notes from score - birth of a penguin part 1

Question 1

opening bars

Answer 1

• very low Bb subdominant pedal (over multiple octaves) - pipe organ
• batman theme - warner bros logo - leitmotif
• variation of penguin theme - wide texture, establishing shot of house (I V I V)

Question 2

inside house

Answer 2

Amin (tertiary) - 4 bars

Gmin (tertiary) - 3 bars - ghostly sounding, supernatural

• celesta (child-like)
• trem in violins (creepy)
• contrabassoon - darkens tone, bass notes brought out (creepy)
• bar of 3/8 before modulation - helps to foreshadow

Cmin (tertiary) - 12 bars

• full orchestra - change in timbre
• detailed dynamics (4 bars)
• celesta & staccato - more movement (4 bars)
• (muted trumpets)
• imperfect cadence when cat caught - unresolved
• decision to throw baby - 4 bars, penguin theme, harp gliss

Question 3

christmas outside

Answer 3

Dmin (tertiary) - 12 bars
- choir (‘La’) & full orchestra
- sleight bells (christmas & snow)
- violin descending arpeggios - more movement - tension
imperfect cadence before modulation to F# for 2 bars, pass other family - quieter (concealing)
G min (tertiary) - 4 bars
- choir says ‘ooh’, muted trumpets
- diatonic chord clusters
- rit - slow down as they arrive - climactic
- pause on dominant 7th, crescendo

Question 4

throwing baby

Answer 4

Cmin (slower temo) - prepare to throw

- detailed dynamics - p

Question 5

baby in river

Answer 5

• pp
• celeste (variation on penguin theme)
• harp semiquaver arpeggios
• tremolo violins
• rit
• 2 bell chimes as pram disappears into tunnel
• D pedal at end, quavers in harp