Set Works

• Beethoven's (pathetique) Melody:


  • Main themes: first theme, second themes, six note rising idea from introduction.
  • The first theme: rising, scalic theme.
  • The second theme: theme rises and falls, use of ornaments.
  • Lots of scalic passages in the piece, + descending chromatic scale at the end of the introduction.
  • Other melodic ideas: arpeggios and broken chords.
  • Ornaments important part of the melody, including acciaccaturas and mordents in theme 2, and trills just before the recapitulation.
  • The development uses ideas from the first theme in lots of different keys. It uses sequences.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Dynamics


  • There are crescendos (getting louder) and decrescendos (getting quieter).
  • This piece has a wide range of dynamics, from very quiet (pp) to very loud (ff)
  • The intro uses fp (fortepiano) markings, meaning loud then immediately (soft).
  • It also uses sf (sforzando) markings, meaning a sudden loud accent.
  • Dynamics markings in the piece are used expressively, showing Beethoven anticipating romantic era music
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Harmony


  • Mainly uses common chords but includes more complex ones.
  • Mix of standard and dissonant chords, like the diminished seventh.
  • Perfect cadences signal ends of sections and key changes.
  • Functional harmony guides the composition.
  • Pedal notes, such as the dominant pedal, enhance sections.
  • Interrupted cadence occurs early on.
  • Standard chord progressions, mainly in root position and first inversion.
  • Occasional use of dominant 7th chords and suspensions.
  • Circle of fifths progression observed.
  • Augmented sixth chord featured.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Rhythm, tempo and metre


  • The introduction is grave (very slow), and the metre is 4/4 (common time)
  • The main tempo for the rest of the piece is very fast.
  • The main tempo for the piece is allegro di molto e con brio (very fast with vigour), and is written in 2/2 (cut common time, also known as alla breve)
  • There are some very rapid notes (short note values)
  • There are some very rapid notes (short note values), including septuplets and 1/128th notes in bar 10
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Tonality


  • Piece is in C minor, indicated by the title.
  • Modulation to different keys in the development section.
  • First subject in C minor; second subject begins in unexpected Eb minor then moves to expected Eb major.
  • Development section modulates to various keys, including distant ones like E minor.
  • Recapitulation returns the first subject to C minor.
  • Second subject initially in unexpected F minor, then moves to expected C minor.
  • Perfect cadences confirm key changes throughout.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Texture


  • Mainly homophonic texture.
  • Monophonic section featuring a long descending scale leads into the recapitulation.
  • Right hand plays in octaves halfway through the introduction.
  • Introduction characterized by homophonic chordal texture.
  • Second subject (Eb major) includes a two-part texture with melody and broken chords from bar 93.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Sonority/Instruments


  • Written for the piano.
  • Piano capable of playing both loud and soft, unlike harpsichord.
  • Sustain pedal likely used by Beethoven for greater expression.
  • Piano allows extensive dynamic possibilities.
  • Sonata features numerous crescendos, diminuendos, and other dynamic markings.
  • Originally written for the fortepiano, precursor to the modern pianoforte.
  • Fortepiano had a smaller range and less dynamic contrast compared to modern piano.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Background Information


  • Piece belongs to the Classical era.
  • Classical music characterized by clear, catchy melodies and homophonic textures.
  • Piano sonata: a solo piano piece with multiple movements; focus on Movement 1.
  • Beethoven, a forward-thinking composer, shows signs of the Romantic era in this piece.
  • Composed between 1796 and 1799.
  • Romantic music emphasizes emotional expression.
  • Achieved through dramatic dynamics, use of sustain pedal, complex chromatic harmony, and altered structures, such as Beethoven's modifications to sonata form in this piece.
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Structure


  • Piece follows sonata form
  • Sonata form: introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda.
  • Exposition: 2 themes, linked by transitions
  • Codetta: finishes exposition, then repeats
  • Development: changes themes by changing keys frequently
  • Recapitulation: mirrors exposition, with themes in the same key
• Beethoven's (pathetique) Structure (prt2)


