elements of music - birth of a penguin part 2

Question 1

melody

Answer 1

• use of batman motif throughout the score which is developed & passed around the different sections of the orchestra
• also ‘sighing’ motif
• idea introduced at bar 34 - rising & falling melody
• ostinati often used - eg b 11 in violins

Question 2

harmony & tonality

Answer 2

• minor tonalities
• D pedal in octaves b 1-7
• unprepared tertiary modulations to new keys
• b 20 - Gbmaj chord moves to Cmaj for title - tritone interval
• chromatic shifts

Question 3

tempo, rhythm & metre

Answer 3

• in regular 4/4 throughout apart from 1 bar of 5/4 b 20 before Cmaj chord
• triplet ostinato figure - ‘military-like’ - 27 bars
• rhythmic varations of batman theme
• rhythmic ostinati eg b 57

Question 4

sonority

Answer 4

• large orchestra with choir
• techniques eg drums with snares off, tremolando, fluttertongue, muted brass (lots of muted trumpets), portamento in violins b 70, harp glissando, cymbal rolls
• b 53 harp & celeste - etherial quality
• wide range of pitches for fuller, more dramatic sounds (eg first 2 bars span 7 octaves)

Question 5

texture

Answer 5

• polyphonic texture with ostinati and overlapping batman motifs playing
• texture changes b 21 with held chord (percussion plays underneath)
• moves to homorhythmic triplet ostinato movement
• themes then get passed around orchestra over triplet figure - melody and accompaniment
• imitation used in answering counter-melodies between different orchestral sections (&choir)
• melody driven homphony b 77-78
• b 136 sustained chord in choir, followed by change of texture with choir, harp, strings & celeste (low woodwind enter)
• gradual build up of texture with ostinato figures
• b 85 sparser texture as pram slows & credits near to an end
• end of piece - flutes and harp play over held chord in organ - sparser texure

Question 6

structure

Answer 6

• first section re-introduces batman theme and triplet ideas whilst pram travels and credits appear on screen
• b 21 title appears for dramatic held chord (4 bars)
• b 25 military-style with march-like rhythm whilst batman themes are explored and developed across the different sections
• b 36 quieter, more subdued as pram slows and we hear ‘sighs’ in choir
• b 85 credits begin to end as pram slows and stops, drum ostinato introduced
• b 97 flute and harp over organ as piece ends, finishing in held chord
• b 102 bass drum and tam tam transition to next scene

Question 7

phrasing, articulation & dynamics

Answer 7

• music begins quietly as baby travels into sewers
• detailed dynamics and hairpins add suspense and tension
• ff at b 21 as film title appears
• crescendo into military-like figure - loud, dramatic
• sempre marcato in horns for batman theme
• diminuendo to b 53 (p), detailed hairpins indicating crescendos and diminuendos as choir ‘sighs’
• ff for tutti b 80
• p at b 85
• detailed articulation/phrase markings eg staccato ostinati (eg cello b 5)
• strong accents on triplet figure b 25
• expressive legato ‘sigh’
• violins use portamento b 70
• staccato bassoon quaver ostinato b 89-95