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Music GCSE 9-1 > Schwartz Defying Gravity > Flashcards

Schwartz Defying Gravity Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a musical?

A

A play or film with music in a broadly popular style that generally includes some memorable hit songs

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2
Q

Where is defying gravity from?

A

Wicked, a musical first staged in the US in 2003

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3
Q

Who are the lyrics and words by?

A

Stephen Schwartz

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4
Q

Where in the musical is the piece from?

A

The act 1 finale

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5
Q

What form is it?

A

Verse-chorus form

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6
Q

What is recitative?

A

A type of vocal music that mimics the rhythms of human speech

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7
Q

State the different sections in order

A 
Intro
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
Varied reprise of intro
Verse 3
Chorus
Coda
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8
Q

Who is it scored for?

A

A 23 musician orchestra, the 4 woodwind musicians have to double on a variety of instruments

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9
Q

Name 5 of the instruments

A 
6 brass
a harp
2 electric guitar
3 keyboard synths
4 string parts
drum kit
timpani
glockenspiel
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10
Q

What type of distortion do the electric guitars have on at points

A

Overdrive

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11
Q

What does the chordal writing for the low brass contrast with

A

the solo synth melody

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12
Q

What does the string tremomlo create?

A

Excitement

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13
Q

What is the drum fill?

A

A brief improvisation to fill the gap between vocal phrases

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14
Q

What sort of scales does the bass clarinet have

A

Descending scales

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15
Q

What does the cymbal roll announce in bar 122

A

A change of key

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16
Q

What does tutti mean?

A

Full band

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17
Q

When does tutti happen?

A

The climax at bar 135

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18
Q

What do the synth and glockenspiel do as Elphaba sings of flying high

A

play a high pitched ostinato

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19
Q

What vocal range is each part?

A

Glinda is a soprano

Elphaba is a mezzo-soprano

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20
Q

What is a mezzo soprano?

A

Lower than a soprano but not as low as an alto

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21
Q

Where does the coda come in?

A

The final bars and it is labelled ‘ensemble’

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22
Q

What does ‘colla voce’ mean

A

‘with the voice’, the band must follow the rhythm of the singers

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23
Q

What does the introduction compose of?

A

Recitative between Elphaba and Glinda, punctuated by chromatic stabs (loud detached chords). Elphaba mimics but a semi-tone lower

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24
Q

During the ‘Elphie listen to me’ part how is an unsettling tone created?

A

The juxtaposition of unrelated keys B major and F major

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25
Q

What is Glindas reasurence that Elphaba can still be with the wizard accompanied with?

A

Sustained harmonies in F major

26
Q

What is ‘something has changed within me’ underpinned by

A

A sudden change of key to D major, the main key of the piece

27
Q

How is Elphaba’s desire to break free from expectations characterised by the music

A

.Wide leaps initially accompanied by a nervous tremolo from violins
.Tempo tightens to allegro as it moves towards the chorus
.More angular leaps occur in the vocal line, many of which are triadic
.There’s a repeating accompaniment of three ascending quavers high above the vocal line

28
Q

Where do the introductory chords from bars 32-33 return?

A

Bar 59 as a repeated accompaniment to Glindas accusation in crotchet triplets that Elphaba is having ‘delusions of grandeur’

29
Q

How does Elphaba respond to being told she’s having ‘delusions of grandeur’?

A

Continues into the second verse at a faster tempo, with a firmly syncopated accompaniment

30
Q

What happens to the key and tempo after the second verse?

A

It slows to moderato and the key changes to G major

31
Q

What does the melody in bars 93-94 do?

A

Quotes the first seven pitches of the song ‘over the rainbow’ from ‘the wizard of oz’ (in the same universe as Wicked)

32
Q

What is the ‘unlimited’ melody an example of?

A

A leitmotif, it reflects Elphaba’s growing confidence

33
Q

What direction is there at the end of bar 99?

A

colla voce, it is the start of a short section of recitative

34
Q

In the third chorus who sings what?

A

They begin together but Elphaba finishes it alone

35
Q

Where does the introductory music from bar 32 return for the second time?

A

Bars 111-114, leading to a recitative based on the chromatic chords of the opening bars

36
Q

What subtle change does shwartz make to the lyrics

A

He removes ‘now’ from the sarcastic ‘i hope your happy now’ turning it into the affirmative ‘I hope your happy’ as they wish each other well

37
Q

What happens after they wish each other well?

A

The tempo returns to allegro, the intro music from bars 32-33 returns, return of D major, an exciting orchestral build

38
Q

How is the exciting orchestral build created

A

A crescendo on repeated quavers

39
Q

What is special about the final verse?

A

Parts are sung an octave higher than previously

40
Q

Describe the coda

A

Begins quietly and at a slower pace, quickly crescendos, Elphaba rises to her top notes, parts of the ensemble rush on stage and sing together ‘look at her! She’s wicked! Get her!’

41
Q

What is Elphaba’s top note?

A

F# on ‘me’ in bar 167

42
Q

Describe the general texture

A

Brief monophonic texture at the start but mainly melody and accompaniment

43
Q

How do the two leads sing together?

A

Either in unison or alternately

44
Q

Give an example of 2 part vocal writing

A

Parallel thirds in bars 125-128

45
Q

Where is there a brief contrapuntal section

A

The final bars

46
Q

O_______ figures occur in bars 80-87, 89-97, 103-109 and 152-159

A

Ostinato

47
Q

Describe the overall tonality

A

D major for the verse and choruses, G major in the bridge passage

48
Q

Wheres the chromatic writing and what does it create?

A

At the start and bars 115-131, it creates an ambiguous tone

49
Q

What chords are commonly used?

A

Root position triads and sus chords

50
Q

Any pedals?

A

Inner pedal on A bars 162-167, inverted pedal on D starting bar 168

51
Q

What does rall mean

A

Rallentando, slowing down

52
Q

What is the word setting mainly?

A

Syllabic

53
Q

What is the meter?

A

A minim beat (2/2 or 3/2) until the 4/4 in bar 88, 2/2 returns in bar 115

54
Q

What rhythmic technique plays an important role in defying gravity?

A

Syncopation

55
Q

What is Elphaba’s vocal line mainly?

A

Triadic style

56
Q

What do the long notes and wide leaps demonstrate?

A

Elphaba’s new found confidence

57
Q

What sort of intervals feature prominently in the vocal line?

A

4ths and 5ths

58
Q

Give an example of a leap of an 11th

A

Bars 39-40

59
Q

Give an example of a leap of a 12th

A

Bar 140

60
Q

What is a title hook?

A

A hook is a melodic fragment designed to catch the ear of the listener, it’s called a title hook when it has the words of the title in it

61
Q

What is Defying Gravity’s title hook?

A

The melody line for ‘try defying gravity’

Music GCSE 9-1 (8 decks)

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