Area Of Study 1 (Vocal Music) Flashcards
Includes "Ein Feste Burg", "The Magic Flute" & "On Wenlock Edge" + WL
What is the context of “Ein Feste Berg”?
Who: Johann Sebastian Bach What: Church cantata Where: Leipzig How: SATB choir with soloists and strings Why: For church services When: 1727
Describe the melody of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Cantas firmus at 1 with soprano theme at 16
New thematic material becomes conjunct at 60
Describe the harmony of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Tonics at 1 and 27 with scales at 16
Perf 5th leap at 60 then chromatic climax at 97
Describe the tonality of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Dominant mod at 1 then subdominant at 12 Glimpses of (sub)dominant at 39 then F#/E/B min at 73
Describe the rhythm of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Semiquavers to quavers in quadruple meter with ties
Melismatic cont quavers at 22 then dotted rhythms at 33
Describe the texture of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Highly contrapuntal in a fugal style
Layers from tenor to bass at 1 then tenor counter at 4
Describe the sonority of “Ein Feste Berg”
Ein Feste Berg
Scored for SATB choir and tutti orchestra
Vocal lines closely doubled by orchestra
Describe the melody of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Melismatic scalic bass with angular moments at 51
Continuo descent at 19 before soprano trills at 26
Describe the harmony of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Scalic semiquavers at 9 then chromatic bass at 60
Secondary dom and dom 7ths occur frequently
Describe the tonality of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Dom mod through to subdom at 1 then dom mod at 12
B min at 53 before F# min at 60
Describe the rhythm of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Predominant semiquaver bass is moto perpetuo at 1
Common time with decorative dotted rhythms at 66
Describe the texture of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Melody dominated homophony at 1
Heterophonic sop and oboe at 12 after contrapuntal at 9
Describe the sonority of “Alles Was Von Gott”
Ein Feste Berg
Independent aria solo bass with oboe doubling soprano
Oboe and soprano trills at 26
Describe the melody of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
Conjunct and diatonic with small leaps
Repeated two bar phrases from 1
Describe the harmony of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
Diatonic functional chords
Imperf cadence at 10
Describe the tonality of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
Dominant modulation at 2
Subdominant movement to reach relative min at 9
Describe the rhythm of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
Common time with anacrusis
Cadential pauses with pass notes between crotchets
Describe the texture of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
Chordal throughout
Homophonic throughout
Describe the sonority of “Das Wort Sie Stollen”
Ein Feste Berg
SATB choir with orchestral accomp and congregation
Soprano and alto are in range of an octave
WL: “Die Vertel Etwas” by Robert Schumann
Adventlied
Syncopation with accents weighted on dotted rhythms
Fortissimo horns/trumpets with syllabic congregation
WL: “Le Deluge” by Elisabeth Jacquet
Cantates Francaises No.2
Unusual mod from flat note of A maj to tonic
Functional min chords with homorhythmic bass and sop
WL: “Pleasure Submits To Pain” by George Handel
Triumph Of Time & Truth
Echos on dom chord between div sop and alto
Distinct tutti contrapuntal passages with maj/min keys
WL: “Sanctus” by Franz Schubert
Mass In G Major No.2
Rhythmic unison in chorus with cross rhythms
Augmented C# leap with frequent dom 7ths
WL: “Offne Jesu Deine Hande” by Christoph Graupner
Gott Sei Uns Gnadig
Unison chorus with short violin dotted rhythms
Timpani doubles lower strings on bassline
WL: “Sicut Turtur” by Isabella Leonarda
Mottetti Con Le Litanie
Perfect intervals between dominants before augmented
Organ pedal with chromatic steps in soprano
WL: “Komm Lass Mich” by Johann Sebastian Bach
Erschallet Ihr Leider
Melismatic alto semiquavers with trill in soprano scale
Fugal texture with alto and soprano sometimes in 3rds
WL: “L’amante Bugiardo” by Barbara Strozzi
Cantate Ariette E Duetti
Call and response between tiorba and turn filled sop
Tierce di Picarde tiorba with distinctive sop perf 4th
What is the context of “The Magic Flute”?
Who: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart What: Two act opera Where: Vienna How: Four part chorus and orchestra Why: For entertainment purposes When: 1791
Describe the melody of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Recitative is syllabic at 1 before lyrically conjunct at 37
Grace note chromatics at 51 and 76 then turns at 67
Describe the harmony of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Chromatic steps with simple tonic and dom 7ths from 1
Neapolitan 6th at 19 before dim 7ths harmonies at 47
Describe the tonality of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Diatonic Bb maj becomes G min in larghetto section
Suggested subdom key at 79 with perf cadences at 101
Describe the rhythm of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Demisemiquaver/dotted scales at 32 with shivers at 36
Moto perpetuo semiquavers from 98 after triplets at 62
Describe the texture of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Melody dominated homophony with bass imitation at 21
Continuous octave quavers at 93
Describe the sonority of “O Zittre Nicht”
The Magic Flute
Loud orchestra at 61 with 13 vocal melismatic bars at 79
Tremolo strings at 93
Describe the melody of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Appog in counterpoint at 21 then bass descent from 48
Repeated diatonic descending phrases at 109
Describe the harmony of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Augmented sixth harmonies at 150
Chromatic descending phrase at 242
Describe the tonality of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Diatonic Bb with mod to F maj at 35
Stern G min at 61 with feminine cadences at 84
Describe the rhythm of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Allegro tempo at bar 1
Slow andante tempo at 214
Describe the texture of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Three part homophony at 46 becomes five parts at 54
Unison octaves at 61 with seperate polyphony at 117
Describe the sonority of “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!”
