Download GCSE set works condensed info

Pitch
‘And the Glory of the Lord’ from
Messiah oratorio, by Handel
Choir (SATB); range is wide, melody is
made out of steps+leaps
1st mvt. From Symphony No.40 in Gm, by
Mozart
Didn’t follow structure of Classical orchestra;
melody made up of steps+leaps; wide range in
instruments
Duration
Dynamics
Harmony
Tempo
Timbre
No dynamics for voice part (assuming
forte all the way); ranging from forte to
piano for trumpets (basso continuo);
No clashes or distorted chords, chords
are always major and forte; imitation,
doubling of parts and 2 ideas together
give it a triumphant feeling.
Allegro, which brings forth a forward
motion which indicates the era.
Bright and jovial (brought by the major
keys)
Texture
Extensive use of imitation; contains all
the textures.
Structure
4 main ideas
Keys
(+modulation)
A, E, A, B, A (no minor keys to show
prevailing mood)
Melodic features
At the end, when the last phrase is sung
(“hath spoken it”), the four voices sing
together and it dramatically slows
down, so that makes it effective. Has 4
main ideas.
4 voices (SATB), trumpets (basso
continuo)
Instruments
Wide range of dynamics. Lots of crescendos and
decrescendos. Fluctuating dynamics portray
strong emotions.
Quite smooth due to use of diatonic notes. Lots
of uses of perfect cadences. Uses
countermelodies in development section.
Molto Allegro (very fast). Lack of introduction
gives a sense of urgency.
Helps the harmony, though not as important as
melody.
‘Raindrop’ Piano prelude no.15
in D flat major Op.28, by Chopin
LH melody –straight and even, RH
melody-uneven
Very exaggerated; ranging from
pianissimo to fortissimo
Clashes can be heard in the B
section, when the storm is at its
strongest.
Sostenuto
Mellow and constant, no switching
of instrument constant G#/A-flats
throughout the whole piece which
represent raindrops.
Mostly homophonic; melody is always clearly
Homophonic, but the melody
heard.
switches from the right to left
hand.
Sonata form (exposition, development,
Ternary form (ABA), which depicts
recapitualation); no introduction, which gives a
a storm gradually forming and
sense of urgency.
then dissipating.
Gm, B-flat, Gm, Em, Am, Dm, Gm, C, F, B-flat, Dm,
D-flat major, C# minor, D-flat
Gm, E-flat, Fm, E-flat, Gm, E-flat, Gm
major (although in the same key
(development has a lot of modulation); Gm
signature; but the minor key gives
provides melancholy mood
a sinister mood)
Falling motif creates an image of someone sighing. Keyboard techniques: ‘cantabile
Uses descending sequences to change between
legato’ playing, tempo rubato, use
instruments. Clarinets altered the sound because of pedals
they were newly invented. Melody alternates
between string instruments.
1 flute,2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns
Piano
(B-flat and G, to obtain notes G-Bflat-D and BflatD-F); no trumpets or percussion AT ALL, very
different to classical orchestra.
Pitch
Duration
Dynamics
Harmony
Tempo
Timbre
Texture
‘Peripetie’ from Five Orchestral Pieces, by
Schoenberg
Full pitch range of all the instruments
(prominent feature of atonal music);
klangfarbenmelodie~tone-colour melody.
Uneven; sounds distorted to the listener; dotted
Extreme dynamics (changes very quickly which
gives a feeling of chaos and restlessness.
Has hexachords (A, Bflat, C, C#, E, F) and
compliments (B, D, Eflat, F#, G, G#) which is a key
feature in this era. Has recognizable chords and
harmonies but combined in original ways.
Sehr rasch (very quickly) which creates a rushed
and chaotic feeling
Extensive use of the instruments’ timbre to give
the piece it’s chaotic character (messy; distorted)
Completely polyphonic; difficult to distinguish
main melody from accompaniment.
Structure
‘Something’s Coming’ from West Side Story, by
Leonard Bernstein
Demands the singer to hit a very high G, which creates
the feeling of excitement.
3rd mvt. (fast) From Electric Counterpoint, by Steve
Reich
Fluctuates on a small scale because motif keeps getting
repeated.
