Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-2-other-features [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [GCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse.md) › [Music](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music.md) › [Edexcel](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel.md) › Other Features # Other Features Music: Edexcel GCSE, topic 4.1.2 ## Structure & Melody The overall structure is an extended verse/chorus form. ### Structure ![Structure](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Wicked_at_the_Omaha_Orpheum_theater.jpg) - The overall structure is an extended verse/chorus form which includes two dialogue sections between the Witches, linking passages between the sections, 2 bridges, 4 choruses and a coda! - The repeat of the introduction section is used to show how Elphaba and Glinda have resolved their differences. ### Melody ![Melody](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-04/5e1c0a97-0b43-42e1-b3a4-8c4ca2aa808c/night-witch-moon-evil-devil-hell-hag-old-magic-fog-mist-.jpg) - Throughout the entire musical there are a number of leitmotifs used. - Leitmotifs are musical phrases that represent a thing, character, place or emotion. - In Defying Gravity these are typically based around 5 pitches with the most common notes being D and A. ### Melody cont. ![Melody cont.](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-10/20e2ff0e-90f2-41ff-9168-23f15f262fde/six-number-.png) - Bar 71-79 is hexatonic which means that it only uses 6 notes of the scale. - The marking in the score given to the orchestra is 'colla voce' which means 'with the voice' and is a direction to the musicians to follow the singers as they move from spoken to sung parts of the piece. ### Recitative ![Recitative](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/bb265599-bc6d-4296-9bff-d8e863720e94/microphone-boy-shouting-screaming-singing-.jpg) - The spoken parts are the recitative section which helps to move the story forward. - (Recitative is where the singer speak/sings the story to the audience). ## Instrumentation, Texture & Harmony Schwartz uses a typical classical orchestra with the addition of popular music instruments such as the electric guitar, drum kit, and synthesiser. ### Instrumentation ![Instrumentation](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-02/a3e39335-67e7-4d75-b3e6-334e72b72964/drum-set-1839383_960_720.jpg) - Schwartz uses a typical classical orchestra with the addition of popular music instruments such as the electric guitar, drum kit, and synthesiser. - There are also unusual additions to the percussion section which include chimes, finger cymbals, crotales (a tuned percussion instrument which looks like a rack of small cymbals) and a nut rattle. ### Texture ![Texture](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-05/4d574bd6-be4a-4929-a053-e6a99e220d94/shutterstock_740713372.jpg) - The piece starts with chords played by the orchestra, which follow the vocal lines from Glinda and Elphaba. - This is a melody driven homophonic texture (melody and accompaniment) that gradually builds throughout the song to a polyphonic texture (many different sounds overlapping each other.) - Schwartz uses different textures throughout the piece to convey the different feeling and emotions within the text. ### Harmony ![Harmony](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-05/5063497b-112e-4076-93cf-15314bf15e4b/sheet-music-score-.jpg) - Major and minor keys are used throughout the piece. - The first 6 bars are tonally ambiguous as the harmony keeps moving around. ### Key ![Key](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-04/5e1c0a97-0b43-42e1-b3a4-8c4ca2aa808c/night-witch-moon-evil-devil-hell-hag-old-magic-fog-mist-.jpg) - Each Witch has an initial key: - For Glinda it’s the key of D major. - For Elphaba it is Db major. ### Marcato ![Marcato](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/physics/AQA%20New%20Modules/2.1.5/speakers%20vibrating.jpg) - The chords at the start of the song are played marcato and are strongly accented. - Marcato means to be played louder, more forcefully and marked. ### Chords ![Chords](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/d656d96c-32f2-4e2d-b97e-d12307c472d8/5-number-five-.jpg) - Schwartz uses: - Augmented chords in bar 7 (where the 5th degree is raised). - Diminished chords in bar 19 (where the 5th degree is flattened). - In bar 69 you can hear a chord progression based around the circle of fifths where the chords that follow either fall in 5ths or rise in 4ths. ## Test yourself on Other Features - What means 'with the voice' and is a direction to the musicians to follow the singers as they move from spoken to sung parts of the piece? - What is notable about Bar 71-79? