Lovers lie on Bredon Hill,ignoring the bells calling them to church. They'll go when they get married. Alas, the girl dies in the winter and goes to church alone - summoned by a single bell. A song cycle written in 1909. Based on A.E. Housmans poems
1 of 14
Forces and Instrumentation
Piano, string quartet and tenor voice. Wide use of block chords. Pianissimo muted effect in upper strings, as well as double stopping. Open harmonics at end creating bell like effect. Mainly syllabic, occasional melismas.
2 of 14
Harmony
7th chords heard at start all in root position. 11th chords, typical of impressionism. Occasional 2nd inversion chords (bar 29). Chromatic chords including a half-diminished 7th (b104 piano left hand).
3 of 14
Structure
Seven verse structure. A, A, B, B1, C, D, A1, Postlude
4 of 14
Tonality
Key sig and opening chords at start suggest E minor, but distinct lack of leading note, giving a distinctly modal feel. Change of key sig at bar 52 (no sharps or flats) two flats at bar 100 but obscured by chromaticism, returns to one sharp at b115.
5 of 14
Organisation of pitch
Melody begins by using standard notes of G major, but the flattened 7th at bar 59 indicates mixolydian mode. Middle of piece becomes more chromatic.
6 of 14
Texture
Opening characterised by block chords in piano, sustained over homorhythmic texture in strings, depicting a tolling bell. Texture changes to melod.-dom.-hom. at bar 24 as voice enters/sustained chords. Bell like effect varied through use of triplet o
7 of 14
Rhythm, metre and tempo
Begins 2/2 time with performance direction of Moderato tranquilo. Occasional time sig changes including 2/4 (b32); 3/2 (b71) and 4/4 (b84). Wide use of longer note values in accompaniment including tied semibreves. Anacrusis used to fit iambic nature
8 of 14
Mixolydian mode
A mode consisting of a major scale with a flattened 7th.
9 of 14
Homorhythmic
A strict form of homophony where all parts move to the same rhythm.
10 of 14
Melody-dominated homophony
A widely used type of texture consisting of a melody part and other subsidiary (accompanying) parts.
11 of 14
Triplet
Three notes played in the space of two.
12 of 14
Ostinato
A short musical pattern repeated through a section or complete piece.
13 of 14
Anacrusis
A bar with an incomplete number of beats also kn
14 of 14
Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Piano, string quartet and tenor voice. Wide use of block chords. Pianissimo muted effect in upper strings, as well as double stopping. Open harmonics at end creating bell like effect. Mainly syllabic, occasional melismas.
Back
Forces and Instrumentation
Card 3
Front
7th chords heard at start all in root position. 11th chords, typical of impressionism. Occasional 2nd inversion chords (bar 29). Chromatic chords including a half-diminished 7th (b104 piano left hand).
Back
Card 4
Front
Seven verse structure. A, A, B, B1, C, D, A1, Postlude
Back
Card 5
Front
Key sig and opening chords at start suggest E minor, but distinct lack of leading note, giving a distinctly modal feel. Change of key sig at bar 52 (no sharps or flats) two flats at bar 100 but obscured by chromaticism, returns to one sharp at b115.
Comments
No comments have yet been made