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Music Gsce Structures

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And the glory of the lord – Handel 1. “and the glory of the lord” first sung by altos in bar 11-14 | syllabic- nearly each syllable has its own note | 2. “shall be revealed”Introduced by tenors bars 17-20 | ‘be revealed’ is set over a descending sequence & revealed is mellismatic (lots of notes for few syllables) | 3. “and all flesh shall see it together” Altos in bar 43-46 | The same bit of melody is repeated three times! | 4. “for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” tenors & basses bar 51-57 in unison then harmony | Most on same pedal note of A. notes are long- sounds serious & important. |

Once the motifs are introduced the parts imitate each other. The parts overlap, so they are sometimes singing in canon.
The last four bars of the piece are marked Adagio – they’re much slower. It finished with a plagal cadence (chord V to chord 1). This makes the piece sound like it’s finished.

Why does my heart feel so bad – Moby A1 0.00 | Piano only, establishing main chord sequence Am, Am, Em, Em, G, G, D, D. | A2 0.19 | Adds male voice sample “why does my heart______ feel so bad____ why does my soul___ feel so bad__” The sample is unedited. Electronic ghostings from 1953 gospel choir. LOOPED. | A3 0.39 | Adds percussion and countermelody. The left hand of piano is doubled by low synth | A4 0.59 | Adds bass and string synth. These fill out the structure- long sustained chords | A5 1.19 | More syncopated version of piano chords. New piano rhythm decorated with sus2 and sus4 chords (chords use notes 1 3 5 but sus chords use notes 2 or 4) | Bx1 1.38 | Female voice takes over from male with a repeated 2 bar phrase “These____ open doors These____ open doors”NEW CHORD SEQUENCE: C, C, Am, Am.Ambiguous tonality of Cmajor or Aminor | By1 1.57 | Voice continues with 2 bar phrase, with some echo-canons and shouts. This creates a call and response textureNEW CHORD SEQUENCE: F, F, C,C, F, F, C,C. | A6 2.17 | Male voice resumes as before. Second vocal line is used in a ‘question and answer style” This part was given delay and heavy EQ (telephone effect) during the mix. | A7 2.37 | Repeats A6. After this, there is a ONE BAR PAUSE with fading echoes. | Bx2 2.59 | Female voice resumes, distant, repeating the 2 bar phrase as before, but accompanied by static chords, no piano or percussion. The sample has reverb and delay so that it has the effect of blending with the synth. | By2 3.18 | Change of chord sequence. Piano and percussion resume and the female voice comes back to the foreground. Much less reverb and delay. | By3 3.38 | Repeats By2 | A8 3.57 | OUTRO – Male voice resumes accompanied by static chords (playing chord sequence 1). The chords are prolonged, slowing down and getting gentler. The texture has been broken down to vocal sample 1 and synth strings. |
Prelude No.15 in D flat Major, Opus 28 – Freyderick Chopin Section A The prelude starts in D flat major.The pianist used a pedal a lot to sustain the notes. In this part the pedal is an A flat.The first melodic phrase is 4 bars long and is marked p (piano, quiet). The first three notes of the melody are descending which sounds like rain falling or a ‘musical sigh’. In Bar 3 the melody is harmonised in 6ths. There is an ornament in the fourth bar- a turn written out in full (or a septuplet).Another melodic idea starts in the two quavers in bar 8. It’s a 4 bar melody and the key moves towards A flat minor. It is followed by a variation of the tune.In bars 14-20 the PEDAL note moves to an F and NOT an A flat.The melody goes through B-minor (the relative minor of D flat major) then BACK to D flat major for the last few bars of this section, where you hear the opening melody again. | Section BThis is in C# minor, which makes it sound more dramatic. The melody is in crotchets in the bass part, played underneath the ‘raindrop’ notes. In this section the raindrop notes are G# and they are marked sotto voce which means ‘in an undertone / below the voice’ so it should be SOFT and QUIET. In Bar 35 Chopin builds the texture by doubling the ‘raindrop’ in octaves- this makes it more powerful.The dynamics build up gradually until they go back to p at Bar 43. It then builds up to fortissimo. These rising and falling dynamics sound angry and perhaps like a storm surging (raindrop theme). Chopin uses a lot more accents in section B which creates a big contrast to section A. In bars 64-67 the repeats G# s in the top line form an inverted pedal (am inverted pedal is a held note in the top part)Although the section is in C# minor Chopin explores other keys for instance G# minor and F# minor. | Section AIn bar 76 the piece returns to the key of D flat major and repeats section A. The opening phrase is played again with a slightly different ornament- its more chromatic – (notes that do not belong to the key in which it is written.)Chopin uses the term smorzando – dying away to suggest that the piece is ending | Coda The melodic line has the highest note of the piece in the coda (B flat Bar 80). The bars of the coda are the only ones not accompanied by repeated ‘raindrop’ quavers.Bars 82 and 83 are a monophonic texture with just the melody in the right hand, which creates tension then...In Bar 84 the quavers are back on the dominant note (A flat) until the final tonic D flat chord.The final two bars are pianissimo, the quietest part of the whole prelude. The piece slows down with a gentle ritenuto- (suddenly played slower). |

