & dissonances to reflect the texts he sets)
  • Modulates to Em ‘til Alecto’
  • G major on last ‘freed the dead’ (word painting!) but straight back to Am
  • Two bar link to section B is in C major
  • Returns to Am on ‘til’ the snakes’ but a tierce de Picardie means ‘snakes’ is actually an A major chord. This is not a modulation though – just a harmonic device.
  • Use of dissonance on ‘pains’ is word painting. 9-8 suspension which only resolves several beats later on ‘easd’
  • Ic V I cadences at the end of each ground bass phrase
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17
Q

Music for a While – texture

A
  • Melody dominated homophony
  • In places the harpsichordist may improvise countermelodies eg: b6, but these are not composed by Purcell.
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18
Q

Music for a While – Tempo, metre and rhythm

A
  • Nothing marked in original score, but it is slow.
  • Words guide decisions re: tempo and dynamics.
  • 4/4 Simple quadruple time
  • Constant quavers in ground bass
  • Long note on ‘mu –sic’ brings out that important word
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19
Q

Killer Queen - melody

A

Syllabic
Quite angular
Wide ranging
8ve leaps
Reuse of melodic patterns throughout the song

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20
Q

Killer Queen - rhythm

A

12/8
Syncopation
Anticipations of the main beat throughout.
Rhythmic motifs use throughout the song

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21
Q

Killer Queen - tonality

A

Eb major (3 flats)
Modulates frequently and quickly

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22
Q

Killer Queen - harmony

A

Starts oscillating chord vi & V7
Circle of 5ths
Ascending modulation through notes of a Cm7 triad
Descending chromatic bass line through use of root, 1st, 2nd & 3rd inversion chords, and non-diatonic chords
Pedal notes

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23
Q

Killer Queen - instrumentation

A

Vocals/ Bvox overdubbed. Chorus is Freddie Mercury singing all 4 parts. Vocal chords move in parallel motion. Gospel inspired harmonies
Piano
‘jangle’ piano these 2 pianos both recorded the same parts and so created a new sonority.
Electric guitar. Guitar parts overdubbed in instrumental to make a Big band sax sound.
Bass guitar
Drum kit and percussion

24
Q

Killer Queen - guitar techniques

A

string bends, slides, pull-offs, vibrato

25
Q

Killer Queen -structure

A

Structure Phrase lengths in bars
Intro
Verse 1 4 5 3
Chorus 1 5 3
Instrumental 4
Verse 2
Chorus 2 5
Guitar solo pt 1 4 3
Guitar solo pt 2 4 5 2
Verse 3 1 1 1 3 1
Chorus 3 5 4
Outro

26
Q

Killer Queen - texture

A

Homophonic opening
Bvox mostly in chorus
2nd verse more polyphonic with interweaving parts
3pt guitar chords in instrumental
Use of panning creates antiphonal feel

27
Q

Killer Queen - Music technology

A

Panning bvox chorus 3
Flanger on ‘laser-beam’ is a form of word-painting. Also heard end of chorus 3 ‘wanna try’
Distortion on guitar throughout
Wah-wah start v3
Gentle reverb on all tracks to create space
Multi-track recordings and overdubbing throughout (only 4 players in the band but lots more than 4 parts)

28
Q

Killer Queen - Context

A

Early 70s
Prog rock bands like Yes, Pink Floyd
Killer Queen 1974
Vaudeville-inspired

29
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – melody

A
  • Leitmotifs
  • Unlimited theme based on 1st 7 pitches of ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’
  • Elphaba’s theme used as accompanying motif
  • Recitative-like opening: ‘I hope you’re happy’ half shouted
  • Based on 4ths & 5ths
  • ‘hurt your cause for ever’ repeated up a semitone: ‘I hope you think you’re clever’ creating a rising sequence
30
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – rhythm

A
  • Intro with combination of 2/2 & 3/2
  • Rest in 4/4 except ‘there’s no fight we cannot win’ ¾
  • Lots of syncopation in melody
  • Cross rhythms between occasional triplets in melody & duplets in accompaniment
  • Overall rhythmic feel alternates between: slow chordal accompaniments & driving quaver rhythms
  • Heavy percussion emphasises rhythms
  • Colla voce instruction to band tells them to follow the singer’s rhythm – so more flexible
31
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – tonality

A
  • Starts on D (Glinda’s key)
  • Immediately subverted by chromatic chord sequence so key becomes ambiguous
  • Elphaba starts on Db
  • Their keys a semitone apart highlight their differences
  • Perfect cadence in B end of intro
  • F major 2 bars later
  • Verses & choruses are major
  • Coda starts minor
  • Octatonic scale ‘so we’ve got to bring her down’
32
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – harmony

A
  • Chromatic opening: D / C#m / C / B
  • Augmented chord under ‘clever’ b. 7 (Ab aug – Ab, C, E)
  • V7 – I cadence end of intro, but instead of F# - A# – C# E, it is F# - A# - C – E. (half diminished) The flattened 5th hints at modulation to F 2 bars later.
  • Diminished chord – made up of minor 3rds
  • Half diminished chord – diminished tried plus minor 7th on top
  • Chords built on the flattened 7th eg: the C major chord whilst in the key of D (verse – ‘Too late for second guessing’)
  • Bare fifths
  • Polytonal chords at end
33
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – instrumentation

