Defying Gravity

Question 1

Performing voices and their handling

Answer 1

Performing forces and their handling
‘Defying Gravity’ is a duet for the characters Elphaba and Glinda with some spoken dialogue in addition to the singing. The two characters either deliver their text spoken, half sung/spoken with music notated on the stave with crosses instead of note heads or entirely sung.
These two singers require extremely versatile voices with a large range of just under two octaves, from G below middle C to F.
Wicked uses a large orchestra: woodwind section (including additional instruments such as piccolo, bass clarinet and cor anglais), brass and string sections with a harp and three keyboards. It includes a wide variety of percussion instruments: drum kit, tubular bells and timpani. Electric guitars create a modern sound and in this song they are required with over- drive, a distortion effect.
The score in the anthology is a short score or orchestral reduction and the main instruments with solos are labelled. The orchestra is used to good dramatic effect.
 The brass section plays homophonic chordal music in an almost fanfare-like manner (e.g.
bar 20).
 Strings use tremolo effect to add tension (e.g. bar 34).
 The closed hi-hat of the drum kit plays constant crotchet rhythms in bar 51 to add rhythmic
momentum.
 There is a cymbal roll to add excitement as the piece moves into a key change (e.g. bar
122).
 The full band plays at the climax of the song at bar 135.
 Synthesisers and glockenspiel are used to good effect with the high magical-sounding
repeated quaver accompaniment to the chorus.
 Tubular bells give an ethereal sonority at bar 147.

Question 2

Melody

Answer 2

Melody
 The text setting is syllabic throughout with rhythms moving in a speech-like manner.
 There is vocalisation at the end in bar 175 to the word ‘aah’.
 The melody starts in a conjunct/stepwise manner.
 Bars 6 and 7 show an ascending sequence.
 The verse and chorus combine conjunct and wide angular leaps in the melodic line.
 Leaps often feature a rising perfect fifth (e.g. bar 34). There are some exceptionally large
leaps such as a compound perfect fourth (e.g. bars 39–40) and a compound perfect fifth (e.g. bars 140–141).

Question 3

Structure

Answer 3

Structure
There is a distinct verse–chorus form.
Verse: bar 34, bar 63, bar 135.
Chorus: bar 50, bar 79, bar 103, bar 151.
Within that structure this piece has multiple sections which are defined by tempo, contrasting moods and melodic material.
Bars 1–19
Free tempo (colla voce) recitative-like
Duet between Glinda and Elphaba with a combination of spoken dialogue and singing. Orchestral chord stabs at start with sparse monophonic moments, accompaniment becomes chordal and sustained
Bars 20–48
Andante Verse bar 34
Homophonic chordal opening moving through different major keys. Legato, conjunct melody. The verse contains tremolo strings with dissonant harmony for accompaniment
Bar 49–87
Allegro Chorus bar 50 Verse bar 63 Chorus bar 79
The title hook leaping melody is sung over broken chord accompaniment and driving hi-hat rhythms. Next Glinda sings a crotchet triplet-based melody before Elphaba takes over with a syncopated version of the verse, which leads into the chorus
Bar 88–102
Moderato
A contrasting section in the new key of G major with both characters singing a new melody in unison over semiquaver accompaniment
Bar 103–110
Allegro
Chorus bar 103
Return to D major for the chorus sung by both characters, opening in unison with strong piano accompaniment
Bar 111–128 Andante Homophonic chordal music from earlier which leads into the recitative-like music of the opening
Bar 129–161
Allegro
Verse bar 135 Chorus bar 151
Climax of the song with full orchestra and loud dynamic. Opens with the homophonic chordal music which leads into an extended version of the verse at a higher register and with developed melodic and rhythmic ideas. There is a reprise of the chorus
Bar 162–177
Andante to Maestoso
Build up to full tutti finale, in B minor at bar 168 with Elphaba, Glinda, ensemble chorus and orchestra in counterpoint with different musical lines and lyrics.

Question 4

Texture

Answer 4

The opening shows a sparse texture with punctuating instrumental chord stabs (e.g. bar 1) with some monophonic unaccompanied bars (e.g. bar 3).
 In the verses there is a melody and accompaniment or melody-dominated homophony texture where the singer is accompanied by chords in the orchestra.
 There are homophonic chordal moments (e.g. bar 132).
 Ostinato accompaniment at bar 88 with repeated semiquavers.
 Elphaba and Glinda usually sing separately but sometimes sing together in unison (e.g. bar
101) or in harmony such as thirds (e.g. bar 127).
 The ending is contrapuntal with three different musical ideas with different lyrics (e.g. bar
168).

Question 5

Tonality

Answer 5

Tonality
 In the opening the tonality is ambiguous with chromatic movement and unrelated chord progressions.
 It is in D major.
 At bar 20 it is in B major for two bars before arriving in F major at bar 22. At bar 32 it arrives
in the tonic key of D major for the verse. It remains in D major until bar 88 when it moves to G major. In bar 103 it returns to D major. At bar 115 it returns to the chromatic melody of the opening. At bar 132 it returns to the tonic key of D major. For the final Maestoso section, bar 168 it is in B minor until we finish on a chord of D major.

Question 6

Harmony

Answer 6

Harmony
 Chords are in root position.
 Chord progressions are often unrelated and in the opening we can see shifts downwards in
parallel semitones. For example, a D chord to a C♯ minor chord to a C major chord.
 There is some use of dissonance (e.g. bar 30).
 At the end there is a pedal at bar 168.

Question 7

Tempo, metre, rhythm

Answer 7

Tempo, metre and rhythm
There are numerous tempo changes through this song and they are important to the overall structure.

There are rallentandos used particularly at the end of sections to go from Allegro to Andante. Sometimes there are ralls followed by an a tempo. There is also a rall used at the end of the piece.
 The time signature changes from 3/2 triple time to 2/2 duple time in the opening section and remains there until bar 88 where it changes to 4/4 quadruple time. At bar 115 it returns to 2/2 duple time.
 Syncopation is frequent throughout (e.g. bars 67–70).
 Dotted rhythms are used throughout. For example, in bar 82 on the word ‘gra-vi-ty’.
 Triplets are used. These are both quaver triplets (e.g. bar 96) and crotchet triplets (e.g. bar
60).
 Rhythms are predominantly crotchet and quaver based, although there are some notes of
longer duration particularly at the ends of phrases.
 Rests are often used to break up phrases.
 Each phrase starts with an off-beat entry after a crotchet rest (e.g. bar 15).
 Pause marks or fermatas are used to lengthen and give freedom to longer rhythms, for
example at the end (e.g. bars 174 and 176).