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Purcell Music For a While (MELODY : (Word Painting ("Drop' -…
Purcell Music For a While
TEXTURE
Most of this piece displays a Melody-Dominated-Homophony texture.
Elements of polyphony
Harpsichord right hand realised on the spot. Creates melodies that are polyphonic and contrast with the vocal melody
HARMONY
Some elements of chromaticism added for flavour/spice
Tonic (Home Key) of A minor
But modulates to other related keys (Dominant, relative major)
Lots of perfect cadences - particularly noticeable at the end of the ground bass to return to A minor - also at modulations to reenforce new key
MELODY
:
Vocal melody often conjunct
Bass line is often more disjunct
Lots of melismatic writing
Lots of ornamentation (Vocal and harpsichord)
Word Painting
"Drop' - Short notes
'Pains' dissonant - 'Eased' - Suspension
'Wondering' - long mesmatic phrase indicates extended thinking
'Eternal' - Long melismatic phrase
EXPRESSION AND DYNAMICS
Limited dynamic contrast
Harpsichord unable to play different dynamics
Typical Baroque style
CONTEXT
From Oedipus
Sung to calm Alecto
Greek Mythology
Henry Purcell
English composer
Employed at Hampton Court
Baroque work
1692
RHYTHM, TEMPO and METRE
4/4
Generally steady tempo - BUT with slight rallentando in a couple of places for added impact of return of A section / end of piece
Harpsichord tends to play shorter note durations / is faster moving whereas the melody holds longer sustained notes more often
Juxtaposition of different rhythmic styles in the three parts of the texture
INSTRUMENTATION AND SONORITY
Bass Viol, Harpsichord, Soprano voice
Harpsochord left hand is EXACTLY the same as the Bass Viol
Because the Harpsichord part is REALISED from figured bass annotations of the bass line
Basso continuo is created between the Bass Viol and Harpsichord
STRUCTURE
Da Capo Aria (Ternary Form)
Ground Bass (3 bar repeated bass line that everything else happens on top of)