H Purcell: Music for a While

Question 1

Music for a While: Rhythm, metre, tempo

Answer 1

• No specified tempo (but ground bass implies slow tempo)
• Simple quadruple time (4/4)
• Ground Bass entirely qavers creating a ‘walking bass’
• Vocal phrases separated by rests
• Long phrases followed by short phrases
• Semi-quaver runs
• Syncopation on ‘drop’
• Phrase begins with anacrusis (‘Till alecto’ its like an upbeat)
• Ritardano at end (recording only)

Question 2

Music for a While: Tonality

Answer 2

• Chromaticism in upper notes of ground bass to create some tonal ambiguity (unusual for baroque)
• Modulations are confirmed by perfect cadences
• Use of closely related keys
• A minor to create dark mood

A Section:

• A minor (Tonic)
• E minor (Dominant)

B Section:

• G major (Relative major of dominant)
• C major (Relative major of tonic)
• A minor (Tonic) with a tierce de picardie

A section:

• A minor (Tonic)

Question 3

Music for a While: Timbre (Instrumentation/Orchestration)

Answer 3

• Voice (Originally for counter-tenor but often used for Soprano)
• Harpsichord (with figured bass)
• Bass viol

Question 4

Music for a While: Melody

Answer 4

• Expressive leaps
• Scalic runs
• Vocal phrase overlaps with ground bass pattern
• Conjunct motion rising sequence in voice and ground bass

Question 5

Music for a While: Harmony

Answer 5

• Diatonic and functional harmony
• Chord progression in ground bass with inverted chords (1st inversion)
• Chromatic notes in ground bass
• Vocal line has chord notes plus passing notes
• Vocal line has expressive suspensions
• False relations in harpsichord (e.g. G and G# are same-same but different)
• Tierce de picardie (minor scetion ending with major 3rd)
• Imperfect cadence (Ic - V) at end of ground bass sequence
• Perfect cadence at the end of bars
• Secondary dominant B major (A’s dominant is E and E’s dominant is B)

Question 6

Music for a While: Structure

Answer 6

• Ternary form (A,B,A¹)
• A¹ is shorter version of A
• Constructed over 3 bar ground bass sequence consisting of 4 note sequence form tonic to dominant
• Ground bass in played 12 times and through modulations
• Incomplete statement of 5th ground bass leads into B section
• 3 bar introduction of ground bass
• B section contrasts to A in tonality, melody and lyrics

Question 7

Music for a While: Articulation

Answer 7

• No dynamic markings (Baroque)
• Upper and Lower mordents
• Appoggiaturas
• Trills
• Grace notes
• Slides
• Arpeggiation
• Turn (only in recording)

Question 8

Music for a While: Texture

Answer 8

• Homophonic texture
• Polyphonic/counterpoint
• A performance with elaborate harpsichord realisation (independant unique flourishes around notated music)
• Imitative counterpoint
• Arpeggiation

Question 9

Music for a While: Genre/period features

Answer 9

• Incidental music for for play ‘Oedipus’

BAROQUE ERA:

• Written in 1692
• Solo song with continuo accompaniment
• Written melody and unfigured bass
• No expression or tempo markings
• Baroque pitch (Semi-tone lower)
• Terraced dynamcis
• Functional harmony
• Heavy (over-the-top ornamentation)
• Perfect cadences to establish keys

Question 10

Music for a While: Main theme

Answer 10

Groudn bass:

Question 11

Music for a While: Word Setting

Answer 11

• Mixture of syllabic (mainly) and melisma
• Ground bass - rising bass sugests rising spirit
• Melisma on ‘wondring’
• Dissonance on ‘pains’….
• Is resolved on ‘eas’d’ through a chain of suspensions
• Long melisma on ‘eternal’ encompassing multiple notes
• Repetition of ‘all’
• Descending staccato sequence on ‘drop’

Question 12

What is the vocal range in Music for a While?

Answer 12

Minor 9th written (but 10th in the recording)