Purcell - Music for a While Flashcards
Who sings the main melody?
The main melody is sung by a soprano singer.
What is the predominant style of the word setting?
The word setting is mostly syllabic, with some melismatic sections.
What is word painting?
Word painting is used to make the music reflect the meaning of the text.
How do most melody notes move?
Most of the melody notes move in steps, with lots of passing notes.
What type of ornaments are used in the piece?
There are lots of uses of ornaments such as trills, appoggiaturas, grace notes, and mordents.
What is an example of repeated text in the piece?
Some of the text has been repeated, such as the word ‘drop’.
What musical technique is used in bar 20?
There are some descending sequences, such as in bar 20.
What is the function of rests in the music?
Rests are used to break up melodic phrases.
How can the stepwise movement of the melody be described?
The stepwise movement of the melody means it can be described as a ‘conjunct’ melody.
What is the main tonality of the piece?
The main tonality for the piece is A minor.
How does the tonality reflect the lyrics?
This reflects the sombre, sad nature of the lyrics.
What keys does the piece modulate through in the middle section?
The piece modulates through several related keys: E major, G major, C major, A major, and back to A minor.
What is the appropriate tempo for the piece?
A slow tempo would be appropriate.
What provides the accompaniment in the piece?
The accompaniment is provided by the ground bass played by the bass viol and the left hand of the harpsichord.
What type of cadences are present throughout the piece?
There are perfect cadences throughout the piece.
What is an example of dissonance used for word painting?
Dissonances are used for word painting, such as the word ‘pains’.
What is a ‘false relation’ in the music?
A false relation occurs when the ground bass plays F sharp while the right hand plays F natural.
What instruments are used in this piece?
This piece uses a soprano singer, harpsichord, and bass viol.
What role does the harpsichord play?
The harpsichord and bass viol act as the basso continuo, providing accompaniment for the singer.
What is the texture of the piece?
The texture is homophonic - one main melody and an accompaniment.
What era was this piece composed in?
This piece was written in the Baroque era.
What is the time signature of the piece?
The piece is in 4/4 metre.
What type of rhythms are used in the ground bass?
The ground bass uses repeated quaver rhythms.
What is the dynamic marking in the score?
There are no dynamic markings on the score.
What is the significance of the word ‘eternal’ in the music?
The word ‘eternal’ is sung as a long melisma.
How is the word ‘drop’ represented in the music?
The word ‘drop’ is repeated in a descending pattern representing the snakes dropping from Alecta’s head.
How is the phrase ‘free the dead’ musically represented?
The phrase ‘free the dead’ is set to a triumphant section in the bright key of G major.
What does the phrase ‘pains were eased’ feature?
The phrase ‘pains were eased’ features a dissonance and resolution.
What is the structure of the ground bass?
The ground bass is a 3 bar loop consisting entirely of quaver rhythms.
What happens at the end of the ground bass?
At the end of the ground bass, there is a fall of an octave.
How does the ground bass modulate?
After 4 and a half repeats of the ground bass, it begins to modulate into different keys.