Rag Desh ‘Priyagitah’- Steve Gorn and Benjy Wertheimer. Note this version has the esraj, tabla and bansuri.Structure= Alap and 2 gats Alap: drone by the tambura (Sa and Pa or notes D and A). Then the bansuri and esraj come in. They improvise using the notes of the rag.This section is quite slow and flowing.Gat 1: in RUPAK tal (a 7 beat cycle that goes 3 + 2 + 2)Short flute solo leads into an opening flourish from the tabla. They keep the rupak tal but add embellishments while the flute improvises.They then switch and the flute takes over the gat and the tabla improvises. Couple of tihais are heard which leads into Gat 2: fast! This gat is in Ektal (12 beat cycle 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2) Fast improvised scale passages called tans | Anouska ShankarRecognise this one through the SITAR.Structure= Alap and 2 gats Alap: short and improvised. Slow. The unaccompanied sitar introduces the notes and mood of the rag. Rhythm is free, no regular pulse. Gat1: fixed composition which is varied by adding improvised decoration. Played at madhyalaya- medium speed. The tabla enters in jhaptal- (10 beat cycle 2 + 3 + 2 + 3). Tabla and sitar alternate short melodic improvisations. The end of this is emphasised by a tihai (where a short phrase is played three times across the beat)Sitar improve using a triplet- chandGat 2: drut (fast) gat in tintal (16 beat cycle 4 + 4 + 4 + 4)Final tihai played to end piece. | ‘Mewar Re Mira’ Tanwar This version has a male VOICE.Structure= Alap and Bhajan (gat with singing) The pakhawaj sarod & saranghi are used.Keherwa tal used (8 beat cycle 2 + 2 + 2 + 2) Alap: short. First on saranghi then on voice.Sarod has an interlude.
Saranghi solo.More verses are sung returning to the first line as a chorus/refrain. This repeats until the piece ends in a short tihai. |

The Skye Waulking Song - Capercaille INTRO | Verse 1 | Verse 2 | Verse 3 | Verse 4 | Verse 5 | Verse 6 | Instrumental/ middle 8 | Verse 7 | Verse 8 | OUTRO | 12/8 timeKeyboard hints at EmViolin has tremolo effectBouzouki and Wurlitzer piano work in counter point | Em G EM G Nonsense syllables used to keep everyone in time & give leader time to make new line | After a break verse 2 comes in. | The last line is solo by the lead vocalist, with a marking N.C (NO CHORD) | C G EM C G Change in chord sequence creates harmonic interest. FULL BAND enters | Counter-melody played on accordion | | Uillean pipes and the fiddle create a heterphonic texture (by playing same melody but each changing slightly) | Reduced dynamics and texture gives space for an intimate vocal sound. NEW CHORDS Am9 Em9 | Full band again | Vocal improvInstruments in counter-point: polyphonic |

