One Winged Angel- Nobuo Uematsu

What is the overall structure?  

A B C D C E F G

What is the harmony in the A section?

Based on a E pedal in the bass and an Edim+4 chord( the notes are EGA Bb)

Why does the main chord in the A section reflect the character of Sephiroth?

It has the notes EGABb which contains a harsh dissonance( the A and Bb) and also the augmented 4th interval(associated with evil) between E and Bb

Which characterises the rhythmic movement of the accompaniment in the A section?

Constant march-like crochets

How do the strings convey a feeling of horror in the opening?

They use high pitched, forte stabbing chords reminiscent of Herrmann’s Psycho

Which two time signatures are used in the A section?

4/4 and 7/8

How many different tuplets are used in the A section?

Two- triplets and sextuplets

How many different short melodic ideas are used in the A section? And approximately how long are they each?

Around 6 and they are about 2 bars long each

Which general intervals link the melodic ideas of the A section?

Augmented 4th and minor 2nd

During the chordal C section, which interval is mostly used in the vocal melody?

Minor 2nd

What happens immediately after the name Sephiroth is sung forte?

The texture reduced to just the string timbre and the dynamic reduce to piano

When the chordal melody is stated for second time in the C section, how is the music developed?

Rhythmically mobile brass countermelodies are added

Brass triplets are added between the word Sephiroth

Which two percussion instruments are most prominent throughout?

Timpani and snare drum

For how many bars in the piece is the steady crochet motor rhythm not present in some way?

Only 20

How does the composer use dynamics throughout the piece?

Sudden, extreme changes.

Very few gradual cresc/dim

During the F section, the music changes dramatically for a short time, how does Uematsu do this?

1. Stops the driving crochet rhythm

2. High pitched accompaniment in semiquavers

3. melody below the accompaniment

In the D Section, the choir sings ‘sors immanis, et inanis’ meaning ‘fate, monstruous and empty’ How would you describe the melodic movement of the choir parts?

Chromatic

How does the articulation of the choir in the D section contrast with that of the C section?

The ‘sors immanis’ lyrics are more legato than the accented, staccato ‘Estuans interius… Sephiroth’ lyrics

In the G section, when the vocal theme repeats, the mid pitch range is filled by what?

A legato soprano melody and held brass chords

How many different time signatures are used in the piece and which ones?

Three-4/4 7/8 6/8

In the G section there are extremes of range, which instrument it high and which low?

Very high stabbing string chords

Low vocals, piano and brass

Nothing in the mid range- this is called a polarised texture

In the final section, when the ‘estuans interius… Sephiroth’ lyrics are sung for the final time, which percussion instrument is added?

An ominous low pitched church bell sound

In the B section, which percussion instrument accompanies the chords?

A timpani roll on each chord

What articulation characterises much of accompaniment throughout?

Staccato generally. Legato only used in the accompaniment to highlight moments of contrast