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/8a9f121c-bdb0-42db-bbd6-a88f8f723518/section/41bc8f24-233b-47d9-9a6d-394c5d63e05f/session) - Previous topic: [4.1.1 Defying Gravity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-1-defying-gravity.md) - Next topic: [4.1.3 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-3-wider-listening.md) ## Music: Edexcel GCSE contents ### 1 Musical Elements - 1.1 Organisation of Pitch - [1.1.1 Melodic Pitch](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-1-1-melodic-pitch.md) - [1.1.2 Melodic Devices](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-1-2-melodic-devices.md) - [1.1.3 Harmonic Pitch](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-1-3-harmonic-pitch.md) - [1.1.4 Harmonic Devices](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-1-4-harmonic-devices.md) - [1.1.5 Harmonic Progressions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-1-5-harmonic-progressions.md) - 1.2 Tonality - [1.2.1 Major & Minor Tonality](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-2-1-major-and-minor-tonality.md) - [1.2.2 End of Topic Test - Musical Elements](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/1-2-2-end-of-topic-test-musical-elements.md) ### 2 Instrumental Music 1700–1820 - 2.1 Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major - [2.1.1 Concerto No. 5 in D Major](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-1-1-concerto-no-5-in-d-major.md) - [2.1.2 Structure & Melody](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-1-2-structure-and-melody.md) - [2.1.3 Instrumentation & Texture](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-1-3-instrumentation-and-texture.md) - [2.1.4 Harmony](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-1-4-harmony.md) - [2.1.5 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-1-5-wider-listening.md) - 2.2 Beethoven: Sonata ‘Pathétique’ - [2.2.1 Piano Sonata No. 8](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-2-1-piano-sonata-no-8.md) - [2.2.2 Structure & Melody](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-2-2-structure-and-melody.md) - [2.2.3 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-2-3-other-features.md) - [2.2.4 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-2-4-wider-listening.md) - [2.2.5 End of Topic Test - Instrumental Music 1700–1820](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/2-2-5-end-of-topic-test-instrumental-music-1700-1820.md) ### 3 Vocal Music - 3.1 Purcell: Music for a While - [3.1.1 Music for a While](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-1-1-music-for-a-while.md) - [3.1.2 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-1-2-other-features.md) - [3.1.3 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-1-3-wider-listening.md) - 3.2 Queen: Killer Queen - [3.2.1 Killer Queen](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-2-1-killer-queen.md) - [3.2.2 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-2-2-other-features.md) - [3.2.3 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-2-3-wider-listening.md) - [3.2.4 End of Topic Test - Vocal Music](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/3-2-4-end-of-topic-test-vocal-music.md) ### 4 Music for Stage & Screen - 4.1 Schwartz: Defying Gravity - [4.1.1 Defying Gravity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-1-defying-gravity.md) - [4.1.2 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-2-other-features.md) - [4.1.3 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-3-wider-listening.md) - [4.1.4 End of Topic Test - Defying Gravity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-1-4-end-of-topic-test-defying-gravity.md) - 4.2 Williams: Star Wars Episode IV - [4.2.1 A New Hope](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-2-1-a-new-hope.md) - [4.2.2 Structure & Melody](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-2-2-structure-and-melody.md) - [4.2.3 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-2-3-other-features.md) - [4.2.4 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-2-4-wider-listening.md) - [4.2.5 End of Topic Test - Star Wars Episode IV](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/4-2-5-end-of-topic-test-star-wars-episode-iv.md) ### 5 Fusions - 5.1 Afro Celt Sound System: Release - [5.1.1 Release](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-1-1-release.md) - [5.1.2 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-1-2-other-features.md) - [5.1.3 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-1-3-wider-listening.md) - 5.2 Spalding: Samba Em Preludio - [5.2.1 Samba Em Preludio](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-2-1-samba-em-preludio.md) - [5.2.2 Structure & Melody](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-2-2-structure-and-melody.md) - [5.2.3 Other Features](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-2-3-other-features.md) - [5.2.4 Wider Listening](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-2-4-wider-listening.md) - [5.2.5 End of Topic Test - Fusions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/music/edexcel/5-2-5-end-of-topic-test-fusions.md)