Music ATAR Unit 2 Exam Yr11 (Analysis)

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Composers + Lyricist - A Day In the Life

John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Date of Composition - A Day in the Life

1967

Recording Artist / Group - A Day in the Life

The Beatles

What makes The Beatles significant - A Day in the Life

Revolutionised the use of recording technology (Leslie speaker, Looping, Artificial double tracking/flanging, Tea towels and sweaters on the drums)
Revolutionised how albums were recorded, as many of the effects could not be reproduced on stage, and had the recording studio for as long as they wanted.
Brought album covers to the next level, bringing them from being marketing to works of art in themselves.
Kickstarted youth culture
Pivotal in the development of music videos.

Instrumentation in Score Order - A Day in the Life

Vocals, Effects (incl. Harmonium), 40-piece Orchestra, Piano, Acoustic guitar, Electric Bass, Maracas, Drums, Bongos.

Historical/Political/Musical factors impacting the work - A Day in the Life

Tara Browne’s death - Guiness fortune heir
Psychedelic era - Counterculture

Structure of the work - A Day in the Life

Intro - Verse 1 - Verse 2 - Verse 3 - Bridge 1 - Middle Section - Transition - Verse 4 - Bridge 2 - Ending

Impact of Recording Technology - A Day in the Life

Recording voice through a rotating microphone - Leslie speaker
Looping - layering of music
Artificial double tracking/flanging - Lennon’s voice thickening
Tea towels & Sweaters - across the drums to dampen the ring form the metal edges.

Composer - Take the A Train

Billy Strayhorn in 1939

Date of Recording - Take the A Train

1941 - Original

1957 - Set Work

Recording artists - Take the A Train

Ella Fitzgerald
Dizzy Gillespie

Artist’s Impact on the development of Jazz - Take the A Train

Elevated the art of Scat-singing to new heights.
Virtuosity - Accurately sings phrases at high speed and has a large vocal range of 3 octaves.
Musical Language - Used upper chord extentions in her scat melody and used dissonant intervals.
Sharp Wit - Ella had a quick mind, allowing seamless additions of melodic quotes in her improvisation

Instrumentation (score order) + Big Band score conventions - Take the A Train

Voice - 3 Alto Sax - Tenor Sax - Clarinet in Bb - Trumpet 1-4 - Trombone 1-3 - Piano - Upright Bass - Drums
Reed - Brass - Rhythm

Features of Swing and Bebop - Take the A Train

Swing
Similar lineup of Swing Era big band
4-feel walking bass
Homophonic texture
Arranged

Bebop
Lengthy solos lasting several choruses
Virtuosic solos using extremes of range
Use of chromatic notes in solos
Homophonic texture

Form and Structure - Take the A Train

Form: AABA
Structure: Intro - Head - Choruses 1-4 - Mini-shout - Chorus 5 - Head - Outro

Impact of Recording Technology - Take the A Train

Tape recorders with twin magnetic tape were used, allowing stereo recording
Developments in LP technology enables longer recording times.

Composer - Vltava

Bedrich Smetana

Date of Composition - Vltava

1874

Nationality of Composer - Vltava

Czech Republic, Historically known as Bohemia, and was controlled by the Austrian Empire

Genre, and features of program music - Vltava

Genre: Tone poem, refering to orchestral music from the romantic era which depicts a story, poem, painting, or landscape.

Instrumentation in Score Order - Vltava

Piccolo
2 X Flutes
2 X Oboes
2 X Clarinets in C
2 X Bassoons
4 X Horns in C
2 X Trumpets in C
2 X Trombones
3rd Trombone & Tuba
Timpani
Triangle
Bass Drum & Cymbals
Harp (or Piano)
1st Violin
2nd Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass

Features of music from the Romantic Era - Vltava

Greater rhythmic complexity
Perfomers used rubato
Lyrical and Expressive
Greater tonal range
Chromatic notes
More rapid Modulation
Dissonant chords
Size of orchestra inscreased greatly
Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion had a more active role
Piano become the most popular single instrument
Wide range of dynamics
Sudden and sharp contrasts of dynamics with cresceni and diminuendi
Symphonic Poem
Nationalism

All themes in order - Vltava

River source
Vltava river theme
Forest Hunt
Peasant Wedding
Moonlight Nymph
River theme

Features of Nationalism evident - Vltava

Forest Hunt - Fanfare motifs played by french horns represents traditional Czech hunting customs
Peasent wedding - Polka rhythm is as Bohemian folk dance

Key and Metre - Vltava

E min, 6/8 - River theme & River source
C maj, 6/8 - Forest hunt
G maj, 2/4 - Peasant Wedding
Ab maj, 4/4 - Moonlight Nymph

Key and Metre - Take the A Train

4/4 , C major

Key and Metre - A Day in the Life

4/4 , G major
Middle section - E major