All Edexcel Music Set Works

BRANDENBURG - Context

• gigue (lively)

• fugue (contrapuntal, polyphonic)

• late baroque

• 1711-1720

BRANDENBURG - Performing Forces

• basso continuo - harpsichord, cello, violon

• flute

• violin

• harpsichord

• ripieno (small string orchestra) - violin, viola, cello, violon

BRANDENBURG - Structure

• ternary

• A sections are exactly the same

• ritornello form (recurring musical section or theme that repeats contrasting or different musical sections) in B

BRANDENBURG - Melody

• scalic runs in harpsichord

• conjunct

• rising sequence

• ornamentation

BRANDENBURG - Gigue Features

• dance-like

• lively

• 6/8

• allegro

• D major - suitable for strings

BRANDENBURG - Dynamics

• none written down

• left to performers to decide

• terraced dynamics

BRANDENBURG - Metre

• 2/4

• feels like 6/8 because of triplets

BRANDENBURG - Rhythm

• triplets and dotted quavers

• semiquaver runs in harpsichord

BRANDENBURG - Tonality

• D major for most of A section

• B Section - A major (dominant) then B minor (relative minor)

BRANDENBURG - Harmony

• diatonic and functional

• mostly primary chords

• perfect cadences at the end of sequences

• suspension occasionally used

• mainly root position or 1st inversion chords

BRANDENBURG - Texture

• polyphonic / contrapuntal

• soloists create 4-part counterpoint

• starts monophonic then polyphonic

• pedal point

WICKED - Context

• 2003

• final song of Act 1

• duet between Elphaba and Glinda

WICKED - Performing Forces

• Elphaba - mezzo soprano

• Glinda - soprano

• small chorus parts and the end

• 23 instruments in orchestra

WICKED - Texture

• sparse in the opening, some monophonic

• ostinato (repeating motif)

• Elphaba and Glinda are only occasionally in unison

• verse - melody-dominated homophony

• homophonic chordal moments

WICKED - Tonality

• D major

• tonally ambiguous opening with chordal movement

WICKED - Metre

• metre changes 3/2, 2/2, 4/4

• mainly 2/2

WICKED - Tempo

• colla voce (follow voice)

• andante

• allegro

• moderato

• maestoso (majestic)

• rall

WICKED - Rhythm

• dotted rhythms

• triplets

• predominantly crotchet + quaver based

• each phrase stars off the beat

• rests used to break up phrases

• frequent syncopation

WICKED - Harmony

• chord progression unrelated

• chords in root position

• pedal point

• some dissonance

WICKED - Melody

• vocalisation

• conjunct

• syllabic

• leaps often a perfect 5th

• some angular leaps

• leitmotif

• word painting

• phrases often start on a weak beat

SONATA - Context

• 1799

• shows early signs of the romantic period

• classical

SONATA - Sonato Form

• Beethoven wrote 32

• usually in 3 or 4 contrasting movements

SONATA - Dynamics

• lots of dynamic markings

• rapid contrast

• frequent sudden accents - sfz (forceful)

• gradual changes

SONATA - Melody

• sequences

• ornamentation

• scalic passages

• slow intro based on 6-note motif

SONATA - Harmony

• augmented 6th chords

• interrupted cadences

• perfect cadences

• chromatic chords

SONATA - Tonality

• Intro - C minor

• Exposition - C minor, Eb major, Eb minor, Eb major

• Development - G minor, various keys

• Recapitulation - C minor, F minor, C minor

• Coda - C minor

SONATA - Texture

• mainly homophonic

• long descending monophonic passage leading into recapitulation

• 2nd subject - melody-dominated homophony

SONATA - Tempo

• grave (slow and solemn) in intro

• Allegro di molto e con brio (very fast and with vigour) in exposition

SONATA - Metre

• Intro - 4/4 (common time)

• Main - 2/2 (alla breve / cut common time)

SONATA - Rhythm

• rapid notes

• dotted rhythms

• staccato

RELEASE - Context

• 1999

• from album ‘Volume 2 : Release’

• ACSS originally formed by guitarist Simon Emmerson in 1995

• fusion of African, celtic and EDM

RELEASE - Performing Forces

• AFRICAN : kora, talking drum

• CELTIC : hurdy-gurdy, uilleann pipes, bodhran, fiddle

• WESTERN : male + female vox, synth, breath, samles, drum machine

• PLAYING TECHNIQUES : gliss, ornamentation, double stopping, open and closed hi-hat

RELEASE - Structure

• strophic form (verses, no choruses)

• intro, verse 1, verse 2, solos, verse 3, build, outro

• solos - uilleann pipes, low whistle, hurdy-gurdy

RELEASE - Melody

• sense of improv

• repetitive

• use of vocables

• main verse is syllabic

• short phrases

• vocal samples

• some spoken parts

• limited note range

RELEASE - Tonality

• C minor

• aeolian mode (playing white notes of the piano)

• diatonic

RELEASE - Harmony

• use of drone (continuous pedal note)

