Music For A While.

?
  • Created by: cieran_10
  • Created on: 10-03-18 21:51
Who is the piece composed by?
Henry Purcell.
1 of 68
Towards the end of what century was Purcell working as a composer in London?
Towards the end of the 17th century.
2 of 68
Give five types of music that Purcell composed.
For the church, for the stage, for royal occasions, songs and instrumental pieces.
3 of 68
Wha type of music is Music For A While?
Incidental music.
4 of 68
What is incidental music?
Music intended to be performed as the part of a play.
5 of 68
In what year was Music For A While wrote?
1692.
6 of 68
What play was Music For A While composed for?
Oedipus.
7 of 68
Who wrote the words for Oedipus?
John Dryden.
8 of 68
Who sings Music For A While in the play and why?
The First Priest, in order to raise the ghost of King Laius, to find out who was his murderer.
9 of 68
Give the three instruments used in Music For A While.
A solo voice and continuo.
10 of 68
What is a continuo?
An accompaniment that consists of a bass viol and harpsichord.
11 of 68
What did Purcell originally write for the composition of Music For A While?
A melody and an unfigured bass part.
12 of 68
What would the singer have been in the Baroque period?
A tenor or countertenor.
13 of 68
What would the singer be now?
MOST PROBABLY a soprano.
14 of 68
Why is it unknown what type of voice should have performed the song?
As he did not specify which voice he wanted to sing.
15 of 68
What is the key transposed from an to in the anthology score?
From C minor to A minor.
16 of 68
What doubles the bass viol in the continuo?
The left hand part of the harpsichord.
17 of 68
What is the right hand part of the harpsichord based on?
An elaborate realisation of the harmony in the bass line.
18 of 68
What did Purcell construct the song over?
A ground bass.
19 of 68
What is a ground bass?
A constantly repeating bass pattern, which a melody unfolds above.
20 of 68
What was Purcell well known for and what was this popular in?
For his ground bass parts and these were popular in the Baroque era.
21 of 68
How long is the ground bass in the song?
Three bars.
22 of 68
What is the ground bass based on?
A four note sequence.
23 of 68
Complete the sentence: the ground bass is formed from rising _____ alternating with falling _____?
5ths + 6ths.
24 of 68
What does the ground bass climb from and to?
From the tonic to the dominant.
25 of 68
What is the dominant?
A minor.
26 of 68
How many times is the ground bass heard in the song?
12 times.
27 of 68
Give two ways that Purcell variates the ground bass, to avoid monotony.
By modulating to related keys in the B section and by changing the length in the process of this.
28 of 68
What is the structure of the song?
Ternary form.
29 of 68
In what bar does the A section return and how does it? (3.)
Bar 29, when the opening music returns to the SAME lyrics.
30 of 68
How is the returned A section slightly different to the first? Why is the expected?
As it is ornamented and this is typical of Baroque music.
31 of 68
Why did Purcell extend the returned A section?
To finish on the tonic chord.
32 of 68
Why can the tonality be seen as ambiguous in the song?
Due to the chromatic scales in the ground bass.
33 of 68
How is the ambiguous harmony resolved by Purcell?
As the modulations are confirmed by perfect cadences.
34 of 68
Give two words to describe the vocal melody.
Conjunct with occasional leaps.
35 of 68
What does the vocal melody have between chord notes?
Passing notes.
36 of 68
What is the range of the vocal melody?
Just over an octave/a 9th.
37 of 68
Why does Purcell incorporate rests into the vocal melody?
Expressive effect.
38 of 68
Give an example of an ascending sequence in the vocal melody.
Bars 10-12.
39 of 68
Give an example of a descending sequence in the vocal melody.
Bars 13-15.
40 of 68
What are the seven ornaments used in the song and give examples for each?
Upper mordents (bar 11), lower mordents (bar 11), appoggiaturas (bar 5), slides (bars 6), grace notes (bar 6), trills (bar 13) and arpeggiation (the last bar.)
41 of 68
What does Purcell do between the vocal part and the ground bass part, which is not typical of Baroque music and why does he do this?
He extends the vocal parts passed the end of the ground bass part, in order to make sure that the two parts do not end simultaneously.
42 of 68
What is the word setting MOSTLY like?
Syllabic.
43 of 68
What two words does Purcell set a melisma to?
"wondering" and "eternal."
44 of 68
What does Purcell do with the lyrics and give three examples?
Repeated lyrics, for example: music, all and drop.
45 of 68
How is the raising of King Laius from his bones painted in the song? (2.)
By the rising chromaticism and eerie angular outline of the ground bass.
46 of 68
What symbolises the contemplative nature of the word wondering?
Melismas.
47 of 68
What symbolises pain on the word pain?
A suspension.
48 of 68
How is the ease symbolised in the word eased?
By a chain of suspensions with a resolution on the word.
49 of 68
How is the joy of the phrase free the dead, shown in the music of the song? (2.)
By an ascending phrase and by being in the more cheerful key of G major.
50 of 68
How is the eternality of the word eternal shown in the song?
Through the melismas on the word.
51 of 68
How are the snakes dropping from Alecto's head shown in the song on the word drop?
By the off-beat quavers used nine times in the space of 2 bars.
52 of 68
What is the metre of the music?
4/4.
53 of 68
What is the rhythm, of the ground bass, entirely made of?
Quavers.
54 of 68
Why is the rhythm, of the ground bass, entirely using quavers?
As this creates a walking bass.
55 of 68
What is the vocal part MAINLY made of, in terms of rhythm?
Quavers and semiquavers.
56 of 68
When is syncopation used in the song?
On the word drop.
57 of 68
Give two rhythmic features of the right-hand harpsichord part.
Tied notes and dotted rhythms.
58 of 68
Why is there no dynamic markings, tempo markings or expression markings on the music?
As it was common for Baroque composers to leave this up the performer.
59 of 68
What is the texture of the piece?
Homophonic.
60 of 68
What other texture can be heard in the song and why? (3.)
Contrapuntal; of the elaborate harpsichord realisation going against the vocal part and the slight imitation (bars 9 and 11.)
61 of 68
What type of chords are often heard in the harmony?
Chords in alternate root-position and first-inversion triads.
62 of 68
Give the two triads used in the song?
Augmented triads and diminished triads.
63 of 68
Give three methods of variation that Purcell uses in the song.
Decoration (harpsichord), passing notes (vocal), suspensions (vocal.)
64 of 68
What does Purcell use in the harpsichord realisation, which is typical of Baroque music?
False relation.
65 of 68
What is false relation?
It is two different forms (of the same pitch) occurring in different parts either simultaneously or in close proximity.
66 of 68
What typical Baroque harmony technique does Purcell use?
Tierce de Picaride.
67 of 68
What is tierce de Picardie?
When a major tonic chord ends a cadence in a major key.
68 of 68

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Towards the end of what century was Purcell working as a composer in London?

Back

Towards the end of the 17th century.

Card 3

Front

Give five types of music that Purcell composed.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Wha type of music is Music For A While?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is incidental music?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar History resources:

See all History resources »See all Baroque Music. resources »