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Edexcel GCSE Music > Defying Gravity from 'Wicked' - Stephen Schwartz > Flashcards

Defying Gravity from 'Wicked' - Stephen Schwartz Flashcards

1
Q

What is the tempo of bars 1-19?

A

Free tempo - colla voce

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2
Q

What does colla voce mean?

A
  • follow the solo voice
  • vocal part sings in a free manner and all other instruments should follow
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3
Q

Describe the vocal melody in bars 1-5.

A
  • half-spoken / half-sung - e.g. bar 1
  • syllabic with rhythms moving in a speech-like manner apart from a few moments - e.g. bar 175
  • conjunct/ step-wise
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4
Q

What instruments are used in this piece?

A
  • non-orchestral instruments: drum kit, 3 keyboards and electric guitars
  • large orchestra: woodwind section (including piccolo, bass clarinet and cor anglais) , brass and string sections with a harp and percussion (drum kit, tubular bells and timpani)
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5
Q

How do the instruments make the piece sound?

A
  • non-orchestral instruments added to orchestral instruments to create a modern sound
  • guitars used to create an overdrive, distortion effect
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6
Q

Describe the accompaniment in the opening section (bars 1-19).

A
  • orchestral chord stabs -> sparse monophonic moments (e.g. bar 1,2 and 4) and accompaniment becomes chordal and sustained (e.g. bars 6-7)
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7
Q

Describe the texture in bars 1-5.

A
  • sparse w/ punctuating chord stabs
  • e.g. bar 1 with some monophonic unaccompanied bars (e.g. bar 3)
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8
Q

In which bars is there an ascending sequence?

A
  • bars 6-7
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9
Q

What is the tonality of the opening section (bars 1-19)?

A
  • D major
  • tonality in opening is ambiguous with chromatic movement and unrelated chord progressions
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10
Q

Describe the rhythm in the opening section (bars 1-19).

A
  • pre-dominantly crotchet and quaver based, but there are some notes of longer duration at the ends of phrases
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11
Q

What is the time signature in the opening section?

A
  • changes from 3/2 triple time to 2/2 duple time in the opening section
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12
Q

What is the harmony like in the opening section?

A
  • bars 9-12 -> unrelated chord progressions and see shifts downwards in parallel semitones
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13
Q

Give an example of a bar which starts with an off-beat entry.

A
  • bar 15
  • each phrase starts with an off-beat entry after a crotchet rest
  • frequently occurs in other places throughout piece
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14
Q

What is the tempo of bars 20-48?

A

Andante

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15
Q

Describe the accompaniment at the start of the first andante section.

A
  • orchestral of start of Andante section - homophonic choral opening moving through different major keys
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16
Q

Describe the vocal melody at bars 23-29.

A
  • legato, conjunct, stepwise melody except for leap at end of bar 29
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17
Q

Describe the texture of the brass section at the first andante section.

A
  • homophonic chordal music in fan-fare like manner (bar 20)
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18
Q

Where does the tempo fluctuate a bit in the middle of the first andante section?

A
  • bar 34- colla voce
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19
Q

Describe how the string accompaniment in the first andante section creates tension.

A
  • dissonance and combined with tremolo effect -> creates tension - bars 34-36
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20
Q

What is the key of the music at bar 20?

A
  • B major for 2 bars - bar 20-21
  • F major - bar 22
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21
Q

What is used throughout the piece to lengthen and give freedom to longer rhythms?

A
  • pause marks/ fermatas
  • bars 174 + 176
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22
Q

What is the ascending minor 7th interval influenced by?

A
  • ‘somewhere’ - west side story
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23
Q

What is the key at bar 32?

A
  • arrives in tonic d major for verse and remains there until bar 88
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24
Q

Where is a perfect 5th?

A
  • bar 34
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25
Q

What is a compound interval?

A
  • bars 39-40
  • an interval more than an octave
  • e.g. a compound perfect 4th is octave + perfect 4th
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26
Q

What is the texture in verse?

A
  • melody + accompaniment or melody dominated homophony texture where singer is accompanied by chords in orchestra
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27
Q

What is the tempo at bars 49-87?

28
Q

What is the texture like at the start of chorus 1?

A
  • melody and chordal accompaniment
  • sung over broken chord accompaniment and driving hi-hat rhythms
29
Q

Describe the rhythm at bars 51-53.

