Defying Gravity

Your first set work for Music for Stage & Screen is S Schwartz: Defying Gravity (from the album of the cast recording of Wicked).

Schwartz

Written by Stephen Schwartz and released in 2003, this song is sung by both the characters of Glinda and Elphaba.
Defying Gravity ends the first Act of the musical and is about Elphaba being ‘through with accepting limits’ placed on her and literally and metaphorically defying gravity.

Dynamics

Defying Gravity uses a full dynamic range from pp (very quiet) to ff (very loud).
There are sfz markings, meaning sforzando, which translates as ‘forced'.
There is also an fp marking which means to play loud and then immediately soft.

Rhythm

There is use of syncopation (off beat) and rubato (robbed time).
The piece starts in 3/2 to 2/2 but soon turns into 4/4.
In bar 101 the time signature changes to 3/4 and then back to 4/4.
In bar 32 the marking 'andante' is given which means ‘walking pace’. In bar 49 this changes to 'allegro' which means 'fast'.

Defying Gravity

Defying Gravity ends the first Act of Wicked and is about Elphaba being ‘through with accepting limits’ placed on her and literally and metaphorically defying gravity.

1Musical Elements

1.1Organisation of Pitch

1.1.1Melodic Pitch

1.1.2Melodic Devices

1.1.3Harmonic Pitch

1.1.4Harmonic Devices

1.1.5Harmonic Progressions

1.2Tonality

1.2.1Major & Minor Tonality

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Musical Elements

2Instrumental Music 1700–1820

2.1Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major

2.1.1Concerto No. 5 in D Major

2.1.2Structure & Melody

2.1.3Instrumentation & Texture

2.1.4Harmony

2.1.5Wider Listening

2.2Beethoven: Sonata ‘Pathétique’

2.2.1Piano Sonata No. 8

2.2.2Structure & Melody

2.2.3Other Features

2.2.4Wider Listening

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Instrumental Music 1700–1820

3Vocal Music

3.1Purcell: Music for a While

3.1.1Music for a While

3.1.2Other Features

3.1.3Wider Listening

3.2Queen: Killer Queen

3.2.1Killer Queen

3.2.2Other Features

3.2.3Wider Listening

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Vocal Music

4Music for Stage & Screen

4.1Schwartz: Defying Gravity

4.1.1Defying Gravity

4.1.2Other Features

4.1.3Wider Listening

4.2Williams: Star Wars Episode IV

4.2.1A New Hope

4.2.2Structure & Melody

4.2.3Other Features

4.2.4Wider Listening

4.2.5End of Topic Test - Music for Stage & Screen

5Fusions

5.1Afro Celt Sound System: Release

5.1.1Release

5.1.2Other Features

5.1.3Wider Listening

5.2Spalding: Samba Em Preludio

5.2.1Samba Em Preludio

5.2.2Structure & Melody

5.2.3Other Features

5.2.4Wider Listening

5.2.5End of Topic Test - Fusions

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