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G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
EDEXCEL GCSE MUSIC
SET WORK SUMMARIES
REVISION GUIDE
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
G F Handel: “And the Glory of the Lord” from “Messiah” PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
George Frideric Handel - born in Germany in 1685 and eventually settled in England
Appointed “Kappellmeister” to the Elector of Hanover who became King George I of England
Handel became the “royal composer” to George I and lived and worked in England
Composed Operas (50), Oratorios (23), Anthems, Chamber and Instrumental Music
Handel’s sight failed him in later years, he died in 1759 and is buried in Westminster Abbey
Related composers – J. S. Bach (1685-1750); Henry Purcell (1659-1695); Vivaldi (1678-1741)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context “And the Glory of the Lord” is from ‘Messiah’ - an ORATORIO – a large-scale, usually narrative musical work for orchestra and voices, typically on a SACRED theme, performed without costume, scenery or acting. Oratorios haves 3 main vocal forms: ARIAS (a solo song which reflects on a mood or emotion), RECITATIVES (a half-spoken/half-sung solo with minimal accompaniment) and CHORUSES (for SATB CHOIR used to “sum up the action of the story”). The words (LIBRETTO) are taken from the Bible and were compiled by CHARLES JENNENS who presented them to Handel to set to music. Handel wrote ‘Messiah’ in 1741 in 24 days (2.5 hours of music!) “Messiah premiered in Dublin in 1741 and was made famous in England following a charity concert at The Foundling Hospital in 1750. ‘Messiah’ is unusual in the fact that although it has solos, the soloists do not assume “characters”. Unlike Italian operas, the words were in ENGLISH and based on a theme familiar to everyone. ‘Messiah’ is an oratorio in 3 parts – part 1: the prophecies and birth of Jesus Christ, part 2: his death and resurrection; part 3 – reflections following the resurrection. “And the Glory of the Lord” is the fourth MOVEMENT within part 1 and is the first CHORUS of the oratorio. The words are taken from the Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah Chapter 40, verse 5: “And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it”. Music comes from the BAROQUE PERIOD (c.1600-1750) – features of Baroque Music include * ORNAMENTED and richly ornate melody lines parts (e.g. lots of trills etc.) * MAJOR/MINOR tonalities replaced the older “modes” * Basso CONTINUO (figured bass) played by Harpsichord or Organ and Cellos/Bassoons to “fill in harmonies”
* TERRACED DYNAMICS – one “mood” set or maintained throughout a piece or movement with contrasting loud OR soft sections (no crescendos or diminuendos) * IMITATION – musical copying/Q&A between different melodic lines or parts * HARPSICHORD main keyboard instrument, used as Continuo as well as solo instrument * CHAMBER MUSIC developed as a popular genre * POLYPHONIC TEXTURES often used created by interweaving melodies and parts resulting in thick textures of sound * BAROQUE ORCHESTRA – Violin family replaced Viols and were the main section, Harpsichord Continuo, Trumpets, Horns, Oboes, Bassoons and Timpani
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature Tonality The piece begins and ends in
A MAJOR (3#’s) but
MODULATES to the
DOMINANT KEY of E
MAJOR (V) (e.g. bar 38) and
its Dominant - B MAJOR
(V of V) (e.g. bar 73). No
gloomy minor keys here!!
Tempo Handel marked the opening
ALLEGRO (fast) – a lively,
fast dance tempo to match the
joyous mood of the chorus.
He added ADAGIO (slow) at
bar 135 for the last 4 bars.
Dynamics Handel didn’t use any dynamic
markings on his score. Most
editors have added
TERRACED DYNAMIC
markings (contrasting loud
and soft sections) alternating
between mf (mezzo forte)
(e.g. opening), and f (forte).
Pitch (vocal range)
(highest note sung by Sopranos and lowest note sung by
Basses)
Rhythm
“Driving” regular on-beat crotchet rhythms
match “stately” mood. WALKING BASS
LINE mainly in regular crotchets.
Use of HEMIOLA – 2 bars of 3/4 treated as 3
bars of 2/4, used at cadence points for “extra
drive”e.g.
Harmony Mainly DIATONIC HARMONY
(uses mainly chords I, IV, V, II and
VI)
Clear MAJOR harmonies used to
match joyful words.
Uses PERFECT CADENCES (V-I)
during piece with a dramatic pause,
followed by a PLAGAL CADENCE
(IV-I) ending the chorus.
Texture Alternating HOMOPHONIC BLOCK
CHORDAL (e.g. bars 14-17) and
POLYPHONIC sections (e.g. bars 17-32).
Initially, each of the MOTIFS (shown below) is
presented alone before being worked into a
complex POLYPHONIC tapestry of sound.
The orchestral accompaniment “doubles” the
voice parts and the chorus ends with a
CHORDAL HOMOPHONIC coda.
MONOPHONIC TEXTURE (bars 107-110)
Musical Features IMITATION – occurs as the MOTIFS are “passed
between parts”, a form of ‘musical copying’
STRETTO – when different parts make overlapping
entries in IMITATION (e.g. Motif 2 in bar 17 first in
tenors, then basses (bar 19), then sopranos (bar 20))
SEQUENCE – see Motif 2 below
SYLLABIC word setting – one word per note (e.g. Motif
1 & 4)
MELISMATIC word setting – one word spread over
many notes (e.g. “revealed” in Motif 2) Melody and Form & Structure
Chorus is based on 4 contrasting melodic MOTIFS, each relating to a separate line of text then developed in different ways
MOTIF 1 (based on triad of A major, stepwise scale ending & syllabic) MOTIF 2 (two one-bar descending sequences & melismatic word setting)
MOTIF 3 (uses repetition and a descending fourth) MOTIF 4 (notes of long duration repeated at same pitch – tonic PEDAL)
Instrumentation
Written for an SATB CHOIR of four voice parts – SOPRANO, ALTO, TENOR and BASS with orchestral accompaniment. The original accompaniment consisted of STRINGS (1
st and 2
nd VIOLINS, VIOLAS, CELLOS and DOUBLE BASSES) with CONTINUO (HARPSICHORD or
ORGAN with CELLOS and BASSES “doubling” the bass line) and TRUMPETS and TIMPANI. Handel later went on to add parts for OBOES and BASSOONS to double the string and voice parts.
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
W A Mozart: First Movement from “Symphony No.40 in G minor”, K.550 PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - born 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, later settled in Vienna. Learned to play piano at age 4 and classed as a child “prodigy” encouraged by father (also a musician), toured Europe in concerts. Loved Constanze his wife, father didn’t approve, difficult financial situations, loss of children. Mozart wrote 41 Symphonies, also Operas, Piano Concertos & Sonatas, Chamber Music, Masses and a Requiem. Mozart wrote Symphony No. 40 in G minor in 1788 in the “Classical Style”. Related composers – Haydn (1732-1809); Beethoven (1770-1827); Schubert (1797-1828)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context A SYMPHONY is a large-scale ORCHESTRAL WORK which became popular during the CLASSICAL PERIOD and was intended to be performed in the concert hall. Classical Symphonies had 4 movements, each with a different tempo: Fast (and in SONATA FORM), Slow, Minuet & Trio (triple-time dance-like) and Fast. Mozart used SONATA FORM for the first, second and fourth movements of Symphony No.40. It is written in the CLASSICAL STYLE (c.1750-1820), its main features include: * An emphasis on ELEGANCE and BALANCE (compared with the ‘complex’ polyphonic sound of Baroque music) * Short, WELL-BALANCED MELODIES and CLEAR-CUT QUESTION AND ANSWER PHRASES
* Simple, mainly DIATONIC HARMONIES (with only the occasional use of Chromatic Harmony) * HOMOPHONIC MELODY & ACCOMPANIMENT TEXTURE, but with some use of COUNTERPOINT where two or more melodic ideas are combined. * EXPANSION OF THE ORCHESTRA – disappearance of the Continuo part, Harpsichord fell out of use being replaced by the Piano, invented in 1698 by Cristofori in Italy; increased importance and use of WIND INSTRUMENTS (DOUBLE WOODWIND), including the newly invented CLARINET, although the melody is still mainly in the strings; * CONTRASTING MOODS (unlike Baroque/Handel with one fixed mood) shown by EXPRESSION MARKINGS on the score – cresc, dim, accents, sforzandos, slurs, staccato dots, etc..
