GCSE Revision - Stratford School Academy

Transcription

GCSE Music Set Works by Mr Boichat
Area 1 - “And the Glory of the Lord”
from The Messiah by Handel
Background
This is a chorus from the oratorio “The Messiah” written in the Baroque
period(1600-1750) in 1741 and first performed in 1742.
'And the Glory of the Lord' is the 4th movement and 1st chorus. It uses a
four-part SATB choir (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) with orchestral accompaniment. The chorus
comments on the action/drama.
Baroque period
Exploration of ideas & innovations in arts, literature & philosophy - Italy led the way
The word 'baroque' is from the Portugese for 'pearl' and describe a style of ornate architecture.
Baroque music often has a very ornamented melody. Apart from Handel, other important
composers include J.S.Bach (1685-1750), Purcell (1659-95) and Vivaldi (1678-1741).
A little history
1600 - First Operas performed in Florence
1600 -1 Shakespeare writes Hamlet
1618 - Thirty Years War engulfs Europe
1637 - 1st public opera house opens Venice
1640 - English Civil War begins
1659 - Henry Purcell (English composer) born
1666 Stradivari signs the label of his 1st violin
1685 J S Bach and G F Handel born
1688 William of Orange ascends English
throne
1750 -J S Bach dies
Baroque period features
Basso Continuo
The harpsichord accompanied the orchestra, filling in the harmonies. The harpsichord player
directed the orchestra. A bassoon or cello would play the basic bass line along with the
harpsichord and this formed the basso continuo or continuo. An organ could be used for the
continuo instead of the harpsichord, especially if the piece was being performed in a church.
Mood stays the same throughout a piece or movement (unlike in classical)
Terraced dynamics - sudden changes popular rather than crescendos & diminuendos
Melodies are long and flowing, with lots of ornaments
Harmony - uses major and minor scales (not the old modes)
Songs types in oratorio
Recitative - solo song that tells the story quickly; minimal music allows freedom of rhythm.
Aria - solo song expressing mood/emotion. It’s elaborate so the singer can show off.
Chorus - sums up the action and is sung by the whole ensemble (chorus) hence the name!
Instruments
Tonality &
harmony
String orchestra with basso continuo played by organ and cello
4-part choir (soprano, alto, tenor and bass)
Major throughout, giving a bright, joyous mood
Modulations are to the dominant (e.g. b21-22) and the dominant of the
dominant) which adds further to the bright feel of the piece.
Frequent cadences reinforce the key, ending with a plagal cadence
(“amen”)
Tonic key = A major
Melody
4 main melodies, each used for a different part of the text.
“And the glory” = triadic, strong, syllabic
“Shall be revealed” = melismatic, smooth, descending, imitation
“And all flesh” = melismatic, repetitive, repeated motif based on 5th
interval
“For the mouth” = syllabic & declamatory, with tonic pedal and long notes
to reinforce the meaning of the words.
- Each melodic idea is contrasting
Rhythm
Tempo = allegro (start), changing to adagio (b135 to the end)
Metre = 3/4 giving a dance-like feel
Hemiola - rhythmic device used at the end of some sections, creating
syncopation. E.g. b9-10 in the orchestra and b100 in the voices.
Texture
Uses range of textures and is constantly changing
Imitation - used often, like a crowd talking to each other.
Homophonic - when the whole choir sings together, in block harmony
with the same rhythm & words. It’s used for emphasis e.g. b33 “And the
glory...”
Polyphonic - independent melodies at the same time
Monophonic - single melody (sop+violins doubling) is used once in bar
108-109 (The specimen paper also said the first vocal entry was
monophonic, but this is dodgy as it has accompaniment!)
Dynamics
Mood
Terraced dynamics (as common in the baroque period)
Dynamics are often determined by the number of parts playing
Starts quietly with orchestral intro
Loud final cadence
One prevailing mood called an “affection” (as typical in Baroque)
Joyful - reinforced by major tonality and sprightly tempo and 3/4
metre
Area 1 - 1st Movement of Symphony No.40 in G minor
by Mozart
Background
‘Classical’ and ‘classic’ come from the Latin word ‘classicus’ meaning citizen of the highest
class. Today these words refer to anything top class, first rate or of lasting value. We often
divide music into two categories: pop and classical. Classical with a capital ‘C’ refers
specifically to music composed between 1750 and 1820. Graceful, beautiful melodies, a clear
structure, and the principles of proportion and balance characterize Classical music.
Orchestra
The strings were still the backbone of the orchestra, but woodwind became more important and
formed it’s own section in the orchestra. There were usually 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons and
later 2 clarinets. Brass also became more prominent, with trumpets and French horns initially,
joined by trombone later in the classical period. Percussion remained the same with just
timpani. The continuo player (harpsichord) is no longer needed and replaced with a conductor.
Mozart
- Mozart was born in Salzburg 27 Jan 1756 and died in Vienna on 5 Dec 1791. He studied
keyboard and composition with his Father and travelled Europe performing to royalty. His first
job was in Salzburg as Konzertmeister to the archbishop. He produced a huge number of
pieces in a relatively short time, including: 21 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, 41
symphonies, 27 string quartets and seventeen masses.
Classical period features
Texture - Light & clear texture, mostly homophonic (melody + chords) but some counterpoint.