A
  • rhythmic momentum- metrically shifting 3 note quaver ostinato in piano against constant crotchet rhythms in closed hi-hat which add rhythmic momentum
30
Q

Describe the rhythm at bars 60-70

A
  • bars 60-62 - crotchet-triplet based melody
  • bars 63-70 - syncopated version of verse -> leaning into chorus
31
Q

What is the key from bar 32?

A
  • D major
  • bar 88 key moves to G major
32
Q

Describe the melody in bars 83-86.

A
  • wide range and moves by leap, very angular
33
Q

What is the tempo in bars 88-102?

34
Q

Describe the vocal techniques and vocal range of the piece.

A
  • both singers -> v.versatile voices
  • large range of just under 2 octaves - from G below middle C to F
35
Q

Describe the texture at bars 88-93.

A
  • homophonic texture
  • ostinato accompaniment at bar 88 with repeated semiquavers
36
Q

What is the unlimited theme built on?

A
  • the same notes as ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
37
Q

What is the tempo of bars 103-110?

38
Q

Describe the tonality and the vocal writing at the start of chorus 2 at bar 103.

A
  • return to tonic D major
  • sung by both characters, opening in unison with strong piano accompaniment - 3 note ostinato/arpeggio in R.H and octave / bare 5th chords in L.H
39
Q

Do the singers sing separately, in harmony or in unison throughout the piece?

A
  • separately - bar 100
  • together in unison - bar 101
  • harmony - bar 106
40
Q

What is the tempo of the bars 111-128?

41
Q

What is the texture of the piece at the start of the second andante section (b.111)?

A
  • 111-116
  • homophonic chordal music from earlier
  • leads to recitative -like from the opening
42
Q

How is excitement created in the transition of bars 122-123?

A
  • cymbal roll
  • crescendo
  • key change
43
Q

What is the harmony like in the second andante section (bars 111-128)?

A
  • harmony similar in the opening section w/unrelated chord progressions
44
Q

What is the tempo in bars 129-161?

45
Q

What is the texture at the start of the third allegro section (b.129)?

A
  • homophonic chordal music
46
Q

How is verse 3 (135) different to the other two verses in bar 34 and 63

A
  • higher register
  • more powerful
  • louder
  • extended
  • melodic and rhythmic ideas are developed
47
Q

When is the climax of the piece and how is it exciting and cinematic?

A
  • bar 135
  • orchestration and dynamics
  • full band
  • dynamics - forte
  • brass play in upper register
48
Q

How is ethereal sonority created?

A
  • bar 147
  • tubular bells
  • bar 152 - sonority of synthesiser and glockenspiel - used to good effect with high magical sounding repeated quaver accompaniment to chorus
49
Q

What key is verse 3 in (bar 135)?

50
Q

Where is an example of a compound perfect 5th?

A
  • bar 140-141
51
Q

What is the tempo in bars 142-143?

A
  • rallentando
  • followed by ‘a tempo’ in bar 143
52
Q

Describe the rhythm and melody in bars 144-149.

A
  • syncopated
53
Q

What shows freedom texturally in the music?

A
  • open 5th chords - bar 152 - shows a feeling of space and freedom
54
Q

Where is an example of an ostinato/metric shifting?

55
Q

What is the tempo in bars 162-177

A

Andante -> maestoso

56
Q

Describe the texture and tonality of bars 162-end.

A
  • music builds up to final tutti finale, in B minor at bar 168
  • Elphaba, Glenda, Ensemble chorus and orchestra in counterpoint with different musical lines and lyrics.
57
Q

Find an example of Melismatic writing in this piece.

A
  • bar 174-175
58
Q

What is melismatic writing?

A
  • when a single syllable of text is sung carried through many notes.
59
Q

What is melismatic writing?

A
  • when a single syllable of text is sung carries through many notes
60
Q

How does the song end?

A
  • b minor chord and then finish in a d major chord
61
Q

When does verse 1 start?

62
Q

When does chorus 1 start?

63
Q

When does verse 2 start?

64
Q

When does chorus 2 start?

65
Q

When does chorus 3 start?

66
Q

When does verse 3 start?

67
Q

When does chorus 4 start?

Edexcel GCSE Music (18 decks)

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