Music for a while

Question 1

What is Music for a While about

Answer 1

Oedipus story

Question 2

What is the song used for

Answer 2

Its calming influence

Question 3

What was Purcell influenced by

Answer 3

Italian style - concertato style, trio sonata, double-dotted notes.

Question 4

When was Music for a While composed

Answer 4

1692

Question 5

Whats the significance of the the first three bars

Answer 5

Rising pitch of the ground bass - first priest attempting to raise King Laius from the dead

Question 6

Whats the effect of the music in the middle

Answer 6

Calm Alecto, bewitch her

Question 7

What are the features of a ground bass

Answer 7

• a minor key
• straightforward rhythm made up of quavers
• slow and stately tempo
• ending with perfect cadence
• solemn mood
• chromatic notes

Question 8

Whats the accompaniment

Answer 8

basso continuo

Question 9

Whats the structure

Answer 9

ABA1

Question 10

Why is this piece in baroque

Answer 10

• frequent use of ornamentations
• harpsichord
• ground bass

Question 11

Whats tonality of piece at start

Answer 11

A minor

Question 12

Whats the tempo

Answer 12

played slow tempo

Question 13

Whats the meter

Answer 13

4/4 Simple quadruple

Question 14

Describe accompianment in intro

Answer 14

• ascending,
• arpeggio based
• ground bass

Question 15

Describe bar 5 of for_a_while

Answer 15

melisma, descending sequence, word painting, semiquavers

Question 16

whats the significane of shall all. all. all.all

Answer 16

-Repeats ‘all’ later on, repetition also gives hypnotic effect
- rising and falling intervals
- hypnotic effect by repetition

Question 17

whats significane of e-ter——nal

Answer 17

• suspension/interjection
• endless

Question 18

Whats used in ‘till the snakes drop’

Answer 18

tierce de picardie

Question 19

Whats the difference between section A and section A1

Answer 19

A1 - shorter, use of more ornaments. harpsichord right hand melody slightly different. Ends with arpeggio

Question 20

Whats the style of this piece

Answer 20

Lament - sad, descending Italian style - dotted notes

Question 21

Instrumentation of this piece

Answer 21

Solo voice - soprano
Basso continuo - harpsichord, lute and bass viol

Question 22

Structure of the piece

Answer 22

Ground bass
Ternary form with third section shortened
- sequences

Question 23

Harmony of the piece

Answer 23

• figured bass
• harmonic progressions, perfect cadences
• dissonance
• suspensions
• Tierce de Picardie

Question 24

How is word painting used

Answer 24

• Dissonance along with melismatic and syllabic word-setting

Question 25

Ornaments used in baroque used in song

Answer 25

mordents, appoggiaturas, grace notes and arpeggiation

Question 26

Describe ground bass in intro

Answer 26

• three bars long
• equal quavers
• slow tempo
• ascending, imitating rise of King Laius from dead
• Chromatic notes - tonality ambiguity unsettling listener

Question 27

What type of intervals does purcell use

Answer 27

dissonant between bass and melody

Question 28

Describe B section

Answer 28

• Starts with one bar of harpsichord link - gives singer chance to breathe
• perfect cadence into A minor
• Tierce de Picardie - dramatic first word snakes (word painting)
• Ground bass
• onomatopoeic word off-beat (drop)

Question 29

whats the harpsichords melody in section B

Answer 29

dottod rhytms and has lower mordents