Melody - regular balanced phrasing, often “question and answer”
Harmony - Chords I and V dominate the music. Frequent and clearly defined cadences
Rhythm - greater variety of rhythm than the Baroque
Dynamics - crescendo invented with the Manheim Rocket at the start of the classical period
Mood - Frequent changes of mood. For example, sonata form uses 2 subjects [masculine &
feminine] which helps create contrast
What is a symphony?
A symphony is a sonata written for orchestra. So to understand a symphony, we first need to
know what a sonata is. A sonata is a piece written for a solo instrument, usually with piano
accompaniment. There are usually four movements (sections), with at least one movement in
Sonata Form (normally the first). A string quartet is just a sonata for a String Quartet!
Overview of Symphony No.40
Exposition
Development
1st
subject
G minor
(tonic)
Bridge
2nd
Codetta
Subject
Modulates Bb major
(relative
major)
Recapitulation
1st subject
developed
1st
subject
Bridge
(extended)
2nd
subject
Explores
various keys
G minor
(tonic)
Eb major
F minor
G minor
(tonic)
Coda
First ‘subject’
Second Subject
Structure
Tonality
Harmony
Melody
Texture
Sonata form with exposition, development & recapitulation (see above)
Exposition is normally repeated.
Bridge section between 1st & 2nd subjects (for modulation)
Development is unusual as it focuses entirely on the ideas/motifs from the 1st
subject (it was normally more of a battle between the 2 subjects!).
Ends with a coda
See table above
Notice the 2nd subject is repeated in the tonic key near the end, helping the piece
sound finished. [It’s like the rebellious feminine subject stopped arguing with the
dominant male, and finally agreed to do things his way!]
Diatonic - most chords stick to notes of the key/scale
Chromaticism - some chromatic notes (outside the scale)
Functional - uses chords and cadences used to establish keys
Diminished 7th chord used as a chromatic chord
Dominant pedal - pedal is a held note, e.g. horn and cellos at b241
Balanced, regular phrasing with graceful melodic lines
Contrasting melodies in the first and second subjects
Motif in the 1st subject is developed in the development section
Mainly homophonic. Some dialogue between strings and woodwind. Oboes and
bassoons provide ‘harmonic filling’. Some parts are doubled, or play in 8ves.
Classical orchestra - strings plus 7 woodwind (1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2
Instruments bassoons) and just 2 French horns for brass.
NO TIMPANI OR TRUMPETS (unusual in the Classical period)
Area 1 - “Raindrop” Prelude No.15 in Db major
by Chopin (Raindrop)
Romantic period (1820-1910)
Intensely emotional, with a wider range of emotions
Melodies are often long, lyrical and expressive
Orchestral textures much thicker (expansion of orchestra)
Harmonies and melodies increasingly chromatic and discordant
Special chords e.g.: Diminished 7th, Neopolitan 6th and Augmented 6th.
Chords often had extra notes (7,9,11 and 13!)
Instruments continued to develop and evolve and composers wanted to exploit their new
capabilities. The piano developed an internal iron frame that meant thicker strings could be
used and under greater tension. Woodwind instruments adopted keyed mechanisms - giving a
wider range of pitch and greater dexterity. Brass instruments developed valve systems
enabling more chromatic playing.
Dynamics more varied with much larger range (pppp-ffff)
Rise of the virtuoso performer and trend for very technically demanding music!
Chopin
Born in Poland to a French father and Polish mother
He lived and worked abroad in many European cities, including Paris and London.
He quickly became an excellent pianist ("virtuoso") and composer.
He mostly composed for piano, with over 150 pieces for solo piano and 2 concertos
He was more of an introvert and miniaturist than Liszt and his music feels quite intimate
Chopin was quite experimental and exploited recent developments in the piano (7 octave
range, felt hammers with more refined tone etc)
Chopin's music was never programmatic, unlike much other romantic music
He was admired for the "singing quality" of his right hand (think "cantabile")
He performed 30x as a soloist, mostly in private salons of the aristocracy (posh people!)
He had an affair (1938-47) with the novelist Aurore Dudevant (better known as George Sand)
He suffered from Tuberculosis and went to Majorca to try and improve it. However, he was
forced to stay in an isolated monastery and this is where he composed his "Raindrop" prelude.
He eventually died of TB in Paris.
Summary
Structure
Ternary form with short codetta
Tonic key (section A) = Db major
Tonality &
harmony
Modulates in section B to the ‘tonic minor’ C# minor (enharmonically
same as Db minor)
Harmony is diatonic and mainly uses chords I and V7
Keyboard techniques include:
Instruments Legato touch
Expressive use of the sustain pedal
Ornaments e.g. turn, trill
Lyrical, graceful, sustained
Melody
Swaps hands - in treble/right hand in section A, and bass/left hand in
section B
Regular phrasing (2+2, 4+4 etc)
Mostly Homophonic (melody with chordal accompaniment)
Texture
Becomes thicker in section B where both hands play in octaves.
Brief monophonic passages, e.g. b43 and b82-83
Dynamics
Rhythm
Wide range, from ‘sotto voce’ (in a whisper) at b28 to ff in b40.