Yiri – Koko
Bars 1-7: Balafon solo. Tremolo effect as balafon notes are short so this elongates the sound.
Bar 8: after intro the second balafon joins. They play throughout the piece. Are playing polyrhythms (different rhythmic cycles with accents in different places) this creates a heterophonic texture.
Bar 14: drums all play the same rhythm, repeated throughout, an ostinato. {QUAVER, TWO SEMI-QUAVERS} includes large talking drum, small talking drum and djembe.
Bar 28: choir comes in in UNISON. Short simple repetition.
Bar 34: break, Balafon solo.
Bar 42: chorus A2
Bar 48: another break, Balafon solo
Bar 52: solo with choral responses. The call is much longer than the response. Continues for a while. Voice uses triples in a variation on the original melody.
Bar 84: new melody on Balafons repeated for 12 bars.
Bar 114: balafon break again, followed by choir chorus A3.
Bar 154: an obvious coda happens, mostly in octaves which creates a heterophonic texture because parts are playing almost the same melody at different pitches.

Grace- Jeff Buckley
Intro: Fm7, Gm7, Em then D and A7 alternating. eerie wailing from synthesizer. Guitar ‘whisper’ made by picking notes with the volume turned down.
Verse 1: vocals in, moving over 2 octaves. 2 guitars: one plays rhythm on score and the second finger-picks the chord shapes. Em, F, Em, E flat.
Chorus: F9(no 3rd), Em, E flat. On the guitar, open strings create discord (acoustic roughness between simultaneously sounding notes)
Intro is repeated! With some small changes
Verse 2: Pizzicato strings added (picking)
Chorus 2
Middle 8/ Bridge: telephone effect used to remove low frequencies of Buckley’s voice.
Repeat intro! With changes
Repeated and improvised section: played 6 times. Voices and instruments improvise elaborately over these chords Em, F, Em, E flat. Vocals build to a screaming climax.

Buckley used unusual chord progressions.
Flanger added to create a swirling sound.
Word setting:uses falsetto, higher than normal voice. Virtuoso performance. mellismatic- lots of notes for syllables which are drawn out e.g. “my fading voice” “love” falling mellisma.

Exposition | Subject 1 bars 1-42 * Music is very fast * No introduction * The first three notes in the first idea are repeated throughout the first subject. * Violins play in octaves * Marked piano which is unusual- usually starts loud. * Bridge passage in forte with lots of sforzandos. * Bridge starts in B flat major, but chromatic notes used to add tension * Violins play a descending sequence over a low string tremolo with sustained notes Subject 2 bars 44- 71 * Again in B flat major with chromatic notes * The strings play the theme first, then the woodwind repeat it at bar 52. * Mozart used ornaments here for the first time, the woodwind plays trills in bar 65. * Descending staccato scale from flute, bassoons and violins at the end to move to codetta.Codetta * Use of imitation between the clarinet and bassoon. * Key changes back to G minor | Development 101- 163 | * Based on the first idea from the exposition * Harmonies are more chromatic * Explores lots of different keys * From bar 140 Mozart used lots of pedal points | Recapitulation (164- 183) | This features the first subject appearing again. | Bridge (184- 226) | * Overpowering section with loud dynamics and staccato notes. * Polyphonic * Sequence in canon between violin 1 and the lower strings * Long section: 50 bars long. | Subject 2 reappears (227- 259) | * Shared between woodwind and strings * Musical and texture are reduced. * This short section is an extension in which the music modulates to E flat major. * Hints of the exposition heard, this time in G minor. | Coda | * This section is a bit longer than the codetta. * (Bars 260-276) The three-note motif from the first subject is passed between the clarinet, bassoon and flute, whilst the first violins exchange the first two notes of the motif in augmentation with the violas and cellos. This section is rounded off with a perfect cadence in G minor at bars 275-276. * (Bars 276-299) This starts off as a scalic flourish building to the expected final cadence. However this forte passage is suddenly interrupted with some piano woodwind chords at bar 285 during which we hear glimpses of the first subject in the second violins, the first violins at bar 287, cellos at bar 289, the flute, clarinets and bassoons at bar 291. * (Bar 293-299 (End)) The final 'tutti' homophonic reiteration of a series of chords I and V in G minor ending with four emphatic full stops (G minor chords). The last section of six bars corresponds to the last six bars of the exposition! |

