The cellar - Psycho

Question 1

What is happening in this scene?

Answer 1

Marion’s sister, Lila, goes down the stairs of Bate’s house, and enters the cellar. She sees Norman’s mum sitting in a chair, taps her shoulder and sees her dead body.

Norman realises Lila is in the house
Lila realises she’s being hunted

Question 2

AO4 points in general

Answer 2

Panic
Unsettling
Restless
Anticipation
Agitated
Scurrying
Anxious
Unpredictable

Question 3

Texture

Answer 3

Imitative
Quasi-fugato layering of repeated short motifs
Homorhythmic
Contrary motion

Monophonic section towards the end
10 part writing towards the end

Question 4

Tempo marking

Answer 4

Allegro molto

Question 5

How does the piece start?

Answer 5

Violent D ff trills in double unison octaves

Question 6

What happens when the violent D ff trills are played in unison? (screen)

Answer 6

Norman has just hit Sam, Lila’s boyfriend on the head

Question 7

What follows the violent D ff trills that are played in unison?

Answer 7

2 statements of the sigh motif

Question 8

Bars 1-3

Answer 8

Monophonic octaves

Question 9

Cellos and double bass (playing technique)

Answer 9

Divisi

Question 10

Harmony in general

Answer 10

Chromatic
Dissonant
Atonal
Augmented 4th
Semitones

Question 11

8 bar idea of…(dynamic) + (playing technique) + (melody)

Answer 11

pp
Tremolo
Disjunct

Question 12

b.5-12 (harmony)

+ AO4

Answer 12

All pitches are heard except for B natural

Serialist approach

Question 13

b. 13 what happens in terms of instruments

Answer 13

Violas begin “answer”
Cellos and double basses: switch to a series of chromatically descending 1 bar idea.

Question 14

Cellos and double basses: switch to a series of chromatically descending 1 bar idea. What occurs in terms of accents?
(+AO4)

Answer 14

Delineated accents -> Chase scene
Similar to “Mickey mousing” of earlier cartoons such as Tom and Jerry.

Question 15

Dynamics (something is very unusual)
(+AO4)

Answer 15

pp -> Sinister, urgent

Question 16

Melody between the instruments…

Answer 16

Contrary motion
Angular and disjunct fragments

Question 17

Double basses play…(melody in terms of intervals)

Answer 17

minor 3rds

Question 18

b.32 Double basses play…(melody)

Answer 18

2 note phrases which undergo note addition

Question 19

What happens in terms of rhythm in b. 40 after the note addition to the double basses?

Answer 19

Metric displacement

Question 20

Performance technique

Answer 20

0.5 of the players play normally
0.5 of the players play close to the bridge -> thinner, wispy

Question 21

Melody in b.57 (think of the other parts as well)

Answer 21

Long chromatic scale descending through the parts

Question 22

b. 69 (harmony)

Answer 22

Pedal note

Question 23

Final chord is…

Answer 23

Augmented F

Question 24

What happens with the Augmented F chord?
(+AO4)

Answer 24

Fermata. Audience realise who the murderer is.
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