Rubato - flexible tempo, used expressivly [literally “robbed time”]
Section A - graceful, soft, sustained playing in a major key = relaxed,
Mood
elegant
Section B - dense, homophonic/chordal in a minor key = dark stormy
mood
Area 2 - ‘Peripetie’ by Schoenberg
Written for the famous composer Strauss, who didn't like it -"it would be better
for him to shovel snow than to scrawl on music paper"! The music is atonal
and is based on a group of 6 notes called a hexachord (C Bb E F C# A).
Peripatie is in rondo form: A B A C A, though the repeats of the A section are
not exact, more a repeat of mood than a melody/theme.
Summary
Background Peripetie means “a sudden change of fortune”.
It is part of a larger work called “Five Orchestral Pieces”.
The style is “expressionism”.Expressionist composers tried to write music
characterised by extreme emotional expression. Harmony became so
chromatic that the music was said to be atonal. This was particularly suitable
for the often negative emotions composers were trying to express. Features
of expressionist music include dissonant harmonies, disjointed melodies with
wide leaps, explosive contrasts and instruments playing at the extremes of
their range
Tonality
Atonal. Pitches and harmonies are used for effect rather than for their
relationship to one another.
Harmony
Use of hexachords: a group of 6 notes selected from the 12 available in the
chromatic scale.
Use of compliment the 6 notes of the chromatic scale not used in the
hexachord.
Melody
Principal Voice: the main melodic line H
Secondary voice: the next most important voice N (see symbols used)
Angular (“disjunct”) with octave displacements
Contrary chromatic chromatic scale in b3
Principal melody weaves in and out of instruments
Secondary melody only appears once in section B
Use of short motifs
*Fragmented melody (broken up)
Atonal, with wide range & chromatic movement
Area 2 - ‘Peripetie’ by Schoenberg (cont.)
Tempo
Starts Sehr rasch (very fast)
Alternates ruhiger (calmer) and heftig (passionate)
At the end A tempo (same speed as the beginning)
*expressive use of tempo used to mark sections of the piece
Rhythm
Diminution (opening fanfares) b1 and b3
Triplets, sextuplets
Structure
Timbre
A
B
A1
C
A2
(Very free rondo form)
This was most important to Schoenberg.
90 players using full extreme pitch ranges of instruments
Instruments play loud with mutes
horns tremolo, strings pizz, trombone glissando
instruments include piccolo, cor anglais, contra bassoon, tam tam, 6 horns
Section A: presents main ideas/motifs/ hexachords. Moves between different
orchestral sections
Texture
Section B: New and old ideas in counterpoint, imitation, repetition
Section A1: Ideas of section A return in reverse order. Calmer more
sustained notes, different sections of the orchestra come in after each other.
Section C New and old ideas. Sparse then altogether fff before dropping out
substantially.
Section A2: Starts thin but quickly builds up to full orchestra. Instruments
fade away at the end leaving just double basses playing a tremolo chord.
Dynamics
Extreme ranges used e.g. ppp to fff
Frequent and sudden changes
Expressive use of crescendo/diminuendo
Bar 64 climax fff quickly fades to pp to finish
A1 much calmer largely p moves to f
Area 2 - ‘Something’s Coming’ by Bernstein
From the musical “West Side Story”
Musical Influences
• Musical influences include Bebop Jazz (popular in the 1950s), the
Blues and Latin American dance rhythms
• Bebop often uses dissonance (clashy harmony) and fast driving rhythms
• Blues uses syncopation & blue notes
About the Musical - overview of West Side Story
• Composed in 1958 (according to EDEXCEL, actually 1957!)
• Different to other Broadway musicals in terms of
subject. It deals with serious social themes e.g. racial
tension and conflict and involves a tragic element.
• American version of Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo
and Juliet" [original in Italy]
• Choreographer Jerome Robbins had the idea, Arthur Laurents wrote the book,
while Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics.
• Capulets and Montagues become the Jets (white Americans) and the Sharks
(Puerto Ricans)
• Riff leads the Jets and Bernado leads the Sharks and they fight over their
"territory"
• Tony and Maria fall in love at a dance on neutral territory (the gym) - Tony is
Riff's best friend and Maria is Bernado's sister, which causes a few problems...
About the song: Something's Comin'
•Tony wants to leave the gang. He's found a job working for Doc
and senses something good is just around the corner.
•Just before, Riff asks Tony to help him set up a fight with Bernado
•Shortly after, Tony meets Maria and falls in love
Area 2 - ‘Something’s Coming’ by Bernstein
Summary
Intro (1-3), Section A (4-39), Section B (40-105), Section B1 (106-140)
Section A1 (141-157) Outro (158)
Structure
This song does not follow conventional verse-chorus structure
A1 and B1 are shortened versions of A and B respectively.
The outro is just 1 bar repeated and slowly fades out
Tonality
D Major (at start/end)
Modulates to C major (32-69) twice - these 2 keys are not closely related
Tonal (it has a strong sense of key/scale, though there’s some
chromaticism)
Harmony
Triads often extended with extra notes (e.g. 6th, 7th, 9th or 11th)
These extended chords are an influence of Jazz.
Frequent use sharpened 4th (G# in D major, F# in C major) creates tritone
interval, which hints at the unstable and ill-fated love he is about to
discover. The tritone appears frequently in other songs from West Side
Story and is a unifying feature. Try listening to “Maria”.
