IB Music Revision Guide 2nd Edition: Everything you need to prepare for the Music Listening Examination (Standard and Higher Level 2016-2019)
144
IB Music Revision Guide 2nd Edition: Everything you need to prepare for the Music Listening Examination (Standard and Higher Level 2016-2019)
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781783085842 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Anthem Press |
| Publication date: | 09/20/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 622 KB |
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IB Music Revision Guide
Everything You Need to Prepare for the Music Listening Examination (Standard and Higher Level 2016â?"2019)
By Roger Paul
Wimbledon Publishing Company
Copyright © 2016 Roger PaulAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78308-582-8
CHAPTER 1
Section A
PRESCRIBED WORKS 2016
PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE (1863) – GIOACHINO ROSSINI
The Mass
Mass (also known as Holy Communion or Eucharist) is one of the most important acts of worship in the Christian religion. The main purpose of the worship or service is to re-enact the Last Supper, which Jesus asked his disciples to do in his memory. As early as the 7 th century it became customary for the fixed parts of the Catholic Mass text to be set to music. The fixed parts of the text are called Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictas and Agnus Dei. To these sections Rossini added the O Salutaris, a verse from a hymn, and the Preludio religioso, an instrumental piece for piano or harmonium.
Rossini's Mass
When studying this work it must be remembered that Rossini (1792–1868) wrote most of his operas in the first part of the 19th century, which marks the changeover from the Classical style to the Romantic. It should also be borne in mind that he 'retired' from composing opera after completing William Tell in 1829 at the age of 38, and at the height of considerable fame and fortune. Thirty-four years later, when Rossini composed Petite messe solennelle, Romantic music was evolving ever more rapidly towards the eventual breakdown of tonality, but at the same time there was also a greater awareness of the European music of the past. Thus it follows that you will find elements of many styles, past and present, in this work, especially the opera buffa (comic opera) for which Rossini is best remembered, as he acknowledged in his own dedication to God on the autograph score:
Good God – behold completed this poor little Mass – is it indeed sacred music [la musique sacrée] that I have just written, or merely some damned music [la sacré musique]? You know well, I was born for comic opera. Little science, a little heart, that is all. So may you be blessed, and grant me Paradise!
Even the title is tongue in cheek: this Mass is not little (it lasts well over an hour), and it is not necessarily solemn! But it certainly showcases Rossini's natural ability to compose free-flowing music and his gift for beautiful songlike melodies, the musical element he prized above all others.
The most useful way to analyse this piece for examination purposes is to look at the use of the musical elements in the light of the many styles and influences in each of the 14 movements. The Petite messe solennelle is organized into two parts, each containing seven movements. Remember that movements 2–7 together make up the Gloria and 8–10 make up the Credo. Locations are based on the Novello Vocal Score last reprinted in 1997.
Instrumentation
Rossini's original score calls for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass soloists, an SATB chorus and an accompaniment of 2 pianos and a harmonium. The first piano part takes the majority share of the accompanying, with the second piano and harmonium either doubling the first piano or the singers. The harmonium is a type of reed organ and belongs to the keyboard family of instruments: like a pipe organ it requires an air supply, which is powered by the performer via two foot-operated bellows.
Sample questions
In Section A of the examination there will be one question on each of the two prescribed works. You must choose to answer one of these two questions (as well as a third 'musical links' question that will be discussed later). Here are four sample questions based on the Petite messe solennelle to use for practice. You may answer these in continuous prose or detailed bullet points, and you should allow around 30 minutes under timed conditions to complete each question.
Reference should be made to an unmarked copy of the score and remember to give precise locations for the musical features you discuss.
1. In what ways can Rossini's Petite messe solennelle be thought of as a typical 19th-century Romantic work?
2. Compare and contrast two different choral movements from the Petite messe solennelle and write informatively about both.
3. Discuss Rossini's approach to melody writing in Petite messe solennelle. Refer to at least two different movements in your answer.