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
4 4
Pitch & Melody Most melodies are made up of REGULAR, BALANCED 4 (or 8) BAR PHRASES that sound like QUESTION AND ANSWERS. Many melodies are SCALIC and have CONJUNCT MOVEMENT (1
st and 2
nd Subjects, the 2
nd
Subject moving CHROMATICALLY). DISJUNCT MOVEMENT is used in the Bridge Passage for contrast.
Melody of 1st Subject is performed by 1
st and 2
nd violins an
OCTAVE APART (OCTAVE DOUBLING)
Tempo
Molto Allegro
(Very Fast)
Dynamics Starts off p (unusual for a Classical Symphony – normally loud and dramatic!), but creates a dark and intense mood from the outset. Lots of dynamic contrasts later, including CRESCENDOS and use of SFORZANDO markings (sfz) and ACCENTS (<).
No Diminuendos used.
Rhythm
SIMPLE RHYTHMS are mainly used (crotchet and quavers of 1
st subject) with
occasional DOTTED RHYTHMS (2nd
subject). There are occasional uses of
SYNCOPATION to create momentum and add interest. The 1
st Subject begins on
the 4th beat of the bar – an UPBEAT or
ANACRUSIS START Texture
Mainly HOMOPHONIC MELODY AND ACCOMPANIMENT TEXTURE (e.g. opening of Exposition with melody in 1
st and 2
nd violins (OCTAVE DOUBLING)
accompanied by violas, cellos and double basses). The Second Subject features a DIALOGUE between woodwind and strings and Mozart uses a “1” in
the Clarinet part (only 1 of the 2 Clarinets plays) varying the texture. The texture becomes more CONTRAPUNTAL in the Development section
where COUNTERPOINT, IMITATION, COUNTER-MELODIES, SEQUENCES AND PEDAL NOTES all provide textural variety.
Harmony & Tonality G MINOR key signature (a key Mozart associated with sadness).
G MINOR used in 1st Subject, Start of Development, Recapitulation and Coda. B FLAT MAJOR (relative major)
used for 2nd
Subject (Exposition) and opening of Codetta (but ends on a D7 chord – “dominant preparation”). During the Development, Mozart begins in the tonic key, then modulates to an UNEXPECTED and
UNRELATED KEY – F# minor, he then modulates to seven different keys using a “CYCLE OF FOURTHS” based on a FALLING SEQUENCE – E min, A min, D min, G min, C maj, F maj, B flat maj. The harmony is
mainly DIATONIC but CHROMATIC CHORDS such as a DIMINISHED SEVENTH and AUGMENTED SIXTH are used in the Development section. PEDAL NOTES used (Cellos and Double Basses in First six bars and in
Development). PERFECT CADENCES and IMPERFECT CADENCES are used. Form & Structure – 1
st Movement from Symphony No.40 in G minor is written in SONATA FORM
Section Bars Keys Used Musical Features
EX
PO
SIT
ION
First
Subject
1-20 G minor Melody played by 1st and 2
nd Violins an OCTAVE APART
(OCTAVE DOUBLING), ANACRUSIS START, p dynamic
marking. Short repeated phrase followed by a descending
DIATONIC G MINOR SCALE. This melody is then
repeated one note lower – DESCENDING SEQUENCE.
Moves mainly by CONJUNCT MOVEMENT and answered by another 4-bar phrase (Q&A) ending with a PERFECT CADENCE. Accompanied
by VIOLAS playing quaver pattern based on G MINOR CHORD (div.) and CELLOS and DOUBLE BASSES playing a TONIC PEDAL for first six
bars. HOMOPHONIC MELODY & ACCOMANIMENT TEXTURE ending with an IMPERFECT CADENCE. Bridge
Passage 20-44 Modulates
to Bb Major Links 1
st and 2
nd Subjects together. Music MODULATES to Bb MAJOR (relative major of G minor). Melody contains more leaps, DISJUNCT
MOVEMENT (contrast to 1st subject)
Second
Subject
44-72 Bb Major Contrasts with 1st Subject in mood and character – different key, uses
CHROMATIC SCALE, giving “lyrical”, relaxed mood. THINNER TEXTURE
making more use of WOODWIND section. Notes are of LONGER
DURATION than the 1st Subject. Alternates between Clarinets and
Bassoons and Strings in a MUSICAL DIALOGUE. Begins on first beat of
bar and made up of two falling phrases, the first ends with an IMPERFECT
CADENCE, the second with a PERFECT CADENCE.
Codetta 73-
100
Bb Major
ending in G
minor
Short, closing section ending with a repeat mark (double dots, double bars) and a D7 CHORD – dominant seventh (V7) of G minor – DOMINANT
PREPARATION. Whole of the Exposition section is now repeated.
DE
VE
LO
P
ME
NT
101-164 G minor, F# minor, E
minor, A minor, D minor, G
minor, C Major, F Major,
Bb Major
Only the 1st Subject is used in the Development Section (NO 2
nd Subject material). The 1
st Subject is transformed and “developed” in different
ways including RAPID MODULATIONS (see Keys Used) avoiding any clear Cadence points, COUNTERPOINT, IMITATION, FRAGMENTING
THE MELODY (using only “snippets”). Musical SEQUENCES are heard again and again (rising and falling) along with the addition of
COUNTER-MELODIES and the use of PEDAL NOTES in the bass.
RE
CA
PIT
UL
AT
ION 1
st Subject,
Bridge Passage,
2nd
Subject 164-260 G minor 1
st Subject in Tonic Key (as in Exposition), Bridge Passage (melody now in bass parts for a time), doesn’t modulate to Bb Major (as in
Exposition), but stays in G minor. 2nd
Subject now heard in Tonic key, G minor.
Coda 260-299 G minor A closing section, ending with a repeated perfect cadence played by full orchestra marked “Tutti”.
Instrumentation The piece is scored for a traditional CLASSICAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA of around 25 players. The STRINGS continue to form the “backbone” of the Classical Orchestra, often performing the melody, running scales, sustained notes and chords and made up of 1
ST AND 2
ND VIOLINS, VIOLAS (performing from the alto clef and sometimes “div.” (opening) where they divide into two
sections), CELLOS and DOUBLE BASSES performing the same notes as the Cellos, but sounding an octave lower. The DOUBLE WOODWIND section of the Classical Orchestra consisted of 2 FLUTES, 2 OBOES, 2 CLARINETS and 2 BASSOONS. Mozart only uses ONE FLUTE here and the Clarinet parts were added at a later date, following Mozart’s love of the newly-developed
instrument. Mozart uses a “1” on the Clarinet part score to indicate a part where only one of the two clarinets plays, varying the texture. The Woodwind do not play as much as the strings, having more sustained notes and not as many fast, scale runs. They share the start of the second subject with the strings. Only 2 “NATURAL” HORNS (in different keys) are used in Brass Section – the
parts written on two separate staves, one in the key of Bb (Bb, D, F and C notes), one in the key of G (G, B, D and F notes) – used to maximise the number of pitches. Even though the Classical
orchestra commonly used trumpets and timpani, Mozart does not use them in this piece.