Flattened 7th = blues influence
Melody
Short vocal phrases based on 3 main themes:
Quiet, syncopated opening theme
Loud, strident theme in 2/4 (bar 21)
Lyrical, slow-moving theme (bar 73)
Disjunct (moves by leap) e.g. leap of tritone ‘who knows’
Blues notes (flattened 3rd, 5th, 7th eg C natural b17)
Rhythm,
Metre,
Tempo
Texture
Metre changes between 3/4 and 2/4
3/4 sections are fast triple dance metre with a one in a bar feel
Syncopated rhythm of RH riff
Voice enters on off beat (push rhythm)
3 note riff in the bass
Use of triplets (81-88)
Homophonic (more precisely 'melody and accompaniment')
3 ideas in accompaniment: repeated orchestral riff from start,
syncopated chords (bar 21) and the fast um-cha accompaniment (e.g. bar
32)
Solo tenor [voice] accompanied by a band comprising:
5 woodwind players (clarinet/sax)
Orchestration
2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones
7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double basses
drum kit, 2 percussion, piano, electric & acoustic Guitar
Dynamics
Soft dynamics in the accompaniment so band doesn't drown out the
singer.
Also, soft timbres e.g. muted trumpets, pizzicato strings, wire brushes on
drum kit (nb radio mics for singers not available in the 1950s)
Area 2 - “Electric Counterpoint”
by Steve Reich
Tonality
Key = E minor (really Aeolian mode transposed to E, so 'modal')
Frequent changes of key in section B between E minor and C minor
These keys are not closely related, so this modulation doesn’t sound very
natural
(Aeolian mode = A to A using white notes)
Structure A (bars 1-73)
Effects
B (74-113)
Coda (114-140)
Panning – moving sound in the “stereo field”. Bass 1 is panned fully one way
and Bass 2 the other [bass seems to jump from one speaker to the other like a
kind of stereo echo]
Reverb – subtle reverb can be heard on the acoustic guitars
Melody
One-bar motif/cell repeated as ostinato
Melody gradually builds using additive melody and layered to create a
“canon” (think Pachelbel!)
Additive melody (note addition): Live guitar, Guitar 3, & bass guitars
Resultant melody (on Live Guitar, from bar 20)
Rhythm
Metre
Tempo
Frequent changes of metre between 3/2 and 12/8 (both have 12 quavers)
Polymetre (later, 12/8 and 3/2 at same time!)
Tempo = very fast (crotchet =192)
Syncopation
Rhythmic displacement (NOT Phase shifting)
Texture
Monophonic (bar 1) but quickly becomes polyphonic (bar 2)
Gradually builds up layers/parts to 10 guitars/parts
Gradually reduced to a 5 part texture by the start of the Coda (b114)
Parts fade out.
Dynamics Fairly constant and loud throughout
Some parts fade out
Area 3 - “All Blues” by Miles Davis
Background
Jazz is an Amercian style of music characterized by improvisations, syncopations (offbeat
accents) and swung rhythms.
Kind of Blue is one of the most widely acclaimed jazz albums recorded in 1959, and includes
the set work “All Blues”. The album was a reaction to the bebop style of jazz and it led to a new
modal jazz style.
Timbre/
Instruments
Sextet - played by six players
Frontline: trumpet (Miles Davis), alto saxophone (Julian ‘Cannonball’
Adderley) and tenor saxophone (John COltrane)
Rhythm section: piano (Bill Evans), drum kit (Jimmy Cobb), bass (Paul
Chambers)
Playing
techniques
Trumpet - Harmon mute (wah wah) & Ghost notes
Drum kit - uses brushes at start then sticks, also ghost notes on snare
Bass (acoustic) - plays pizzicato as you’d expect for Jazz
Piano: uses tremolo at start, pianist is comping (improvising a chordal
accompaniment) under solos.
Ghost notes - on snare & trumpet (played softly between the ‘main notes’)
Structure
Built around 12 bar blues sequence, repeated 19 times.
The sequences are joined by a 4 bar link / riff played in parallel 3rds, which
provides breathing space.
Overall there are 5 main sections:
Intro - Head 1 - Solos - Head 2 - Coda
Harmony &
Tonality
Modal - Mixolydian mode (same as G major scale except 7th note is
Melody
Main melodies are improvised
flattened, so it has an F natural is used instead of F#)
There is only ever one soloist playing at a time.
The head melody is simple, based on a rising 6th motif (D to B) and
stepwise (conjunct) movement. The head is also played on trumpet
Texture
Homophonic (melody & chordal accompaniment)
Rhythm &
Metre
Time signature: 6/4, with 2 minim beats per bar
Written in 6/4 in the anthology to show clearly the use of 12 bar blues.
It could easily have been transcribed in 3/4 too, with each chorus being 24
bars, as it sounds just like a jazz waltz.