All Blues- Miles Davis | Intro | Is 8 bars long. Made of two four bar sections (intro 1 and intro 2)In intro 2 alto and tenor saxes play Riff B in 3rds. | | Head | Lasts for 32 bars. A muted trumpet plays a 12 bar theme (main melody) while the saxes play riff B in the back. They then play intro 2, the theme then another repetition of intro 2. | | Improvised solos | The four solo sections each feature a different instrument: 1. Trumpet (Miles Davis) four choruses and is made up of short syncopated motifs. 2. Alto Sax (Julian Adderley) four choruses and uses quicker notes and a wider range than the trumpet 3. Tenor Sax (John Coltrane) four choruses and uses fast scales and quick runs. It's very virtuosic 4. Piano (Bill Evans) 2 choruses. This is a much calmer improvisation that the others with a simple melody and a string of parallel chordsEach section is improvised. After each solo intro 2 is played with the piano playing riff B this time instead of the saxes. | | Head | Head comes back again, it’s the 12 bar theme followed by intro 2. They play both bits twice. | | Outro | Finishes on a 12 bar outro which fades out. The saxophones are playing riff B again, but the trumpet introduces a new riff, riff C. |

Something’s Coming- Leonard Bernstein
'Something’s Coming' does not follow a standard song structure such as verse and chorus. Instead it is held together by three ideas or themes which are heard throughout the song and presented in different ways. Sung by a solo tenor voice.
Theme A:

Look at the first theme. Notice the tritone between the bass note C and the F sharp in the vocal line. The F sharp resolves onto a G. The mood is quite tentative.
Theme B:

Look at the contrasting second theme. Notice the declamatory repeated notes and the use of accents. The mood is much more confident with a loud dynamic and accented notes.
Theme C:

Look at the third theme. Notice the use of long sustained notes, legato phrases and rising intervals. Notice the lyrical melody and the optimistic mood.

Peripetie – Arnold Shoenberg
Shoenberg didn’t use a conventional structure as there isn’t an obvious melody. He uses melody fragments and complicated, fragmented rhythms. Each fragment is based on a hexachord (6 notes from the 12 different semi-tones). It could almost be rondo form because of the different sections. Section A (bars 1-18) | Every instrument in the orchestra gets to play in section A, but only for a couple of bars at a time. The instruments play in groups- the clarinets, bass clarinet and bassoons play one melodic fragment, followed by the trumpet and trombones, and so on- the little bits of tune are passed around the orchestra. Starts off very loud but drops down to pp in bar 6. | Section B (bars 18- 34) | Again all instruments play but this time most parts play alone. They’re all playing different rhythms, and the parts overlap. Towards the end almost every instrument is playing at the same time, though not the same rhythms which give it a very thick texture. Section B starts off quietly but the dynamics build up quickly. | Section A’ (bars 35- 43) | The hexachord from bar 8 is played again by the horns. | Section C (bars 44- 58) | This section has a very thin texture- there are solo lines for the cello and double bass. There are a few loud semiquaver triplets, but most of the section is calm and quiet. | Section A” (bars 59- 66) | Finishes with another variation of section A. The instrumentation builds up from just the clarinets and strings until the whole orchestra plays a fff chord in bar 64. The piece finishes with pp chord in the horns and double bass. |

Electric Counterpoint
The piece is in binary form (AB) with 4 sections within the A and B sections and it ends with a Coda.

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