Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Defying Gravity- Stephen Schwartz
- musical contexts
- composed for the musical
Wicked in 2003, based on
the 1939 film The Wizard
Of Oz.
- follows the story of the witches
of Oz, "defying gravity" refers to
Elphaba's vow to rise above the
limitations placed upon her.
- melody and leitmotifs
- a leitmotif is a recurring
musical idea associated
with a chracter, idea or
place.
- unlimited theme or motif X:
features the first seven notes
of "somewhere over the
rainbow" from the Wizard of
Oz. Also, features four pitches:
D, E, F sharp and G, these stand
as a musical cipher for DEFying
Gravity. introduced in first
bridge.
- Motif B: Elphaba's
theme: derived from
7 pitches of motif X,
bass rises through
the interval of a
fourth.
- Motif C:
follows
motif B,
very high in
pitch and
delicate.
- Motif D: accompaniment figure to
main chorus hook. Makes use of
metrical shifting.
- chords in
first
verse
feature
bare
fifths
and
melody
only
features
five
pitches.
- in the chorus, ostinato of three notes, metrical shifting.
- melody in verse two moves
through a circle of fifths
progression.
- melody in verse 2
is hexatonic
- melody of first bridge
features scalic descent
followed by scalic
ascent.
- revised version of the introduction features long
susained chords with the interval of a hird added
to add warmth, no more chromatcism.
- chous 4, features top F sharp,
sounds most powerful.
- ensemble
in coda
mainly
sing in
fifths.
part of an
octatonic
scale set
to a
series of
polytonal
chords.
- ensemble in coda sing six part triad i D major then
crescendo with orchestra before a sforzando "door
slam" on unison D.
- harmony
- perfect forths
and fifths are
very common.
they create a
strong and
heroic melody
- bars 1-6,
harmony
moves
chromatically.
- each with is given an initial
key area: D major for Glida
and D flat major for Elphaba
- introduction
ends in
perfect
cadence in B
major
however first
verse begins
in D major.
- chorus begins with an
interrupted cadence and the
interval of a fifth in the melody.
- verse 2 begins
with perfect
cadence to
reflect
elphaba's
renewed
confidence.
- chorus 3, both sing together
harmonising in perfect
fifths and forths.
- second bridge features a plagal
cadence and descending forths.
- coda: at start features augmented version of melody at beginning of chorus.
- strong dissonance in
final chord
- texture
- begins homophonic
- form and
structure
- introduction, verse 1, chorus 1, link 1, verse 2, chorus 2, second dialogue section, first bridge, chorus 3, link 2, revised version of the introduction, vamp section, second bridge, chorus 4, link 3, coda.
- rhythm, dynamics, articulation and metre
- begins marcato
- triplets introduced in link
1to create cross rhythms.
- tempo slows in link 3.
- orchestra play fortissimo in coda
- instrumentation
- introduction
like
recititive in
opera
- first verse
begins with
motif B in
brass and
Motif C on
synthesiser.
strings play
tremelo.