• extended chords

• some ascending chromatic moments in the ensemble towards end of each verse

RELEASE - Use of Technology

• digital effects

• panning

• 28 loops

• multi-tracking

• layering

• microphones

• mixing

• synths

RELEASE - Texture

• constantly changing as the loops enter

• use of layering

• main texture in homophonic

• some polyphonic moments

• heterophonic (simultaneous variation of a single melody line) at outro - folk feature

RELEASE - Tempo and Metre

• free tempo at start so no set metre

• steady tempo at 50” - 100BPM

• 4/4

RELEASE - Rhythm

• syncopation

• triplets and sextuplets

• slightly swung quavers

• accents

• rhythmic ostinato in bodhran

• short rhythmic phrases

SAMBA - Context

• 2008

• originally written 1962

• lyrics are portugese

• fusion of Brazilian samba and jazz

• bossa nova

SAMBA - Performing Forces

• low female voice (chest register) - minor 10th

• ES sings and plays bass

• virtuosic acoustic bass solo

• double stopping

• bass part is active

SAMBA - Melody

• Melody A (vox) : 8 bar idea, rising arpeggio shape, low female range, mostly disjunct

• Melody B : 16 bar idea, note values doubled, mostly conjunct

SAMBA - Tonality

• B minor (usual of bossa nova to use minor)

• modulations

SAMBA - Harmony

• complex harmonies but based around chords I, II, IV, V

• frequent chord extensions (jazz) - e.g 7th, 9th

• some uses of cadences but not always conventional

• chord progressions sometimes create descending chromatic movement

SAMBA - Structure

• intro - free tempo, virtuosic acoustic bass

• verse 1 - 8 bar repeated melodic idea

• link - bossa nova begins

• verse 2 - acoustic guitar joins

• guitar solo - based on chords from section B, virtuosic

• verse 3 - voice and bass guitar

• verse 4 - exact repeat of B1

• outro

SAMBA - Texture

• intro - monophonic

• mostly homophonic

• sometimes bass becomes melodic rather than accompaniment

• verse 3 - polyphonic

SAMBA - Tempo

• intro - free tempo

• verse 1 - slow tempo with rubato

• link - tempo almost doubles (bossa nova tempo)

SAMBA - Metre

• 4/4

• change of tempo at link makes it seem 2/2

SAMBA - Rhythm

• rhythms of voice and bass quite complex

• frequent triplets

• rests separate most of the phrases

• from verse 2 bass plays more typical bossa nova rhythm

STAR WARS - Context

• 1977

• Main Title / Rebel Blockade Runner (VI A New Hope)

• late Romantic style

• uses leitmotifs

• Herbert Spencer wrote whole score

STAR WARS - John Williams

• scoring for large orchestra

• leitmotifs

• 1932

• American, composer, conductor, pianist

• brass fanfares

• soaring violin melodies

• triumphant marches

• vigours battle music

STAR WARS - Performing Forces

• full symphony orchestra

• percussion - timpani

• strings - violins

• brass - horns, trumpets

• woodwind - piccolo, flute

• avoids electronic effects and synthesisors

STAR WARS - Fanfares

• use of arpeggios

• short

• brass

• dotted rhythms

• use of harmonic series

• loud

STAR WARS - Structure

• first 29 bars - intro fanfare, ternary, for all Star Wars

• second part for specific film

• intro - fanfare

• A - 4 bar theme on trumpets, immediately repeated with different accompaniment

• B - 8 bar contrasting theme on violins

• repeat of A

• Specific Film - shortened fanfare

• piccolo solo - mysterious harmony

• sodden orchestral outburst

• Rebel Blockade Runner leitmotif

STAR WARS - Texture

• dominated pedal

• ostinato textures

• homophonic

• inverted tonic pedal in intro and during Main Title theme

• bar 4 onwards - melody dominate homophony

STAR WARS - Tonality

• Bb major for Star Wars theme

• from then on less clear

• 41-60 feels atonal (no key) due to complex chords and dissonance

• 51-60 elements of bitonal (two keys)

STAR WARS - Harmony

• tritone (interval of aug 4th of dim 5th)

• opening fanfare to b7 - quartal harmony (chords built on 4ths)

STAR WARS - Melody : Main Theme A

• 4 bar idea

• conjunct and leaps

• rising perfect 5th to sound heroic

• triplets, quavers, minims

STAR WARS - Melody : Main Theme B

• 4 bar idea

• less forceful

• anacrusis

• conjunct with rising 6th

• outer parts move in contrary motion

STAR WARS - Metre

• 4/4

• until b44 - 3/4

STAR WARS - Tempo

• fast tempo

• b33 - pulse less obvious

• b51 - very fast

• homorhythmic (same rhythm) chords slows tempo

STAR WARS - Rhythm

• fanfare rhythm

• use of triplets

• syncopated

• block chords

PURCELL - Context

• 1692

• aria (solo song)

