Baroque Melody, Word Painting & Ground Bass in Purcell's 'Music for a While'

Who sings the main melody in Purcell's piece?

A soprano singer

What is the predominant word setting style in the piece?

Mostly syllabic with some melismatic sections

What technique is used to reflect the meaning of the text in the music?

Word painting

How does the melody primarily move?

In steps, with lots of passing notes

What type of ornaments are used in the piece?

Trills, appoggiaturas, grace notes, and mordents

What is the significance of the repeated word 'drop' in the music?

It is repeated in a descending pattern representing snakes dropping from Alecta's head.

What is the term for the melodic movement that is primarily stepwise?

Conjunct melody

What is the time signature of the piece?

4/4 metre

What type of bass is used in the accompaniment?

Ground bass played by the bass viol and left hand of the harpsichord

What is the main tonality of the piece?

A minor

What type of rhythms are predominantly used in the piece?

Quavers and semiquavers

What is a notable feature of the harmony in the piece?

Chords are diatonic with perfect cadences

What does the term 'false relation' refer to in this piece?

It occurs when the ground bass plays a sharp while the right hand plays F natural.

What is the role of the right hand of the harpsichord?

It plays an elaborate realisation that fills out the chords.

What historical period does this piece belong to?

The Baroque era

What is the piece's relationship to the play it was composed for?

It was written as incidental music for the play telling the Greek myth of Oedipus.

How many movements did Purcell write for the play?

Four movements

What is the texture of the piece?

Homophonic with moments that feel polyphonic due to the elaborate realisation.

What is the effect of the modulation in the middle (B) section?

It modulates through several related keys, enhancing the emotional impact.

What is the purpose of rests in the melody?

To break up melodic phrases.

What is a characteristic of the ground bass?

It consists entirely of quaver rhythms and has a rising pattern.

What is the significance of the phrase 'free the dead' in the music?

It is set to a triumphant section in the bright key of G major.