structure - birth of a penguin part 1

Question 1

bars 1 - 2

Answer 1

tempo crotchet = 60

very start of film with warner bros logo
music plays batman motif (identifies film)
key of F minor
low, thick texture with pipe organ subdominant pedal with horns playing motif
leads to a plagal cadence

Question 2

bars 3 - 6

Answer 2

tempo crotchet = 76

scene changes to Cobblepot home in winter
‘Penguin’ motif heard for first time in choir and violins
use of major 7th chords in bar 4
bars 5&6 are repeat of 3&4 played ff with addition of string counter-figure and richer texture
tone cluster in bar 6 muddies the water

Question 3

bars 7 - 13

Answer 3

tempo crotchet = 60

father looking out window as wife gives birth
doctor leaves in horror (b 11/12) as father sees child for first time
modulates to A minor (tertiary relatonship)
texture thins to just strings
from b 11 there is modulation to Gmin and penguin motif appears in strings with celesta ornamentation
change to 3/8 in b 13 for 1 bar and as father screams there is false relation on 2nd quaver

Question 4

bars 14 - 25

Answer 4

tempo crotchet = 108

parents looking out of window, baby covered in cage and catches cat
music now in C minor
original motif form b 3 & 4 is ‘augmented’ in b 14 - 15
b 18 introduces celesta and harp playing broken chord figures in contrary motion
variation of penguin motif is played by low wind
b 21 contains ‘flurry’ ending with an accent as baby catches cat
b 22-25 have monophonic texture played by synthesiser, tuba, timp & low woodwind ranging over 5 octaves
harp glissando & cymbals lead to next section

Question 5

bars 26 - 41

Answer 5

tempo crotchet = 108 (a tempo)

scene moves to zoo & parents throw pram over bridge & it flotes away into sewer
sleigh bells play throughout this section
music now in D minor
choir sing ‘La’ to Penguin motif
b 32 dynamics drop as parents talk to another couple
b 38 parents have reached bridge and the motif plays in low wind and strings (bars 39/40)
as pram is thrown off brigs, music builds to a Dmaj chord, via Fmin

Question 6

bars 42 - end

Answer 6

tempo crotchet = 72

scene concludes with baby sloating away to sewers with parents looiking on
woodwind plays penguin theme
arpeggios played by harp and strings (pizz)
accompanying music shifts by a semitone and changes to triple time (typical Elfman idea)
music feels like it is drawing to a conclusion with dominant 7th chord b 45 however instead of resolution elfman uses as chord made entirely of 5ths before resolvin in bar 46 with D pedal by low strings and harp playing penguin motif