Instrumentation, texture and Structure
Describe the orchestral accompaniment in the opening section (bars 1-19)
Orchestral stabs at the start with sparse monophonic moments - the accompaniment becomes chordal and sustained.
Describe the vocal melody in bars 23-29 (0:25)
Legato, conjunct/ stepwise melody except for the leap at the end of bar 29.
How is rhythmic momentum created in bars 51-53?(1:48)
The metrically shifting 3 note quaver ostinato in the piano against the constant crotchet rhythms in the closed high-hat add rhythmic momentum driving the song forwards.
What is the tonic key of "Defying Gravity"?
D major
"Defying Gravity" is the finale song for the first act.
Which voice types are Elphaba and Glinda?
Elphaba is a mezzo-soprano and Glinda is a Soprano.
Describe the melody at the start of the chorus section. (1:48)
The title hook melody leaps in a pefect fifth from an A to an E. This melody then descends from a D to a D over the next couple of bars before ascending to an E. The overall movement of the melody is descending with both disjunct and conjunct moments.
How would you describe the rhythm of Glinda's melody "can't I make you understand, you're having delusions of grandeur?"
Glinda sings a crotchet, triplet based melody.
Comment on the harmony in bars 9-12. (0:25)
Chord progressions are often unrelated and in the opening we can see shifts downwards in parallel semitones. For example in bars 9, a C minor chord to a Cb major chord to a Bb major chord, then B major chord. The chords are in root position.
What is "Defying Gravity" about?
Elphaba has just discovered that the Wizard of Oz is not the heroic figure she had originally believed him to be. Realising this, Elphaba vows to do everything in her power to fight the Wizard and his sinister plans. She sings of how she wants to live without limits, going against the rules that others have set for her.
Which non-orchestral instruments are included to create a modern sound?
Three keyboards, drum kit and electric guitars.
Decribe the text setting in bars 1 to 5.
The text setting is syllabic with rhythms moving in a speech like manner. Apart from a few moments (e.g. bar 175) the entire text setting of the song is syllabic.
Comment on the rhythm of the melody in bars 63 to 70. (2:13)
Elphaba sings a syncopated version of the verse with most of her melodic lines beginning on the second beat of the bar.
What key is the music in from bar 32 to 88?
D major
Who composed Wicked?
Stephen Schwartz, the American musical theatre composer and lyricist. How was born in 1948 in New York and his first successful musical was Godspell in 1972.
Describe the orchestral accompaniment at the start of the Andante section. (0:32)
Homophonic chordal opening moving through different keys.
What interval is used in the melody in bars 140-141? (4:43)
Compound perfect 5th
What does Colla Voce mean? Where is it used?
Colla Voce means follow the solo voice. It indicates that the vocal part sings in a free manner and that other instruments should follow.
What key does the music move to in bar 88?
G major
What is the musical Wicked about?
Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz; a musical based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
This is an alternative version of the Wizard of Oz and tells the story from the point of view of the witches, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda, the Good Witch.
Comment on the texture in the final section of the piece (5:35 - end)
Descibe the text setting of the melodic line in bar 175. (5:33)
This is melismatic writing (a single syllable of text is sung through many notes).
What is the technique used in the percussion at bar 122 to build tension?
Cymbal roll
What interval is used to harmonise in the melody in the vocal parts between bars 125 -128? (4:18)
They sing in thirds.
How could you link the "Unlimited" theme to "The Wizard of Oz"?
The notes of the Unlimited theme are based on the notes of Somewhere over the Rainbow with the use of an octave leap and the addition of two notes.