4. Discuss Rossini's use of harmony and tonality in Petite messe solennelle. Refer to at least two different movements in your answer.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1928) – GEORGE GERSHWIN
Context
There are some interesting parallels between Gioachino Rossini and George Gershwin. Both had hugely successful careers composing for the theatre, and both possessed an amazing facility for melody writing. Unusually for someone who started out writing songs for New York's Tin Pan Alley, Gershwin also found success in the concert hall with Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F, both for piano and orchestra. He enjoyed several visits to Paris during the 1920s and was inspired to compose another orchestral piece based on his impressions of the city. Whilst he was there Gershwin met many of his early 20th-century contemporaries: composers such as Ravel, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Poulenc and Milhaud. Not surprisingly you will hear a strong modern French influence, particularly the Impressionist style pioneered by Debussy, which Gershwin combined with American Blues and Jazz elements. One of the impressions that stuck in Gershwin's mind was the sound of the Parisian taxi horns and, instead of trying to replicate them in the piece with orchestral instruments alone, he bought some of the taxi horns and added them to the percussion section in his score.
An American in Paris is a tone poem, a descriptive genre of music from the 19th century in which a 'programme' explaining the composer's intended images or story was added to the score. Gershwin's own (deliberately general) programme describes an American walking the streets of Paris absorbing the sights and sounds of the city, but then feeling homesick for a while, before once again revelling in the Parisian atmosphere. A more detailed programme for the piece was written by Deems Taylor, another American composer of that time, and his version is particularly useful for analysing the structure and the themes. Locations using bar numbers are based on the Alfred full miniature score.
Sample questions
In Section A of the examination there will be one question on each of the two prescribed works. You must choose to answer one of these two questions (as well as a third 'musical links' question that will be discussed later). Here are four sample questions based on An American in Paris to use for practice. You may answer these in continuous prose or detailed bullet points and you should allow around 30 minutes under timed conditions to complete each question. Reference should be made to an unmarked copy of the score and remember to give precise locations for the musical features you discuss.
1. Gershwin once described An American in Paris as 'the most modern music I've yet attempted'. In what ways can An American in Paris be thought of as a typical early 20th-century work?
2. An American in Paris draws upon musical elements from both Western European and American cultures. Identify two (or more) elements that have roots in Western European music and two (or more) elements that originate from American music. Discuss how these elements contribute to the overall style of the work.
3. Discuss Gershwin's handling of tonality and harmony in An American in Paris. Refer in detail to specific passages of music.
4. Discuss Gershwin's handling of texture and orchestration in An American in Paris. Refer in detail to specific passages of music.
LINKS BETWEEN THE PRESCRIBED WORKS (HL ONLY)
Question 3 requires HL candidates to compare and contrast the Petite messe solennelle and An American in Paris with regard to one or two musical elements or concepts. This means you must write about similarities and differences in the use of, for example, melody and rhythm between the prescribed works, taking care to ensure your points are relevant to the elements or concepts asked in the question. For example, in a question about Instrumentation, while it is true to state that both works contain keyboard instruments, this is not a significant musical link; but a comparative discussion of how keyboard instruments are used in each work is creditworthy in the IB examination.
The following is a list of some of the musical links between the Petite messe solennelle and An American in Paris, along with the locations of possible examples (you will of course need to add your own explanations – a useful revision task):
Comparative:
• Both works contain mostly diatonic melodies with some chromaticism (Pms Domine Deus b18–53, AAiP b119–26).
• Syncopated phrase openings (Pms Quoniam b484–55, AAiP b251–259).
• The altered 3rd in a false relation (Pms Agnus Dei b231 Alto D#) can be compared with the blue note (AAiP b3973).
• Themes developed sequentially from motifs (Pms Domine Deus b1–16, AAiP b119–126).
• Appoggiaturas (Pms Crucifixus b191, AAiP b4041).
• Grace notes/acciaccaturas (Pms Agnus Dei b1–3, AAiP b1–6).
• Glissandi (Pms O Salutaris b162 and 170, AAiP b119).