Swung rhythm - quavers are swung [1st quaver longer, 2nd shorter]
Syncopation
Glossary
Changes - the chord sequence in a jazz song
Head - the main melody of a jazz song
Modal jazz - a jazz style in which soloists improvise solos based on modes
Chromatic - notes outside the key of the piece
Altered chord - a chord where a note has been sharpened or flattened to become
a chromatic note
Comping - abbreviation of ‘accompanying’
Frontline - solo instruments in a jazz ensemble
Mordent - ornament, written note followed by note above then written note
Trill - ornament, literally “shake”, rapidly alternates between 2 notes
Voicings - different ways of arranging the notes in a chord
Area 3 - “Grace” by Jeff Buckley
SUMMARY GRID
Tonality
Structure
Harmony
Melody
Rhythm &
Metre
Texture
Not clear in the intro until bar 4 when D major is established
Verse 1 is in E minor (notice raised leading note D# in bar 14)
It remains in this key for the rest of the song.
Chromatic progressions are used in the verse and chorus and there are no
conventional cadences in Em.
Tonal ambiguity continues throughout (Chord IV is normally minor in a minor key, so
we’d expect an A minor chord but we get A major instead)
4 main sections - each divided into smaller sections:
1) Intro - Verse 1 - Pre-chorus - Chorus
2) Link - Verse 2 - Pre-chorus - Chorus
3) Middle 8
4) Link - Verse 3 - Outro
Intro/Link
• part A = Fm6 Gm6 Em [synth = Fm7 + Gm7 instead]
• part B = D A7 D A7 D A7 D (tonic/dominant chords in D major)
Verse – combination of power chords and drone
Pre-chorus 3 bar chord sequence repeated (notice faster rate of chord change or
‘harmonic rhythm’, helps build excitement)
Chorus chords move down by semitone: F Em l Eb l F Em l Eb l E l Harmonic
progressions are often chromatic rather than functional harmony. There are some
dissonant effects, particularly in the chorus where open guitar strings clash with
harmonies.
Mostly vocal solo with very wide range exceeding 2 octaves. (instrumental sections
are entirely chordal)
Most phrases (apart from 1st in each verse) have a falling profile contributing to the
melancholy mood of the song.
Slides are sometimes used between notes.
The verse melody is mostly stepwise (conjunct) while the pre-chorus and chorus have
more leaps.
The word setting is mostly syllabic, except for long melismas on key words like ‘love’
and ‘fire’.
Metre = 12/8 (compound quadruple)
Pulse is maintained by bass drum on beats 1 and 3 and the snare on the backbeats
(beats 2+4)
Semiquaver figure on guitar creates urgent mood from the outset.
Vocal part has a free feel using triplets, grace notes and constant syncopation, except
start of bridge where vocal is more sustained.
Bass is often syncopated and pairs of dotted quavers sometimes create cross
rhythms against groups of 3 quavers in other parts.
Intro: rippling broken chord figure then full band in bar 4
Verse 1: Homophonic (melody & chords)
Verse 2: more complex with added sound effects, slides on guitar are imitated by high
strings (listen at 2:05), also pizzicato
Bridge: long sustained chords, homophonic
Outro: short unaccompanied vocal phrase
General point: parts often drop out to let the music breathe and create textural
contrast. The electric guitar ‘whisper’ effects happen when the texture is thin and they
can be heard.
Area 3 - “Why does my heart feel so bad”
by Moby [from album ‘Play’ released 1999]
Moby
Moby was born in 1965 and his real name is "Richard Melville Hall". He claims
to be related to 'Herman Melville' who wrote the book "Moby Dick". He made a
name for himself in the late 80s creating techno tracks, especially with "Go". Moby also
composed film scores, including the soundtrack for the hit film "The Beach", which starred
Holywood Heart-throb Lionardo de Caprio.
Vocal Samples
The set work is based on 2 vocal samples; the verses use a male vocal sample and the
choruses use a female vocal sample. The samples came from 1953 vinyl recordings of the
Shining Light Gospel Choir singing “King Jesus Will Role All Burdens Away” (written in 1947 by
Kenneth Morris). Moby manipulated the sample to change the meaning of the words.
The original lyrics were:
"When I should feel so sad, why does my heart feel so glad
Why does my heart feel so happy and gay?"
Moby changed the words to:
Structure
Intro
verse 1
chorus
verse 2
breakdown
chorus
verse 3
A1
A2-A5
B1, By1
A6-A7
(1 bar silence)
Bx2, By2, By3
A8
b1-8
b9-40
b41-56
b57-72
b73
b74
b98-105
Analysis
A1 (intro) bars 1-8 - solo piano plays chord sequence 1, each chord lasts 2 bars:
Am Em G D (m = minor, remember: “Amazing Emma Goes Dancing”)
A2 (verse 1 part 1) bars 9-16
1st vocal sample added (male) - deliberately untidy (echoes, traffic, background noises)
Percussion loop added created on TR-909 drum machine
Sample of Hip hop drumbeat added
Synth bass - enters, very low (Moby called it “sub-bass” as it’s notes are below the bass stave)
Sustained synth pad - plays bass notes with LH piano
Another synth pad (doubled by high piano notes) is the response in a 'call and response' texture with
the vocal
A synth bass part is introduced
Another synth string pad fills out texture with long sustained chords in the mid/high pitch range
A5 (verse 1 part 4) 33-40
As part 3, but piano plays a different rhythm & decorates the chord sequence with sus4 chords
B1 (chorus 1 part 1) bars 41-48
Chord sequence changes - creating a dramatic lifting effect.
Chords: C C Am Am C C Am Am (1 per bar, “Choreography Amazing Choreography Amazing)
Key = ambiguous (A minor or C major?)
