Musicals
Music AS
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
- Marius - solo; baritone (in between tenor and bass)
- simple accompaniment; accordion sound, guitar, strings - builds with piece; reeds + drum kit
- 62 bars long
- 32-bar song form:
2 bar intro / A1 / A2 / B / A3 / A4 / A5 / 4 bar outro
(A = 8 bars long + B = 16 bars long)
Tonality
- A minor
- A SECTIONS - harmonically unadventurous (chords I/IV/V and relative major) - expressive 9ths in harmony (dissonant) - quickest harmonic rhythm: 1 chord p/b
- B SECTION - harmonically more adventurous - explores relative major (C major) - back to Am for A3 section - quickest harmonic rhythm: 2 chords p/b; greater sense of tonal variety
- modulates to C# minor in A4 - modulates to relative minor (E major) - use of false relation in vocal part (C -> C#)
Harmony
- accompaniment - expressive use of broken chords with added 9ths - passion
- perfect cadences at the end of A sections; 'friends are dead and gone'
- half-diminished 7th chord - extended chord - extended perfect cadence
Rhythm
- 4/4 time signature
- Andante tempo
- A5 - expressive pause on top E - rall. - expression
- consistent use of quavers + reversed dotted rhythms - appoggiature - 'Oh my friends, my friends, for-GIVE me'
Textures
- melody + accompaniment in A sections - use of counter melody (flute/cor anglais)
- orchestral parts - increasingly independent (B section)
- 'on the lonely barricade at dawn' - bass + quaver movement stops; opening broken chords accompaniment can restart at A3 and emphasizes text - monophonic texture reflects Marius' loneliness; solitary note
- A4 - almost all quaver movement with counter melody; 'phantom faces at the window'
Melody
- A SECTIONS - conjunct + descend through a 5th
- B SECTION - conjunct but includes some disjunct moments; 'I can hear them now' - compound major 2nd
- top note = G (above middle C)
- bottom note = A
- based on motifs/leitmotifs - 'there's a grief that can't be spoken' is repeated a tone lower for 'empty chairs at empty tables'
Context
- prayer-like quality
- song occurs near the end of the musical
Something's Coming
Instruments (30)
- WOODWIND - 5 players: clarinet/saxaphone (doubling up)
- BRASS - 2 horns, 2 trombones, 3 trumpets
- PERCUSSION - 2 percussionists, piano, drum kit
- STRINGS - 7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double basses, acoustic/electric guitar (doubling up)
Structure
- avoids verse-chorus form
- sections made recognisable by: melodic hooks + rhythmic accompaniments
Harmony + Tonality
- D major with 2 distinct sections in C major (B/B1)
- blues notes - #4th + b7th - jazz inspired
- vocal melody ends on C natural (accompaniment in D major)
- use of #4th - tritone interval - represents devil (underlying problems in story)
- tonal BUT added chromatic notes
Texture
- layered textures - contrapuntal in A sections
- accompaniment - on-beat bass with syncopated chords (especially in 2/4 sections)
- vocal line - often syncopated - short, fragmented melodic ideas + contrasting, long sustained notes
- triplets - create cross-rhythms - rhythmic excitement + variety
- Latin-American rhythm - reflect background of Puerto Rican gang
Melody
- short, repeated riffs
- contrast between short, snappy phrases and long, sustained notes
- push notes - anticipate beat (e.g. start of vocal phrases)
- challenging intervals in melodic line - tritone + blues notes
CABARET
Instruments
V. LARGE ENSEMBLE:
Pit Band:
- Reed 1 (Piccolo, Flute, Eb and Bb Clarinet, Soprano and Alto Sax)
- Reed 2 (Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Sax)
- Reed 3 (Cor Anglais, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Tenor Sax)
- Reed 4 (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Baritone Sax)
- Horn
- Trumpets I and II - often muted
- Trombone I and II
- Accordian, Guitar, Banjo
- Percussion (including drum kit, timpani and xylophone)
- Violin I and II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
- Piano (and conductor)
On stage band:
- Piano
- Drum kit
- Trombone
- Tenor Sax
Structure
- Ternary form
- 32 bar song form:
- interesting structure - repetition with sufficient contrast
- verse chorus form is avoided - A1/A2 ('what good is sitting') as verses and B ('Life is a cabaret') as a chorus
Harmony and Tonality
- A minor (intro) --> A major (A1 section)
- am(9#13) chord (b.1) - bass line outlines tonic-dominant then changes to tritone interval (b.2) in the bass and a French Augmented 6th chord built on Bb (Bb, D, E and G#)
- modulation in final A1/A2 sections UP a semitone to Bb major - excitement
- chromatic, jazz-like harmony throughout - chromatic inflections --> frequent use of extended chords (6ths, 7ths 9ths) and chromatic melodic lines
- perfect cadences used (e.g. codetta into A1 section (E7 -> A) - decorated with harmonic extensions
- codetta - feeling of C#m (V7-1 cadence - 'I think of Elsie to this very day') - ends on E major 7 chord - allowing perfect cadence to A major (beginning of A section)
Texture
- melody with accompaniment (alternating bass-treble ragtime style)
- codetta (central B section) - sustained chords + piano chordal arpeggios --> expressive - death (contrasting to jovial nature of rest of song)
