Defying gravity by Stephen Schwartz

Question 1

What are musicals

Answer 1

entertainment for the public

Question 2

What is the purpose of defying gravity

Answer 2

to end the first half of the musical.

Question 3

Why is the piece called defying gravity

Answer 3

refers to elphaba vow to not give in and accept the rules of and limitations placed upon her. Just like defying the laws of graivty she attempts to rise above her place in life

Question 4

What is a leitmotif

Answer 4

the recuring musical idea which is associated witha theme, character or place

Question 5

Why does Schwartz only use the first 7 notes of somewhere over the rain as his leitmotif in defying gravity

Answer 5

copy right as once you took 8 notes of another composers things were used they were stealing.

Question 6

What is motif b

Answer 6

elphabas theme, and uses the 7 pitches of motif x which is some where over the rainbow, it rises a 4th overall

Question 7

What is motif c

Answer 7

it generates lot of melodic material in lead vocals and orchestral accompaniment. It is transporsed but of the same intervals

Question 8

what is motif d

Answer 8

an accompanient figure that leads to the chorus . it contains all the notes of motif c.

Question 9

what is metrical shifting

Answer 9

down beat shifted to different parts of the bar. Happens in Some thing has changed within me, something is not the same

Question 10

What is the main verse

Answer 10

something has changed within me, something is not the same.

Question 11

What’s the role of perfect intervals in the main verse

Answer 11

it derives the melodic interval, making it a melodic feature.

Question 12

What happens after and you can’t pull me downnnnn

Answer 12

bitonality occurs where there’s 2 keys being played one in g another c major. Notice they’re a 5th apart.

Question 13

How does introduction go

Answer 13

Melodic features:

Descending sequences for both but starting from two different key areas Glinda at D major and Elphaba at D flat major. Conjunct and descending.

Harmony

A bit of dissonance for the uncertainty of the situation. But also ascending chromatic sequence

Texture

Homophonic, voice and chordal accompaninent. long held chordal textures.

Rythmn

Mixed meter, syncopated rythmns

Instrumentation
Electrical guitar overdrive
Brass
Wood wind
Keyboard

Dynamics
loud, forte, crescendos used

Question 14

How does 1st dialouge section go

Answer 14

Leitmotifs
Motif B and C appear for the first time in the piece

Melody
Steplike movement and diatonic

Harmony
Diatonic, extended chords, add 9 chords

Texture
Homophonic voice and chordal accompaninet , thin accompanient of instruments

Rythmn/metre
2/2 in rubato, syncopation vocally, and collo voce apears

Instrumentation
Woodwinds - flute, clarinet, bass clarinet violin on a high inverted tonic (F) pedal. Electircal guitar, tremelo
High tessitura in general

Question 15

How does verse 1 go

Answer 15

Leitmotifs
Starts with motif B

Melody
Disjunct, based on 4ths and 5ths

Harmony
open chords and add9 harmonies
Bare 5ths

Tonality
D major

Texure
Homophonic

Rythmn
Syncopation, 2/2 meter, and collo voce

Instrumentation
strings give a sense of anticipation.
Keyboard, piano and electric guitar with overdrive effect and electric guitar with ebow (producing a supernatural/ other-wordly effect).

Dynamics
piano

Question 16

How does chorus 1 go

Answer 16

Leitmotif
3 note ostinato based on leitmotifs which cause metrical shifting

Melody
Diatonic
Disjunct
Leap of 5ths

Harmony
Diatonic chords
perfect cadences
bare 5ths

Tonality
D major

Texture
homophonic

Ryhtmn
metrical shifting
syncopation
cross rythmns
steady allegro tempo

INstrumentation
a steady crotchet pulse on closed hi-hat and tom-tom fills and also tubular bells

Question 17

How does link 1 go

Answer 17

Motif B appears

Melody
Ascending and descending stepwise movement outlining the perfect 4th.

Harmony
Plagal cadences
add9 chords

Texture
Homophonic

Tonality
D major

Rhythm
Syncopation, triplets in vocal

Instrumentation
Fuller orchestration with strings, brass, piano and more complex drums

Question 18

How does verse 2 go

Answer 18

Letmotifs:
The bass and rhythm of Motif B form the foundation of the first half of verse 2 accompaniment.
* Motif C appears again (bars 78 - 79) to build into the chorus.