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
Prelude No.15 in D flat major Op.28 - Chopin PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Frédéric François Chopin - born in Poland in 1810; died in Paris 1849
Virtuoso pianist; Most of his compositions are for solo piano; Left Warsaw and settled in Paris
Related composers – Beethoven (1770-1827); Rossini (1792-1868); Tchaikovsky (1840-1893); Berlioz
(1803-1869); Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context Known as “Raindrop” prelude from a set of solo “stand alone” piano pieces called “Preludes”, each in a different major or minor key composed between 1835 -1838. Each prelude is meant to depict a specific idea or emotion. The Preludes (24 in total) are arranged so that the major keys for a circle of 5ths, each of which is followed by its relative minor key – C major, A minor, G major, E minor, D major, B minor etc. Preludes vary in length – shortest only 13 bars long, while the longest runs to 90 bars, “Raindrop” in 89 bars long. The “Raindrop” prelude was written during Chopin’s period of recuperation at the deserted monastery in Valldemossa, Majorca. The piece was written during a storm and the title relates to the dripping of raindrops from the roof of the monastery.
Music comes from the ROMANTIC PERIOD (c.1820-1900) – features of Romantic music include
• A freedom in form and design; a more intense personal expression of emotion in which fantasy, imagination and a quest for adventure
play an important part.
• Emphasis on lyrical, songlike melodies; adventurous modulation; richer harmonies , often chromatic, with striking use of discords. • Denser, weightier textures with bold dramatic contrasts, exploring a wider range of pitch, dynamics and tone-colours. • Expansion of the orchestra, sometimes to gigantic proportions; the invention of the valve system leads to development of the brass
section whose weight and power often dominate the texture. • Rich variety of types of piece, ranging from songs and fairly short piano pieces to huge musical canvasses with lengthy time-span
structures with spectacular, dramatic, and dynamic climaxes. • Closer links with other arts lead to a keener interest in program music (programme symphony, symphonic poem, concert overture). • Shape and unity brought to lengthy works by use of recurring themes (sometimes transformed/developed): idée fixe (Berlioz), thematic
transformations (Liszt), leading motive (Wagner), motto theme. • Greater technical virtuosity – especially from pianists and violinists.
• Nationalism: reaction against German influences by composers of other countries (especially Russia, Bohemia, Norway).
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
or
Tonality
D flat major
Tempo Use of RUBATO (pull
back or speed up the
tempo to show
expression)
Dynamics
Wider range in
Section B
Pitch
Keyboard range is moderate and
keeps to the stave with a few ledger
line notes. The top note is B flat.
Lower pitch is used in Section B.
Rhythm
Distinctive “A” Rhythm
Texture
Mainly HOMOPHONIC –
melody and Accompaniment
Section B – Thick, Chordal
almost chorale-like movement
Musical Features
Careful expressive use of pedals particularly the sustaining
pedal; SOSTENUTO – sustained
ACCIACATURA – “crushing note” – melodic decoration
PEDAL NOTE – A flat (enharmonic G#)
Harmony/Melody and Form & Structure - TERNARY FORM
Section Harmony/Key Themes
A (Bars 1 – 27) “Falling” motif to represent sadness
“Elegiac” melody in Right Hand
D flat major
B (Bars 28 – 75)
Mood – Dark and Stormy – melody
in Left-hand bass of piano
C# minor (tonic minor)
A (Bars 75 – 81)
SMORZANDO – Dying away
D flat major
Codetta (Bars 81 – 89) D flat major Ends pianissimo with perfect cadence
Instrumentation – Solo Piano
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
Peripetie from Five Orchestral Pieces, Op.16 - Schoenberg PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Arnold Schoenberg – Austrian, born Vienna in 1874; died 1951
Painter as well as a composer – composed and painted in Expressionist style.
Created the “twelve-note system” or serialism – new compositional technique
Related composers – Alban Berg (1885-1935); Anton Webern (1883-1945)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context
The term Expressionism was originally borrowed from visual art and literature. Artists created vivid
pictures, distorting colours and shapes to make unrealistic images that suggested strong emotions. Expressionist composers poured intense emotional expression into their music exploring their
subconscious mind. Expressionist music often features: A high level of dissonance; Extreme contrasts of dynamics; Constantly changing textures; ‘Distorted’ melodies and harmonies; Angular melodies with wide leaps Music comes from the TWENTIETH CENTURY (c1900-1999) – features of 20
th century music include
• Melody – likely to include wide leaps, using chromatic and dissonant intervals, angular and spiky, short and fragmentary, glissandi, melodies based on note rows
• Harmony – extreme dissonances, more discords, note-clusters, hexachords • Rhythm – vigorous and dynamic, syncopation, irregular metres, changes of metre,
polyrhythms, ostinato, motor rhythms • Timbre – greater concern with tone-colour, strange, intriguing, exotic, striking, explosive,
contrasting; expansion of percussion section and emphasis on percussive sounds, unfamiliar sounds from familiar instruments, extreme pitch-ranges, instruments being played in different ways, new sounds such as those involving electronic and magnetic tape.
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Form & Structure – Free RONDO – A B A1 C A2
Tempo & Rhythm Instrumentation &
Texture
Pitch & Melody Harmony & Dynamics
A sehr rash (very quick)
contains mostly triplets,
sextuplets and
demisemiquavers
Full Orchestra
Homophonic & Solo Sections
Use of MUTED brass for timbre
effects
Opens with motif played by
Flutes, Clarinets and Bassoons
Then a chromatic scale by
MUTED trumpets and
Trombone GLISSANDO
Instruments play “as families”
Opening Motifs:
Motifs based on
HEXACHORDS
Dissonant Harmony
(use of the interval of a 7th)
Sudden loud bursts
Ranges from fff to pp
B Uses different rhythms which
overlap
Very THICK TEXTURE in
percussion and woodwind
Starts off VERY SOFT
A1 Variation of A
Return of a HEXACHORD on
the Horns
Dissonant Harmony and
extreme dynamic range
C Alternates between ruhiger
(calmer) & heftig (passionate) Sparse texture – with solo
instruments overlapping
Bassoon tune, taken over by
the cello & double bass range from pp-fff. A few Loud
semi quaver passages
A2 Another Variation of A
Speeds up with use of triplet
motifs.
Builds up from clarinets &
strings to the full orchestra
(tutto) . Double bass play
TREMOLO chord in very high
register.
Motifs are piled up on top of
each other and are played in
COUNTERPOINT and CANON
crescendos very quickly from
pp to fff dissonant chords &
immediately dies away to finish
with a pp chord
Instrumentation – Five Orchestral Pieces is written for a very large orchestra using some unusual instruments. There are
three flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons (instead of the normal pairs) plus piccolo, cor anglais, clarinet in D, bass clarinet and contrabassoon. There are extra horns, trumpets and trombones plus a tuba. The percussion section includes xylophone, cymbals, tam tam (a large gong) and bass drum. Instruments often play at the extreme of their registers. There are many performance directions in the score. Schoenberg was looking for very specific tone colours or timbres.
