Music for a While Flashcards
H Purcell
what period was this piece written in
baroque (1600-1750)
what is the metre
4/4
what is a ground bass
continuous bass line that repeats throughout a piece of music
what are the features of this ground bass
3 bars long
repeated quavers
slow tempo
what sort of song is this
lament
what is the structure
ternary ABA
or da capo aria
how does the final ‘A’ section change
shorter
added vocal ornamentation
what are the instruments used
harpsichord
bass viol
solo soprano voice
which instruments are continuo instruments
bass viol and harpsichord (left hand)
what is the tonality of the A sections
a minor
what is the tonality of the B sections
a few different keys
cadences in C, A, Am and Em
what is a melisma
one or more syllable extended over two or more notes
what is word painting
melody describing the meaning of the words
give an example of word painting
each repeat of “drop” lowers in pitch
“eternal” has an extended melisma to drag word on
what is a mordent
(squiggly line above note)
rapid alternation between two notes once
what is an appoggiatura
(little note) quick note before main note - time is taken out of the longer note
what is a lower mordent
(squiggly line “crossed out”) alternation between written note and note lower once
what is the context of this piece
second of four movements from Oedipus
song tells story of calming the fury alecto
