music defying gravity

Question 1

what is the tonality of defying gravity

Answer 1

-tonally ambiguous because the chords are unrelated.
-verse 1 is in the tonic key (home key) of d major but there are many key changes to signify the changing moods of the characters and the tonality shifts between majors and minors.
-the coda is in b minor but the song ends in the tonic key

Question 2

what is the tempo in defying gravity

Answer 2

there are frequent changes to signify the changing moods of the two characters

Question 3

what does colla voce mean

Answer 3

freely/with a voice

Question 4

what does andante mean

Answer 4

walking pace

Question 5

what does moderato mean

Answer 5

moderate, faster than andante

Question 6

what does allegro mean

Answer 6

fast

Question 7

what is the texture in defying gravity

Answer 7

-full range used
-sparse accompaniment with stab chords at the start and monophonic (where there is one vocalist and no accompaniment)
-later on it is melody-dominated homophony in the verses and polyphonic in the chorus (when the orchestra plays the three-note ostinato figure)
-the coda is polyphonic with three lines of vocals heard simultaneously

Question 8

what is the melody/vocal line

Answer 8

-wide range of nearly two octaves
-the word setting is almost all syllabic
-vocalisation at the end of the song ‘aah’
-melody starts with conjunct movement, the verses combine this with wide/angular leaps (usually a 4th of 5th creating a strong assertive mood)
-some exceptionally large leaps of a compound fourth (octave +fourth)

Question 9

what is the importance of perfect intervals

Answer 9

the interval of a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth are repeatedly used in the melody of the verse creating a strong, assertive mood

Question 10

whats the unlimited theme created by

Answer 10

so called because it uses the lyric ‘unlimited’. created using the first seven notes of the song ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ but these are heavily disguised with a completely new rhythm

Question 11

what is the use of motifs
(common in music theatre)

Answer 11

the chordal motif in the accompaniment is first heard in bar 20 and is repeated many times throughout. it is based on notes from Elphabas theme in the verses.

the three note chorus motif is repeated to create an ostinato that is also a cross rhythm as it starts on a different beat/half beat each time it repeats.

Question 12

whats the structure of defying gravity

Answer 12

-clear outline of verse-chorus form
-withing the structure there are multiple sections e.g. the colla voce intro, contrasting section at bar 88, return of colla voce idea at bar 111 and a coda at bar 168. these sections are marked by tempo changes

Question 13

what are some expressive markings

Answer 13

-accented chords marked > or sfz or fp
-legato (smooth) melodies
-full range of dynamics from pp to ff

Question 14

what does monophonic mean

Answer 14

single line

Question 15

what does homophonic mean

Answer 15

chord based/melody + accompaniment

Question 16

what does polyphonic mean

Answer 16

many overlapping melody lines

Question 17

what does heterophonic mean

Answer 17

2 similar melody lines, one more complex

Question 18

whats a sequence

Answer 18

a short melodic motif or idea that is immediately repeated at a higher or lower pitch

Question 19

what is an ostinato

Answer 19

a repeating pattern (melodic or rhythmic)

Question 20

whats a pedal note

Answer 20

a repeated or held note, usually in the base

Question 21

whats a cross rhythm

Answer 21

a form of syncopation/across the beat