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
“Something’s Coming” from West Side Story PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Leonard Bernstein – 1918 -1990 - “the godfather of the modern musical!”
Born in 1918 in Massachusetts. At 10 his aunt gave him a piano and his teacher couldn’t keep up
with him! His family were from the Ukraine and his dad didn’t want Leonard to study music. He
went to Harvard and met Aaron Copland who encourages him to be a conductor. Bernstein was
a conductor, broadcaster, pianist and composer. He was in demand as a conductor and was the
conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He excelled in two principal forms – the ballet
and the musical.
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context
Lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim who also wrote musicals of his own later on
Mirrors the plot of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Based on a love story set in New York in the 1950’s gang culture – “turf wars” and the threat of
them creating tension in the musical from the beginning. The dark theme rooted in violence
and tragedy, the use of long, extended dance scenes to convey the drama, the mix of jazz and
classical music and the focus on social problems and tensions in contemporary America are
key features of West Side Story.
2 acts with dialogue between songs – lots of dance scenes
“Something’s Coming” is a solo character song sung by Tony early on in the story before he
meets Maria at the dance
“Something’s Coming” is an example of a song from a STAGE MUSICAL – features of musicals
include:
Types of songs – solo character, duets, action songs, chorus numbers
“Singable” melodies – use of memorable hooks and traditional verse, chorus, middle 8 structures
Musicals written in popular music style influenced by jazz and later rock music
Use of songs, dance and dialogue to tell stories – some musicals made into fims and some films
adapted to musicals; some musicals based on novels e.g. Oliver.
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature Written in 3/4 but has
CROSS-RHYTHMS
and sounds like it is in
6/8
Tonality D Major
“Happy” key to reflect
the happy mood of the
song
Tempo
Fast 176bpm! “one in a bar” feel
Dynamics Tony starts singing pp
– breathless and
excited, half-
whispering, impatient
Pitch & Melody Contains lots of little ideas – SHORT
RIFFS
Combination of short phrases and long
sustained notes
Rhythm Lots of SYNCOPATION
Uses lots of rhythmic OSTINATI especially in the
orchestra
CROSS-RHYTHMS working “against” each other
PUSH-RHYTHMS anticipate the beat
Accented OFF-BEATS
Harmony Use of the TRITONE (devil in music!) – Augmented 4
th - to
create tension and something bas is about to happen
despite the love story. Gives edgy, unpredictable feeling
JAZZ HARMONY – ordinary chords have added “BLUE
NOTES”
Texture The song has lots of
different layers in the
exciting way the music
has been arranged for
instruments
Form & Structure – not a typical verse-chorus structure
Intro
Bars 1-3
Uses 3-beat Ostinato to
set breathy and excited
mood. Jazz Harmonies,
Syncopated Rhythm &
Tritone
Section A
Bars 4-39 Starts off quietly with
Tony’s thoughts –
“Could be”, “Who
Knows?”, 3-beat
ostinato continues with
push rhythms. Then
fast, loud recitative-like
section with word
painting–
“cannonballing”
Section B
Bars 40-105 More “on beat” rhythm
giving strength to lyrics.
Change of time to 2/4
creates feeling of drive.
Syncopated rhythms,
blue notes, riffs,
Section B1
Bars 106-140 Shortened version of
Section B.
Section A1
Bars 141-157 Feels like a return to the
beginning, back to 3/4
time, orchestral riff and
Tony’s hopeful
questions – “Maybe
Tonight” base on the
tritone. Riff starts to
fade under the held
note (sempre dim.)
Outro
Bar 158 – fade out Simple "ad lib fade” bar
taking us into the music
for a change of scene
(instrumental)
Instrumentation – solo singer (male tenor) and large orchestra with added instruments Bernstein orchestrated the music himself and called for a large orchestra including five woodwind players, two horns, three trumpets, two
trombones, seven violins, four cellos and two double basses. In addition, he used a drum-kit, two other percussionists, piano, electric and acoustic
guitars, saxophones, a mandolin and celeste. Uses Latin-American instruments – castanets and maracas to reflect the Puerto Rican gang
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
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SET WORK SUMMARY
3rd
Movement (Fast) from Electric Counterpoint - Reich PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Steve Reich – born in New York (1936 – present)
Started playing piano when he was young and drums when he was 14.
His music is influenced by Jazz, Gamelan and African Music
A key minimalist composer, he likes TONAL music (as opposed to Serialism which is Atonal)
Other famous works include “Different Trains”; “Clapping Music” (a phase shifting piece) and
various “taped” music using recorded samples of everyday sounds and looping them to create a
constant repeated pattern (New York Counterpoint)
Related composers – La Monte Young; Terry Riley; Philip Glass; Michael Nyman
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context
Electric Counterpoint was written for the jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. Metheny would record all the parts himself (12 guitars and 2 bass guitars). He would then play the recording (called a ‘backing track’ and would play the “live” part over the top. The piece uses tape loops where each part is pre-recorded onto a tape loop to allow overdubbing (recording over the top). The movements within Electric Counterpoint don’t have titles, just tempo markings. The third movement (fast) is 140 bars long and lasts four and a half minutes. Music is an example of MINIMALISM (developed in 1960’s & 1970’s) – features of minimalist music
include: • Builds music out of loops – constantly repeated patterns – short and simple; lack of a clear melody • Harmonies made by layering patterns on top of each other – gradually unfolding over a long period
of time • A reduced style e.g. little dynamic contrast, constant tempo • Repetition – ideas repeated several times gradually changing – gives the music a hypnotic quality • MINIMALIST TECHNIQUES – Phasing, Additive Melody, Metamorphosis, Layering, Drones,
Ostinati/Loops, Note addition, Note Subtraction, Rhythmic Displacement, Augmentation, Diminution, Static Harmony
• Use of Music Technology – old tapes cut and pasted together, multi-track recording to layer sounds, live performances
often use recorded backing tracks to build up the layers
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
to to
Tonality & Harmony
Reich uses TONAL AMBIGUITY – keeps
the listening guessing as to what key the
piece is in. The bass guitars confirm E
minor when they enter, but actually in the
AEOLIAN MODE
Changes to C minor in “B” Section for
contrast.
Piece finishes on an E5 chord giving an
“open” and “sparse” sound
Dynamics
Not many changes in dynamics – mainly
in solo part fading in and out.
Four ensemble parts playing the first riff
remain mf all the time. Other parts have
dim. finishing with a crescendo to ff for
the solo part at the end.
Pitch &
Melody
Guitar 3 uses
ADDITIVE
MELODY where 2
or 3 notes keep
being added until
the whole riff is
heard.
Rhythm & Tempo
Made up of rhythmic
LAYERED OSTINATI
which are PHASE
SHIFTED and
DISPLACED.
Constant tempo
throughout.
Texture
A multi-layered texture is achieved by each track being “multi-tracked” to allow live performance over
the top
Made up of short patterns/riffs/motifs/ostinati that are repeated. It’s repetitive making it sound hypnotic
Four of the ensemble parts play the same riff throughout the piece. Others join in one by one.
Once all the parts have been introduced, the texture remains fairly constant but with use of PANNING
(bass guitars are panned one to the left and one to the right) and INTERVIEWING RHYTHMS, the
texture always seems to be shifting.
