What are the performing forces in music for a while?
- soprano
- harpsichord
- bass viol
What does the right hand play?
Harpsichord = realisation of figured bass
What does the left hand play?
Plays the ground bass as does the viol
Describe the vocal line
Mainly syllabic following speech rhythm
- some melismatic moments (wond’ring)
- extended melisma (eternal)
What words are used as repetition?
- music
- drop
What words use dissonance?
- pains
- eas’d
What words use descending sequence?
Drop
What key is the song in?
Mainly in minor key to suit the sombre nature of play
What is the structure of music for a while?
- ground bass structure (short recurring melodic pattern in bass part)
Characteristics of the structure?
- quaver rhythms
- arpeggio based
- semitones intervals
- tonic key
- modulation
What is the main texture?
Melody- dominated homophony
Melody and accompaniment
Accompaniment is the ground bass (harpsichord LH and bass viol)
RH of harpsichord provides counterpoint
What is the range of the melody?
Soprano line 9th
What is the melody mostly like?
- conjunct / stepwise
Give characteristics of the melody?
- passing notes
- leaps
- rests
- descending sequence
Give characteristics of ornamentation?
- trills
- appoggiaturas
- grace notes
- mordents
What is the tonality like?
- A minor
Occasionally ambiguous due to chromatic nature of ground bass - central section modulates
How are the modulations confirmed?
Perfect cadence
Describe the chords
- diatonic
- functional
Characteristics of the harmony
Suspensions and dissonances
What is the tempo
Slow
What is the metre like
4/4 = quadruple time
Describe the rhythm
- quavers and semiquavers
- dotted rhythms
- occasional syncopation and off beat rhythms
- ground bass is presented entirely in quavers
