Context and Essay points Flashcards
“Release” Context
- Released in 1999
- Fusion - West African, Irish and EDM
- Features guests e.g Sinead O’connor
“Release” instruments
African:
* Kora, talking drum
Celtic
* Hurdy gurdy, uillean pipes, bodhrán
EDM
* Drum machine, electric piano, synth
* Looping (central to song)
“Release” melody
Melodic features from each group
* African - Spoken samples, repetitive
* Celtic - Solos
* EDM - Repetitive, simple
“Release” Harmony
- Slow harmonic rhythm (EDM)
- Simple chord progression (Celtic)
- Drone (Celtic)
“Release” Texture
- Mainly Homophonic
- Rapid texture change from loops coming in and out
- Has a polyphonic feel
Brandenurg Context
- Baroque
- Concerto grosso (group of soloists)
- Chamber music
Brandenburg Melody
- Scalic
- Conjunct
- Rising
- Very Ornamenated
Brandenburg Harmony
- Mostly standard chords of time
- Diatonic
- Functional cadences
Brandenburg Tonality
- A sections in D maj
- B sections in B minor
Brandenburg Texture
- Polyphonic
- Imitation
- Fugal techniques
Brandenburg Instruments
- Violin, Flute, Harpsichord (Concertino)
- String orchestra (Ripieno)
- Harpsichord/Cello plays Basso Continuo
Brandenburg Rhythm
- Fast semiquaver runs
- Triplets and dotted rythms
Wicked Context
- About living without limits and defying rules
- By Stephen Schwartz
- Finale of first act
Wicked Instruments
- Duet
- Glinda is a soprano, Elphie is a mezzo
- Full orchestra (use effects of brass, string etc. if needed)
Wicked Texture
- Homophonic
- Stab chords
- Sparse texture for talking
Wicked Rhythm
- Lots of change
- Syncopation
- Dramatic rallentandos e.g end
Wicked Tonality
- Mainly D maj
- Lots of change
- Tonality amibigous for parts - uncertainty
- Dissonance - danger/bad
Wicked Melody
- Syllabic
- Stepwise and big leaps combined for drama
- Vocalisation at end
Purcell Context
- Baroque
- Incidental music
- Play of Oedipus
Purcell Instruments
- Soprano, Harpsichord, Bass viol
- Basso Continuo and Ground Bass
Purcell Melody
- Descending sequences
- Word painting
- Syllabic with some mellisma
Purcell Harmony
- Ground bass (rising for rising dead)
- Diatonic chords
- Some false relations give an unsettling feel
Purcell Texture
- Homophonic
- Somtimes feel polyphonic due to realisation
KQ Context
- Glam Rock
- Unlike traditional rock it sounds theatrical and varying harmony and structure
KQ instruments
Studio effects
* Multi tracking
* Distortion
* Reverb
* Panning
Standard Rock instruments
KQ Rhythm
- Regular danceable beat
- Some swung rhythms
KQ Melody
- Range of techniques (Falsetto, spoken)
- Syllabic
- Very wide range
KQ Harmony
- Adventorous chord sequences
- Altered and extended chords
KQ Texture
- Homophonic
- Builds over time
Star Wars Context
- Written in 1977
- Features Luke Skywalkers leitmotif/main theme
Star Wars Rhythm
- Fast tempo - Battle and action
- 4/4 steady - Marchlike shows military
Star Wars Tonality
- Starts in Bb Major
- Tonality is unclear during action
- Dissonance during chase
Star Wars Instruments
- Full symphony orchestra
Star Wars Melody
- Fanfaric - Heroic
- Leitmotif features ascending leaps (famous 5th)
- B theme contrasts A theme (B is descending ,chromatic)
Star Wars Harmony
- Quartal Harmony
- Complicated and almost A tonal harmony at times
Star Wars Texture
- Very thick texture
- Homophonic
Beethoven Context
- Classical piece
- Has romantic elements
- Sturm und Drag movement
Beethoven Structure
- Sonata form
- Differences from expected Sonata form (romantic elements)
- Two main themes go through modulation
Beethoven Melody
- Theme one- rising and scalic
- Theme two - rising and falling, ornamented
Beethoven Dynamics
- Wide dynamic range
- Many crescendos and descresendos
- Expressive - romantic era
Beethoven Harmony
- Mainly diatonic, standard chords
- Some dissonance
- Functional harmony (cadences used to signal sections)
- Unusual for Sonata form, unusual chord progressions
Beethoven Tonality
- C Minor
- Modulations due to structure
- Differences (romantic), recapitulation not in expected key
- 2nd Subject in Eb min, unexpected
Beethoven Rhythm
- Allegro di molto con brio (very fast with vigour)
- Unusually the beggining in grave
Beethoven Texture
- Mainly homophonic
- Octaves in introduction theme
Beethoven Instruments
- Written for fortepiano (less dynamic range)
- Beethoven makes use of difference in dynamics
- Sustain pedal used for emotion
Samba em Context
- Bossa Nova - Created in Brazil with fusion of American Jazz and Samba
- Has elements of both
- Original written in 1962, Spaldings version in 2008
Samba em Instrumentation
- Female voice - very low alto
- Acoustic Bass Guitar - Harmonics, double stopping
- Acoustic guitar - solo, very samba
Samba em Rhythm
- 4/4
- Syncopation (Jazz)
- Rubato/free tempo (Jazz)
- Clavé rhythms (Samba)
Samba em Texture
- Monophonic intro
- Homophonic mostly
Samba em Tonality
- B minor
- Typical of Bossa Nova
Samba em Harmony
- Altered/extended chords, 7ths + 9ths (Jazz)
- Diminished and b5th chords (Jazz)
Samba em Melody
- 2 main melodies - Verse 1 and 2
- Portuguese (Samba)
- Very low down to low E
- Range of Minor 10th