The Magic Flute
Breathy voice at 54 before oboe seperates parts at 64
Light hearted violin fills at 149 and 151
WL: “O Che Orrore” by Joseph Haydn
L’anima Del Filosofo
Brass above choir with hemiola feel in strings
Conjunct string fill ins between dense orchestral chords
WL: “Solveig’s Song” by Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt
Sop sings above maj 7th conjunct with dotted rhythms
Eight or nine parts finish each monophonic sop line
WL: “Das Romische Reich” by Ignaz Holzbauer
Gunther Von Schwarzburg
Free flowing note values with disjunct male choir
Ascending dom 7th triads followed by repeated notes
WL: “When She Danced” by Amy Beach
Cabildo
Broken diminished triads shift away from key
Dramatic piano octaves followed by fragmented tunes
WL: “La Calunnia” by Gioacchino Rossini
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia
Opening grace note stabs followed by repeated notes
Repeated notes in bass with distinctive octave drop
WL: “Qual Temerario Core” by Francesca Caccini
La Liberazione Di Ruggiero
Bouncing alternations between tonic and medient
G min to D maj sounds folk influenced in vocals
WL: “Cosi Si Fa” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
L’oca Del Cairo
Bass imitates soprano after A maj triads in strings
Strings and flutes double bass upwards scales
WL: “Je Viens Te Rendr” by Pauline Viardot
Cendrillion
Modal in soprano with octave leap doubled by piano
Tremolo strings with chromatic/diminished modulations
What is the context of “On Wenlock Edge”?
Who: Ralph Vaughan Williams What: Song cycle Where: London How: Piano, strings and tenor voice Why: For text setting of poems When: 1909
Describe the melody of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
Repeated notes at 11 before conjunct descent at 14
Hemidemisemiquavers at 31 with chromatic slip at 37
Describe the harmony of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
Eb descent to Ab min with first inversion chords from 1
Db/D natural false relation at 3 before Ab/G clash at 11
Describe the tonality of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
G pentatonic harmony throughout
Added 4th C in G scale
Describe the rhythm of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
Beginning triplets and sextuplets
Sextuplet/straight semiquaver cross rhythms at 3
Describe the texture of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
Unison trills at 7 before triple pizz at 8
Reduced to tenor and piano at 50 then octaves at 76
Describe the sonority of “On Wenlock Edge”
On Wenlock Edge
Syllabic writing with vibrato on tenor singing sus notes
Tremolo strings at 1 before sul ponticello at 57
Describe the melody of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
Recitative style followed by cello countermelody from 5
Larger leaps at 14 then intro idea ascends from 55
Describe the harmony of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
D min to G maj chords throughout
Blocked repeated triplet chords at 9
Describe the tonality of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
Dorian in modal character
Dead man’s music transposed higher than before at 45
Describe the rhythm of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
Meter and tempo changes are common throughout
Long free notes from 5 then sep to quintuplets at 45
Describe the texture of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
Homorhythmic at 1 before chordal homophony from 5
Fortissimo angry tutti at 50
Describe the sonority of “Is My Team Ploughing”
On Wenlock Edge
Sung from a distance at 5
Tremolo strings at 37 before muted strings at 55
Describe the melody of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Happy diatonic melody at 24 before flat 7 F at 29
Mournful conjunct phrases from 92
Describe the harmony of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Dominant bell like min 7th blocked chords throughout
Second inversion 7ths at 29 with elevenths from 52
Describe the tonality of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Untransposed Mixolydian feel from 29
Flat 7 F in G maj scale from 29
Describe the rhythm of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Tied bell like semibreves
Anacrusis fits iambic meter at 24 then triplets at 52
Describe the texture of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Melody dominated homophony at 24 then piano at 52
Isolated notes from 100 with fading monophony at 145
Describe the sonority of “Bredon Hill”
On Wenlock Edge
Double stopping from 1 with chiming piano bells at 52
Pizz/arco combo from 100 with open harmonics at 114
WL: “Swansea Town” by Gustav Holst
Six Choral Folk Songs
Stepwise motion in male tenor chorus in crotchets
Tonic note D is ground note for each phrase
WL: “Placet Futile” by Maurice Ravel
Three Poemes De Stephane Mallarme
Sul ponticello with bouncing clarinet figure
Beginning maj and min 7th chords with imitation
WL: “Withering Of The Boughs” by Peter Warlock
Curlew
Quaver triplets with polyphonic patches
English horn falling min 3rd with diminished vocals
WL: “Ladslove” by John Ireland
Land Of Lost Content
F9#5 with added 4th on Eb at end of piano intro
Chromatic figures in parallel thirds with vibrato vocals
WL: “Pale Amber Sunlight Fails” by Frederick Delius
Songs Of Sunset
Chromatic steps with blues augmented harmonies
Choir moves closely in unison with flute flurry descents
WL: “Shy One” by Rebecca Clarke
Two Songs
Unusual D maj chord with F/F# blues clash
Tender scalic soprano with distinctive rising perf 4th
WL: “Clun” by Ralph Vaughan Williams
On Wenlock Edge
Modal writing with flat 7th and repeated vocal notes
Ascending streamlike quaver triplets in piano
WL: “Rat Riddles” by Ruth Crawford Seeger
Three Songs
Oboe trills reaching high tessituras
Undefinable syllabic chromatic tune in soprano
