Set Piece 5 - Defying Gravity Flashcards

1
Q

Where does defying gravity appear in the musical?

A

The end of act 1

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2
Q

What does Elphaba sing about in this song?

A

Elphaba discovers that the Wizard of Oz is not the heroic
figure she had originally believed him to be. She vows to do
everything in her power to fight him and his sinister plans.
She sings of how she wants to live without limits, going
against the rules that others have set for her.

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3
Q

What is music theatre?

A

Music theatre integrates songs, spoken dialogue, acting and
dance within a popular idiom. Musicals are an extended
piece of music theatre.

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4
Q

Who is the song written for?

A

It is a duet for glinda and elphaba

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5
Q

How is the song/ spoken and how is this notated

A

They either speak, half sing/speak (with music
notated on the stave with crosses instead of note heads) or
entirely sing

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6
Q

What is the vocal range of the song?

A

Large vocal range of nearly 2 octaves, from G below middle
C to F.

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7
Q

What instruments are in the orchestra?

A

Large orchestra: woodwind, brass and string sections with
harp and 3 keyboards.

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8
Q

What types of percussion is there?

A

Wide variety of percussion: drum kit, tubular bells and timpani

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9
Q

What effects do the electric guitars have on them?

A

Electric guitars with overdrive, a distortion effect.

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10
Q

What type of score is it?

A

The score is an orchestral reduction and the main
instruments with solos are labelled

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11
Q

What performing forces does the brass use?

A

Brass: Homophonic chordal music in an almost fanfare-
like manner

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12
Q

What performing forces does the strings use?

A

Tremolo effect adds tension (bar 34).

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13
Q

What performing forces do the drums use?

A

hi-hat: crotchet rhythms in bar 51 to add rhythmic
momentum.
Cymbal roll adds excitement as key changes (bar 122)

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14
Q

What performing forces does the orchestra as whole use?

A

The full band plays at the climax of the song at bar 135.
Synthesisers and glockenspiel play high magical-sounding
repeated quaver accompaniment to the chorus.
Tubular bells give an ethereal sonority at bar 147.

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15
Q

What is the structure of the peice?

A

Verse- chorus form
Within that structure this piece has multiple sections which
are defined by tempo, contrasting moods and melodic
material

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16
Q

What are bars 1-19 like

A

Free Tempo (colla voce - with the voice) recitative-like

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17
Q

What are bars 20-48 like

A

Andante Verse (bar 34)

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18
Q

What are Bars 49-87 like?

A

Allegro Chorus (50), verse (63) chorus
(79

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19
Q

WHat are bars 88 - 102 like

A

Moderato

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20
Q

What happens in bars 103-110

A

Allegro Chorus (103)

21
Q

What happens in bars 111- 128

A

ANdante

22
Q

What happens in bars 129-161?

A

Allegro Verse (135), Chorus (151)

23
Q

What happens in bars 162-117?

A

Andante to Maestoso

23
Q

Melody

What is the text setting?

A

The text setting is syllabic throughout with speech-like
rhythms.

24
Q

Melody

When is vocalisation?

A

Vocalisation at the end in bar 175 to the word ‘aah’

25
Q

Melody

How does the melody start?

A

The melody starts in a conjunct/stepwise manner.
Bars 6 and 7 show an ascending sequence.

26
Q

What does the verse and chorus combine in the melodic line?

A

The melody starts in a conjunct/stepwise manner.
Bars 6 and 7 show an ascending sequence.

27
Q

what leap gaps are leaps often?

A

A perfect 5th
Some exceptionally large leaps such as a compound
perfect fourth (bars 39–40) and a compound perfect
fifth (bars 140–141)

28
Q

What is a leitmotif?

A

Leitmotif: ‘Unlimited’ uses the same 7 notes from
‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, changing the rhythm.

29
Q

What is the texture in the opening?

A

Opening: A sparse texture with instrumental chord stabs (bar
1) with some monophonic unaccompanied bars (bar 3)

30
Q

What is the texture in the verses?

A

Verses: Melody-dominated homophony (melody and
accompaniment) texture where the singer is accompanied by
chords in the orchestra.

31
Q

When are the homophonic chordal moments?

A

132

32
Q

Where is the ostiano accompaniment?

A

Ostinato accompaniment at bar 88 with repeated semiquavers

33
Q

When do Glinda and elphaba sing in unison

A

Elphaba and Glinda usually sing separately but sometimes sing
together in unison (bar 101) or in harmony such as thirds (bar
127)

34
Q

What is the texture in the ending?

A

Contrapuntal with three different musical ideas with
different lyrics (bar 168).

35
Q
A
36
Q

What positions are chords in?

A

Root position

37
Q

what are Chord progressions often like?

A

Chord progressions are often unrelated and in
the opening we can see shifts downwards in
parallel semitones. Eg. a D chord to a C♯
minor chord to a C major chord

38
Q

Harmony

Where is the use of dissonance?

A

Bar 30

39
Q

when is there use of pedal?

A

Bar 168

40
Q

What is the tonality?

A

Tonally ambiguous opening with chromatic movement
and unrelated chord progressions

41
Q

What is the tempo?

A

Tempo changes are numerous and important to the structure.
Rallentandos used at the end of sections. Ralls usually followed by
an a tempo.

42
Q

What is the time signature?

A

Time signature changes from 3/2 triple time to 2/2 duple time in the opening section, changes to 4/4 in bar 88 and to 2/2 in bar 115

43
Q

When is syncopation used in the peice?

A

Syncopation is frequent (bars 67–70)

44
Q

When are dotten rythms used?

A

Dotted rhythms: in bar 82 on the word ‘gra-vi-ty’

45
Q

When are triplets used?

A

Triplets: Quaver triplets (bar 96) and crotchet triplets (bar 60).
Crotchet and quaver rhythms, longer note lengths at the ends of
phrases.
Rests used to break up phrases.
Phrases start with an off-beat entry after a crotchet rest (e.g. bar
15)

46
Q

When are fermatas used?

A

Fermatas lengthen and give freedom to longer rhythms (b. 174 +
176)

47
Q
A