2nd vocal sample introduced: ‘These open doors’ (female)
By1 (chorus 1 part 2) bars 49-56
2nd vocal sample continues
Chord sequence changes: F C F C (each chord lasts 2 bars, “Fantastic Choreography...”)
Key is now clearly C major
Texture = similar to B1, but sample triggered faster and answers itself in call and response
Male vocal sample uses 'delay' to create ghostly echoes.
The vocal sample is changed by using EQ (or maybe a high-pass filter) to remove the low frequencies
and create a thin, tinny sound
Quicker repeats of the echo fade into the distance
A7 (verse 2 part 2) bars 65-72 - Repeats A6
Breakdown bars 73 - 1 bar pause/silence with fading echos.
Bx2 (chorus 2 part 1) bars 74-81
Texture is thinner as piano & drums have dropped out
Vocal sample 2 is used with lots of reverb and delay sounding washed out, accompanied by static string
chords. Drums re-enter in bar 81
By2 (chorus 2 part 2) bars 82-89
Same as part 2 of first chorus, but less reverb on vocals which helps bring the vocals into the foreground
of the mix
By3 (chorus 2 part 3) - Repeats By2 - bars 90-97
A8 (verse 3) bars 98-105
- Male voice, accompanied only by static chords, functions as the 'outro' (opposite of intro)
Area 3 - “Why does my heart feel so bad”
by Moby [from album ‘Play’ released 1999] SUMMARY GRID
Structure
Intro - V1 - Chorus - V2 - breakdown - Chorus 2 - Verse 3 (outro)
Dance tracks often use sections that function like the verse, chorus, and
bridge of popular songs, while others use a freer structure called a “collage”.
Melody
Uses 2 vocal samples taken from a Gospel Choir recording in 1953
Verses - male singer
Choruses - female singer
Samples not “cleaned up” - untidy with echoes & traffic noise in background
Harmony
Key = A minor (or dorian on A)
3 chord sequences. Each chord lasts 2 bars.
1) Am Em G D
2) C Am C Am
3) F C F C
Only uses 6 different chords in total
Diatonic & simple harmony (typical of dance music)
Use of sus chords (where 3rd of triad is swapped for 2nd (sus2) or 4th
(sus4)
Technology
Moby chose to use quite old technology for his day in1999.
Loops - looping is repeating midi or audio ideas, and is easy in sequencing
software like Cubase (and Garageband).
Reverb (reverberation) - recreates an acoustic by adding the reflections that
normally occur in an enclosed space/room. Moby adds reverb to the piano
and vocal tracks.
EQ (equalization) - boost or cut specific frequencies to change
the sound, this was used to create the ‘Telephone effect’
Delay - an electronic effect that replays sounds creating echoes
(similar to echo, each repeat gets softer but it doesn’t
deteriorate like echo)
High-pass filter - an electronic effect to remove low
frequencies
Drum machine (TR-909)
Sequencing software - Moby used Cubase running
on an Apple Mac
Sampler (Akai 3200) - device for recording and
playing samples
Sample - short segment from an existing recording
Synths (synthesizers, made by Yamaha) - for string
and bass sounds
Instruments
Piano (Emu ProPerformance module)
Synths (pads, strings, bass)
Drum machine and Vocal samples
Rhythm
Tempo 98 BPM (beats per minute) Time Signature = 4/4
4-to-the-floor - strong, regular bass drum on every beat in the bar
Texture
Layers - the texture is gradually built-up, as new instruments are initially
added every 8 bars.
Question and answer - melodies in A6
Breakdown - the drum and bass stop and the texture is thinned out, often
leaving sustained synths, before building up, with snare rolls anticipating the
re-entry of the bass drum.
Thins out suddenly towards the end (A8 has bare texture)
Area 4 - Skye Walking Song by Capercaillie
Background
• The song was originally a gaelic folk song
• The gaelic title is “Chuir m’athair mise dhan taigh charraideach” meaning “My father sent me
to the house of sorrow”
• The band is Capercaille, a celtic rock group, playing a fusion of celtic folk music and rock.
• Album = Nadurra (released 2000)
• Waulking song: work song sung by women workers processing cloth [beating newly woven
tweed rhythmically against a table to make it more flexible & windproof]
Summary:
Timbre/
Instruments
Structure
Tonality
Harmony
Folk: vocals, fiddle, accordion, uilleann pipes, bouzouki, wurlitzer
piano
Western: synthesizer, bass guitar, drum kit
Intro - v1 - break - v2 - v3 - v4 - v5 - v6 - instrumental - v7 - v8 - outro
E minor (Aeolian on E)
Melody - pentatonic (GABDE)
Harmony less important than melody in folk music
Only four chords used: Em G C Am9 (ACEB)
Intro: hints at Em
v1-3: Em - G
v4-6,8: C G Em C G
Outro: C G
Melody
Sung in Gaelic
Pentatonic
Sung octave lower than written
Lines 1 & 3: Nonsense syllables (vocables)
Lines 2 & 4: Repeated line of verse, except in v8 (not repeated)
Texture
Full band in verses 4, 5, 6 & 8
Bar 1: Homophonic Bar 3: Contrapuntal
Bar 24: Monophonic Bar 37: Heterophonic (accordion, pipes & fiddle
improvise around the melody in slightly different ways
Interval of 3rd between melody in instrumental
Rhythm & Metre 12/8 compound quadruple, with lilting feel
Musical
techniques
Fiddle: tremolo (rapid repetition of note) “trembling effect”
Synth: modulation (pitch fluctuates)
Area 4 - Skye Walking Song by Capercaillie
Analysis - section by section
Metre:
- 12/8 (compound quadruple)
- Cross-rhythms in drums [hi-hat + shaker play every 2 beats]
- Settles more clearly in 12/8 time later in verse 2 as voice becomes
dominant rhythmic feature
Tonality: E minor. Chord in synth hints at E minor (E F# G A B
Intro
contains E minor tonic triad of EGB), plus bass playing Es and Bs
reinforces this). But it’s a little “unsettled” (i.e. not very clear).
