The Student Room Group

EDEXCEL: AS Music UNIT 3 - 21/5/12

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Original post by annaliseelizabeth
That's really good! Yes please :biggrin:


I shall type it up asap and put it up here - just need to finish Symphony of Psalms revsion first :P
Symphony of Psalms is the bane of my life. :pinch:
Original post by blue-orangutan
I joined the student room purely to comment on this ! I'm getting so panicky, Section A is really worrying me because you can't really revise... anyone got any thoughts on what sort of standard things we should know about in order to get a decent mark on that bit?
(Also I play flute too! Went for piano for my performance in the end though :smile: )


Bleugh just thinking of section A makes me want to JUMP OFF A CLIFF

Just make sure you know the common cadences, and important key changes in each piece, and any special harmonic devices. Also, if there are specific weird thing in each piece (like the Neapolitan in Furchtenmachen) make sure you know them! So if a question asks what is being used at a particular point, you can limit it down to a specific list of things. Instruments are another common one... make sure you know what instruments are in what piece, and make sure to remember any transposing instruments

Another common q is what is the interval between x and y... I personally am not the best at these, but if it sounds like a weird one, then its almost DEFINATELY in your notes somewhere... learn these!

Theres lot of other stuff too, but this is off the top of my head :biggrin:
Original post by blue-orangutan
Symphony of Psalms is the bane of my life. :pinch:


But it soo PURRTYYY

I want to get my school choir to sing it. But i go to a West London comp, and we dont have a choir that sings that kind of stuff D:
Original post by anuradha_d
But it soo PURRTYYY

I want to get my school choir to sing it. But i go to a West London comp, and we dont have a choir that sings that kind of stuff D:


I think the best thing about this piece is on youtube is a video of a orchestra and the bassoon (I think it was the bassoon player? It was a while ago) starts packing up early but gets VERY bored so he decides to conduct from his seat etc. My class (all of 3) was in stitches hahaa.

I can't say i'm overally fond of this piece, maybe its because it seems to go on for a life time?
There are bits that I like in Psalms, but those bits are just in amongst a massive loads of stuff I don't want to have to analyse ;{
The intervals are so annoying, someone in my music class has perfect pitch and always gets them spot on and I end up getting lucky with my guesses usually ;L
Does anyone know how much the performance is worth percentage wise? I managed to get an A (I still don't know how, considering I was getting Ds/Es before that, made my teacher look nice and shocked though...), and hopefully I'm getting a C/B on my composition, so I wanna try and work out with my appalling theory skills if it's still possible to get a B overall :P
3 people ?! My class has 11 people in it aha.
Original post by blue-orangutan
There are bits that I like in Psalms, but those bits are just in amongst a massive loads of stuff I don't want to have to analyse ;{
The intervals are so annoying, someone in my music class has perfect pitch and always gets them spot on and I end up getting lucky with my guesses usually ;L
Does anyone know how much the performance is worth percentage wise? I managed to get an A (I still don't know how, considering I was getting Ds/Es before that, made my teacher look nice and shocked though...), and hopefully I'm getting a C/B on my composition, so I wanna try and work out with my appalling theory skills if it's still possible to get a B overall :P


I know this exam is 40%, composition is 30 with 10% of the overall grade being the sleeve note and performance I believe is 30%. I think someone said that an A is 80% (last year grade boundaries) overall so a B is going to be 70% so your nearly there mate! :smile: Good luck

*don't quote me about the percentages as Its just what i've heard floating around my class (Y)
Original post by blue-orangutan
3 people ?! My class has 11 people in it aha.


I go to quite a small school, I'm from Peterborough and music isn't a massive interest to people around here. My old school didn't even offer music GCSE so i'm really out of my depth :L
Original post by anuradha_d
I shall type it up asap and put it up here - just need to finish Symphony of Psalms revsion first :P


Haii

Ok so, this is my answer of Berlioz vs Beethoven, Harmony and Melody

Although 34 years separated these pieces, and they are from two different Eras, there are many simlarities between the Septet and Harold in Italys' differences.

There are numerous distinct melodies in Berlioz's Harold. The piece begins with the Allegro Assai (saltarello) melody, with conjunct movement and some repeated notes. There are modal inflections on the Bb, suggesting folk influences. The conjunct movement here is echoed in the Adagio part of Beethoven's Septet, although there is no use of modes here.
The one bar phrases in Harold cause irregularity in the melody. In contrast, the use of sequences (b19-20) and balanced phrasing gives a sense of regularity to Beethovens melody.
Grace notes colour the repeated Gs in Harold (b27-30) and this is also seen in the opening of the septet in the Clarinet, Bassoon and Viola (bars 4 and 6). There are further ornamentations in Beethoven's Septet such as the turn in the first subject.
The melodies of both the Septet and Harold are based on "themes"; however, the idee fixe in Harold appears throughout the movement, while the first and second subject in the Septet only form part of the Sonata structure. The idee fixe in Harold is seen in bar 65 in the viola - it's note lengths are longer, bu the pitch is identical. The cor anglais opens the Allegretto with an arpeggio on C, followed by a falling third which is reminiscent of the idee fixe.
The harmony of both pieces is functional with frequent perfect cadences, for example, in the Septet, there is a cadence in Eb in bars 28-29. In Harold's allegretto, the harmonic vocabulary extends to include an imperfect cadence in A minor with a 4-3 suspension (b39-40)

Some interesting, but different harmonic ideas appear in both pieces. For example there is some chromatic inflectionby using diminished chords in the Septet. It is also interesting that here, the harmonic rhythm is quite slow (eg 4 bars in Eb in the Exposition)but speeds up towards cadences.

