Defying Gravity

Question 1

What is Wicked about?

Answer 1

The story the wizard of oz but told from the witches point of view. Elphaba and Glinda

Question 2

Who wrote the lyrics and music for Wicked?

Answer 2

Stephen Schwartz

Question 3

Where does the song defying gravity appear in the play?

Answer 3

It is the act 1 finale

Question 4

How is the staging in this scene dramatic?

Answer 4

It finished with elphaba flying into the air on her broomstick accompanied by moving lights, smoke and wind effects as the citizens of oz rush in trying to bring her down

Question 5

How is this set work structured?

Answer 5

It is in verse chorus form

Question 6

What happens in bar 1?

Answer 6

Intro

Question 7

What happens in bar 34?

Answer 7

Verse 1

Question 8

What happens in bar 50

Answer 8

Chorus

Question 9

What happens in bar 63

Answer 9

Verse 2

Question 10

What happens in bar 79

Answer 10

Chorus

Question 11

What happens in bar 88

Answer 11

Bridge

Question 12

What happens in bar 102

Answer 12

Chorus

Question 13

What happens in bar 115

Answer 13

Varied reprise of intro

Question 14

What happens in bar 135

Answer 14

Verse 3

Question 15

What happens in bar 151

Answer 15

Chorus

Question 16

What happens in bar 161

Answer 16

Coda

Question 17

What key is it in on stage and in the anthology?

Answer 17

Db and d major

Question 18

Who scored the accompaniment?

Answer 18

Bill Brohn

Question 19

The accompaniment is scored for a pit band of 23 musicians. What does this consist of?

Answer 19

4 woodwind who had to double on many insturments, 6 brass, a harp, 2 electric guitars, 3 keyboard synths, 4 string parts, a wide range of percussion including drum kit, timpani, glockenspiel and tubular bells.

Question 20

What are some points to note in the orchestration?

Answer 20

• Electric guitar with overdrive
• chordal writing for low brass contrasting with solo synth melody ( bars 20-23)
• String tremelo to create excitement
• drum fill bar 54
• descending scales for bass clarinet bars 89 and 91
• cymbal roll to announce the change of key (bar 122)
• tutti at bar 135 for the climax
• synth and glockenspiel play high pitched ostinato as elphaba sings of flying high

Question 21

Describe the vocal ranges of elphaba and Glinda

Answer 21

Glinda requires a soprano voice and gas a range of a sharpened 13th

Elphaba requires a mezzo soprano voice and has a range of a sharpened 14th

Question 22

What does the direction colla voce indicate?

Answer 22

That the band must follow the Rhythm of the singer’s which is fairly free

Question 23

In the introduction Glinda confronts elphaba in recitative punctuated by chromatic stabs. How does elphaba answer?

Answer 23

She sarcastically mimics them a semitone lower

Question 24

What is hinted in bars 20-24 and how is an unsetteling effect created?

Answer 24

The change the elphaba is about to go through is hinted where the syncopated introductorary chords to her song are first heard but an unsettling effect is created in the juxtaposition of two totally unrelated keys (Bb major followed by f major)

Question 25

What is Glinda's assurance that elphaba can still be with the wizard accompanied by?

Answer 25

Sustained harmonies in f major

Question 26

What happens when elphaba says "Something has changed within me' in bar 32

Answer 26

The key changes to d major

Question 27

How does elphaba show her desire to break free in the verse

Answer 27

She uses wide leaps accompanied by a nervous tremelo from the violins.

Question 28

What does the tempo marking change to at bar 49

Answer 28

Allegro

Question 29

What is the accompaniment when Glinda accuses elphaba in bar 59 as having illusions of grandeur

Answer 29

The introductorary chords are repeated as crotchety triplets

Question 30

Elphaba is defiant as she continues into her second verse. How is this shown in the music?

Answer 30

It is at a faster tempo with a firmly syncopated accompaniment

Question 31

What happens after the second chorus?

Answer 31

The tempo relaxes to moderato and the key changes to g major

Question 32

What is the unlimited melody?

Answer 32

It is a leitmotif that reflects elphaba's growing confidence and has the first 7 notes of 'somewhere over the rainbow'

Question 33

In bars 102 how is the chorus sung?

Answer 33

First together then just elphaba alone

Question 34

What happens at bar 132?

Answer 34

There is a key change to d major with an exciting orchestral build (crescendo on repeated quavers) as elphaba flies away

Question 35

What happens in the coda?

Answer 35

It begins quietly and at and andante pace but quickly crescendo's in the final bars with elphaba rising to her top note (f#) on bar 167

Question 36

Describe the texture of this set work

Answer 36

After some brief monophonic passages at the start the texture is mainly melody and accompaniment. The duef is mainly the two characters singing alternately or together in unison There are a couple of passages of two part vocal writing (parralel thirds in bars 125-128) and a brief contrapuntal section in the final bars There are also some ostinato figures

Question 37

Describe the tonality of this set work

Answer 37

It is mainly in d major with a section in g major in bars 88-100. However areas of chromatic writing at the start and in bars 115-132 create areas of ambiguous tonality

Question 38

Describe the harmony in this set work

Answer 38

It includes root position triads and sus chords. There is an inner pedal on A in bars 162-167 followed by an inverted pedal on D starting in bar 168

Question 39

What is a sus chord?

Answer 39

Where the 3rd is replaced by either a 2nd above the root or a 4th

Question 40

How does the time signature change in this set work?

Answer 40

It starts of with a minim beat (22 or 32 time) until the 44 in bar 88. The 22 returns in bar 115

Question 41

How do many vocal phrases start and what is the word setting like?

Answer 41

Many vocal phrases start on a weak beat and the word setting is syllabic

Question 42

What is the Rhythm like?

Answer 42

There is a lot of syncopatuon particularly in the anticipation of strong beats by a quaver (a push)

Question 43

Describe the melody in the set work

Answer 43

Elphaba's vocal line has a triadic style. The long notes and wide leaps help to illustrate elphaba's new found confidence as the song unravels. Intervals of a 4th and 5th appear as she becomes increasingly sure of herself and even wider leaps appear as she becomes more determined (bars 39-40 there's a leap of an 11th and on bar 140 there is a leap of a 12th)

Question 44

What is a hook and which like is it shown on in this set work

Answer 44

A hook is a melodic fragment designed to catch the ears of the listener and the line of the hook of this music is 'it's time to try defying gravity'