stage and screen 1

Question 1

Leitmotif

Answer 1

A recurring musical idea which is associated with a particular theme, character or place.

Question 2

Motif

Answer 2

A short melodic phrase of just a few notes.

Question 3

Metrical shifting

Answer 3

The downbeat is shifted to a different part of the bar.

Question 4

Bitonal

Answer 4

Refers to music in two keys at the same time.

Question 5

Augmented Chord

Answer 5

A triad built on two major thirds, here Ab-C and C-E

Question 6

Tremolando/tremolo

Answer 6

Rapid playing on the same note to produce a wavering, tremulous sound.

Question 7

Colla voce

Answer 7

Literally, ‘with the voice’. This is an instruction to the band and the musical director to follow the vocalist’s tempo.

Question 8

Bare Fifth

Answer 8

Chords lacking the third and therefore ambiguous in terms of major/minor tonality.

Question 9

Circle of Fifths

Answer 9

A series of chords in which the root note of each chord is a fifth lower or a fourth higher than that of the previous one.

Question 10

Polytonal chords

Answer 10

Chords that are built from two or more key simultaneously.

Question 11

Vocalisation

Answer 11

Wordless singing using a vowel syllable such as ‘ah’.