A level Music Revision - Saariaho

Question 1

Melody

Answer 1

Micro tones
Quarter-tones
Retrogrades
Melodies developed sequentially

Question 2

Harmony

Answer 2

Non-conventional harmony
Absent harmony
Overtones
Notes held over other notes

Question 3

Rhythm + Metre

Answer 3

Few notated tempo markings (all slow)
Accelerandi and ritenuti
Lento sections are pulseless
Electronic reverb blurs and overlaps notes
Dectuplets
Syncopations
Septuplets/quintuplets

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

1-3: Lento - Free
4-7: Crotchet = 60
8-9: Lento - Free
10-13: Crotchet 54/66/40
13-16: Lento - Free
17-27: Crotchet = 60
28-30: Lento - Free

Question 5

Sonority

Answer 5

The cello writing here includes many playing techniques (these are outlined in detail, with the symbols used on the score, at the beginning of the piece):
‘Normal’ bowed playing
Pizzicato and left-hand pizzicato
Placement of the bow sul ponticello or sul tasto
Use of tremolando bowing
Use of flautando bowing
Use of heavy bow pressure to produce a scratching sound, replacing an audible pitch
with noise
Smooth transitions between all of the above
Glissandi (smooth slides) between notes
Playing with normal, exaggerated, or without, vibrato
Use of natural (open string) and artificial harmonics
Gradual change of left-hand pressure to move from normal to harmonic note (and vice versa)
Trills and mordents
Double stops
Use of micro-intervals – in this case quarter-tones
Frequent use of both subtle and exaggerated dynamic change
Simultaneous use of more than one of the above is common

Amplification
Reverberation
Harmonizer
Dynamic hairpins
Expressed as a percentage of maximum

Question 6

Texture

Answer 6

Monophonic textues
Two-part textures
Pedal/Drone textures

Question 7

Tonality

Answer 7

Atonal
Repeated low C
Dyads (Two note chords)