Les Miserables

Question 1

‘I Dreamed a Dream’: MELODY

Answer 1

-Conjunct movement
-Balanced phrases
-Syllabic until bar 40 “shame’ ascends up the Eb major scale
-Recit all tonic pedal
-Bass motif moving down the Eb major scale I-VII-VI-V-IV-III-II-V grounds the entire piece
motifs end on V then I acting as Q and A encapsulating isolation
-Generally accomp moves scalically around the tonic

Question 2

‘I Dreamed a Dream’: HARMONY

Answer 2

• Diatonic with use of inverted 7th chords
• Tonic and dominant pedals often used to support the melody
• Inner tonic pedal at B17-20.2
• Phrase at B21 is exactly a major 3rd higher than the first phrase at B17
• Moderate use of V-I cadences
• Interplay between the vocal line and accomp B33-34
• Octave leaps in bass B50-57 descending
• B59-60 V-I cadence
• B69-70 upper auxiliary to IV-I cadence
• ^Secure ending, finishing in the key of F major rather than returning to the tonic

Question 3

‘I Dreamed a Dream’: TONALITY

Answer 3

• Major key, tonic of Eb
• Modulation to F major at B33 through E and A naturals
• Full key signature change at B52 to F major
• Keys supported by tonic and dominant pedals in the accompaniment

Question 4

‘I Dreamed a Dream’: STRUCTURE

Answer 4

• AABA structure split into 4 key sections
• Starts with recitative B5-13
• A section B17-24 - tonic Eb major
• 2nd A section B25-32 - tonic Eb major
• B section B33-59 moves from tonic to F major finishing in F major
• 3rd A section - F major, secure in key ending on a IV-I cadence in F major

Question 5

‘I Dreamed a Dream’: TEXTURE, METRE, TEMPO and RHYTHM

Answer 5

• Andante in Recitative, 3 metre changes from 3/4 to 2/4 to 4/4 in the first 3 bars
• Largely homophonic
• Simple time
• Dynamics and tempo build each section ‘pui mosso’
• B41 rall at poignant phases ‘as they turn your dream to shame’
• B47 sfz in orchestra ‘he took my childhood in his stride’
• Rall in 2nd last bar - 69 with dynamic change to pp

Question 6

‘Stars’: MELODY

Answer 6

• Syllabic - clear delivery of the text
• Largely conjunct in movement
• B5, ‘fallen’ ascends up a major 3rd while the accompaniment descends - word painting and contrary movement
• Accompaniment often descends through arpeggios, can be seen throughout (B3 for example)
• Perfect cadences seen often in the melody line ‘I never shall yield’ B8-9 over VI-III-V progression in left hand (piano)
• B11-16 tricky placements of rests in the vocal line gives a slightly off beat feel, also new rhythm in the vocal line shows Javert’s agitation - supported by lyrics
• B16 melody ascends a major 2nd on ‘fell’
• B29 dom pedal on ‘and each in your season’

Question 7

‘Stars’: HARMONY

Answer 7

• Diatonic, often use of chord III supporting the melody
• Often V-I cadences in the melody line
• Inner tonic and dominant pedals
• Bass moves in octaves B18-21 adds depth
• B44 beats 1,2 and 3 dominant pedal in 1st inversion B44.4 dominant pedal in 1st inversion however it is now an octave higher
• Ends at B49 with a V-I cadence in G major supported by the D in the vocal line

Question 8

‘Stars’: TONALITY

Answer 8

• E major tonic supported by falling bass ostinato descending through the E major scale in minims
• Also supported through the V-I cadences in the vocal line and inner tonic pedals (inner tonic pedal B11-12)
• B15 feeling of G major, G,C and D naturals reflect this change
• B40 - official key change to G major
• Piece finishes in G major instead of modulating back to the tonic

Question 9

‘Stars’: STRUCTURE

Answer 9

• ABA’B’C structure
• A B3-11 - ‘There, out in the darkness’
• B B12-18 - ‘He knows his way in the dark’
• A’ B19-26 - ‘Stars, in your multitude’
• B’ B27-34 - ‘You know your place in the sky’
• C B35-49 - ‘And so it must be for so it written’

Question 10

‘Stars’: TEXTURE, METRE, TEMPO, RHYTHM

Answer 10

• Largely homophonic in texture
• Compound time 12/8, often metre changes - B17-6/8, B18-12/8, B33-6/8, B34-12/8, B38-6/8, B39- 12/8
• Tempo sightly accell’s and rall’s quiet often but always becomes grounded again with ‘A Tempo’