A
  • Orchestrated by William Brohn
  • Traditional classical combined with popular
  • Flute, oboe, bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone sax, 2 horns, 2 trumpet, 2 trombone, percussion, electric drum kit, 2 electric guitars, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 3 keyboards.
  • Keyboard patches: fast attacked strings, tremolo strings, contrabass clarinet, celeste, bass trombones
  • Electric guitar E-bow
  • Electric guitar effects: distortion, chorus, delay, flange, ‘seek – wah’, wah-wah
  • Electric guitar playing techniques: palm-muting & extreme vibrato
  • Percussion inc: pedal timps, tam-tam, tin maraca, nut rattle, crotales, suspended cymbal, shaker, chimes, bell tree, finger cymbal
34
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – structure

A
  • Extended structure

Intro - dialogue 1 – verse 1 – chorus 1 – link – verse 2 – chorus 2 – dialogue 2 – first bridge – chorus 3 – link 2 – revised intro – vamp – bridge 2 – chorus 4 – link 3 - coda

35
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – texture

A
  • Homophonic opening (orchestral chords + monophonic witches lines)
  • Melody dominated homophony ‘you can still be with the wizard’
  • Polyphonic choruses
36
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – articulation and dynamics

A
  • Large range pp to ff
  • Some specific techniques eg: sf (sforzando ‘forced’ chords at the opening) & fp (loud then suddenly quiet)
  • Marcato (marked – very accented)
  • Staccato (detached)
  • Legato (smooth)
37
Q

‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked – context

A
  • 2003
  • Based on The Wizard of Oz (1939) & the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire
  • A dramatic song
38
Q

Star Wars - melody

A
  • Syllabic text setting
  • Backing vocals use words and vocalisation
  • Initially conjunct with small leaps
  • Later combines conjunct motion with wide, angular leaps
  • Leaps often featuring rising major 6th; some are exceptionally large
  • Altered descending sequence
39
Q

Star Wars - structure

A
  • Verse-chorus form
  • Verse 1, chorus 1
  • Instrumental
  • Verse 2, chorus 2
  • Guitar solo
  • Verse 3, chorus 3
  • Outro
40
Q

Star Wars - texture

A
  • Mainly homophonic
  • Imitation
  • Layering
  • 3-part texture during guitar solo
  • Panning
  • Some antiphony
41
Q

Star Wars - Tempo, metre and rhythm

A
  • Moderato, 112 dotted crotchet bpm
  • Swung feel
  • Time signature mainly 12/8 compound quadruple
  • Occasional 6/8 bar with effect of extending phrase length
  • Anacruses
  • Frequent syncopation
  • Triplets
42
Q

Star Wars - Harmony and tonality

A
  • Eb major (sometimes ambiguous)
  • Many passing modulations, strengthened by perfect cadence but followed by parallel shifts into a new key
  • Most chords in root position, some 1st/2nd inversion
  • Dissonance
  • Seventh chords; altered and extended chords
  • Circle of fifths
  • Pedal note
43
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - structure

A
44
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - melody

A
45
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - texture

A
46
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - harmony and tonality

A
47
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - temo, metre & rhythm

A
48
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - instrumentation - african and celtic

A

African - Kora, Talking Drum
Celtic - Hurdy-gurdy Uillean Pipes Bodhrán Fiddle Whistle Accordian

49
Q

Afro Celt Sound System - instrumentation - western (EDM)

A

Male & female voices
Synthesizers: string pad, soft pad, bells, string bass
Breath samples
Drum machine
Electric piano
Shaker
Tambourine

50
Q

Samba Em Preludio - Performing forces and their handling

A
  • Female voice
  • Acoustic guitar
  • Acoustic bass guitar
  • Vocals are low(chest register); minor 10th range
  • Syllabic word setting; many leaps; complex rhythms; rubato
  • Bass – virtuosic opening with double stops, wide leaps, semiquaver passages, mordent, harmonic
  • Acoustic guitar accompanies with chords and small melodic passages; also has virtuosic solo
51
Q

Samba Em Preludio - structure

A
  • Intro
  • Verse 1
  • Link
  • Verse 2
  • Guitar solo
  • Voice and bass duet
  • Coda
52
Q

Samba Em Preludio - tonality

A
  • B minor (minor key typical of this style)
  • No modulations
53
Q

Samba Em Preludio - texture

A
  • Intro monophonic (except double stops)
  • Mostly homophonic but bass part is at times almost melodic enough to be a melody in its own right
  • Polyphonic passage combines two main melodies
54
Q

Samba Em Preludio - harmony

A
  • Essentially tonal
  • Quite complex – influence of jazz/American pop
  • Movement of chord roots based around I, II, IV, V
  • Frequent chord extensions
  • Diminished 7th, flattened 5th
  • Chromatic chords
  • Ends of sections tend to land on V or V-I
  • Chord progressions sometimes create descending chromatic motion in bassline
55
Q

Samba Em Preludio - melody

A
  • Two main melodies, first heard separately, then combined
  • Idea A:
     8 bars, repeated with different ending
     Series of phrases all with rising arpeggio shape
     Downward sequence
     Mostly 3rds, some 7ths (blue notes)
     Flattened 5th (blue note)
  • Idea B:
     16 bars, repeated with different ending
     Almost entirely conjunct
     Ascending sequence
     Flattened 5th idea returns, in sequence
56
Q

Samba Em Preludio - Tempo, metre and rhythm

A
  • Almost all in 4/4 (simple quadruple)
  • Very free tempo at first, difficult to hear strong pulse
  • V.1 slow with much rubato; then tempo almost doubles; then free tempo returns
  • V.1 – triplets; rests separate phrases; syncopation
  • V.2 – mostly longer note values, starting off the beat
  • Standard bossa nova – dotted crotchet and quaver pairs
  • Vocal rhythms less syncopation from b.39

GCSE music (12 decks)

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