Fiddle - tremolo/tremolando (rapid repetition of a note)
Synthesizer - sustained cluster chord (hints at E minor) & also uses
modulation and pitch bend
Bass - staccato
Bazouki & Wurlitzer piano - melody passed between them
(counterpoint)
Voice: pentatonic melody, sung in gaelic, sounding 8ve lower than
Verse 1
“Chuir
m’athair...”
written [written on vocal tenor clef]. It’s mainly syllabic (so 1 note per
syllable) and uses a call & response structure:
- Lines 1+3 of each verse are nonsense syllables
- Lines 2+4 of each verse are real words taken from the lament.
Break
Short 4 bar instrumental with prominent fiddle tremolo effect
Verse 2
Metre: settles clearly in 12/8 as voice becomes main rhythmic feature
“M’athair mise”
Verse 3
Continues seamlessly from Verse 2
“Gur truagh a”
Ends ‘a capella’ (unaccompanied) - N.C. = no chord
Metre: completely settles into 12/8, with drums playing bass & snare
on beat
Verse 4
Tonality: New chord sequence (chords C G Em C G) which shifts to G
“Man du bhrist”
major [relative major] and gives it an upbeat feel [bit like a chorus?!]
Instrumentation: full band, and with fuller parts, especially bass & kit.
Bazouki strums chords.
Backing Vocals: nonsense syllables, while Lead Vocal sings the main
lyrics [in call & response style]
Verse 5
“Man d’rinn
mo”
Verse 6
“Sheathain
chridhe”
As verse 4, except:
Accordion - plays countermelodies
As verse 4, except:
Accordion - plays countermelodies
Instrumental (bars 36-43) - begins before verse 6 finishes
Heterophonic texture created by Uillean pipes & fiddle solo (playing
variations of the same melody, at the same time)
Instrumental
- Interval of a 3rd between pipes & fiddle melody in bars 41-42.
Syncopation: Accordion adds rhythmic interest through tied notes/
syncopation
Verse 6
(continued)
Voice: re-enters after the instrumental with last line of verse 6: “Tha
do...” Dynamics drop for this “intimate vocal”
Tonality: new chord sequence for verse 7 only (Am Em9 Em C G)
Instruments: Backing vocals add harmony on vocables. Almost no
Verse 7
“Och ma tha”
drums (some hi-hat, but no bass or snare), thinner texture with
sustained chords
Vocal melody: last line (bar 48) unaccompanied
Shorter: Lyrics for lament not repeated
Verse 8
“O nach robu”
Tonality: C G Em C G then outro alternates C to G chords,
improvising as fading out
Instruments: full band
Area 4 - Rag Desh (3 versions)
Indian music
• 2 traditions - North (Hindustani) and South (Carnatic)
• closely linked to Hindusim & religious philosophy: raga is often used to worship Hindu gods
such as Shiva.
• Music is passed on by ear (oral tradition) from guru to disciple. This system of “master-pupil”
teaching or apprenticeship is called “gharana”. Pupils spend time listening, imitating and
memorising and performances are always given from memory.
Elements of a Raga
Raga is improvised music in several contrasting sections, based on a rag. Both the rhythm and
the melody use improvisation.
• Melody - This is the most important element and is improvised using notes from the chosen
rag. It can be sung or played using instruments like sitar and sarod.
• Drone - 1 or 2 held notes, usually the first and 5th (tonic + dominant/Sa + Pa) notes of the
rag. The drone supports tuning/intonation, provides a reference point for the melody (so we
don’t get lost) and fills out the texture.
• Rhythm (tala) - repetitive, cyclic rhythm pattern played by the tabla
Understanding the melody (Rag)
• Rag is like a cross between a melody and a scale. [Rag Desh is shown at top]
• It can have 5, 6 or 7 notes in an octave and the way up and the way down can be different
(just like melodic minor scales in Western music).
• There are 72 main rags, each associated with a time of day (or night) and some even with
seasons [Rag Desh is associated with the monsoon season]
Understanding the rhythm (tala)
Tala is the rhythmic basis of Indian music.It’s a cyclic rhythm/pattern of beats (matras) which is
repeated and improvised upon. The first note (sam) is the most important and usually stressed,
acting as a reference point to help keep the improvisation together. The most popular talas (or
tals) have 6, 7,8, 10, 12, 14 or 16 beats. There are around 300 different talas. [Tala is a bit like
bars in Western music, but usually longer and more complex]
Bols - indepent rhythms that go against the main beat of the cycle creating syncopations.