Form & Structure
The piece is divided into TWO main sections (A) and (B) with a CODA. The main sections are then subdivided into four smaller
sections, each of which is defined by changes of key and texture. Instrumentation - 7 electric and 2 bass guitars
The guitar parts enter in the following order: 1. Guitar 1; 2. Live Guitar; 3. Guitar 2; 4. Guitar 3; 5. Guitar 4 6. Bass Guitars 1 and 2;
7. Guitar 5; 8. Guitar 6; 9. Guitar 7
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
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SET WORK SUMMARY
“All Blues” by Miles Davis PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context Miles Davis, born in Illinois in 1926 to a wealthy family, began learning the trumpet Davis performed in a number of bands before forming his own ensemble in 1948 Davis looked for a new way of playing jazz, feeling there was more to be found in the music than the “quest for speed” forming his first album “The Birth of the Cool”, which had a more “laid back” jazz sound. “All Blues” is taken from the album “Kind of Blue”, recorded in three 3-hour sessions in New York 1959, where Davis assembled an ensemble of some of the top jazz musicians of the time (see “instrumentation” in part 2 below)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context Jazz began as the coming together of many musical styles and cultures in the late 19
th and early 20
th
century in New Orleans. African-Americans brought their rhythmic pentatonic work songs they developed while in slavery (the Blues). Singers would sing about their poor situation in life in songs giving the music its title. Blues would include CALL AND RESPONSE, IMPROVISATION and STRONG RHYTHMIC CONTENT. The fusion of African pentatonic scales and the seven-note
Western scale produced the blues scale – with its characteristic “bending” of notes Popular types of jazz include – RAGTIME, SWING played by BIG BANDS in the 1920’s, NEW ORLEANS JAZZ – one of the first recognised jazz style originating in New Orleans and BEBOP – a
jazz style requiring virtuosic technique including fast tempo and complex harmonies “All Blues” is an example of MODAL JAZZ – features of modal jazz include:
The soloist is freed from the more “restrictive” former types of jazz where they had to “stick to the chords” and now use a scale or MODE to use, more of less ignoring the chords underneath - this led to a longer, freer improvisations. Modal jazz songs and numbers are significantly LONGER than the shorter songs of bebop and cool jazz allowing for EXTENDING SOLOING.
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
Marked
“Jazz Waltz”
Tonality All Blues is an example of MODAL
JAZZ – this means that rather than
relying on complicated chord patterns
the harmony focuses on a MODE or
scale and the improvised solos are
freer. Davis improvises on the G
MIXOLYDIAN MODE
Texture The texture is made up of RIFFS – a
short rhythmic ostinato common in
jazz. 3 riffs are used in “All Blues” –
the first (G D ED F DED) is on the
double bass, the second where the
alto and tenor sax play in thirds (D/B,
E/C, F/D, E/C)
Pitch & Melody The main melody (HEAD) and the
solos are all played over the 12-bar
blues chord sequence (the
CHANGES) based on the notes of a
MODE. The improvisations are
ORNAMENTED and combine riffs
together.
Dynamics The dynamics of “All
Blues” is mainly p
throughout although
there is a diminuendo
in the final “Head 4”
Rhythm The RHYTHM SECTION provides the
harmony and rhythmic background –
drums, bass and piano. This section
provides the COMPING – or
accompanying – playing the
background chords and rhythms
Instrumentation FRONTLINE - Trumpet (Miles Davis),
Alto Sax (Julian ‘Cannonball
Adderley), Tenor Sax (John Coltrane),
RHYTHM - Piano (Bill Evans), Bass
(Paul Chambers) & Drums (Jimmy
Cobb)
Tempo Tempo of crotchet = 156. Although
this may seem rather fast, the bar
feels like it is split into two slow beats
(two dotted minims), so it feels like a
laid back tempo of Dotted minim =
152.
Harmony “All Blues” is based around a REPEATED 12-BAR BLUES CHORD SEQUENCE
(the CHANGES) with a FOUR-BAR LINKING RIFF between each section. The 12-
bar blues chord sequences is based on the following chords where each box
represents one bar. Adding extra notes to a chord (as in bars 9 and 10 above) is known as EXTENDING or ALTERING a chord – a feature used a
lot in jazz The structure of “All Blues” is based on the repeated 12-bar blues chord sequence, which is repeated 19 times in total!
G7 G7 G7 G7
C7 C7 G7 G7
D7#9 Eb7#9/D7#9 G7 G7
Form & Structure INTRO – drums (played with brushes), bass riff, piano trill then alto and tenor sax riff in thirds
HEAD – this is where the original tune or melody is played – melody played on muted trumpet with a simple motif mainly stepwise movement
LINK SECTION – 4 bars between repetitions of the 12-bar blues chord sequence – breaks up the repetitions and provides contrast
HEAD 2 – same as the first time on muted trumpet but melody is slightly developed. LINK SECTION – ride cymbal added by the drums
IMPROVISED SOLO – first solo performed by Miles Davis, mute now removed from trumpet. Uses 4 repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence (no
links) and uses the G Mixolydian mode to improvise. Ride cymbal now very prominent in the rhythm section. LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Adderly on also sax, uses 4-repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence, very chromatic and technical - LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Coltraine on tenor sax, uses 4-repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence, virtuosic playing. LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Evans on piano, continues COMPING in left hand, uses 2-repetitions of the 12-bar blues chord sequence, right hand plays a
melody line like frontline instruments. LINK SECTION – alto and tenor sax play riff in thirds
HEAD 3 – same as Head 1, trumpet muted again LINK SECTION – alto and tenor sax play riff in thirds, trill returns in piano part
HEAD 4 – melody now developed with a more “minor” feel LINK SECTION – drums back down contributing to a diminuendo
OUTRO – Davis plays a short solo on the tonic note G over the sax riff and piano trill before the song fades out
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
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SET WORK SUMMARY
“Grace” from the album ‘Grace’ – Jeff Buckley PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context 1966-1997 – American singer-songwriter, son of Tim Buckley, a jazz-folk musician who died in 1975, Buckley drowned during an evening swim in the Wolf River in 1997. Jeff formed his first covers band in 1982 and was interested in a wide variety of musical styles before developing his love of the guitar. The guitarist Gary Lucas was looking for a singer and recruited Buckley to his band who he worked collaboratively with, including writing the song “Grace” together, until they parted company Buckley’s first number 1 came posthumously in 2008 with “Hallelujah” (also used on the film “Shreck”)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context “Grace” is the first and only complete studio album by Jeff Buckley released on 23 August 1994
The performers on “Grace” are – Jeff Buckley: guitar, vocals; Matt Johnson: drums, Mick Grondahl: bass; Gary Lucas: guitar
The lyrics are said to be based on a dream Buckley had about a girl crying on her boyfriend’s arm at an airport, not wanting him to leave, but they are also clearly about death. Buckley was fascinated with the subject of mortality, probably because of the early death of his father
“Grace” is an example of “Guitar-based” track – features of guitar-based tracks include:
An emphasis on guitar textures based on SOUNDSCAPES rather than riffs or technical
showcases
The main chord sequence of “Grace” is a POWER CHORD slid across three FRETS of the guitar
but played in different ways in each section with different textures.
Moving the same chord shape up and down the FRETBOARD and using one or more OPEN STRINGS as a DRONE
gives a harmonic richness to the sound. The bottom string of the guitar has been tuned down from E to D (drop-D tuning)
Various EFFECTS are used on electric and acoustic guitars throughout the song – whisper (saved for places where they can be heard, adding an eerie effect to the song, emphasising the lyrics), reverb, slides, delay, “mandolin” effect (link section) scoops on the tremolo arm, hitting the “deadened” acoustic guitar strings (end of middle 8), hitting the body of the acoustic guitar (end of middle 8) and flange (bringing out the open, droning, discordant notes)
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
Tonality The key is not clear from the first
three chords (Fm, Gm, Em) but
arrives in D MAJOR at the end of the
introduction and end of the link
sections. The verse, pre-chorus and
chorus have a MODAL tonality with a
tonic of E.
