GCSE Music Section B Four Set Works Focus GCSE EDEXCEL MUSIC – SET WORK SUMMARIES SWRA1 “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 x George Frideric Handel - born in Germany in 1685 x Appointed “Kappellmeister” to the Elector of Hanover who became King George I of England x Handel became the “royal composer” to George I and lived and worked in England x Handel’s sight failed him in later years, he died in 1759 and is buried in Westminster Abbey x 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 the first CHORUS for voices and orchestral accompaniment from Handel’s ORATORIO – “Messiah”. Handel wrote “Messiah” in 1741 in only 24 days! The words (LIBRETTO) were taken from the bible and tell of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. An Oratorio (a “religious opera”) consists of forms taken from Italian opera – RECITATIVES, ARIAS and CHORUSES. Unlike opera, oratorios had no acting, scenery or costumes. Music comes from the BAROQUE PERIOD (c.1600-1750) – features of Baroque music include x ORNAMENTED melodic parts (e.g. trills) x MAJOR/MINOR key structures (replacing “modes) x Basso CONTINUO (figured bass) played by Harpsichord (and Cello) to “fill in harmonies” x Different musical textures – HOMOPHONIC, POLYPHONIC x Baroque Orchestra – violin family, harpsichord, trumpets, horns and timpani x One “mood” set and maintained throughout the piece x TERRACED DYNAMICS – Loud or Soft PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features Time Signature Tonality Tempo Dynamics Pitch (vocal range) Allegro Lively, fast dance tempo to match joyous To match joyful mood A major mood of words - TERRACED Rhythm Harmony Texture Musical Features “Driving” regular on-beat crotchet Clear MAJOR harmonies – minor Alternating HOMOPHONIC and IMITATION & SEQUENCE– rhythms match “stately” mood avoided to match joyful words. POLYPHONIC sections. The SYLLABIC word setting – one Use of HEMIOLA – notes grouped Uses PERFECT CADENCES (V-I) chorus ends with a CHORDAL word per note in 2-beat units e.g. during piece with a PLAGAL HOMOPHONIC coda. MELISMATIC word setting – one CADENCE (IV-I) ending the word spread over many notes e.g. chorus. “revealed” Melody and Form & Structure Chorus is based on 4 contrasting melodic ideas IDEA 1 (based on triad of A major & syllabic) IDEA 2 (descending sequence & melisma) IDEA 3 (repetition) IDEA 4 (notes of long duration - repeated) Instrumentation Written for four voices – SOPRANO, ALTO, TENOR and BASS with Instrumental accompaniment. The original accompaniment consisted of STRINGS (VIOLINS, VIOLAS and CELLOS) with continuo (HARPSICHORD or ORGAN) and TRUMPETS and TIMPANI. Handel went on to add parts for OBOES and BASSOONS to double the string parts and in places the voice parts. 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GCSE EDEXCEL MUSIC – SET WORK SUMMARIES SWRA1 “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 19th and early 20th 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 Tonality Texture Pitch & Melody All Blues is an example of MODAL The texture is made up of RIFFS – a The main melody (HEAD) and the Marked JAZZ – this means that rather than short rhythmic ostinato common in solos are all played over the 12-bar “Jazz Waltz” relying on complicated chord patterns jazz. 3 riffs are used in “All Blues” – blues chord sequence (the the harmony focuses on a MODE or the first (G D ED F DED) is on the CHANGES) based on the notes of a scale and the improvised solos are double bass, the second where the MODE. The improvisations are freer. Davis improvises on the G alto and tenor sax play in thirds (D/B, ORNAMENTED and combine riffs MIXOLYDIAN MODE E/C, F/D, E/C) together. Dynamics Rhythm Instrumentation Tempo The dynamics of “All The RHYTHM SECTION provides the FRONTLINE - Trumpet (Miles Davis), Tempo of crotchet = 156. Although Blues” is mainly p harmony and rhythmic background – Alto Sax (Julian ‘Cannonball this may seem rather fast, the bar throughout although drums, bass and piano. This section Adderley), Tenor Sax (John Coltrane), feels like it is split into two slow beats there is a diminuendo provides the COMPING – or RHYTHM - Piano (Bill Evans), Bass (two dotted minims), so it feels like a in the final “Head 4” accompanying – playing the (Paul Chambers) & Drums (Jimmy laid back tempo of Dotted minim = background chords and rhythms Cobb)