AOS2: Musicals, film music, game music, pop 1990s-present

Question 1

What are musicals?

Answer 1

Theatre shows that originated from operas, often based on films or books. Singers are accompanied by an orchestra.

Question 2

Give at least 5 typical features of musical music.

Answer 2

• Memorable melodies, hooks in chorus
• Tonality = diatonic (major/minor)
• Strophic structure
• Melismatic singing, belting, falsetto
• Motifs/ostinatos
• Vocal harmonies

Question 3

What are the four basic types of musical song?

Answer 3

Solo character songs + duets: based on arias

Action songs + chorus numbers : based on recitatives

Question 4

Give at least 5 typical features of film music.

Answer 4

• Leitmotifs (themes which represent a person/object/idea, varied and manipulated to match the action)
• Ostinati and repetition
• Discordance, dissonance, unresolved sustained notes
• Unusual harmonies + metres
• Atonal music for scary bits
• Contrasts in dynamics which reflect action
• Abrupt changes of tempo, harmony and melody
• Rapid shifts from one musical idea to the next
• Synthesised sounds, samples

Question 5

Give at least 5 typical features of 1990s-modern day pop music.

Answer 5

• falsetto singing
• riffing in vocals
• syllabic/melismatic voice settings (can have complex ornamentation)
• syncopated rhythms
• repetitive chord patterns, use of primary chords
• fast or slow tempos
• synthesisers
• drum kits
• vocal effects (overdubbing, delay, reverb, sampling, pitch bends)
• close vocal harmonies
• strophic structure