Williams, On Wenlock Edge Flashcards by molly oliver

Williams lifetime
When was Wenlock Edge composed

1872-1958
1909 (breakthrough piece)

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Structural device of Wenlock Edge
Consists of

Song cycle
Set of poems from A. E. Housen’s ‘A Shropshire Lad’
3/6 poems

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What is Wenlock Edge about

Rural life
Lost innocence

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Williams style
What was ‘The New English Hymnel’?

English folk song, characteristically English
Compiled hymn book, compiled English folk songs harmonised (STAB) for choir

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Where would the hymnal book be sung
What did it break away from and give access to?

Churches and cathedrals

German Romantic song
Ended language barrier, translation allowed for involvement in church

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Sonority
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Voice
String quartet accomp.
Optional piano accomp.: accessibility to replace strings
1 male baritone voice: typical VW

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String tech (9)
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Arco
Pitzz
Double/triple stopping (multiple notes at once) = virtuosic
Con sordino = with mute
Senza sordino = w/o mute
Tremolo
Sul ponticello (closer to bridge = scratchy + tension)
Harmonics (press strings lightly w/fingers = not quite there + lost innocence)
Trills

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Parallelism
‘On Wenlock Edge’

VW staple
Nostalgic
English folk song
Creates almost atonal

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Who plays the ostinato?
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Piano accomp.

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Structure
‘On Wenlock Edge’

AABB A/B
A: 1-16
A: 16-31
B: 32-43
B: 43-55
A/B: 55-end

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Metre

Frequent time sig changes: adds to unease

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How is ‘On Wenlock Edge’ recitative?

Sing narration
Spoken at pitch

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How is the rhythm virtuosic?
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Triplets + sextuplets
Bar 33 onwards: rippling hemi-demi-semi-quavers

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Texture
Beginning
Bar 50
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Varied
Reduced texture (can’t say thin)

Parallel 1st inversions: unstable

Strings drop out
Leaves voice
Cello joins
Wiry chromatic addition
Voice trails off at end

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Key
Chords (tone, type)
‘On Wenlock Edge’

G minor
First chord: E-flat major, then A-flat minor chord (erases E-flat major tone)
Cluster chords

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What scales are used?
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Whole tone scale: weirdness, VW characteristic, East Asia

Pentatonic (5 note scale): hilights storm + on ‘heaving hill’

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Example of word painting of the wind
‘On Wenlock Edge’

Chromatic violin flourishes

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Is my team ploughing
Brendon hill

Wenlock edge applies

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Context of ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Conversation between dead and living man
Dead man’s wife married friend

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What does ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’ have instead of a key?

Modal harmony (Dorian-II)
t s t t t t s t
Folk song element

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What are all the folk song elements?

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What are all the VW elements?

What harmonic features makes ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’ gentle?

Subtle syncopation

‘Quast da lantano’
‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

As if from a distance (ghost)

What triads were used Reference to romantic period ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Augmented 4th Diminished 8th Seen as devil during romantic period

What is the accomp when the alive man speaks ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Relentless/constant triplet accomp throughout

Accomp when dead man speaks ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Palin (somber, calm) Tessitura higher when speaks of loosing gf

‘Colla voce’ ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Strings follow pace/movement of vocal

What is referenced from ‘Wenlock Edge’? ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Flourishes: Rising quintuplets (5) Rising and falling septuplets (7)

Context of ‘Brendon Hill’

Main idea: church/funeral bell Going to partners funeral Reflective

Structure ‘Brendon Hill’

7 verses Lots link + bridge passages

Ornamentation ‘Brendon Hill’

Few melismas

Mode Flattened (?) Creates what mood ‘Brendon Hill’

Mixolydian (5) 7th Dampens scale, oppressive

Structural device that makes ‘Bredon Hill’ more reclusive

Longer intro

Muffled sound ‘Bredon Hill’

Large close block chords

What pushes ‘Bredon Hill’ forward, then slows down?

Accels, then rits

Extreme dynamic in ‘Bredon Hill’

pppp

What is the pedal used on? To what effect? ‘Bredon Hill’

Chords Sustain then die out

How is word painting created on “ring” + “happy”? ‘Bredon Hill’

Pentatonic (5 note scale) Highlights words

What almost makes a B section? About Mood ‘Bredon Hill’

Triplet accomp (reference to ‘team ploughing’) Happy memory More cheery

Colla voce meaning ‘Bredon Hill’

Piano + strings follow voice

Hairpin meaning Instrument When ‘Bredon Hill’

< then > straight after Strings No vocal, stresses accomp

How is ‘Bredon Hill’ bitonal? When What era

In Gmin, but an Aflat in base Bar 84 19th century

Open 5ths meaning (2) ‘Bredon Hill’

Chord with no 3rd Don’t know maj or min

How is “christmas” played? What era? ‘Bredon Hill’

While tone scale, slurred Post 19th century/contemporary

What indicated the one death bell? Quote ‘Bredon Hill’

Violin pizz on last beat of bar (4) “They rolled the one bell”

Tone at bar 100 ‘Bredon Hill’

Defiantly/clearly Gmin

Harmonics meaning ‘Bredon Hill’

Press lightly on strings

Rhythm in accomp that moves piece forward ‘Bredon Hill’

Quaver triplets, then 4 semiquavers

Hat meaning Instrument ‘Bredon Hill’

Bow down Strings

What returns at the end from the beginning? ‘Bredon Hill’

Dotted chords

How is last chord played on stings

On harmonics

Last 2 bars texture ‘Bredon Hill’

Monophonic (only vocal)