music for a while Flashcards
bass viol
The ground bass is also played by the bass viol. This is a bowed, fretted, stringed instrument used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Although resembling the modern cello, it has many differences. The bass viol generally has six strings which are tuned in fourths with a third in the middle. It is tuned to the notes D, G, C, E, A, D and the seven stringed bass viol has an additional low A string. In comparison to the cello, it has a flat rather than curved back, sloped rather than square shoulders, C rather than F holes and frets. The player uses an underhand rather than overhand bow grip.
Text setting and word-painting
- The vocal line is mainly syllabic following speech rhythms.
- There are paired slurrings (e.g. in bar 5 on the words ‘for’ and ‘a’).
- There are melismatic moments (e.g. bar 10 on the word ‘wond’ring’).
- There is an extended melisma in bar 20 on the word ‘eternal’.
- Repetition of text is used, such as the word ‘Music’ at the start or in bar 23 the word ‘drop’ sung nine times.
word-painting
Word-painting is the technique of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song
examples of word-painting
- Appropriately the word ‘pains’ in bar 12 features a dissonance of E in the melodic line against D in the bass part. In the phrase ‘pains were eas’d’ dissonance and resolution are presented on the word ‘eas’d’ as it falls in a descending sequence, bars 13-14
- The word ‘drop’ is presented in a descending pattern on the weak off-beat and is sung with unusual levels of repetition nine times, bars 23–25. This represents the snakes dropping from Alecto’s head.
- The word ‘eternal’ in bar 20 is set to a lengthy melisma with repetitive alternating notes showing the everlasting atmosphere of this word.
- The phrase ‘free the dead’ is in the bright key of G major containing rising melodies, bars 16–17.
Structure
This piece follows a ground bass structure. This is a short, recurring melodic pattern in the bass part that acts as the principal structural element, whilst melodic parts above change. It is also known as a basso ostinato. It was a common device in the Baroque period and Purcell is regarded as a master of the ground bass and used this technique extensively.
structure of whole piece
intro - bars 1-3
section A - bars 4 - 21
section B - bars 22 - 28
section A1 - bars 29 - 38
Rhythm
- The piece uses a wide variety of rhythms, but quavers and semiquavers are the most predominant.
- Vocal – some dotted rhythms (e.g. bar 10) - There is only occasional syncopation (e.g. bar 20 - 2nd longer eternal) and off-beat rhythms (e.g. bar 24 - drop).
- Harpsichord RH – lots of dotted rhythms
- The ground bass is presented entirely in quavers
Tempo
There is no tempo indication but a slow tempo would be appropriate for this piece.
Metre
The metre is 4/4 quadruple time
Harmony
- The harmony is consonant, functional, diatonic.
- mostly chords I, IV and V
- Perfect cadences are achieved from the chord V at the end of the ground to the chord I at the start of the next playing of the ground bass (e.g. bars 3–4)
- Suspensions are used very occasionally. For example, there is a 4–3 suspension in bar 3 beat 4½ in the harpsichord part.
- Dissonances are infrequent, but examples can be seen on the word ‘pains’ in bar 12 with a D in the bass against and E in the voice and on the word ‘eas’d’ in bars 13–14 where there is dissonance followed by resolution at the start of each repetition of the word.
- Another type of dissonance used is false relation, which can be seen in bar 1 with an F♯ in the ground bass and a F♮ in the right hand of the harpsichord (although strictly not adjacent to each other, they do colour adjacent chords).
Tonality
- A minor (has a Tierce de Picardie – ends on a major tonic in a minor key). till the SNAKES b 23 b 3
- The tonality, however, is sometimes ambiguous due to the chromatic and non-diatonic nature of the ground bass.
- The central section modulates to closely related keys. These include E minor (bar 14), G major (bar 16), C major (bar 21), A major (bar 23), E minor (bar 27).
- The music returns to the tonic key of A minor in bar 28 until the end.
- Modulations are confirmed by perfect cadences.
Texture
- The texture is melody and accompaniment/melody-dominated homophony.
- The accompaniment is provided by the ground bass in the left hand of the harpsichord and the bass viol.
- The right hand of the harpsichord is an elaborate realisation and provides some counterpoint with the soprano which sings the melody.
Melody (voice):
- The soprano line has a range or compass of a ninth (apart from the ornamental G in bar 36) from the lowest note of E just above middle C to F just over an octave higher.
- conjunct with steps & passing notes - Any leaps are small and generally no greater than a perfect fourth (e.g. bar 7).
- Rests are used to break up phrases.
- There are some descending sequences (e.g. bar 20 - eternal).
- There is extensive use of ornaments - Trills (e.g. bar 13), Appoggiaturas (e.g. bar 35), Grace notes (e.g. bar 6)
Harpsichord RH:
- The right hand of the harpsichord part is an elaborate realisation. At the time, this would have been improvised by the player rather than being notated.
- highly decorative lots of ornamentation such as upper and lower mordents, grace notes and appoggiaturas
- frequent dotted rhythms
- Chords are frequently arpeggiated or spread rapidly from the lowest to highest note.
Ground bass – (Harpsichord LH & bass viol):
- It is three bars long.
- It consists entirely of quaver rhythms.
- Its melodic shape is arpeggio based.
- At the end of there is a characteristic fall of an octave.
- The ground sounds incomplete as it ends with chord V but a sense of a perfect cadence is achieved with chord I at the start of the next repetition of the ground bass.
- The Ground bass is heard 4 ½ times in the Tonic key before it starts to modulate in bar 14, using motifs from the original ground bass. The ground returns in the original key in bar 23 beat 3 for a three-bar reminder. It returns, complete in bar 29 and is heard a further three times before the close of the piece.
