On Wenlock Edge - Vaughan Williams Flashcards
On Wenlock Edge, Is my team still ploughing?, Bredon Hill (20 cards)
Can you give me a general background of Vaughan Williams and who/what inspired him in his music?
He was inspired by English folk music and Debuusy and Revel (who taught him for a short period of time, not long before he wrote ‘On Wenlock Edge).
How can you describe his music? what does it contain
Modes, parallel movement - sometimes perfect 5ths.
Where did the lyrics to his music come from?
A.E Housman wrote them, for his 6 poems from A Shropshire Lad.
What instruments/voice was the music written for?
Tenor, string quartet and piano
What was the piece ‘On Wenlock Edge’ based on?
A storm which represents modern sufferings - ‘the gales of life’
Describe the melody - OWE
It is largely syllabic and based on the pentatonic scale. There is a restricted vocal range.
Describe the rhythm - OWE
It’s in 4/4 the whole time but there are many triplet quavers in the intro that it feels like 12/8. Syncopation - trills start on weak beats.
Describe the structure - OWE
Strophic structure with 5 verses.
Describe the harmony - OWE
Contrary motion - bass and melody moving in different directions. Parallelism - due to the influence that Debussy had on him.
Describe the texture - OWE
Homophonic
Describe the tonality - OWE
The key signature is G minor - the first notes in the piano show this. There is some minor/major ambiguity. Bitonality effect intensifies stress and conflict.
What is ‘Is my team ploughing?’ about
A dialogue between a ghost and his alive friend, who is seeing his friends girlfriend - she is ‘well contented’.
What musicians/pieces can you link IMTP with?
Clair de lune - Debussy as it also has a wide range of dynamics.
Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz has many crescendos and diminuendos.
Describe the melody of both the ghosts passage and his friend
Ghost - conjunctive, recitative , dorian modal - middle register
Friend - disjunct, chromatic melody in high register
Scarborough fair by Simon and Garfunkel is similar to the ghosts melody - also in Dorian.
What’s the harmony like in IMTP?
There is a high contrast between the man and the ghost. The ghost uses modal harmony and parallel triads, while the man uses extended chords over a chromatic bassline, ending on diminished chords.
What is the tonality? IMTP
This piece is in D Dorian mode in D minor. Stanza four modulates up to F minor. It’s inspired by folk and German romanticism due to it’s modulations.
Describe the sonority IMTP
The cello and piano compliment the ghost , there are muted strings + piano doubles voice. The friend has a high piano and cello - Nocturnes No.3 by Debussy has similar piano.
Describe the structure IMTP
Simple modified strophic form, substantial repetition
Describe the tempo of ‘Is my team ploughing?’
The tempo varies from andante for the ghost to animando for the man
