Purcell Music for a While Flashcards
Period and Genre
Mid-Baroque, solo song (with continuo accompaniment)
What type of music is it?
Incidental music
What is incidental music?
Music intended to be performed as part of a play
When and why was it written?
In 1692 for the play Oedipus (which is loosely based on the classical Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex)
Why is Music for a While sung in the play?
To raise the ghost of king Laius from the dead, so that his murderer can be found (his son Oedipus)
Who was Alecto?
A minor deity from ancient Greece who avenged crimes, she was said to have snakes for hair and torment the guilty with a studded whip
What are the instrumental parts of the piece?
Solo voice and continuo (made up of harpsichord and bass viol)
Who probably originally sang it?
A male with a high voice (tenor or countertenor)
How is the anthology recording different to the original?
Transposed from C minor to A minor and sung by a female soprano
What is the song constructed over?
A ground bass
What is a ground bass?
A constantly repeating bass pattern above which the melody unfolds
Describe the ground bass in music for a while
.3 bars in length
.made up of a 4 note sequence
.formed from rising 5ths alternating with falling 6ths
.Climbs from the tonic to the dominant of A minor (A to E)
How does Purcell avoid monotony in the bass part
It’s heard twelve times in succession then it modulates and changes length in the middle section
What is the structure of the piece?
ABA ternary form
Key of the first A section
In the key of A minor ending with a modulation to the dominant (E minor)
How is the B section characterized?
.Modulations through related keys
.Shortened and lengthened versions of the ground bass
How is the final A section similar to the first?
In A minor
How is the final A section different to the first?
.The singer ornaments the original melody
.Purcell extended the ending in order to finish on the tonic chord
What is the overall key of the piece?
A minor with modulations in the middle section to related keys
How is an ambiguous tone achieved at points?
The upper notes of the start of the ground bass create a chromatic scale (E-F-F#-G-G#-A)
How are modulations confirmed?
Through perfect cadences
Describe the vocal melody
.Combines stepwise movement with occasional leaps
.Contains frequent passing notes between chord notes
.Range of just over an octave (E above middle C to the F a minor ninth higher)
.Incorparates rests for expressive effect
.Includes both rising and falling sequences
Who added in the ornaments?
The performers, not Purcell
Name the ornaments heard in the piece
.Upper and lower mordents .Appoggiaturas .Slides and grace notes .Trills .Arpeggiation
What is arpeggiation?
Indicates the notes of the chord are to be played in rapid succession from low to high
How is the relationship between the ground bass and melody line unpredictable?
Sometimes the vocal line continues past the end of the ground so that the two parts don’t always end their phrases together
What is the word setting mainly?
Syllabic
Give 2 examples of melisma
‘Eternal’ and ‘wond’ring’
Give 2 examples of repeating words
‘Drop’ and ‘music’
Give 5 examples of word painting and explain them
.’eternal’ is long and melismatic around the same few notes
.’drop’ is repeated nine times on quaver offbeat
.’wond’ring’ is melismatic
.’all’ is repeated 6 times and separated by rests to suggest a multitude
.’free the dead’ is one of the few ascending phrases and it’s in the cheery key of G major
What is the meter?
Simple quadruple (4/4)
Describe and explain the rhythm of the ground bass
.Entirley in quavers
.Creates a steady tread known as a walking bass
.Doesn’t cease until the final bar of the song
Describe the rhythm of the vocal part
.Mainly quavers and semi quavers
.Syncopation on ‘drop’ in bars 23-25
Describe the rhythm of the right-hand harpsichord part
.Tied notes and dotted rhythms
What is not specified in the piece
.Dynamics
.Expression markings
.Tempo
.These are decided by the performers
What is the tempo like
slow
What is the texture of the piece
Homophonic (melody and accompaniment)
What do the harpsichord and vocal line sometimes create textually
Counterpoint and imitation
What does the chord progression dictated by the ground bass mainly consist of?
Alternate root position and first-inversion triads
What does the + symbol indicate
An augmented triad (from C to G# is an augmented 5th)
What is a false realization?
Two different forms of the same pitch (a sharp and it’s natural) occurring at the same point in different parts or in close proximity
Where is a Tierce de Picardy found?
End of bar 23 ‘snakes’ with an A major chord
What is a Tierce de Picardy?
A major tonic chord ending a cadence in a minor key