  • Unusual things for sonata form:
  • Second theme: starts in Eb minor instead of expected Eb major, shifts Eb major at bar 89
  • Development: begins with 4 bars from the introduction, an uncommon approach
  • Development: returns to allegro tempo, unrelated key of E minor
  • Recapitulation: second theme starts in F minor instead of, C minor, then to C minor
  • Coda: starts with 4 bars of the introduction again
• Killer Queen Melody


  • Mostly syllabic word setting.
  • Melody spans a wide range, from very high to very low notes.
  • Guitar solo borrows from chorus and verse sections.
  • Backing vocals mix words with vocalisations like "oohs" and "aahs".
  • Melody often moves smoothly but also jumps with intervals like 6ths and octaves.
  • Chorus melody might be hard to distinguish due to backing vocals.
  • Vocal part includes falsetto and spoken text.
  • "Queen" in vocal part may feature a slide upwards.
  • Melodic phrases vary in length, sometimes with extra bars added.
  • "Drive you wild" is painted with effects.
• Killer Queen Rhythm, tempo and metre

  • Mainly in 12/8 time signature, creating a swung feel with swung rhythms.
  • Features a regular, danceable beat with steady tempo.
  • Syncopation is present throughout.
  • Each verse and chorus starts with an anacrusis or upbeat.
  • Occasional use of extra bars in 6/8 time to extend phrase lengths.
  • Some sections include triplets, such as in bar 18.
• Killer Queen Background information

  • Glam Rock song from the band's third album, released in 1974.
  • Queen's sound differs from typical rock bands, featuring adventurous harmonies, theatrical style influenced by musical theatre and opera.
  • Complicated arrangements of layered guitar parts and backing vocals created using multitrack recording in the studio.
• Killer Queen Instrumentation/Sonority

  • Vocal part sung by Freddie Mercury, known for his high tenor voice.
  • Instruments include piano, electric guitar, bass, and drum kit.
  • Overdubbed backing vocals enhance the sound.
  • Four guitar parts overdubbed to enrich the texture.
  • "Jangle" piano, slightly out of tune, recorded over the main piano line.
  • Studio effects like multitrack recording, EQ, flanger, distortion, reverb, wah-wah, and panning used.
  • Guitar part includes slides, bends, pull-offs, and vibrato techniques.
• Killer Queen Harmony

  • Queen uses adventurous chord sequences.
  • Altered or extended chords like 7ths and 11ths are used.
  • Most chords are in root position, but some are inverted.
  • Circle of fifths progression heard in the chorus.
  • Modulations to different keys marked by perfect cadences.
  • Song starts with a C minor chord, switching to Eb major later.
  • Some parts have faster chord changes, like one per beat.
  • Chord inversions create moving basslines.
  • Instrumental before second verse focuses on an F chord.
  • Pedal note used in bars 27-30.
• Killer Queen Structure:


  • The piece has a verse-chorus structure
  • The full structure is:
  • Intro (clicks)
  • verse 1
  • chorus
  • instrumental
  • verse 2
  • chorus
  • guitar solo
  • verse 3
  • chorus
  • outro
• Killer Queen Texture:

  • Main texture of the piece is homophonic.
  • Texture gradually builds up as each instrument enters one at a time.
  • Guitar solo features a three-part texture.
  • Sounds are spread out using panning.
  • Interweaving guitar and vocal parts in the second verse create a polyphonic feel at times.
  • Guitar solo incorporates imitation.
  • Panning in backing vocals creates an antiphonal feel.
• Killer Queen Tempo


  • Moderate tempo.
  • A dotted crotchet is measured at 112 bpm
• Bach's (concerto no.5) Melody