- second A section - string pizzicato + staccato chords - light/delicate texture - gradual thickening - towards modulation to Bb major
- octaves + countermelodies added to thicken to a more contrapuntal texture
- Central B section - solo voice - imitated by orchestra (e.g. 'rented by the hour') - 'hour' imitated up the octave
Rhythm and Metre
- common duple time (2/2)
- tempo changes - characterization (e.g. codetta - middle B section) - music here is slower in 4/4
- opening 8 bar introduction - leitmotif for Sally Bowles
- gradual accelerando - A2 section (Bb major) - fantastic finale
- frequent syncopation - in between vocal phrases (orchestra) (e.g. b.12 - muted brass plays syncopated chords) - interest + fills gaps in phrasing
Melody
- vocal lines - conjunct/triadic (especially A1 and A2) BUT some disjunct moments (e.g. jump of minor 7th on 'Come to the Cabaret') - chromatic inflection (E#) to move towards F#minor 'sitting alone'
- central B section - more sequential (e.g. 'Come Taste the Wine') - outlines interval of a 6th then a 5th - repetition
- ending, in Bb - elaborated/improvised - virtuosity of performer
- orchestral parts - accompaniment (develop own countermelodies) e.g. trumpet - harmonic mute (at key change to Bb major)
- orchestra - small melodic interjections (between vocal phrases) - syncopated, staccato and muted
Fugue for Tinhorns
- 3 part vocal round (Nicely-Nicely, Benny and Rusty - orchestral accompaniment
- first vocal piece of musical - sets scene
Instruments
- 2 violins
- 3 reeds (sax/clarinet doubled up)
- horn
- trombone
- 2 trumpets
- drums/percussion
- double bass
- keyboard
Structure
- round - based on 12 bar melodic line
- repeated 3 times by each character
- Intro (5 bars) - trumpet hunting call
- Coda (8 bars)
- Nicely Nicely - solo before round begins with Benny + Rusty - audience can familiarise themselves with the melodic idea
Tonality
- Db major (5 flats)
- no modulation in the round
- moves to Bb minor (relative minor) in coda BUT ends in Db major (tonic)
- use of extended chords (e.g. 4#) - jazzy, harmonic feel
Harmony
- mostly diatonical functional harmony - use of tonic/dominant/secondary dominant chord progressions
- accompaniment uses harmonic progression I-V-VofV-V (Db-Ab-Eb-Ab) as a 2 bar repeated ostinato
- perfect cadences - often extended (7th/9th)
- chromatic inflections - especially in first 4 bars --> harmonic interest
- use of 4#th - jazz-inspired harmony ('I got the horse right here')
Rhythm
- duple time (2/2)
- oom - pah accompaniment (on beat bass + off beat chordal accompaniment) - forms harmonic 2 bar ostinato
- subtle use of syncopation (in vocal lines) e.g. upward resolving appoggiatura on 'I got the horse right here' - use of #4 (D natural) + helps to give a jazzy feel to the piece
Textures
- melody + accompaniment - made increasingly complex (layering)
- dense texture when ALL 3 voices are singing the main idea (bar 26)
- use of homophony in the coda (NOT counterpoint) - starts with a unison of all 3 passages ('I got the horse')
Melody
- 12 bar round subject:
- b.5 - 12 simpler - diatonic with less rhythmic interest + based around a sequential descending pattern - interval of a 5th ('Can do')
- orchestral dissonant chord - ends round/starts coda
Marry the Man Today
- duet between 2 soprano lead singers (Adelaide + Sarah Brown)
- very end of song - finale
- wraps up central themes of the musical
Instruments
- 2 violins
- 3 reeds (sax/clarinet doubled up)
- horn
- trombone
- 2 trumpets
- drums/percussion
- double bass
- keyboard
Structure
- no set structure - unequal sections
- Intro: 'At Wanamaker's and Sak's and Klein's'
- A section: 'Marry the Man Today' (13 bars)
- B section: 'Slowly introduce him to better things'
- the introduction sets the scene for the remainder of the song (both characters will marry respective men at the same time)
Harmony and Tonality
INTRO
- Eb major but cadences avoided in this key (suggest Ab major)
- jazz inspired harmony - use of #9th chords ('you simply got to gamble') and extensions
- moves to Gb major (flattened mediant key) - sense of harmonic venture
A SECTIONS
- relative minor -> C minor
- use of tonic/dominant harmony
B SECTIONS
- G major (dominant of C minor)
- chromatic descending bass line ('Readers Digest')
- ends on E major chords - unexpected harmonic shift - instantly returns to C minor in the repeated A section - non-functional harmony
Rhythm
- 6/8 time signature (compound time for Intro)
- 4/4/ for A and B section
- triplets + dotted rhythms - distinctive character
- quasi-glissando (accompaniment to A sections) - outlining tonic-dominant bass line - chromatic + comic character
Textures
- melody + accompaniment throughout (band harmonise melody - extended chords)
- A sections use characteristic oom-pah accompaniment
Melody
- conjunct with small leaps (e.g. 3rds) + chromatic inflections (e.g. 'at any vegetable market')
- A sections - based entirely on upward scale patterns + then reversed to downward scale patterns - sense of balance
- use of imitation in vocal (e.g. intro)
- Adelaide sings 'Marry the Man Today' 2 beats after Sarah - both characters thinking the same thing at almost the same time
- 'Marry the Man Today' sung in unison at the end - both characters = same conclusion
- chromatic bass line - 'have a pot roast' - gives interest