Varying dynamics (ppp-f) create sense of expectancy
and tension, as well as excitement for the future.
F#s used in the harmony during C major section. Jazz
based harmony in which conventional chords have
added ‘blue’ notes and other dissonances.
p-f
Fast (crotchet=176)
The timbre of the singer’s voice is used to create feelings
of tension and excitement; warm, jumpy.
Homophonic; voice carries the melody
Rondo form (ABACA), but the A sections are so
developed that they hardly become recognizable
(not like classical era’s rondo)
Atonal (use of serialism helps the atonality
because all the 12 notes have to be used)
Intro, A, B, B1, A1, Outro
Melodic features
Piece is quite short because if it was longer, some
sort of key would’ve to be used.
Instruments
1 piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 1 cor anglais in F, 1
clarinet in D, 3 clarinets in Bflat, 1 bass clarinet, 3
bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 4
trombones, 1 tuba, 1 xylophone, 1 cymbals, 1 tam
tam, 1 bass drum, violin1, violin2, viola, cello,
double bass.
--
Syncopated rhythms permeating the music, including the
‘push’ rhythm anticipating the beat (creates expectancy
and tension). Motif of the interval of the tritone that’s
used throughout every movement. Extensive use of short
riffs. Cross-rhythms. Layered textures of independent
parts. Combination of short phrases (brings feel of
excitement because he can’t control his excitement) and
long sustained notes.
5 woodwind players, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones,
7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double basses. Piano, guitar, drum
kit, 2 percussionists.
Keys
(+modulation)
Studio Effects
D, C, G, D, C, G (fact that there is no minor key brings
forth anticipation and excitement; happy mood)
--
Has a resultant melody (a new melody produced when a
variety of parts each play their melodies at the same time,
so different/certain notes stand out) which the live guitar
plays, to reinforce it.
Crotchet=192, but time signature alternates between 3/2
and 12/8
Polyphonic (each guitar part has equal importance because
they all contribute to the resultant melody). Build-up of
texture helps to define the structure of the piece, and thins
out towards the end. The texture seems to always be
shifting to the listener because of panning and
interweaving rhythms.
Em, Cm, Em, Cm, Em (both keys have no relation, so they
‘counter’ each other). Tonal ambiguity in the beginning,
until the bass guitars come in, playing the tonic note of E
There isn’t actually any phasing (2 identical parts that go
out of sync with each other, but eventually come back into
sync after a no. of repetitions) because there are little gaps
(quaver rests) so that there’s rhythmic counterpoint and
the guitars stay like that throughout the piece.
1 live guitar, 7 electric guitars, 2 bass guitars (during
performance, the only instrument present will be the live
guitar; all the other guitar parts were pre-recorded by the
musician him/herself in a studio)
Stereo panning (when there’s a left and a right channel,
like bass guitars on either side of the stage). Tape loops
(pre-recorded loops which can be repeated seamlessly by
electronics)
‘All Blues’ from Kind of Blue, by Miles
Davis
Pitch
Dynamics
Harmony
‘Grace’ from Grace, by Jeff Buckley
‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’ from
Play, by Moby
Vocals-as high as top G of soprano (vocal virtuosity)
Piano for the head; soloists are free to input their own during
their solos. When the drums drop out towards the end, volume decreases.
Uses the chord progressions (G7, G7, G7, G7, C7, C7, G7, G7, D7,
Eflat7/D7, G7, G7) for the improvised solos
Tempo
Timbre
Jazz waltz (swing quavers)
Davis uses a Harmon mute to give the trumpet a vulnerable
sound. During his solo, he removes it and this gives the trumpet a
confident sound.
Texture
When the piano trill (from beginning) drops out as the piano
switches to riff #2, this thins the texture out and the change is
very prominent. Drum player hits the ride cymbal differently,
therefore varying the texture.
Intro, head, trumpet solo, alto sax solo, tenor sax solo, piano solo,
head, coda.
Structure
Keys (+modulation)
Melodic features
G and C mixolydian modes, diminished scale over altered chords.
During Davis’ solo, Cobb (drums) syncopates the rhythm on the
snare drum, which creates anticipation and rhythmic interest.