  • Melody mainly features stepwise (conjunct) movement, with occasional leaps.
  • Rising sequences occur, where a short phrase is repeated at a higher pitch each time.
  • Numerous scalic runs are present, with notes ascending and descending a scale.
  • Ornaments like grace notes (appoggiaturas) and trills are abundant.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Rhythm, tempo and metre

  • Metre is 2/4.
  • Abundant use of triplets and dotted rhythms.
  • Harpsichord part includes many fast semiquaver runs.
  • First melody idea begins with an anacrusis.
  • Due to the numerous triplets, the piece could also be notated in 6/8 time.
  • In the Baroque era, the dotted quaver-semiquaver grouping would have been performed in triplet rhythm.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Structure

  • Piece follows ternary form (ABA).
  • Opening A section starts in a fugal style.
  • B section shifts to the relative minor key, featuring a new theme similar to the A section's first theme.
  • Fragments of the A section theme appear in the B section.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Dynamics


  • Few dynamic markings on the score, primarily for balance reasons.
  • For example, violin may be marked quieter to allow flute to be heard.
  • No dynamic markings for the harpsichord, as it would not have been capable of varied dynamics; it remained at one volume.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Background Information

  • Piece composed in the Baroque era.
  • Bach wrote a set of six concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg as part of a job application.
  • It is a concerto grosso, featuring a group of soloists known as the concertino, as opposed to a solo concerto with just one soloist.
  • This movement is the third of three in the concerto.
  • Chamber music intended for a small group of musicians rather than a full orchestra.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Sonority/Instrumentation


  • Uses solo flute, violin, harpsichord, and string orchestra (violin, viola, cello, double bass).
  • Solo instruments (violin, flute, harpsichord) are called the concertino.
  • String orchestra is the ripieno.
  • Harpsichord and bass/cello sometimes provide basso continuo, with bass instruments playing the bass line and harpsichord playing chords.
  • Bach's piece breaks tradition by giving the harpsichord a challenging, impressive part with fast runs and trills in both hands.
  • Baroque flute, made of wood, differs from modern flute.
• Bach's (pathetique) Harmony


  • Harmony uses standard chords typical for the era.
  • Music is diatonic, meaning all notes and chords come from the key signature.
  • Perfect cadences mark the ends of sections, like the one in B minor at the end of the B section.
  • Harmony predominantly uses chords I, IV, and V, occasionally including ii and vi.
  • Functional harmony employed, with perfect cadences moving between closely related key signatures.
  • Harmony mainly features root position and first inversion chords.
  • Occasional suspensions are present.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Tonality


  • Main tonality of the piece is D major.
  • B section shifts to the relative minor key of B minor.
  • Final A section returns to D major.
  • Key frequently modulates to the dominant (A major) and the dominant of the dominant (E major), signaled by added accidentals.
• Bach's (concerto no5) Structure


  • Many melodies play together at once.
  • One part copies another.
  • Start is like a fugue, but not a full one.
  • Flute and violin sometimes play the same.
  • They begin by copying each other.
  • Harpsichord plays in two parts.
  • Later, it still plays in two parts.
  • All instruments play together.
  • Flute and violin sometimes play in harmony.
  • B section starts with a long B note.
• Music for a while Melody


  • Main melody sung by a soprano.
  • Mostly syllabic word setting, with some melismatic sections.
  • Word painting used to match the music with the text's meaning.
  • Melody mostly moves in steps, with passing notes in between.
  • Ornaments like trills, appoggiaturas, grace notes, and mordents are common in the harpsichord and soprano lines.
  • Some words, like "drop," are repeated.
  • Descending sequences occur, like in bar 20.
  • Rests break up melodic phrases.
  • Melody moves mostly in steps, described as "conjunct."
• Music for a while Word Painting


  • Mostly minor key suits the serious, sad mood of the text.
  • "Eternal" (bar 20) sung as a long melisma.
  • "Drop" (bar 23) repeated in a descending pattern, reflecting snakes dropping from Alecta's head.
  • "Free the dead" (bars 16-17) set to a triumphant section in bright G major.
  • "Wondering" (bar 10) sung with a smooth, descending legato melody.
  • "Pains were eased" (bars 12-13) includes dissonance and resolution.
• Music for a while Tonality


