structure - birth of a penguin part 2

Question 1

bars 1 - 11

Answer 1

tempo crotchet = 130

Key of Dmin

• D pedal in strings & woodwind
• rising & falling arpeggio motif in cellos bar 1 & violins bar 2 (cello figure based around tonic major 7th and in next bar tonic 6th with added 2nd)
• altered version of penguin motif over this, again augmented in violins
• texture increases with synth choir and bass ostinato played in 3rds
• ‘hint’ of batman motif played bars 5 & 6 before horns enter at bar 9 with full motif (as Michael Keaton’s name appears) before a trumpet ‘fanfare’

Question 2

bars 21 - 51

Answer 2

tempo crotchet = 146

climax of cue is when title of film appears with bats flying towards viewer

• fortissimo C maj chord with ‘stabs’ which lead into the ‘military-like’ quaver triplet ostinato b 25
• the rhythmic accompaniment features throughout this section with motif passed around different sections
• second half of motif is used which has a ‘sighing’ quality
• 2nd batman motif appears b 34 and is legato in style to contrast with 1st motif
• throughout this ‘military-like’ section use of triplets is paramount as the accompanying ostinato as well as ‘fanfare figures’ (eg b 41)
• b 48 - first appearance of falling 3rd motif in voice - features in next part accompanied by the original batman motif

Question 3

bars 52 - 84

Answer 3

tempo crotchet = 136

pram starts to slow down

• use of Db7 1st inversion & bass chromatic shift to F#min with #6 - this is a falling minor 3rd pattern in voice at b 55 almost ‘soothing/conforting’ quality
• b 57-62 follow 3 two-bar phrases which move chromatically
• patterm has been joined by low wind and strings and a swell in dynamics
• section ends at b 62 in Abmaj which changes to Abmin in bar 63
• this time instead of triplet motif from earlier elfman used 4 semiquavers
• main batman motif is heard along with falling vocal thirds (idea 2)
• b 75 contains rhythmic variation on the batman motif (use of crotchet triplets) - first played by trombones & tuba then echoed in horns b 76 and trumpets b 77 (back to original rhythm)
• long diminuendo from b 81 which settles mood before final section

Question 4

bars 85 - 96

Answer 4

in final section prams come to rest & we see penguins coming to look at it

• section starts with open 5th chord (B&F#) - leaves tonality open
• snare drum provides new ostinato with snares off
• hint of augmented penguin motif by muted brass b 85-87
• long pedal on B b 85-89
• b 93-96 made up of two-bar phrases using C#maj chord followed by Emin
• second playing uses first inversion chords to give almost chromatic feel to music

Question 5

bars 97 - end

Answer 5

tempo crotchet = 108

• while flute plays using ‘flutter tongue’ there is an open chord (no 3rd) of C# and G#
• tam tam is struck just as screen states ‘Gotham City - 33 years later’