The use of pedal notes is evident in both pieces. For example, Berliozn builds the entire Allegro Assai harmony around the tonic pedal C, and also uses double pedals in the drone in the saltarello.

Both pieces feature a part using chromatic harmony - in the Septet's seranade, there is a change in harmony from A minor to A major. In Beethoven, there is the use of a German Augmented 6th on the flat 6th in bar 7.

In conclusion, both pieces use melody and harmony effectively to achieve different aesthetic effects in the composition.
Ah that must be tricky having not done GCSE, the leap between GCSE and A level is massive as it is.
I'm just looking at the 2011 mark scheme now, and it seems like the answers you can give include quite basic things that I wouldn't have even thought about!
http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/QP%20GCE%20Curriculum%202000/June%202011%20-%20MS/6MU03_01_rms_20110817.pdf
Am I right in thinking section A is analysing parts of the set works, section B is writing essays about them (contrast&compare/stylistic features) and section C is the Bach chorale?
Original post by annaliseelizabeth
I go to quite a small school, I'm from Peterborough and music isn't a massive interest to people around here. My old school didn't even offer music GCSE so i'm really out of my depth :L


Haii, i quoted myself instead of you *facepalm* so ive put an answer up :biggrin:
Original post by anuradha_d
Haii

Ok so, this is my answer of Berlioz vs Beethoven, Harmony and Melody

Although 34 years separated these pieces, and they are from two different Eras, there are many simlarities between the Septet and Harold in Italys' differences.

There are numerous distinct melodies in Berlioz's Harold. The piece begins with the Allegro Assai (saltarello) melody, with conjunct movement and some repeated notes. There are modal inflections on the Bb, suggesting folk influences. The conjunct movement here is echoed in the Adagio part of Beethoven's Septet, although there is no use of modes here.
The one bar phrases in Harold cause irregularity in the melody. In contrast, the use of sequences (b19-20) and balanced phrasing gives a sense of regularity to Beethovens melody.
Grace notes colour the repeated Gs in Harold (b27-30) and this is also seen in the opening of the septet in the Clarinet, Bassoon and Viola (bars 4 and 6). There are further ornamentations in Beethoven's Septet such as the turn in the first subject.
The melodies of both the Septet and Harold are based on "themes"; however, the idee fixe in Harold appears throughout the movement, while the first and second subject in the Septet only form part of the Sonata structure. The idee fixe in Harold is seen in bar 65 in the viola - it's note lengths are longer, bu the pitch is identical. The cor anglais opens the Allegretto with an arpeggio on C, followed by a falling third which is reminiscent of the idee fixe.
The harmony of both pieces is functional with frequent perfect cadences, for example, in the Septet, there is a cadence in Eb in bars 28-29. In Harold's allegretto, the harmonic vocabulary extends to include an imperfect cadence in A minor with a 4-3 suspension (b39-40)

Some interesting, but different harmonic ideas appear in both pieces. For example there is some chromatic inflectionby using diminished chords in the Septet. It is also interesting that here, the harmonic rhythm is quite slow (eg 4 bars in Eb in the Exposition)but speeds up towards cadences.

The use of pedal notes is evident in both pieces. For example, Berliozn builds the entire Allegro Assai harmony around the tonic pedal C, and also uses double pedals in the drone in the saltarello.

Both pieces feature a part using chromatic harmony - in the Septet's seranade, there is a change in harmony from A minor to A major. In Beethoven, there is the use of a German Augmented 6th on the flat 6th in bar 7.

In conclusion, both pieces use melody and harmony effectively to achieve different aesthetic effects in the composition.


Thank you so much! This is amazing, how on earth i'm going to get to this standard by tomorrow baffles me. I think we can write in note form or a table just no bullet points. Thanks again!
Original post by annaliseelizabeth
Thank you so much! This is amazing, how on earth i'm going to get to this standard by tomorrow baffles me. I think we can write in note form or a table just no bullet points. Thanks again!


DUUUDE i didnt know ANYTHING until last night, trust me. I think just make a list of key features for each piece in either instrumental or vocal music, learn em, and then just regurgitate them!
Original post by annaliseelizabeth
Thank you so much! This is amazing, how on earth i'm going to get to this standard by tomorrow baffles me. I think we can write in note form or a table just no bullet points. Thanks again!


Same here, the english aspect of the essay writing is a bit worrying for me (even though I'm an english lit student :P), making it all read fluently as well as getting the facts in is the tricky bit.
Reply 55
Calm down about section A. As with all exams, the specimen papers are much harder than the real thing. And with music, because they change the set works every year, we have no relevant past papers for section A, only the specimens. So chill :biggrin:... It will be easy!
Reply 56
Original post by Lobz
Calm down about section A. As with all exams, the specimen papers are much harder than the real thing. And with music, because they change the set works every year, we have no relevant past papers for section A, only the specimens. So chill :biggrin:... It will be easy!


Yeah it will all be okay in the end :smile::smile:
What does "Comment On The Writing For Voices" mean?
Reply 58
Original post by anuradha_d
What does "Comment On The Writing For Voices" mean?


State the obvious. Syllabic/melismatic, conjunct/disjunct, is it a scale, range etc.
Is it really bad that i've just learnt all the instrumentals then going to just learn the chords for the vocals tomorrow morning. Please let the instrumental question be nice! Sometimes I wonder how we're meant to compare and constrast, the pieces are so different apart from some similarities: perfect cadences, binary and the use of cadences. Ah! Should be fun NOT! At least i'm dropping music next year because I'm going to die if I do it next year lololol.

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