• Augmentation of a theme (Pms Gratias b106–114, AAiP b186–190, violins).
• Question-and-answer phrasing (Pms Domine Deus b18–33, AAiP b119–126).
• Binary form (Pms Gloria-Laudamus, AAiP A b1, B b392, coda b592).
• Both works use link passages as dominant preparation for the following section or movement (Pms Domine Deus b151–164, AAiP b239–248).
• Tonal centres defined by perfect cadences (Pms Domine Deus b52–53, AAiP b405–406).
• Dominant pedal points (Pms Et Resurrexit b252–267, AAiP b381–391).
• Mediant modulations (Pms Crucifixus A[??] major to Et Resurrexit B major, AAiP B[??] major to D[??] major b136).
• Switches from tonic major to minor (Pms Domine Deus D major–minor b18–26, AAiP Bb major–minor b406–409).
• Dominant 9th chords (Pms Kyrie D b27, AAiP C b360).
• Chromatic harmonic sequences (Pms Preludio Religioso b 119–123, AAiP b239–248).
• Ostinato chordal textures (Pms Gloria-Laudamus b25 onwards, AAiP b1–10).
• Melody-dominated homophony (Pms Quoniam b29–36, AAiP b392–398).
• Imitation (Pms Gratias b76–80, AAiP b583–586).
• Counterpoint (Pms Cum Sancto Spiritu b26 onwards, AAiP b665–668).
• Polyrhythm (Pms Domine Deus b123–33, AAiP b564–571).
• Syncopated chordal accompaniment (Pms Crucifixus, AAiP b392–403).
Contrasting:
• Both works stray a long way from the tonic, but using different means (Pms uses chromatic modulations, for example, Cum Sancto Spiritu G[??] major b149 – 152, AAiP disrupts the sense of key with, for example, bitonal passages b369–372).
• Both works contain a lot of chromatic harmony, but Pms uses it to colour what is still a tonal work with regular clear cadences. AAiP is also regarded as a tonal work, but Gershwin often uses chromatic harmony in the manner of Debussy to weaken the sense of key, that is, purely for effect, and avoids clear cadences.
Sample Questions
In Section A (question 3) of the examination there will be one compulsory question linking both the Petite messe solennelle and An American in Paris. Here are three to use for practice. You may answer these in continuous prose or detailed bullet points and you should allow around 30 minutes to complete each question. Reference should be made to unmarked copies of both scores and remember to give precise locations for the musical features you discuss.
1. Investigate significant musical links between these two pieces by analyzing and comparing their use of texture and rhythm.
2. Petite messe solennelle and An American in Paris were both composed in Paris and only 65 years apart. Referring to both works, comment on the musical features they have in common.
3. Compare and contrast the ways tonality and harmony are used in both works.
PRESCRIBED WORKS 2017–19
BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO. 2 IN F MAJOR BWV 1047 (c.1719–21) – J. S. BACH
Introduction
This Prescribed Work is the second of a set of 6 concertos scored for a variety of instrumental combinations that Johann Sebastian Bach sent to Christian-Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg–Schwedt in 1721. Concerto no. 2 is believed to have been composed in or around 1719. The Margrave had asked Bach to send him some of his compositions, and it is most likely all 6 concertos were written during the period Bach was employed as Kapellmeister to the prince of Anhalt-Cothen. Indeed, most of Bach's chamber and orchestral music dates from his time in this post.
These concertos are mostly of a type called concerto grosso (literally big concert), a popular genre among middle to late Baroque composers, including Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel and of course Bach. A concerto grosso features two contrasting instrumental groups; the concertino, a smaller group of soloists, and the ripieno, the tutti or full orchestra (usually strings). Both of these groups were accompanied by the continuo, which is heard in almost all Baroque music, most commonly a harpsichord and cello, which provided the harmonic filling and bass line respectively. Whilst both groups would have shared some of the same musical material, other themes were played exclusively by the concertino. Furthermore, the part writing for the concertino group was usually more virtuosic and elaborate.
