music for a while by Purcell Flashcards
when was it written?
1692
what key is the original version in?
C minor
what key is the transposed version of the song in?
A minor
what style of music is it?
baroque
what technique does Purcell use for the bass instruments?
ground bass
how long is the repeated ground bass section?
3 bars (unusual length)
what rhythm is the ground bass?
all quavers
what kind of leaps are used in the ground bass?
augmented and perfect 5ths, 2nds (many are semitones apart), there are also chromatic notes which dont fit into to the scale
what does the bass line end with?
it ends on the dominant chord (V), which creates a sort of perfect cadence when the pattern is repeated
how many times is the ground bass played before it modulates?
it is repeated 4 and a half times, and begins modulating in bar 14
what key does it modulate to in bar 14?
E minor (the dominant minor)
describe the vocals
mostly syllabic, but has moments of melisma, word painting
what are the melismatic phrases set to?
descending patterns
what are three examples of word painting?
in bar 13 and 14, on the word ‘eas’d’, Purcell uses an appoggiatura which creates dissonance and then it resolves into a more pleasant harmony
in bar 23, 24, and 25 on the word drop, the music uses syncopated quavers in falling phrases to mimic it
in bar 20-21, on the word eternal there is melisma which lasts for 11/2 bars
which key does the piece modulate to briefly in bar 23?
A minor (tonic)
