The Duchess Film Score Flashcards
What is Slavish Pastiche?
When a piece of music tries to imitate or copy another style,era or composer of music.
How can you recognise the mixolydian mode?
If the piece is in a major key and the leading not (the 7th note in a scale) is flattened, so the interval pattern then becomes Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone.
What is an Anticipatory Note?
A note that doesn’t fit in the harmony that is immediately repeated. This note is usually a the end of a bar, and cues in the harmony of the next bar.
What is Harmony Rhythm?
How often the harmony changes, and in what pattern.
What is a chromatic auxiliary?
A chromatically dissonant note that has no effect on the harmony as it is not played on the beat.
How does Portman use melody in a way that is basic/emulates classical in the opening?
The melody is based on a two bar idea which involves triadic quaver movements based on the D major triad ( the tonic, the piece is in D major mix. mode). A tonic pedal in the bass clef is often used. Not only is this melody simple, but the focus on the tonic relates to the way classical music tends to emphasize focus on the tonic and dominant chords.
How does Portman use ornamentation to move the meloy in The Opening?
In bar 12 an appogiatura is used and in bar 17 an anticipatory note is used. These are often diatonic dissonances and help add interest to the repeating D major-A minor chord pattern.
Describe the Harmonic Rhythm used by Portman and how it deviates from Classical norms.
The melody repeats with a broken chord of D major ascending, and then A minor descending. This is repeated continuously throughout the piece. This alternation of the tonic and dominant is typical of classical music, but the fact that it is the minor dominant deviates from the norm, whilst the fact that it fits the minor dominant as the C# (leading note) is flattened, also denotes the mixolydian mode.
How is Rhythm used in “Six Years Later” to suggest a more relaxed and informal time.
staccato rhythm in 6/8, reminds you of upbeat viennese waltz, which suggest dancing and jolliness. However, the rhythmic syncopation used (da-na-na-nuuum) adds a feeling of it being more a clumsy balter. This is meant to represent the positive aspect of her life 6 years later. However, the second section repeats the ostinato idea from the opening, to remind us of the Duchess’s Character backstory.
How is melody used in “Six Years Later” to present the more light hearted and ease of the relative screenplay/clip.
The melody is very simple, it is triadic, ascending triadically in D major and often descending triadically in a minor, both in staccato, jaunty quavers. Accent bars are also used, showcasing rhythmic syncopation and chromatic auxiliaries.
How does Portman transition from the jaunty, viennese waltz-like first section, to the second section, referencing ideas from the opening?
It uses rhythmic dissonance (syncopation) of only playing on beats 2,3,5 and 6 whilst alternating the tonic, D major and D augmented, finishing with a D pedal, to add harmonic continuity (by showing the tonality is the same) despite having the melody and mood change so drastically.
How does “Never See Your Children Again” use melodic features to Portray the Duchess’ fear and anguish in the corresponding scene (where her children are taken from her)
There is a sustained D pedal for 21 bars, only varying the pitch of the octave and the instrument playing it throughout the piece, otherwise it remains constant. Both in the treble and bass clef, minims are used in a stepwise melody. The dotted minims ascend stepwise in the treble clef and descend stepwise in the bass clef. To contrast all the weighty, sustained notes, he overlays rocking quavers playing dissonant minor second chords.
How are Dynamics, tempo and percussion all used to add movement to “Never See Your Children Again”?
The piece is not melodically complex, and involves a lot of rocking quavers and back and forth descending and ascending, so does not have much movement just based on melody, harmony and phrasing. However, the dynamics help, by gradually loudening the dynamics, from pianissimo, to piano , to mezzo forte, adding urgency with volume. However, as the rocking quavers stop, diffusing some of the urgency, ritardando and returning to piano is used, before returning to the tempo primo in bar 22, when the timpani is added to darken the piece, and the piece remains piano from there to the end.
In what way is “ Never See your Children Again” different to the other pieces in the score?
It is more ominous and brooding. We can tell that by the tonality, as instead of being in the D major mixolydian mode, as this piece is in D minor, the tonality is often ambiguous as it sometimes feels as if it is either in G minor or the transposed aeolian mode. It also has a much lower and more muddied timbre, with vastly simpler rhythms and more stark dissonances.