The audience often tap along silently with the tala, using a mix of clapping and waving gestures
(Tal literally means “clap”).
Structure
Alap = very slow, meditative and improvised introduction in free time (no clear metre). It
establishes the raga, explores the different pitches and sets the mood (rasa).
Jhor (or Jor) = develops a steady pulse at a medium tempo. Improvisations become more
rhythmic and elaborate and gradually the tempo increases.
Jhalla = lively tempo, with fast strumming on drone strings, complex rhythms and virtuoso
playing (“showing off”). Jhalla means “a shower” and features lots of scales (tans). [“When
Jhalla follows the alap & jhor it has no rhythmic accompaniment, but it can also come at the end
after the Gat with tabla accompaniment”]
Gat (instrumental) / Bandish (song) = “fixed composition” (pre-composed melody) is played or
sung and repeated with improvised decoration and tabla accompaniment playing the tala.
There’s musical dialogue between the instrumental soloist and tabla, sometimes its like their
competing against each other or in a duel! A faster 2nd gat is often included as the music music
gets more exciting.
Rag Desh performance 1 - Anoushka Shankar (2001)
Melody
Played by Sitar - Gat = fixed composition
Alap - meend (pitch bend)
Gat 1 - meend + tan (rapid scalic flourishes) and chand (triplets)
decorate melody. Ends with Tihai (idea repeated 3 times, against rhythm
of tala - like “hemiola” in Baroque!)
Gat 2 - also ends with Tihai
Timbre/
Instruments
Sitar (plays solo in alap)
Tabla (joins in Gat 1)
Structure
Alap, Gat 1, Gat 2
Rhythm
Alap = slow, no metre
Gat 1 = Jhaptal tala (10 beat - 2+3+2+3)
Gat 2 = Teental tala (16 beat - 4+4+4+4)
Dynamics
Alap - quiet
Gat 1 - gets louder
Gat 2 - crescendos to end
Rag Desh performance 2 - Mhara Janam Maran (2004)
Melody
Vocal and instrumental
Alap - short intro, sarod enters then vocalizing melody in free time
based on the rag.
Timbre/
Instruments
Voice (singer = Chiranji Lal Tanwar)
Sarangi (small sitar)
Sarod (similar to sitar, but lower)
Pakhawaj (double headed drum)
Cymbals
Tabla
Structure
Alap (short introduction) then Bandish (fixed composition - song)
Rhythm
Alap = slow, no metre
Bandish = Keherwa Tal (8 beat - 2+2+2+2)
Genre
Bhajan (devotional song) - about arrival of Hindu god Lord Krishna in
the morning.
Performance 3 - Steve Gorn (Bansuri) Benjy Wertheimer
(esraj & Tabla) (2004)
Melody
Played on flute
Alap - short intro, sarod enters then vocalizing melody in free time based
on the rag.
Timbre
/Instruments
Bansuri - a large bamboo flute, with finger holes but not keys.
Esraj (bowed instrument with frets, 4 main strings plus drone strings similar to sitar)
Tambura (plays drone, using tonic & dominant notes)
Tabla (plays tala)
Structure
Alap - slow, with tambura drone then Bansuri enters
Gat 1 - slow, unaccompanied Bansuri. Tabla enters with Rupuk Tal.
Becomes more agitated & dramatic with improvisations. Ends with Tihai.
Gat 2 - fast tempo using Ektal Tal
Rhythm
Gat 1 = Rupak Tal (3+2+2 = 7 beats) Gat 2 = Ektal Tal (2+2+2+2+2+2 =
12 beats)
Area 4 - Yiri from Burkina Faso (as recorded by Koko)
Tonality &
harmony
Key = Gb major
Vocal melody = pentatonic
Strong tonality established by the dominant to tonic notes used in bar 7-8
on Balafons and also by the vocals (vocal phrases begin on the tonic and
end on the dominant in the first 3 phrases and begin on the dominant and
end on the tonic in the 4th and 5th phrase)
Lots of octave repetitions on the tonic eg bar 17
Melody
High balaphon solo using tremolo effect b1-7
Repetitive melody based on the hexatonic scale
Vocal line based on pentatonic scale
Melody is played in octaves
Tempo
Free tempo at the start (bars 1-7)
Moderate tempo established in bar 8 and is regular / unvaried for the rest
of the piece
Rhythm
Structure
Instruments
Texture
Dynamics
Cross rhythms
Drum ostinato (same rhythm all the way through from bar 14)
Use of triplets 58-60
3 semiquaver figure bar 68-69
Dramatic rests observed by all in the coda
Intro b1-7
Chorus A1 b28-41
Chorus A2 b42-51
Solo with choral response b52-95
Chorus B1 b96-107
Chorus B2 b108-127
Chorus A3 b128-153
Coda b154- 158
Solo voice
Chorus of voices
Balafons high and low (like xylophones)
Drums
Bell (final ting)
Intro = monophonic (solo balafon), then octaves (bars 10-11)
Bars 10-13 = heterophonic (as 2nd balafon enters, playing slight
variation of the melody)
Chorus A1 - voices in unison
Bar 52 = solo call then chorus response
These are largely unvaried

GCSE Revision - Stratford School Academy

Transcription

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