Bach was known as an experimenter, which can be seen in this work, with its unusual concertino group of tromba, (treble) recorder, oboe and violin, his often novel approach to musical structures, and his daring use of harmony and dissonance.
Instrumentation
The 'tromba' referred to by Bach in his score was a natural trumpet in high F, with no valves, which meant it played only the notes of the harmonic series. The sound of the tromba in the 18th century was softer in both timbre and dynamic compared to a modern trumpet, which explains why Bach was able to use it in a concertino group alongside a treble recorder, oboe and violin without any problems with balance. The solo tromba part Bach wrote was at one time regarded as unplayable because of technical difficulties and tuning issues on certain harmonics. It is likely he had a particular performer in mind for this part, since virtuoso trumpet and horn players would travel around Europe and were highly sought after. But with research into Baroque performance techniques and construction leading to the development of the so-called Baroque Trumpet, these problems have been overcome and many fine recordings of this work have been made since.
Bach's score also calls for a violone in the ripieno strings. The violone was a name given to a variety of lower stringed instruments, but it is most likely he intended the part to be played by one of the larger double bass viols, similar in size to the modern double bass. Like the double bass, the violone sounds an octave lower than written, therefore adding real depth to the sound of the orchestra.
Sample questions
In Section A of the examination there will be one question on each of the two prescribed works. You must choose to answer one of these two questions (as well as a third 'musical links' question which will be discussed later). Here are four sample questions based on the Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 to use for practice. You may answer these in continuous prose or detailed bullet points, and you should allow around 30 minutes under timed conditions to complete each question. Reference should be made to an unmarked copy of the score and remember to give precise locations for the musical features you discuss.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from IB Music Revision Guide by Roger Paul. Copyright © 2016 Roger Paul. Excerpted by permission of Wimbledon Publishing Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Musical Terms and Devices 5
Section A 9
Prescribed Works 2016 11
Petite messe solennelle (1863) - Gioachino Rossini 11
An American in Paris (1928) - George Gershwin 42
Links between the Prescribed Works (HL only) 49
Prescribed Works 2017-19 51
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major BWV 1047 (c. 1719-21)-J. S. Bach 51
Dances of Galánta (1933) - Zoltásn Kodály 62
Links between the Prescribed Works (HL only) 73
Section B 79
Perception and Analysis of Musical Styles 81
Western Classical Music 81
Western Jazz and Popular Music 96
World Music 100
Glossary 109
Suggested Answers for Sample Questions 117
Index 129
What People are Saying About This
‘This book is a useful and thorough guide helping students prepare for the IB Music written examination. As well as giving a general introduction to topics likely to arise in Section B of the paper, the 2017–19 prescribed works are covered in depth and sample questions are suggested.’ —Adrienne Blaquière, IB Music teacher and Head of Performing Arts, Frankfurt International School, Germany
‘The guide is a valuable resource for all DP Music students. Paul brings depth and clarity to a vast amount of musical material.’ —Jonathan Meredith, IB Music Teacher, Greenville High School, USA
‘A very comprehensive overview of the IB Music Curriculum. Well thought out – clear and concise. Very detailed analysis of prescribed works through 2019. Very useful for class designs.’ —Jim Yarnell, Music Department, American School of The Hague, Wassenaar, The Netherlands
‘Starting to teach the IB music course can be a daunting task as there are very few resources available. Roger Paul's book goes a long way in addressing this need for quality resources that focus on the specific requirements of the course, especially the appraising section. The advice is practical and well thought out and the analysis notes are clear and well judged in terms of their depth.’ —Tony Coupe, Ellesmere College, Shropshire, England
‘The guide is thorough and clear, with pertinent information that can be used by the IB Music teachers and examiners as they go through the process of creating units and correcting the exams. A great tool for IB Music teachers both new and experienced. A must for all IB Music teachers to have.’ —Glenn Tomassi, DP/ MYP Music / IB Examiner, Colegio Internacional de Caracas, Venezuela