• Lament - falling phrases, slow tempo, minor key

• mid-Baroque

PURCELL - Performing Forces

• solo soprano voice (originally counter-tenor)

• harpsichord

• basso-continuo - harpsichord, lute, bass viol

PURCELL - Text Setting + Word Painting

• melisma - ‘eternal’

• mainly syllabic vocal line

• word painting - ‘eternal’ ‘drop’

PURCELL - Structure

• ground bass - 3 bars, entirely quavers, arpeggio shaped, ends in 8ve fall

• ternary form

• rounded binary form

PURCELL - Dynamics

• not written on the score - left for the performers to interpret

• terraced dynamics

• some notes have cresc for expressive purposes

PURCELL - Melody

• soprano range → 9th

• mainly conjunct

• frequent passing notes

• extensive ornamentation

• descending sequence

• rests break up phrases

• leaps no greater than a 4th

PURCELL - Texture

• melody-dominated homophony

• ground bass accompaniment

PURCELL - Tonality

• A minor

• sometimes ambiguous because of chromaticism in ground bass

PURCELL - Harmony

• Tierce de Picardie (major chord at the end) - ‘snakes’ ‘hands’

• some dissonance

• chords are diatonic and functional

• some cadences used to confirm modulations

PURCELL - Tempo

• no tempo marking but slow (typical of baroque)

PURCELL - Metre

4/4

PURCELL - Rhythm

• occasional syncopation

• occasional dotted rhythms

• quavers and semiquavers most prominent

• ground bass entirely quavers

KILLER QUEEN - Context

• from album Sheer Heart Attack

• glam rock

• lyrics written first

• 1974

• can’t be performed live - fade out and over-dubbing

• Freddie Mercury - lead vocalist

• Brian May - guitar

• John Deacon - bass

• Roger Taylor - drums

KILLER QUEEN - Performing Forces

• drums

• 4 electric guitars

• bass guitar

• lead + backing vocals (by Freddie)

• piano overdubbed with a honkey-tonk piano

• percussion - finger clicks and bell chimes

KILLER QUEEN - Structure

• verse-chorus structure

• intro - finger clicks

• verse 1

• chorus 1

• instrumental (4-bar link)

• verse 2

• chorus 2

• guitar solo

• verse 3

• chorus 3

• outro

KILLER QUEEN - Performing Techniques

• portamento (vocal slide on ‘Killer Queen’)

• vocables

• falsetto

• guitar techniques - palm muting, slides, bends, pull-offs, vibrato

KILLER QUEEN - Use of Technology

• reverb

• EQ

• multi-tracking

• overdubbing (guitar + vocals)

• panning

• distortion

• wah-wah

• flanger

KILLER QUEEN - Melody

• mainly syllabic

• little word-painting - ‘laser beam’

• some larger leaps

• mainly conjunct

• unusual phrase lengths

• backing vocals and vocables

KILLER QUEEN - Texture

• mainly homophonic

• use of layering

• 3 part texture during guitar solo

• monophonic during intro

• use of imitation

KILLER QUEEN - Tempo

• moderato (112 BPM)

KILLER QUEEN - Metre

• 12/8 (compound quadruple)

• occasionally 6/8 to extend phrase length

KILLER QUEEN - Rhythm

• triplets

• swung feel

• frequent syncopation

KILLER QUEEN - Tonality

• Eb major - difficult for guitar

• ambiguous opening as it opens with a C minor chord

• diatonic

• passing modulations

• perfect cadences that establish the key of the piece

KILLER QUEEN - Harmony

• some dissonance

• 7th chords

• use of extended + altered chords

• circle of 5th

• pedal

Features of Baroque

• 1600-1750

• terraced dynamics

• harpsichord

• string based orchestra

• basso continuo

• ground bass

• one affection (mood)

• ornamentation

Features of Classical

• slower harmonic rhythm

• fortepiano

• more details on the score

• homophonic

• keys were clear with perfect cadences used to establish them

• contrasts of mood within a singe movement

• balanced phrasing

Features of Samba

• strong, slow 2-beat rhythm

• syncopated rhythms

• sets of instruments with distinctive timbres

• signals and cues with a whistle

• call and response structure

• polyrhythms

• ostinato

Features of Jazz

• improv

• syncopation

• swing rhythm

• call and response

• chord extension

• pentatonic and blues scales

Features of EDM

• steady driving rhythms

• build-ups then drops

• synths

• loops

• reverb, distortion ect.

• samples

Features of African Music

• complex rhythms and polyrhythms

• call and response

• ostinatos

• melodies often use pentatonic or heptatonic scales

• improv

Features of Folk Music

• modal and pentatonic scales

• ornamentation

• call and response

Features of Bossa Nova

• gentle syncopated rhythms

• bossa nova clave

• soft, whispered vocals (influenced by cool jazz making it different from the powerful singing of samba)

• jazz-inspired chords

• unpredictable chord progressions

• fingerstyle guitar playing

Features of Romantic

• expressive emotional melodies

• larger orchestra

• virtuoso

• expanded dynamics