Portman: The Duchess Flashcards
When was The Duchess released?
2008
20-21st century
When is The Duchess movie set?
What is it about?
18th-century
Chronicle of life of an aristocrat in a loveless marriage
What is the style of the music?
References made to music of 18th-century
But 21st-century adaptation of those styles combined with film underscoring
What are the instruments in ‘The Duchess’?
Strings
Harp
Woodwind
Horns
How is ‘The Duchess’ structured?
3 sections:
Theme A
Theme B
Theme C
How are each of the 3 themes in ‘The Dutches’ similar?
Instrumentation
Stepwise movement
What are the themes in ‘The Duchess’ underpinned by?
Simple harmonic scheme
What chords is much of the 3 themes of ‘The Duchess’ based on?
D major
A minor
How does ‘The Duchess’ open?
When does this appear in the score?
Harp playing quaver motif
Appears several times in the score
What does ‘Mistake of Your Life’ reflect?
Mood of Duchess’s failing marriage
What is the time signature of ‘Mistake of Your Life’?
Triple time
How is ‘Mistake of Your Life’ structured?
Alternates between 2 main themes:
Intro, A, B, A ,B, A
As ‘Mistake of Your Life’ opens,
How do the strings play?
What do they play over?
What repeated element is played with the strings?
Slow-moving
A sustained D
Timpani figure
Describe theme 1 of ‘Mistake of Your Life’
Simple four-bar idea
Through ‘Mistake of Your Life’, how is theme 1 changed?
Transformed melodically and harmonically
How does ‘Mistake of Your Life’ end?
Low, ominous string chords
How is the mood of ‘Six Years Later’ made to be different from the rest of the score?
Dance rhythms
What is the dance rhythm used in ‘Six Years Later’?
How does the sting accompaniment add to this?
Waltz
‘Oom pah pah’ accompaniment
What element of the rest of the score is kept in ‘Six Years Later’?
What does this create in the otherwise light-hearted theme?
Alternating chords of D major and A minor
Ambivalence (mixed feelings)
When does ‘Six Years Later’ move into a new section?
Bar 29 after a pause
What does the new section of ‘Six Years Later’ include?
Material from the opening cue
In ‘Never See Your Children Again’, what note is sustained?
D
What is the sustained D note heard against in ‘Never See Your Children Again’?
Background of dissonant harmonies with much use of dynamic shading
A short ascending theme
What element from ‘Mistake of Your Life’ is heard in ‘Never See Your Children Again’?
The timpani figure
What does the timpani figure form ‘Mistake of Your Life’ in ‘Never See Your Children Again’ lead into?
What is heard against the sustained D in the new section?
A new section
The harp motif
What is the sound of the final chord in ‘Never See Your Children Again’?
How does it achieve this?
Ominous
G diminished chord over the sustained D
What is the material form ‘The Duchess’ (End Titles) taken from?
The opening
What is the structure of ‘The Duchess’ (End Titles)?
Theme A
Theme B
Theme C
Coda
What are the themes in ‘The Duchess’ (End Titles) underpinned by?
A simple harmonic scheme where the chords change every 2 bars
What does the coda in ‘The Duchess’ (End Titles) make much use of like other parts of the score did?
The alternation of D major and A minor chords
