Pippin

Question 1

What differences are there between the score for Pippin and Godspell?

Answer 1

Unlike Godspell songs, Schwartz sees those in Pippin as actual storytelling

Melodies are generally more lyrical, soaring, and more adventurous than in Godspell

Much broader range of influences in Pippin for narrative function and artistic effect

Question 2

How are styles compartmentalised by character?

Answer 2

Pippin: Singer-songwriter ballads

Charlemagne: Gilbert & Sullivan style patter

Lead Player: Blues/jazz

Question 3

What narrative function does Corner of the Sky serve?

Answer 3

“I want” song

Question 4

Why is Corner of the Sky being in C major important?

Answer 4

C major tonality is plain and vanilla

Symbolises Pippin’s innocence

Question 5

What style is Corner of the Sky written in and how is this achieved?

Answer 5

Folk-pop ballad - in line with the general style associated with Pippin

Acoustic guitar

Vocal line is lyrical and soars over the accompaniment, but not to the extent that it is operatic

Question 6

What is backphrasing?

Answer 6

Singing just behind the beat - something many singers do naturally anyway in styles such as jazz and pop

Schwartz writes this out in the original music, helping it move towards the style of music which he wishes to characterise

Question 7

How does Schwartz use backphrasing in Corner of the Sky?

Answer 7

Subtle backphrasing on “Rivers belong where they can ramble”

Delay before “of the sky” makes the listener wait for the entry

Question 8

What is notable about Schwartz’s use of harmony in Corner of the Sky?

Answer 8

Use of the subdominant in the refrain gives the song a sense of plainitive yearning that a dominant wouldn’t give as it is too strong of a chord.

Schwartz deliberately avoids the dominant, and where he does use it, uses Gsus or Gm instead. This robs us of the satisfaction of a V-I progression and contributes to creating a sense of dissatisfaction and yearning (the theme of the song)

Question 9

How is instrumentation used to comic effect in War is a Science?

Answer 9

Parody of a march in Pippin’s section - use of muted brass and side drum march rhythms

Question 10

How is instrumentation used to support musical style in Glory?

Answer 10

Has a “Hat and Cane” dance section accompanied by stripped back cheesy keyboard, clicking drumsticks, muted brass

Pastiche of ‘Hat and Cane’ routines of the 1930s

Question 11

How is No Time At All defined as a catchy sing-along song?

Answer 11

Jaunty dotted rhythm - upbeat and witty

Tonality changes from Am to A in the refrain/chorus - makes it brighter for the ‘sing-along’ section

Question 12

How does the song With You convey yearning?

Answer 12

Piano song with lush strings

Very lyrical

Plainitive harmonies e.g. F-Em on “twice as fair, if I could share”

Uses of Dsus as chord V - gives a feel of ‘almost’ resolution

Question 13

How does the song With You convey Pippin’s innocence?

Answer 13

4/4 time signature

AABA form

G major key

Question 14

How does Spread a Little Sunshine characterise Fastrada?

Answer 14

Narrative function: show Fastrada’s manipulative behaviour

High-pitched and nasal vocals

Scat ad-libbing when meter changes to 4/4, gleeful but not joyous - cliche evil

Question 15

What style is Morning Glow in?

Answer 15

West Coast pop

Reminiscent of the Beach Boys and The Byrds (late 60s/early 70s pop sound)

Guitar song, not a piano song this time

Characterised by high guitar-style noodling - a 2-bar vamp repeating over and over

Question 16

How does Schwartz create a sense of tension and resolution on certain words in Morning Glow?

Answer 16

Subtle backphrasing on the first line of each verse

On “past due” and “-most here” a combination of a harmonic inflection (Abm9) and backphrasing creates tension, which is then resolved on the last note of the verse with the tonic chord (Db)

Question 17

What is the role of the chorus in Morning Glow?

Answer 17

Support Pippin’s vocal line throughout, their influence growing over time: from gospel harmonies on “ah”, to imitating him in counterpoint and eventually unison singing

Use of unison between Pippin and the chorus is symbolic on lines such as “Never knew we could be so strong”

Chorus create a euphoric feel on verse 4 when the key changes and join in on the final line “at last” for a big anthemic finish

Question 18

How is a sense of euphoria and ecstasy created at the end of Morning Glow?

Answer 18

Change of key: Db -> D (brighter)

Whole chorus supporting Pippin in anthemic singing

Big finish on “at last”

Question 19

How does On The Right Track align with the Leading Player’s general style?

Answer 19

Jazz & Motown influences

Similar rhythmic feel to the jazz/blues piano intro to Magic To Do

7th and 9th chords in harmony

Syncopations in vocal line and in rhythmic section

Question 20

What is the narrative function of Extraordinary?

Answer 20

“Dissatisfaction song” - expresses Pippins restlessness with his boring life in the country

Question 21

How does Extraordinary capture Pippin’s dissatisfaction?

Answer 21

Distinctive jaunty dotted figure rising through an arpeggio and ending on a flattened 7th (blues 7th)

Landing on this flattened 7th in such an exposed way captures the feeling of dissatisfaction

There is also an inflection on “extraordinary” through a flattened 6th in the second to last bar of the verse, emphasising the meaning of the word.

The middle section (8/8 time) features a tresillo rhythm in the accompaniment (3+3+2) whilst the vocal cuts across this with triplets and duplets, creating polyrhythms

Question 22

What style is Love Song in?

Answer 22

Folky guitar song, but made more complex by a constantly shifting metre

Question 23

How do Pippin and Catherine’s vocal lines interact in Love Song?

Answer 23

Verse:
4x2 bar units where Catherine follows Pippin, imitating what he has sung in a different metre

Catherine’s parts in the verse are lower than Pippin’s, which brings their voices closer together in timbre

In the chorus they duet in 6ths