Defying Gravity from 'Wicked' - Stephen Schwartz Flashcards
1
Q
What is the tempo of bars 1-19?
A
Free tempo - colla voce
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
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
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)
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
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)
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)
8
Q
In which bars is there an ascending sequence?
A
- bars 6-7
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
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
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
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
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
14
Q
What is the tempo of bars 20-48?
A
Andante
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
16
Q
Describe the vocal melody at bars 23-29.
A
- legato, conjunct, stepwise melody except for leap at end of bar 29
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)
18
Q
Where does the tempo fluctuate a bit in the middle of the first andante section?
A
- bar 34- colla voce
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
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
21
Q
What is used throughout the piece to lengthen and give freedom to longer rhythms?
A
- pause marks/ fermatas
- bars 174 + 176
22
Q
What is the ascending minor 7th interval influenced by?
A
- ‘somewhere’ - west side story
23
Q
What is the key at bar 32?
A
- arrives in tonic d major for verse and remains there until bar 88
24
Q
Where is a perfect 5th?
A
- bar 34
25
What is a compound interval?
- bars 39-40
- an interval more than an octave
- e.g. a compound perfect 4th is octave + perfect 4th
26
What is the texture in verse?
- melody + accompaniment or melody dominated homophony texture where singer is accompanied by chords in orchestra
27
What is the tempo at bars 49-87?
Allegro
28
What is the texture like at the start of chorus 1?
- melody and chordal accompaniment
- sung over broken chord accompaniment and driving hi-hat rhythms
29
Describe the rhythm at bars 51-53.
- rhythmic momentum- metrically shifting 3 note quaver ostinato in piano against constant crotchet rhythms in closed hi-hat which add rhythmic momentum
30
Describe the rhythm at bars 60-70
- bars 60-62 - crotchet-triplet based melody
- bars 63-70 - syncopated version of verse -> leaning into chorus
31
What is the key from bar 32?
- D major
- bar 88 key moves to G major
32
Describe the melody in bars 83-86.
- wide range and moves by leap, very angular
33
What is the tempo in bars 88-102?
Moderato
34
Describe the vocal techniques and vocal range of the piece.
- both singers -> v.versatile voices
- large range of just under 2 octaves - from G below middle C to F
35
Describe the texture at bars 88-93.
- homophonic texture
- ostinato accompaniment at bar 88 with repeated semiquavers
36
What is the unlimited theme built on?
- the same notes as ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
37
What is the tempo of bars 103-110?
Allegro
38
Describe the tonality and the vocal writing at the start of chorus 2 at bar 103.
- 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
Do the singers sing separately, in harmony or in unison throughout the piece?
- separately - bar 100
- together in unison - bar 101
- harmony - bar 106
40
What is the tempo of the bars 111-128?
Andante
41
What is the texture of the piece at the start of the second andante section (b.111)?
- 111-116
- homophonic chordal music from earlier
- leads to recitative -like from the opening
42
How is excitement created in the transition of bars 122-123?
- cymbal roll
- crescendo
- key change
43
What is the harmony like in the second andante section (bars 111-128)?
- harmony similar in the opening section w/unrelated chord progressions
44
What is the tempo in bars 129-161?
Allegro
45
What is the texture at the start of the third allegro section (b.129)?
- homophonic chordal music
46
How is verse 3 (135) different to the other two verses in bar 34 and 63
- higher register
- more powerful
- louder
- extended
- melodic and rhythmic ideas are developed
47
When is the climax of the piece and how is it exciting and cinematic?
- bar 135
- orchestration and dynamics
- full band
- dynamics - forte
- brass play in upper register
48
How is ethereal sonority created?
- 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
What key is verse 3 in (bar 135)?
- d major
50
Where is an example of a compound perfect 5th?
- bar 140-141
51
What is the tempo in bars 142-143?
- rallentando
- followed by ‘a tempo’ in bar 143
52
Describe the rhythm and melody in bars 144-149.
- syncopated
53
What shows freedom texturally in the music?
- open 5th chords - bar 152 - shows a feeling of space and freedom
54
Where is an example of an ostinato/metric shifting?
- bar 155
55
What is the tempo in bars 162-177
Andante -> maestoso
56
Describe the texture and tonality of bars 162-end.
- 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
Find an example of Melismatic writing in this piece.
- bar 174-175
58
What is melismatic writing?
- when a single syllable of text is sung carried through many notes.
59
What is melismatic writing?
- when a single syllable of text is sung carries through many notes
60
How does the song end?
- b minor chord and then finish in a d major chord
61
When does verse 1 start?
- bar 34
62
When does chorus 1 start?
- bar 50
63
When does verse 2 start?
- bar 63
64
When does chorus 2 start?
- bar 79
65
When does chorus 3 start?
- bar 103
66
When does verse 3 start?
- bar 135
67
When does chorus 4 start?
- bar 151