  • Main tonality is A minor, matching the somber, sad lyrics.
  • In the middle (B) section, the piece shifts through various related keys:
  • E major (dominant key) at bars 15 & 28,
  • G major in the middle of bar 18,
  • C major (relative major) at bar 22,
  • A major (tonic major) in the middle of bar 23,
  • Finally returning to A minor at bar 29.
• Music for a while Rhythm, tempo and metre


  • Piece is in 4/4 metre.
  • Ground bass features repeated quaver rhythms.
  • Various rhythms are used, with quavers and semiquavers being most common.
  • Dotted rhythms appear in the vocal part.
  • Occasional syncopation is present.
• Music for a while Instrumentation/Sonority


  • Features a soprano singer, harpsichord, and bass viol.
  • Harpsichord and bass viol serve as the basso continuo, accompanying the singer.
  • Left hand of harpsichord and bass viol play the ground bass, a repeating bass pattern accompanying the piece.
  • Right hand of the harpsichord improvises a "realisation," filling out the chords.
• Music for a while Tempo


  • There is no tempo marking on the score, but a slow tempo would be appropriate
• Music for a while Harmony 


  • Accompaniment provided by ground bass played by bass viol and left hand of harpsichord.
  • Chords are diatonic.
  • Perfect cadences occur throughout, as ground bass ends with V chord and repeats with I chord.
  • Dissonances used for word painting, such as for "pains."
  • "False relation" dissonance seen in bar 1, with ground bass playing F sharp while right hand plays F natural.
  • Suspensions used occasionally, like the 4–3 suspension in bar 3, beat 4 1⁄2 in harpsichord part.
  • Right hand of harpsichord plays an elaborate realisation based on the original figured bass.
• Music for a while Ground Bass


  • Ground bass is a 3-bar loop.
  • Consists entirely of quaver rhythms.
  • Features a rising pattern.
  • First 4 sets of 4 quavers use an ascending sequence, starting one note higher each time.
  • Ends with a fall of an octave.
  • Utilizes intervals of semitones.
  • After 4 and a half repeats, it starts modulating into different keys.
  • In the final A section (bar 29), it returns to the repeating pattern from the start.
• Music for a while Texture


  • Texture is homophonic, with one main melody and accompaniment.
  • Accompaniment is provided by the ground bass.
  • Elaborate realisation by the right hand of the harpsichord adds a polyphonic feel at times.
• Music for a while Background Information 


  • Written in the Baroque era, around 1692.
  • Composed for a play depicting the Greek myth of Oedipus.
  • Second of four movements Purcell wrote as "incidental music," performed between the dramatic parts of the play.
• Music for a while Dynamics 


  • There are no dynamics
• Release Melody 


  • Features both female and male singers.
  • Vocal melody is repetitive.
  • Includes spoken parts and vocal samples.
  • Singers occasionally use vocables like "oooh" and "aaah."
  • Melody lines consist of short phrases.
  • Female vocal part seems improvised at the start before the first verse.
  • Solos performed by Uilleann pipe, whistle, and hurdy gurdy.
  • Female vocal part has a limited range of a 6th.
  • Male vocal part has a larger range of a 13th.
  • Vocals employ glissando (slides) and ornamentation (acciaccatura).
  • Fiddle melody uses double stopping.
• Release Rhythm, tempo and metre


  • Time signature is simple 4/4, common in dance music.
  • Features numerous repeating rhythmic riffs/ostinato patterns, short phrases looped repeatedly.
  • Utilizes syncopation throughout.
  • Most repeating rhythms are 2 and 4 bar loops.
  • Includes triplets and sextuplets.
  • Semiquavers are slightly swung, lending a relaxed quality to the piece.
  • Some notes are accented for emphasis.