Rhythm The rhythm of the intro is highlighted
by the acoustic guitar and Hi-HAT
cymbal “driving “ the song forward
During the verse more emphasis is
placed on the TOMS of the drum kit. A
DRUM ROLL leads into the Middle 8
section. Cymbals used more
prominently in verse 3.
The unifying rhythm of the song is a
solid ROCK BEAT
Pitch & Melody The vocal melody in the verse has a
limited pitch range, becoming higher
in the pre-chorus and chorus. A
“whispering” backing vocal adds
variety to the melody in the chorus.
TELEPHONE EQ EFFECT added to
vocal melody in Middle 8 giving a
harsh and distant effect.
Verse 3 sees the pitch of the vocal
melody becoming HIGHER and
extremely HIGH PITCH VOCAL
IMPROVISATIONS in the outro using
MELISMA and FALSETTO.
Tempo 64 bpm = dotted
crotchet
Maintains consistent
tempo throughout
Dynamics The song starts p but has a f chord in
the intro.
The WHISPER effect on the Electric
Guitar uses dynamics picking the
note with the volume turned down
and then turning it up quickly
Texture Parts drop out from time to time to let me music breathe and
provide TEXTURAL CONTRAST. The texture in the verse
becomes thinner with the high electric guitar RIFF dropping out.
BACKING VOCALS (subtle) and STRINGS (for effect) enter in
the chorus adding to the texture. Strings play PIZZICATO in
pre-chorus 2.
Thick POLYPHONIC texture in Middle 8 – multi-track vocal
harmonies in COUNTERPOINT. Thick texture in Verse 3 and
outro as strings come to the fore.
Harmony The bass guitar provides a PEDAL note “D” upon which harmonies and chords
are constructed (Intro).
During the verse the electric guitar plays POWER CHORDS – the bass follows
the root of the power chord, the harmonies are MODAL with E as the tonic note
– Em, Em/F5, Em/Eb5.
The pre-chorus uses more complex chords – Em, F#dim, G6, A6, Bm, A6/9, Em
The chorus uses chords– Em/F5, Em,Eb5 - still based on the tonic E.
Complex harmonies in Middle 8 – “hummed” vocals with long sustained notes
on strings
Form & Structure
INTRO VERSE 1 PRE-CHORUS 1 CHORUS LINK VERSE 2
PRE-CHORUS 2 CHORUS MIDDLE 8 LINK VERSE 3 OUTRO
Instrumentation Main Instruments - Drum kit, Bass Guitar, Three Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocal
Additional Instruments - Backing Vocals and Strings – used for effects or to raise tension by adding to the texture
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
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SET WORK SUMMARY
“Why does my Heart Feel so Bad?” from the album ‘Play’ – Moby PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context Moby (Richard Melville Hall) was born in 1965 in Harlem, New York and is an American DJ, singer-songwriter and musician. He plays keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums. Moby is a deeply religious man whose music & business dealings are strongly rooted to his moral, ethical, environmental and spiritual beliefs. He is both a vegan and a Christian. His music is influences by a range of styles – Blues, Classical, Gospel, Punk, Ambient, Hip-Hop, Techno
After 8 Top 40 singles in the UK during the 1990’s, Moby released the album “Play” (his sixth studio album), in 1999 from which the single “Why does my Heart Feel so Bad?” was also released in 1999.
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context The song is built around 2 VOCAL SAMPLES taken from a GOSPEL RECORDING of
1953. Moby wanted his music to have a “raw, authentic” sound, so he deliberately left the background noise on the vocal samples untouched (including echo’s and traffic noises in the background). Although his music relies on technology, he aimed for a human element which he felt the background noise gave it.
The song was popular (and continues to be so) due to its use of interesting samples, catchy chord sequence and melodies, its easy to dance too and well-structured
“Why does my Heart feel so bad?” is an example of ELECTRONICA – features of ELECTRONICA include:
Roots in CLUB DANCE MUSIC performed by night club DJ’s. There are a wide variety of
sub-genres of club dance music – dub, scratching, Chicago house, Garage and Electronica (a popular sub-genre in the late 1990’s)
SAMPLING and SEQUENCING electronic instruments
Simple harmonies – “Why does my Heart feel so bad?” is based on only 6 chords – selected because of the emotional response they would provoke from the listener.
Use of MUSICAL EFFECTS – Moby uses REVERB, DELAY and EQUALISATION (EQ). Also the placement of sound within the stereo field using left and right hand speakers (PANNING).
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time
Signature
Tonality Both vocal samples are in the key of A minor
but Moby harmonises the first to make it feel
like A minor and the second to make it feel
like C major.
The intro and verse begin in A minor, though
the tonality is slightly more ambiguous in the
chorus where the common notes of the
chords hint at C major before MODULATING
to C major during Chord Sequence 3.
Rhythm “Hip-Hop” drum LOOP
used throughout, also
called a BACKBEAT
The piano
accompaniment
(although sometimes
“static”) changes to a
SYNCOPATED
RHYTHM in verse 1
Dynamics The dynamics of
the song begin
p and increase
in relation to the
texture
throughout the
song.
Pitch & Melody The PIANO provides an
ACCOMPANIMENT to the
vocal sample with a synthesiser
pad doubling some of the piano
notes, but also takes on the role
of the melody in places.
There are elements of CALL
AND RESPONSE between the
piano and vocal sample.
Tempo consistent
throughout at 98
bpm
Texture The texture of the song varies – instruments come in and drop out to provide TEXTURAL
CONTRAST all based around the different chord sequences.
Synthesised bass and string parts are added in verse 2 to fill out the texture with long,
sustained chords in the mid to thigh pitch range.
The texture in the outro is reduced to just vocal sample 1 accompanied by synth pad playing
STATIC CHORDS.
“Echo’s” and “Shouts” are added in the Chorus and a TELEPHONE VOICE EQ applied to
the echo in verse 2.
A complete TEXTURAL CONTRAST is achieved in the BREAK, where all that can be heard
are the dying repeats of the DELAY EFFECT on the EQed vocal echo, a quiet delay repeat
of the snare (from the drum LOOP) and the tailing off of the REVERB applied to other parts.
Harmony The harmony of this song is based around three
CHORD SEQUENCES all made up of only 6 chords
showing a LIMITED HARMONIC RANGE.
Chord Sequence 1 – Am, Am, Em, Em, G, G, D, D
Chord Sequence 2 - C, C, Am, Am C,C, Am, Am
Chord Sequence 3 – F, F, C, C, F, F, C, C
Sus2 and Sus4 chords are also used replacing the
third of the chord with the 2nd
or 4th giving a richer
harmonic sound.