Instruments
Trumpet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Piano, Drums, Bass
guitar.
Studio Effects
--
Uses the trick of keeping one or more open strings on the guitar as a drone,
gibing harmonic richness to sound. Bottom string tuned down to D to give
a deeper+darker sound. Power chord used with Em. Uses vocal
counterpoint to contribute to intensity.
[v1 in piano]sus2 chord: a triad with maj/min 3rd placed by 2nd
degree of the scale. Sus4 chord: a triad with maj/min 3rd replaced
by 4th degree of the scale. Only 6 chords used throughout the
piece.
Voice-[middle8] vocal line improvises melody with telephone EQ added
(creates distant sound), [v3] Uses higher range of voice to produce forceful
quality. [voice used to create intensity]
Guitar-[intro] uses guitar whispers. [outro] plays with flanger effect which
adds to intensity.
Overall homophonic. Intro-tonal ambiguity; only guitar whispers can be
heard (thin texture). Then full band plays a rhythm which gives forward
momentum. Chorus- drums stop using toms so extensively. Outro- ends
with unaccompanied vocals (monophonic). Ending has full texture.
Inter, v1, pre-chorus, chorus, link, v2, pre-chorus, chorus, middle 8, link, v3,
outro.
Added effects change the timbre of the instruments to infuse
different emotions in the listener.
Em, D, Em
Strings added for sound effects, rather than harmony. In middle 8, hummed
harmonies follow chord pattern; contrasts harsh sounds. Ends with
unaccompanied phrase, highlighting influence of qawwali music.
Drums, Bass guitar, 2 electric guitars (drone [a repeated or sustained note
which is played across chord changes creating a dissonance], power chords
[a chord consisting of the root note and the perfect 5th], slide [playing
technique performed by sliding the finger from 1 note to another]), vocals
Added strings to raise the tension by adding to the texture
(middle 8). Overdubs (use of multi-track recording to layer
recorded parts). Flanger effect (effect which creates a
whirling feeling up to jet plane effects; used in outro). Delay
(repetitions of a sound after a set time interval, usually at
lower volume; artificial echoes). EQ (electronically cutting or
boosting specific frequencies in a sound). Reverb (reflection
of sound off surfaces to give the impression of space)
Homophonic.
Unedited vocal samples contribute to the texture because
background noise acts as another instrument. Texture developed
around the 3 chord sequences.
Based around 3 chord sequences arranged in 8-bar blocks:
1
Am
2
Am
3
Em
4
Em
5
Gm
6
Gm
7
D
8
D
1
C
2
C
3
Am
4
Am
5
C
6
C
7
Am
8
Am
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
F
F
C
C
F
F
C
C
Am, C, Am, C, Am
Extensive use of vocal samples. Hint of A-dorian mode due to D
chord in verse, but to the listener it’s simply Am. Has 2 main ideas.
1st idea=major, 2nd idea=minor
All electronic equipment
Telephone EQ in v2: makes samples sound much thinner. Delay in
break: can hear dying repeats of vocal echo and snare. Reverb in
break: effect applied to all other instruments except voice+drums.
Delay+reverb in 2nd chorus: makes sample 2 [these open doors]
sound distant and blending with strings.
Dynamics
Harmony
“Skye Waulking Song” by Capercaillie
‘Rag Desh’
‘Yiri’ by Koko
Piano, then forte, then fade out. Used to focus listener’s attention on
certain words (eg. v3: unaccompanied vocals) and used to change the
mood (eg. v7: all instruments drop out, adding contrast to the drums’
build up to the last verse)
Harmony is less important than melody and rhythm. Only 4 chords in the
whole song, but chord changes are very noticeable because they
introduce new sections and moods.
Improvised
Pretty much forte all the time
Created by tambura playing the drone notes (usually tonic and dominant) and
the sitar augments the harmony with the improvised melody. But generally, no
sense of harmony because emphasis is placed on the melody (therefore a
linear concept).
Changes according to the different sections (slow/meditative; regular pulse
established; fast pace with exciting rhythms; moderate to fast pace)
Sitar has sympathetic strings that are below the main 7 strings and therefore
vibrate when the 7 strings are plucked; creates a ‘twangy’ sound. Tabla has 2
drums which are made out of wood (smaller one) and metal (larger one).
