Music for a While by Henry Purcell Flashcards
baroque features MW
- basso continuo
- instrumentation
- limited dynamics in score
- ornamentations
describe the instrumentation of MW
- soprano sings main melody
- harpsichord plays elaborate realisation (highly decorative) and ground bass
- bass viol plays basso continuo and ground bass
describe the structure of MW
ternary form
describe the tempo of the A section of MW
no markings - slow tempo
what is the time sig of MW?
4/4 quadruple time
list as many features of the tonality and harmony of the A section of MW as you can
- A minor
- false relation
- perfect cadences
- diatonic and functional chords
why is MW predominantly in a minor key?
matches sombre tone of lyrics
what is the range of the soprano in MW
a 9th from E4 to F5
describe the ground bass in MW
- rising line
- 3 bar loop
- 4 note pattern
- arpeggio based
- only quavers
- 8ve fall
give an example of false relation in MW
bar one, F# vs F
give an example of perfect cadences in MW
- A section: b.6-7, E (V) - Am (i)
list as many features of the melody of the A section of MW as you can
- highly decorative: lower mordents, grace notes, upper mordents
- syllabic; follows speech rhythms
- mainly conjunct; passing notes
- small leaps
- repeated words
describe the texture of the A section of MW
elaborate realisation of RH harpsichord has a polyphonic feel at times
give an example of ornamentation in MW
- section A: lower mordent b.1, grace notes b.1 & 6, upper mordent b.10
- section B: upper mordent b.11 + b.22, tril b.13
- A section repeat: apoggiatura b.35, upper mordent b.36, arpeggiated final chord
give an example of passing notes in MW
A section, b.5
give an example of small leaps in MW
- A section: perfect 4th b.7
- B section: 4th b.25
- repeated A section: perfect 5th b.29
list as many features of the rhythm of the A section of MW as you can
- paired slurring
- rests to break up phrases
- dotted syncopated rhythms
- mainly quavers and semiquavers
give an example of paired slurring in MWq
A section, b.5
give an example of dotted syncopated rhythms in MW
- A section, b.10
- B section: b.23-25, b.20
describe the texture of the B section of MW
- melody dominated homophony
- contrapuntal
give an example of counterpoint in MW
B section, b.11 and b.25
list as many features of the melody of the B section of MW as you can
- scalic legato descending melismas
- ornamented: upper mordent, trill
- word painting
- change in ground bass
- small leaps
give an example of word painting in MW
- b.10-11 scalic legato descending melisma on ‘wond’ring’
- b.12-13 dissonance of E vs D on ‘pain’ resolves in descending sequence
- b.16 modulation to G major with perfect cadences and rising melodies to mimic brightness
- b.20-21 ‘eternal’ extended melismatic descending sequence with alternating repetitive notes
- b.23-25 detached off-beat ‘drop’
list as many features of the rhythm of the B section of MW as you can
- unpredictable phrase length; doesn’t always finish in time with ground bass
- off-beats
- syncopation
list as many features of the harmony and tonality of the B section of MW as you can
- dissonance
- many modulations
give an example of dissonance in MW
B section, E vs D bar 12
describe the modulations in B section of MW
- b.14 modulation to Em with D# and F#
- b.21 modulation to C with C and G naturals
- b.27 modulation to Em to prepare for Am b.28 (v-i)
describe the harmonic ending of MW
Tierce de Picardie
