Incidental music
Is background music that creates mood and emphasises atmosphere. Incidental music can be composed for film TV theatre video games and other media. This type of music is usually not central to the narrative of the scene at a companies.
Programme music
Program music is descriptive music that tells a story or describes things like poems or images
Dynamics
Refers to the relative volume of music
Articulation
Articulation of music refers to the different ways that note can be played
Tempo
Describes the speed of the pulse in music
Tonality
Is an element that makes a piece of music sound happy and bright or sad and dark?
Pitch
Pitch in music is how we describe how high or low and note is
Instrumentation
Refers to which instruments are playing and what are they playing?
Leitmotif
Is a recurring theme or melody in a piece of music which is specifically associated with a personal situation
What does strife represent?
Strive represents the constant battle between the Capulet and Montague families
A paragraph about Romeo and Juliet
In Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the “strife” section (representing the feud between the Montagues and Capulets) is one of the most intense and dramatic parts of the piece. Here’s a clear breakdown of its texture, pitch, dynamics, and instrumentation:
The texture of Romeo and Juliet
Primarily homophonic (melody + accompaniment moving together)
Often becomes thick and dense
Heavy use of layered orchestration (many instruments playing at once)
Occasional imitative entries between sections (like strings vs brass)
👉 Effect: creates a sense of overwhelming conflict and tension
Pitch of me and Juliet
High and low contrasts
Jumping (angular) melody
👉 Sounds wild and unstable
Dynamics of Romeo and Juliet
Very loud (forte/fortissimo)
Sudden changes
👉 Explosive and dramatic
Instrumentation of rom
Brass (trumpets, trombones) → loud and powerful
Strings → fast, busy notes
Timpani → strong beats
👉 Big, dramatic orchestra sound
Articulating of Romeo
Staccato (short, detached notes)
Strong accents
👉 Makes it sound sharp and aggressive
Tonality of Romeo and Juliet
B minor
Dissonance (clashing notes)
Some chromatic notes
👉 Dark and tense
Texture
Texture and music refers to the different layers, a song or piece of music as
Tempo of Romeo and Juliet
Fast (Allegro)
👉 Energetic and intense
Texture of Romeo and Juliet
Thick / full texture
Homophonic (melody + accompaniment)
👉 Strong, powerful sound
