Music for a While Flashcards
1
Q
Melody
A
- Descending sequence e.g Bar 20
- Rests used to break melodic phrases
- Mostly conjunct
- Repeated text
- Lots of ornaments
2
Q
Word painting
A
- “Free the dead” in G maj
- “Wondering” long legato melisma
- “Pains were eased” features dissonance and resolution
- “Drop” descending, detached
- “Eternal” long mellisma
3
Q
Rhythm and Metre
A
- Occasional syncopation
- Some dotted rhythms
- Quaves and semi-quavers most common
4
Q
Harmony
A
- Right hand harpsichord plays a realisation from original figured bass
- Suspensions occasionally used
- Dissonance used for word painting e.g Pains
- False relations particularly in ground bass
- Perfect cadenced within ground bass
5
Q
Ground bass
A
- After 4.5 repeats the ground bass modulates, returns to home key in bar 29
- Uses intervals of semitones
- Ascending sequence within the ground bass
6
Q
Instruments
A
- Right hand harpsichord plays a realisation
- Harpsichord and bass viol play basso continuo
- Soprano singer, harpsichord, bass viol
7
Q
Background info
A
- Baroque era, 1692
- Written for the play of Oedipus
- The piece is incidental music
8
Q
Tonality
A
- Mostly A minor
- Modulates frequently in the B section
- C maj (Bar 22)
- A major (Bar 23)