Sarangi has a gentler tone than sitar so is used to accompany
singers/instrumentalists. Sarod has a lower range and heavier tone than sitar.
Strong sense of major tonality because opening notes of melody are dominant
(Dflat) to tonic (Gflat). Choir parts sung in unison; no harmony. At b.45,
variation in 2nd balaphone part.
Tempo
Timbre
Fiddle plays tremolos which create trembling effect (vulnerability)
Texture
Melody-dominated homophony, with a bit of heterophony as well
(instrumental part). Monophonic last line of verse 3 when vocals are
unaccompanied.
Structure
Intro (cluster chord), v1, break, v2 (fiddle becomes more prominent), v3,
v4, v5 (accordion plays countermelody to voice), v6, instrumental
(uillean pipes’ solo and heterophonic texture), v7, v8, outro (instruments
counter each other as vocals improvise on vocables)
Alap, Jhor, Jhalla, Gat/Bandish
(it’s called a Gat if there’s a singer)
Keys
(+modulation)
G/Em pentatonic scale. Sounds modal because dominant D chord isn’t
used.
Chord sequences:
Bar number
chords
1-24
Em~G
25-43
C~G~Em~G (v4)
44-48
Am7~Em~Em~G (v7)
49-52
C~G~Em~G (v8)
53-end
C~G (alternating) (outro)
Melody is simple and repetitive; sung in Gaelic. Has vocables (nonsense
syllables) and traditions of waulking songs are portrayed by them.
Background vocals emphasize vocables.
Non-tonal; raga based on a rag (a ‘scale’ which varies in number of notes)
Melodic features
Instruments
Rhythm
Traditional: fiddle, bouzouki, accordion, uillean pipes, bodhrán (bohran), egg-shakers, voice
Modern: electric bass, drum kit, synthesizer, Wurlitzer piano acoustic
guitar,
Voice punctuates the lilting rhythm, created by the 12/8 time
signature (sounds like triplets in 4/4 time).
V5: accordion punctuates 2nd+5th beat
No melody; lead instrument (sitar) improvises on notes of the raga.
Emphasis placed on the melody rather than harmony.
Sitar, Tabura, Tabla, Sarod, Sarangi, Bansuri Shehnai, Harmonium
A cycle based on a set number of beats (matras) that the tabla plays (can also
improvise based on the beats). The cycle can also be used to create a musical
duel between the instrumentalist and drummer when they try to outdo each
other’s ideas in the jhalla section of the raga.
unvarying
Monophonic (0.00~0.18min): only high balaphon improvising a solo (Gflat major)
with fast high+low rolls on every note (to give the illusion that the notes are
sustained).
Heterophonic (0.18~0.34min): 2nd balaphon joins the 1st, and it plays the same
melody with a few different pitches (b.11-12)
Pattern of voices followed by instrumental breaks; call and response structure.
2.10~2.45: solo voice enters with a call and choir responds in b.63.
Bar’s rest at b.95 makes it obvious that a new section’s coming and anticipates it.
Drums’ rests at b.156 builds anticipation for the ending up.
4.45~5.20: balaphon break, quite virtuosic with rapid octave leaps and
semiquaver/demisemiquaver patterns.
G-flat major
When choir enters for the 1st time, melody sounds pentatonic because it misses the
F note.
Drum ostinato persists throughout the piece. Melodies are all based on original
idea.
0.34~1.09: syncopated rhythms and octave repetitions on tonic and dominant notes
in melody.
2.10~2.45: new melody introduced by solo featuring long notes and punctuated
ones on ‘yiri’. 4.00~4.31: full choir singing with short instrumental interjections.
(creates dialogue effect; extension of call&response).
At b.68-70, Gflat pedal is syncopated.
Vocals, 2 balaphons, flute, djembe, tam-tam, dundun, maracas, donno, bell
The beat is regular and unvarying.
1.09~1.25: semiquaver-quaver-semiquaver rhythm is a feature of vocal writing.
At b.57-60, introduction of triplets create a different rhythmic sub-division
(variation on melody).
Has polyrhythm and syncopation; different beats are accented.