notes from score - birth of a penguin part 2

Question 1

opening bars

Answer 1

Dmin (10 bars)

• appogiatura in high violins (C#-D)
• D pedal in ocataves
• very wide texture
• ostinato figure in violins
• appogiatura repeated in lower octave in horns
• batman theme in horns, cresc before modulation

Question 2

first modulation

Answer 2

music modulates to Bb (10 bars)

• low Bb pedal (ominious)
• batman theme played in low woodwind
• military-sounding drum beat
• variation on batman theme (triplets)
• (horns play chord VI then ic when it crescendos)
• batman theme in horns & bass trombone (octaves)
• Gbmaj chord & crescendo
• dramatic Cmaj chord - 4 bars - (tritone interval from Gbmaj - emphasis) as ‘Batman’ title shows on screen (drum beat on second beat for ‘Returns’)

Question 3

military-style

Answer 3

modulation to Bmin - 5 bars
- march-like rhythm - reflecting heroic nature of batman
- fater tempo
- strong use triplets (ostinato)
- homorhythmic
- motif passed around different sections of orchestra (melody and accompaniment)
- louder with use of brass
perfect cadence - modulates to Abmin - 4 bars
- answering counter-melody is introduced in woodwind and violins
modulates to F#min - keys moving down here
- developped melody in violins
continues to modulate (tertiary modulations) - at b 38 modulates every 2 bars 3 times
- b 49 - imitation
- b 50 - Dbmaj chord followed by Dbmaj7 chord b 51

Question 4

pram slows & reaches sewers

Answer 4

F#min b 53

• descending arpeggio figure in celeste & harp (over F# pedal)
• harp & celeste give etherial quality
• choir - ‘sighing’ - rhythmic ostinato figure - falling sequantially
• bass chords & hight violins rising as choir falls
• b 68 - overlap of melodies - hear motif passed around in an imititave style - rhythms varied
• sighing choir - (developed b 74 when sang as triplets), descending at b 82 with diminuendo

Question 5

end of credits

Answer 5

pram slows in larger part of sewer & comes to stop

• specific sonorities - tremolo in violins, drums with snares off, muted brass
• rhythmic ostinato figure in drums
• muted trumpets (extensive use of muted trumpets in the music)
• staccato semiquavers in bassoon
• slows at end - flutes play ‘sigh’
• flutter tongue in flutes
• bass drum & tam tam play for transition to next scene