Melody:
Disjunct, based on 4ths and 5ths

Harmony
OPen chords add 9

Rythmn
highly syncopated and push rythmns

Instrumentation
Strings, piano, electric guitar are more prominent.
* Drums become more complex. Much of the work is on hi-hat. Strong snare. On th

Question 19

How does 2nd dialouge section or first bridge go

Answer 19

leitmotifs
The ‘Unlimited’ theme ( first 7 notes of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ disguised rhythmically, harmonically and through melodic extension) in the vocal part

Melody
Octave, major 7th, perfect 5th and stepwise ascent of a perfect 4th.

Harmony
extended chord harmonies minor 7th, 9th

Tonality
Bitonal ostinato in C major and g major

Texture
homophonic

Rythmn
dominated in semi quaver rythmns and metre changes to 4/4

Instrumentation
high ostinato on keyboard and glockenspiel.
tremolo strings bar 88 - 98
Piano doubles the unlimited theme and dominates the instrumentation.

Question 20

How does chorus 3 go

Answer 20

melody
harmonizing between 2 singers

texture
thick initially but thins soon

rythmnb
allego and driving 4/4 rythmns

Question 21

What happens in the reprise of the introduction

Answer 21

the introduction is repeated but recast as the two witches reconcile they’re on different paths in life but stay friends

Harmony
harmonizing in 3rds

Texture
Thin but intimate but fuller orchestrateion at i hope you’re happy in the end

Rythmn
accompaniment now in long sustained chords

Instrumentation
cymbal roll Full orchestral forces with strings, brass, guitar with overdrive, and wind-chimes for “I hope you’re happy in the end”

Question 22

What happens in the vamp

Answer 22

it’s based on motif b and texture thickens as brass and percussion join

Question 23

What happens in the second bridge

Answer 23

Melody
dominated by perfect 4ths and 5th, much higher tessitura in belting range

texture
thicket texture in tutti

rythmn
triplets

Question 24

What happens in 4th chorus

Answer 24

Melody:
* The chorus pushes up to its highest range (tessitura) up to F # (belt range) to suggest Elphaba’s confidence and determination (bar 156).

Texture:
* full band - very thick, busy texture

Rhythm/ Tempo/ Metre:
* Rallentando (bar 161 - 162) as Elphaba calms to make her final determined statement, “nobody in all of Oz…”

Instrumentation/ timbre:
* Full band. Synth and glockenspiel are prominent on the ostinato.

Dynamics/ articulation:
* Now ff (fortissimo)

Question 25

What happens in link 3

Answer 25

Melody
Five melodic repetitions of a 5-note motif outlining the perfect 4th (some rhythmic variation)

Harmony:
* Dominant pedal note A sits under bar 162 - 165,
Texture:
* Suddenly thinner but builds to the end of this link section.

Rhythm/ Tempo/ Metre:
* Andante suggests firm conviction rather than excitement.
* Long held chords accompany this section to provide tension.

Instrumentation/ timbre:
* tremolando strings - anticipation. Horns enter at bar 164 and brass at bar 166 as her determination grows.
Dynamics/ articulation:
* Suddenly piano at bar 164 but crescendos to ff by bar 167.

Question 26

What happens in the coda

Answer 26

Melody:
*Three melodies are superimposed - Elphaba singing the final note of her line “bring me down”. Glinda sings “I hope you’re happy” from the introduction and the ensemble sings a melody from the opening song of Act 1 ‘No one Mourns the Wicked’.

• Octatonic scale (tone-semitone intervals B, C#, D, E, F, G) used by the ensemble to create a dissonant effect showing anger.
• “Bring me” outlines for a final time the perfect 5th from the leitmotif.

Harmony:
A pedal note, and lots of dissonance

Tonality:
* Minor tonality (B minor)
* Bi-tonality used in bar 173 - 174 between the vocal harmonies and the lower accompanying chords (also heard in ‘No one Mourns the Wicked’ when the ensemble sings “She’s Dead”) to show conflict between the characters and a mood of violence.

Texture:
* Full band - the thickest texture of the song. Brings a climax to end Act 1.

Rhythm/ Tempo/ Metre:
* The band play syncopated chords based on motif B from bar 168 - 172 which interlock with the rhythms of the ensemble.
* Elphaba’s final motif is set to notes of long duration (rhythmic augmentation) from bar 168 - 174 and then to shorter notes (rhythmic diminution) at the end of bar 174 - 175.
* Maestoso (majestically). A slow tempo which adds gravity to Elphaba’s plight.
* Rallentando (bar 174 - end) and pause marks (bar 174 & 176) to bring the piece to a dramatic close.

Instrumentation/ timbre:
* Full band

Dynamics/ articulation:
* Fortissimo - the loudest dynamic of the song. Brings a climax to end Act 1.
* Crescendo to sfz accent (bar 176 - 177) on the staccato unison ‘full stop’.