Form & Structure (also showing which chord sequence each section is based on – see “Harmony” above)
INTRO Chord Seq. 1
VERSE 1 Chord Seq. 1 x 4
CHORUS Chord Seq. 2 + 3
VERSE 2 Chord Seq. 1 x 2
BREAK (one single bar)
CHORUS Chord Seq.2, 3, 3
OUTRO Chord Seq. 1
Instrumentation/Equipment
Yamaha SPX990 Multi-effects unit (to apply reverb and delay to tracks); Roland TR909 drum machine (sound source for drum loops), Emu
Pfoformance piano sound module (piano sound source (there are two piano sounds on the track, one from an old Yamaha synth and another
from the Emu); Roland Juno 106 (synth bass sounds); Yamaha SY22 and SY85 Synthesisers (string/synth pad sounds); Akai S3200 sampler
(sampling the vocal sounds off the original record and any subsequent editing)
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
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SET WORK SUMMARY
Skye Waulking Song from the album Nàdurra - Capercaillie PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
“Waulking” is an ancient Scottish process used for making tweed fabric more flexible and windproof. A “Waulking” song refers to a song used to make this process into a more sociable occasion. To keep everyone IN TIME, the work was accompanied by song. There would be one person leading with lyrics, based on a well-known story and others would join in after each line with some NONSENSE SYLLABLES, called VOCABLES. It was considered unlucky to repeat a whole verse, so the songs often had many
verses. Technology has now replaced the need of manual “Waulking” by the hands or feet, but the tradition still continues in some parts of Scotland and “Walking songs” are still sung by these societies and collections of “Waulking” songs have been produced in notation and recordings.
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context Capercaillie were formed in the early 1980’s by Donald Shaw and a few friends. Singer, Karen Matheson joined the band in 1984. The band preserve Scottish Folk Music often singing in SCOTS GAELIC dialect. “Skye Waulking Song” - taken from the album “Nadurra” released in September 2000. The band is made of up 7 members, each with their INDIVIDUAL VIRTUOSITY on their own instruments
and their ability to blend together so well in an ensemble The song lyrics tell the tale of Seathan, son of the King of Ireland. The original song (nearly 200 lines long) was a LAMENT sung by Seathan’s wife, telling of his deeds and recollections and is a way of
grieving and sharing her feelings of loss. Only a few lines are used in this set work interspersed with VOCABLES (nonsense syllables like “Fa-la-la”) in a CALL AND RESPONSE pattern.
The full title for the song, as recorded by Capercaillie, is 'Chuir M'Athair Mise Dhan Taigh Charraideach' (My father sent me to a house of sorrow). “Skye Waulking Song” is an example of FUSION FOLK MUSIC – features of FOLK MUSIC include:
“Music of the People” – performed by lower classes of a society expressing something about their way of life, how they used to live, or about local mythology Passed on by the ORAL TRADITION and rarely notated, often performed at INFORMAL occasions such
as jam sessions at pubs of social gatherings. Folk Music is about everyone taking part, enjoying the music and passing on tales of life, legend and heritage. Folk Music also popular in the US where BOB DYLAN wrote songs in a folk style but with political lyrics – PROTEST SONGS Folk Music is traditionally played on ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS – accordion, bagpipes, banjo, bodhran,
bouzouki, concertina, double bass, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, piano, tin/penny whistle, uileann pipes. Electric Instruments such as the bass, keyboard and electric guitar have been used in folk music but some purists feel this isn’t traditional. FUSION is a combining of more than one musical style or culture. Capercaillie are an example of a band that FUSE CELTIC FOLK MUSIC with the instruments and production values of WESTERN POPULAR MUSIC
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
Harmony The harmony is very SIMPLE using only
FOUR CHORDS in the whole song. The
changes in CHORD SEQUENCE highlight
a change of section or mood.
The intro established the chord sequence
Em-G
This changes to C-G-Em-G in Verse 4
adding some harmonic interest
In verse 7, the chord sequence changes to
Am7-Em-Em-G for one verse only
returning to C-G-Em-C in verse 8 and
alternating C-G chords in the outro
Rhythm The shaker and hi-hat
play every two beats
giving the rhythm a
TRIPLE feel.
The vocal part has a
characteristic LILTING
rhythm
The second and fifth
beats of the bar are
emphasised by the
accordion in the
instrumental section
Dynamics The dynamics
build with the
texture of the
song, dropping
considerably in
verse 7 leaving
room for the
intimate vocal
sounds
A long FADE
OUT brings the
song to an end
Pitch & Melody Melodic lines are
played in the FOLK
STYLE – instruments
IMPROVISE AROUND
A MELODY
The “Waulking” song
tradition can be heard
in the use of
VOCABLES between
each sung line and the
repetition of each line of
verse
Tempo Slow and calm
Tonality The vocal part is sung using
the scale of E MINOR
PENTATONIC (or G major
pentatonic) throughout
Texture HETEROPHONIC TEXTURE is created when instruments perform a very similar melodic line together, but in slightly different ways (Uilleann pipes
solo along with the fiddle in the Instrumental) . There are also examples of instruments weaving a complex improvised COUNTERPOINT around
the melody and scale (G major) and the vocals improvise in COUTERPOINT during the outro. Backing vocals thicken the texture when they join in
vocalising the nonsense syllables in between each line of lyrics (starting in verse 4). Contrasts in texture, such as the UNACCOMPANIED last line
of verse 3 serve as a link between sections and all instruments drop out of the last line of verse 7 similarly. The instruments tend to provide an
ACCOMPANIMENT TEXTURE to the vocal parts but instruments (such as the accordion in verse 4) provide a COUNTER MELODY to the vocals
Form & Structure
INTRO VERSE 1 BREAK VERSE 2 VERSE 3 VERSE 4
VERSE 5 VERSE 6 INSTRUMENTAL VERSE 7 VERSE 8 OUTRO
Instrumentation
Donald Shaw: accordion, piano, synth; Michael McGoldrick: flutes, whistle, uilleann pipes; Karen Matheson: vocals; Ewen Vernal: acoustic and
electric bass; Charlie McKerron: fiddle; Manus Lunny: bouzouki, guitar, bodhran, vocals; James MacKintosh: drums and percussion
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SET WORK SUMMARY
Rag Desh PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
Indian music has a long history, going back more that 2000 years. It is closely linked to Hinduism and religious
philosophy.
The many Hindu gods are often worshiped through performances of raga, both vocal and instrumental. In
particular, the god Shiva is associated with music and dance in Hindu philosophy and there are many pieces in
praise and honour of this particular deity.
The set work is taken from the Indian classical tradition of Northern India.
Unlike Western classical music, Indian music is not written down as conventional musical notation. Instead, it
is taught through listening and playing by ear - called the oral tradition. Indian families have a system of master-
pupil teaching known as a GHARANA. However, playing styles will inevitably change as new techniques are added
by subsequent generations and so the process is a duel one of consolidation and evolution of playing skills.
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context
Rag Desh is one of a number of
Indian ragas (over 200!) – a type of
SCALE/MODE on which Indian music is
based. Like a scale, a raga ascends and
descends, but the pitches often differ in each direction and the number of notes in a raga can vary (unlike Western
classical music). Some ragas are PENTATONIC
It’s TONAL CENTRE/SYSTEM TONIC is the note C
Ragas are associated with a particular mood (RASA), feelings, emotions or certain times of the day. Rag
Desh is traditionally a NIGHT RAGA. Rag Desh (which translates as “country”), is also associated with rainy
seasons or MONSOONS
The three most common elements or strands in Indian classical raga music are:
the MELODY - made up (IMPROVISED) from notes of a particular raga (without notation). Sung by a voice or
played by an instrument such as the sitar or sarod
the DRONE - a supporting one or two notes (often the TONIC and DOMINANT notes of the chosen raga)
provided by the tambura. Its function is to keep a sense of TUNING or INTONATION as a reference point for the
melodic part and it adds to the texture of the raga as a whole.
the RHYTHM - a repetitive, cyclic rhythm pattern called a TALA, played by the tabla drums. Talas vary in number of beats
(MATRAS). In a raga performance, there is often a sense of “competition” between the instrumentalist and drummer as they attempt to
copy and “do each other’s clever and novel rhythmic ideas” whilst still keeping within the cycle of the tala – a sort of “musical duel!”
