For Unto Us Flashcards
1
Q
What is a melisma?
A
A group of notes sung to one syllable or text (born)
2
Q
Who composed it and when?
A
George Handel. He wrote it in 1741 and performed it in Dublin in 1742
3
Q
Which era is it from?
A
Baroque
4
Q
What singing arrangement is it?
A
SATB
5
Q
What speed is it ?
A
Andante allegro
6
Q
What does con rip mean?
A
With orchestra
7
Q
Orchestra ritonello
A
Little return
8
Q
From what type of work is this chorus taken?
A
Oratorio
9
Q
Give three reasons why this music is typical of the baroque period
A
- Long melodies are based on triads, scales and arpeggios.
- Sequences are used to repeat melodic and rhythmic patterns
- Use or continuo where the organ provides harmonic support by filling out mid-range register
10
Q
Describe the opening orchestral part (4)
A
- Orchestral ritornello in G major
- Violin 1 introduces theme (a) which is imitated by violin 2.
- The rising sequential semiquaver movement in parallel sixths anticipates theme (c)
- the concluding perfect cadence is preceded by syncopation and a trill.
11
Q
Describe theme A (5)
A
- Stated by sopranos “For Unto us a child is born.”
- Begins in the tonic key G Major followed the perfect cadence in the previous bar from D Major
- Repeated pitches
- Mainly syllabic
- Falling fifth and rising fourth
12
Q
Describe theme B (5)
A
- Text is “Unto us a son is given”
- stated by sopranos with ascending sequence (Typical of baroque)
- The sopranos melismatic extension of “born” is combined contrapuntally with theme (b1) in the tenors.
- Transposed to the dominant (D major)
- The altos lead followed by the basses and the final “unto us” is set to a new descending triadic phrase
13
Q
Describe theme C (5)
A
- First stated by sopranos “Born”
- Continuous semiquavers in a melismatic phrase
- Used in an ascending sequence
- Towards the end of the piece the theme (c) semiquavers on “born” return
- which are now in parallel thirds in sopranos and altos, are also accompanied by the lower voice
14
Q
Describe theme D (5)
A
- First stated by tenors “And the government shall be upon his shoulders”
- Sent to a rising dotted motif in an ascending sequence
- Falling scale on ‘shoulder’
- this line is also syllabic And melismatic And imitated by the sopranos
- Basses take up the line doubled in thirds by altos
- “And his name shall be called” becomes homophonic and leads to imperfect cadence in D major
15
Q
Describe theme E (7)
A
- “Wonderful, counsellor, the mighty god, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
- Dotted rhythm
- major tonality of tonic key
- homophonic texture of the full choir based on primary triads
- Repetition of phrases with different words
- Repeated semiquaver patterns in the violins combine to convey the majesty implied by the text
- This presentation of theme (e) ends with an emphatic perfect cadence in D major.
16
Q
Larger work it is taken from?
A
Messiah
17
Q
Key ?
A
G Major
18
Q
Instruments used in baroque era (6)
A
- The organ and the harpsichord and the main keyboard instruments.
• New instrumental techniques developed in the strings – pizzicato (plucking) and tremolo (tiny strokes back and forth played very quickly, trembling effect)
• Flute, recorder, oboe and bassoon.
• The percussion section occasional uses timpani.
• The brass section occasionally uses the trumpet. - Prominent String section
19
Q
Typical baroque features (4)
A
- Ornamentation: trills are often found at cadences.
• Harmony is based on major and minor keys, with simple modulations.
• Terraced dynamics help add contrast to the piece - Basso continuo (harpsichord, Organ and bassoon etc)
20
Q
Instrumentation (3)
A
- The Baroque orchestra features instruments such as strings, flutes, oboe, bassoon and harpsichord and is used as continuo and states theme A in orchestral ritornello
- Apart from the short ritornello interjections, the orchestra provides chords on the beat, with some semi quaver violin patterns in the homophonic SATB sections of ‘Wonderful counsellor’
- The choir is SATB and each theme is imitated and repeated between parts.
21
Q
Melody
A
- There are 5 themes that often derive from each other in For Unto Us. Theme A is first stated by the sopranos, theme B again stated by sopranos in ascending sequence, Theme C makes use of continuous semiquavers in a melismatic phrase, Theme D is first stated by the tenors in a rising dotted motif and Theme E is the homophonic dotted rhythm stated by full choir
- Theme A is first presented in the orchestral ritornello before the sopranos state it and is then developed by sequence and repetition from the tenors
- The text of ‘and the government shall be upon his shoulder’ is introduced on a new idea consisting of dotted ascending thirds ending with a descending melismatic scale. It is also heard in inversion before the final G major (wonderful counsellor)
22
Q
Harmony
A
- Handel makes use of cadences at the ends of phrases such as the perfect cadence at the end of the orchestral ritornello In D major to G major
and imperfect cadence before theme E - Handel makes use harmonic features of parallel thirds to harmonise the restatement of theme C accompanied by lower voices and use of inversions and tonic pedals on Theme E
- The chorus is in G major and largely uses primary and secondary chords, a key idea of Baroque music
23
Q
Texture
A
- Handel employs two types of texture in this chorus, Homophonic (Theme E) and Polyphonic to combine different melodic ideas in counterpoint (Themes B and C)
- Many different rhythms employed such as descending triadic phrases in the basses and rising dotted motifs on ‘and the government’
- The most noticeable feature is the use of imitation in the opening parts, an almost fugal like texture, with imitation by the tenors and a continuing countermelody.
