Wives and Lovers - Cecile McLorin Salvant Flashcards
What is the original context of the song?
Burt Bacharach and Hal David were asked to write about marital infidelity to promote a film called Wives and Lovers.
What year was the song originally written?
1963
Who was the original singer?
Jack Jones (won a grammy)
What is Salvant’s thoughts on the work?
She believes that the work needn’t be taken at face value
Humour is an important tool in political commentary
Feels empowered by the idea of mocking the ideal 19960s woman
List 3 other singers of the song
Andy Williams
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Dionne Warwick
What is the structure of the song?
-Intro
-Verse / Chorus x3
-11 bar chorus split into 2 4 bar phrases and an irregular 3 bar phrase
-Outro (10 bar extension)
-Same as the original
Describe the tonality of the music
- C major
-Minor third lower than the original (Eb)
-Many dissonant notes and slash chords hint at keys but don’t settle in them creating an ambiguous tonal centre
What is the instrumentation of the song?
piano, drums, vocals, double bass
What harmonic feature is used in the introduction?
A dominant pedal on G which all other harmony is built off
What kind of music is the piano playing?
-Complex patterns
-Wide range of rhythms
-Harmonic dissonance during intro and verses
What music is the piano playing in the introduction?
The introduction features a piano playing a dissonantly harmonized melody, featuring syncopated rhythms. At the end of the first phrase, we hear this descending idea in the left hand of the piano, which features a lot during this performance
How does Salvant manipulate the time signature from the original?
Salvant’s version is in 4/4, whereas hte original is in 3/4. Salvant places emphasis on the same words, using the extra beat to extend notes and make use of rests.
What is up with the vocal rhythms in Wives and Lovers
Salvant uses flexible vocal rhythms, meaning she will often lag behind the beat, as is common in jazz music.
How large is Salvant’s range in the song?
An octave and a half
What is the vocal melody decorated with?
Scoops, slides graced notes nad auxiliary notes.
How does Salvant manipulate tonal colour in the song?
-PLays coy at the start before using a powerful projection at the chorus of the piece
-Middle verse uses a more serious tone as it describes the actual realities.
What chord progression is frequently used?
ii-Vs such as dim-G or Em-A
What is a key harmonic feature of the music?
Pedal notes, such as Gs and As in the opening (dominant)
