Music GCSE - Defying Gravity

When is Defying Gravity heard in the play Wicked?

Finale of first act

When Elphaba discovers that the Wizard of Oz is not the heroic figure she thought so she vows to fight against him

What key is it in?

What key was it originally written in?

D major

Db major

What is a leitmotif?

A recurring musical idea which is associated with a particular character, theme or place

What is a motif?

A short melodic phrase of just a few notes

What are the pitches of the 'unlimited' theme?

What is the interval of these?

D,E,F#,G

4th

What is Defying Gravity? (how sung?)

Duet with some spoken dialogue

What is the range of voice?

Just under 2 octaves

from G below middle C to F

What is the instrumentation (outline)

Large orchestra and voices

What instruments are used:

-flute

-oboe

-bass clarinet

-bassoon

-piccolo

-cor anglais

-baritone saxophone

-two horns

-two trumpets

-two trombones

-percussion (includes timpani and tubular bells)

-drums

-two guitars (electric)

-harp

-two violins

-viola

-cello

-bass

-three electronic keyboards

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-brass

-homophonic chordal music in a fanfare-manner (eg bar20)

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-strings

-tremolo to add tension (eg bar34)

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-hi-hat of drums

-closed and plays constant crotchet rhythms to add rhythmic momentum (bar 51)

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-cymbal

-cymbal roll adds excitement as the piece changes key (eg bar 122)

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-synthesisers and glockenspiel

-high magical-sounding repeated quaver accompanyment to the chorus

How are instruments used to make a dramatic effect:

-tubular bells

-give an ethereal sonority at bar 147

What is the role of the keyboards?

to bulk out the sound of each instrument to make the orchestra sound larger

What is special about the electric guitars?(3)

-use an E-bow (vibrates the strings making a continuous sound)

-use over-drive a distortion technique to make a fuzzy/gritty sound

-make a modern sound

What is metrical shifting?

when the down beat is shifted to different beats of the bar

What style of music is metrical shifting often used in?

Minimalism

What intervals does Shwartz frequently use?

perfect 4ths and 5ths

What melodic features does this piece include?(6)

-syllabic

-vocalisation

-starts conjunct

-6+7 ascending sequence

-verse and chorus combine conjunct and wide angular leaps such as compound perfect fourth and fith

-leitmotifs

What form is the piece?

verse-chorus form

What is the tempo marking and what does this mean at the start?

Colla voce = free tempo, follow the singers

Describe the texture of the piece: (7)

-opens with a sparse texture with punctuating instrumental stabs

-intro, some monophony

-melody-dominated homophony in berses

-homophonic chordal movements (eg bar 132)

-ostinato in bar 88

-unison and harmony (eg thirds) singing

-contrapuntal ending

Describe the tonality:

-opening has an ambiguous tonality with chromatic movement and unrelated chord progressions

-D maj

-modulations:

What modulations does the piece undergo?

bar 20: Bmaj

bar 22: Fmaj

bar 32: Dmaj

bar 88: Gmaj

bar 103: Dmaj

bar 115: chromatic

bar 132: Dmaj

bar 168: Bm

final chord: D maj

Describe the harmony:(4)

-chords not in root position

-chord progressions often unrelated

-some dissonance

-pedal at 168

What tempo features are there:(2)

-rallentandos end sections

-sometimes followed by an 'a tempo'

What rhythmic features are there:(7)

-syncopation (eg 67-70)

-dotted rhythms

-triplets

-crotchet and quaver based rhythms

-rests break up phrases

-each phrase in verse starts with an off-beat crotchet rest

-fermatas