A raga performance has a STRUCTURE based on FOUR defined sections: ALAP, JOR, GAT, JHALLA. Some sections can be
omitted and raga performances vary vastly in duration – some up to five hours or more! (a raga song has a section called BHAJAN)
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Version 1 Anoushka Shankar: Rag Desh from the album
“Live at Carnegie Hall”
Version 2 “Mhara Janam Maran” by Chiranji Lal
Tanwar
Version 3
Wertheimer & Gorn: Rag Desh, Pt 3 from
the album
“Priyagitah: The Nightingale”
Instruments Sitar and Tabla Voice, Sarangi, Sarod,
Pakhawaj, Cymbals and Tabla
Bansuri, Esraj, Tambura and
Tabla
Form
&
Structure Including:
Tempo
Pitch
Melody
Instruments
Texture
Dynamics
Rhythms
Harmony
ALAP – slow and unmetred,
unaccompanied sitar explores notes of the
raga. Free rhythms sound improvisatory
due to lack of a regular pulse. Some
decoration to melody.
ALAP – short introduction as the
Sarod player, then the singer,
vocalises a melody in free time based
on the notes of the raga. This is a
version of the chorus from the song.
ALAP – slow and unmetred. Drone is
established by Tambura playing the
notes C (sa) and G (pa). Bansuri
enters exploring the notes of the raga
GAT1 – Sitar plays fixed composition
rather than improvisation, but decorated
melody with flourishes and ornaments.
Medium tempo. Tabla enters playing 10-
beat JHAPTAL tala (10 beats) with
decoration.
Dialogue between sitar and tabla
BHAJAN – a “fixed” composition –
song in verse form with the first line
used as a refrain (chorus)
Tabla enters playing KEHERWA tala
(8 beats).
Sarod and Sarangi play solo
passages between verses.
Dynamics and tempo increase and
the music becomes faster and more
exciting; cymbals play more
frequently. This is a Hindu devotional
song from Rajasthan telling of the
arrival of Lord Krishna in the morning.
GAT1 – slow tempo, Bansuri plays
lyrical, unaccompanied melody and
the tabla enters playing RUPAK tala
(7 beats). Bansuri and tabla player
embellish and improvise upon their
original patterns. Instruments then
swap Bansuri improvises, Tabla
accompanies
GAT2 – Faster tempo. Tabla now
switches to TINTAL tala (16 beats) GAT2 – Fast tempo. Tabla now uses
EKTAL tala (12 beats). Bansuri plays
an elaborate melody with wide-
ranging pitch, fast scale passages
(tans) and slides. Several THIAIS
bring the music to a close. Drone
continues shortly after melody ends.
JHALLA – Drone strings are used on the
Sitar which are strummed providing a
striking rhythmic effect. Piece ends with a
TIHAI (phrase played thrice across the
beat ending on first beat of cycle)
G C S E E D E X C E L M U S I C – S E T W O R K S U M M A R I E S S W R A 1
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K
SET WORK SUMMARY
“Yiri” - Koko PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
This set work comes from BURKINO FASO (“men of integrity”/”father’s house”) in WEST AFRICA. The themes in
the music of Burkino Faso focus on mankind’s greatest battles in life including the fight for survival, looking after the environment, creation, community celebrations and friendships. African music is based on the ORAL TRADITION
and has no musical notation. African music is used to communicate different feelings and emotions and is nearly always part of a social gathering. Music is often combined with speech, dance and costumes where performers retell traditional stories through body action and mime.
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context The four most common features of African music are REPETITION, IMPROVISATION,
POLYPHONY and CALL AND RESPONSE
Features of AFRICAN SINGING include – frequent use of CALL AND RESPONSE, short and simple melodies repeated over and over on a LIMITED NUMBER OF PITCHES, vocal improvisations performed at the same time as the original melody creating POLYPHONIC TEXUTRES, often sung in ROUNDS, harmony varies but often in PARALLEL OCTAVES. Body percussion (clapping and stamping) and VOCABLES (often loud shouting) are also used in
singing.
Features of AFRICAN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC include – REPETITION (including OSTIANTO), IMPROVISATION, CYCLIC STRUCTURES, POLYPHONIC TEXTURES and INTERTWINING MELODIES
There are many different instruments in African Music, which vary from region to regions. There are lots of drums called MEMBRAPHONES (as they have a skin) and they
are considered the most important instruments associated with communication, religious significant and ceremony. Different African drums include – djembe, dundun and donno (the talking drum). Drums are played with the hands (“open” and “closed” sounds), on the edge or using sticks.
IDIOPHONES are resonant, solid instruments including – rattles, shakers, bells, Mbria
(thumb piano), xylophones, balaphones, clap sticks, slit gongs and stamping tubes
AEROPHONES are wind or blown instruments including – flutes (bamboo and horn), ocarinas, panpipes, horns (made from animal tusks), trumpets, pipes and whistles
CHORDOPHONES are string instruments including – zithers, lutes, koras, lyres and musical bows
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Harmony The harmony remains close to the tonic Gb major
throughout making frequent use of the Dominant Db
note.
When the voices enter in Chorus A1 they sing in
UNISON and all responses to the solo call continue to
be in UNISON
Pitch & Melody The opening solo balaphone melody is HIGH PITCHED and is a simple and repetitive
idea using “rolls” on each note. When the second balaphone enters the melody
becomes more SYNCOPATED
The vocal melody is short, simple and REPETITIVE.
Melodies are often VARIED by different instruments
Contrasting melody in Call and Response section – long held notes and short
punctuated notes on “Yiri”
Tonality Opening balaphone melody establishes the tonality of
Gb MAJOR reinforced by the Dominant Db note.
Tempo The piece starts off in FREE TEMPO but
continues in a MODERATE tempo
Dynamics
The piece opens with SOFT dynamics
which increase as the instruments are
added and the texture thickens. The
piece ends with a single “ting” on a bell
Texture The piece starts off with a MONOPHONIC texture with a solo balaphone
but a second soon joins playing mainly in OCTAVES with some different
pitches creating a HETEROPHONIC texture
Texture changes considerably during the Call and Response section
with a SOLO call and CHORAL RESPONSES. This is developed in
Chorus B1 where the soloist and instrumentalists perform in dialogue.
Rhythm The BALAPHONE OSTINATI in combination produce a complex,
POLYPHONIC TEXTURE
The DRUM OSTINATI perform a relentless one-bar pattern starting in
the intro performed by the talking drum, small talking
drum and djembe. This ostinato is decorated with
occasional RHYTHMIC FILLS.
The balaphone performs CROSS RHYTHMS in the call and response
section which become SYNCOPATED during the coda
Form & Structure
INTRO CHORUS
A1
BREAK CHORUS
A2
BREAK CALL &
RESPONSE
CHORUS
B1
CHORUS
A3
CODA
Instrumentation
Madou Kone: (vocals, balaphone, flute); Sydou Traore: (vocals, balaphone), Jacouba Kone: (djembe ), Francois Naba: (vocals, tam-tam, dundun,
maracas), Keresse Sanou: (talking drum ), Tidiane Hema: (vocals, maracas)