Something's Coming - Bernstein Flashcards
What year was the piece composed in?
1958
What play was the piece from?
West Side Story
What was the play based on?
Romeo and Juliet
What scale does the piece use?
Blues scale
What interval is used?
Tritone (Three whole tone interval)
Syllabic or Melismatic?
Syllabic
What is the melodic difference between the 2nd and 1st sections
The tessitura (vocal range) is higher in the second section than the first
What lengths of phrases are used?
Short 2 bar phrases
Longer 8 bar phrases
What techniques are used in the melody?
Word Painting
Melodic Riffs
What contrasts the lyrical phrases?
Longer notes and the fast-moving orchestra and jazzy opening phrases
How could the intervals be described?
Rising and chromatic
How are the phrases left?
Unresolved
What key is the piece in?
D major
What is the harmony based off?
Jazz
How many keys are used at once in some sections?
2 (Bitonality)
What type of chords are used?
Extended chords
What extra type of notes are used?
Blues notes with conventional scales
What type of tones are used?
Tritones
What reflects uncertainty in the piece?
The lack of a final perfect cadence
What type of rhythms are there?
Cross-rhythms
Push rhythms
Driving rhythms
Syncopation
What techniques are frequently used?
Accents
Ostinato
What is the time signature of the piece?
Starts 3/4, then switches between 2/4 and 3/4
What happens in the lyrical section?
Triplets are used and the note lengths are longer
How many sections are there in the piece?
Two
How many main themes are there in the piece?
Two
What are the elements of the structure?
Intro Section A Section B Sections A1 and B1 Outro
What cadence does the piece end on?
An unresolved flat 7th C Natural
What is the instrumentation of the piece?
Large Orchestra (30 Players) Piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, saxophones (SATB), horns, trumpets (one muted), trombones, violins, cellos and bass, drum-kit, percussion, piano, , and guitars
What techniques are used on the instruments
Tremolo and pizzicato strings
Brushes on drums
What is the texture of the piece?
Melody-dominated homophony
How could the dynamics be described?
Dramatic contrasts