Purcell: Music for a While Flashcards
Basic information
- Written for the production of Oedipus in 1692
- the music calms the Fury Alecto until she drops her whip and snakes fall from her head
False relation
A harmonic clash where a chromatically altered note is played together with or right after the regular note.
Creates dissonance
Chromaticism
When the tonality is unclear. Creates ambiguity/uncertainty and interest
Syllabic melody effect
delivers clear, sorrowful message
Word painting
where the music reflects the meaning of the text
e.g. in ‘Till the snakes drop, drop, drop’, where is a descending sequence of quavers
e.g. in ‘eas’d, eas’d, eas’d’ there is a descending sequence
e.g. basso continuo + melody resolve together on the word ‘pleas’d’
melisma + descending melody effect
shows contemplation, wistfulness + everlasting atmosphere whilst putting stress on the word
Dissonance effect
adds anguish to the music
Tierce de Picardie
A major chord created due to the sharpening of the third in a minor triad
Rhythm, tempo, metre
- slow tempo
- 4/4 metre
- quavers and semiquavers throughout the piece
- occasional dotted rhythms
- occasional syncopation
- 3-bar quaver ground bass throughout
Ground bass ostinato
- arpeggio-shaped
- 3 bars long
- all quavers
- finishes on chord v
Texture
- MDH
- ground bass
- harpsichord counterpoint with vocal line
Word painting examples
- ‘Pains’ (falling and dissonance)
- ‘Drop’ (falling, short)
- ‘All’ (repeated)
- ‘Eas’d’ (dissonance to resolution)
Basso continuo
An accompanying part that includes a bassline and harmonies. Here, it is played by the bass viol and left hand of the harpsichord.
