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Xmas Homework

WCT (for first day back after Xmas)
Please complete the following essay:

“Discuss how composers have used music to convey humour, drama and narrative in the symphony from 1750-1820”

I would like this essay to follow the same format as an exam essay (i.e. some earlier works, Haydn 104 and Mendelssohn then some later works) but I would like you to develop the essay so that it is longer than it would normally be. In other words, I want lots of detail on the Haydn and then as many wider listening works as are relevant. I would talk about the way in which Classical music can make drama and humour by playing with expectations then how the Romantics develop much more dramatic and narrative music. You must talk about Beethoven and Berlioz before moving onto later Romantics.

Revise for a Mock on everything we have done so far:

You will need to know:

  • Haydn 104 all four movements
  • Poulenc
  • Debussy
  • WCT Essay Questions (topics covered up until now in years 12 and 13: B, C, D, F, G H & L – it will definitely be one of those)

There will also be musicals questions but NOT AoS E Wider Listening

You should try the

Please review chord labelling etc. and complete the following quiz on Moodle at least ONCE:

Basic Diatonic Chord Labelling (5 random questions)

Review your knowledge of the Haydn and complete the following quiz on Moodle at least ONCE:

Haydn Minuet Questions (five random short questions plus a 5-marker)

Year 12 Xmas Homework

Please review chord labelling etc. and complete the following quiz on Moodle at least TWICE:

Basic Diatonic Chord Labelling (5 random questions)

Review your knowledge of the Haydn and complete the following quiz on Moodle at least ONCE:

Haydn Minuet Questions (five random short questions plus a 5-marker)

 

Year 13 Homework w/c 4th December

Composition Submission (WEDNESDAY 5th December)

Please submit all composition Sibelius files onto Moodle

In addition you need to fill out log submissions for both compositions

Please print out all composition ONE material but not anything else

WCT (for first day back after Xmas)
Please complete the following essay:

“Discuss how composers have used music to convey humour, drama and narrative in the symphony from 1750-1820”

I would like this essay to follow the same format as an exam essay (i.e. some earlier works, Haydn 104 and Mendelssohn then some later works) but I would like you to develop the essay so that it is longer than it would normally be. In other words, I want lots of detail on the Haydn and then as many wider listening works as are relevant. I would talk about the way in which Classical music can make drama and humour by playing with expectations then how the Romantics develop much more dramatic and narrative music. You must talk about Beethoven and Berlioz before moving onto later Romantics.

 

Year 12 Homework w/c 5th December

You should have submitted your final minuet compositions by Tuesday 5th / Wednesday 6th. 

AoS A (for Tuesday 12th December)

Make a Haydn timeline, adding career and life events plus any major works. You should use the following:

  • Music Academy Online Biog (start with this)
  • CMG Haydn from this folder in Moodle (pick up some extra details from this)
  • You might also want to look at Taruskin – Haydn in the same Moodle folder for some more sophisticated notes
  • There are some notes also in the Rhinegold Study Guide

Allegro Composition (for Tuesday 12th/Wednesday 13th)

Write a passage of 16 bars or more in a fast 4/4 (or 2/2 like the Haydn) as follows:

  • Uses strings, flutes, oboes, horns and timps
  • In G, D or A major
  • Use phrases that are multiples of 2 bars
  • No more than one or two chords per bar (depending on speed)
  • Lands regularly on I
  • Melody is made up of scales, arpeggios, auxiliary notes and repeated notes only
  • Finishes with a ii-V-I cadence

The passage MUST include (for notes on these please look at the WCT Fingerprints page):

  • a tonic pedal (Use some of I , ii, IV, V7 and vii over it)
  • some parallel thirds and/or sixths
  • some octave unison

In class we looked at:

You can use other ideas but they must be taken from the models provided (in the Allegro folder on Moodle).

Year 13 Homework w/c 27th November

WCT Essay

Write an essay discussing the development of the slow movement in the symphony from 1750-1900. You must mention the Haydn set work and a range of other relevant works.

I suggest using the following as a starting point:

  • Stamitz Op. 3/2
  • Mozart 41
  • Haydn 94
  • Beethoven 3
  • Dvorak 9
  • Tchaikovsky 6

You could also mention Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and Brahms 3 (an Andante like earlier Classical ones)

Year 12 Homework w/c 22nd Nov.

Composition
The first task is to correct and improve your basic A:||B(A’) 24 bars. Please ensure that:

  • you have a tempo at the beginning and then dynamic and articulation markings throughout in all parts (see guide)
  • your A section has both the modulation AND the secondary dominant
  • your B section has a selection of chords over the pedal (see in WCT Fingerprints)
  • you have included TWO textures based on the minuet models 
  • you have followed all the guidelines here

All students must submit this on Tuesday/Wednesday next week in quartet form.

The task following week (but you can start this week if you are ready) is to do one or more of the following extensions:

  • orchestrate using small Classical orchestral forces (a 8 combinations). You can go as large as Haydn 104
  • add a coda
  • write a trio to go alongside it also in binary form

WCT Essay (NEXT Friday)

Write a revision leaflet/poster/booklet for Haydn 104 Minuet. You can use the annotated score on Moodle (requires log-in) and the resources on A level music (development of symphony) to help you.

It must include:

  • a structure table (include main keys)
  • features including harmony and rhythm
  • information and examples that puts it in context in terms of its orchestration
  • an introduction to humour in Haydn referring to a couple of other examples.

Year 12 HW w/c 14th November

Composition

You have already written the A and A’ sections of a rounded binary minuet – A :||: B (A’) – your task is now to write the B section.

Your B section should use a fragment of your A section (maximum a bar) and follow this harmonic structure:

First it needs to go iii-vi-ii (either one chord per bar or a bit quicker)

THEN the rest should be chord progressions over a dominant pedal that use the fragment you have chosen as the melody idea.

  • You can see in the first example on the dominant pedal explanation page that a one-bar idea is repeated over a repeated I6/4  – V chord progression. Part of your dominant pedal could do something similar
  • In the second example on the same page Haydn starts off with a repeated idea using a diminished seventh and then moves to a series of rising thirds

For the range of harmonies you can use look here. The ideas on this page you can use as follows:

  • part of your pedal can go I6/4 – from the first example
  • you should also use something more interesting such as vii7 of V – V from the second example (each of these dissonant chords much resolve to V or V7)
  • you could also use rising thirds or sixths as in the third example

In composition next week you will have feedback for BOTH homeworks so you can put them together in the lesson.

Year 13 Homework w/c 6th November

Composition

Please make sure that you submit your compositions (Composition 1 on FRIDAY and Composition 2 next Tuesday)

WCT (due next Thursday 16th November)

Please write a 15-mark essay on the following title:

‘Discuss the use of dance and folk influences in the symphony. You should refer to a range of relevant Classical and Romantic works and you must make detailed reference to both set works (Haydn and Mendelssohn)’

You will find development of the symphony notes useful but you will also need to do some of your own research, particularly on general influences on the Minuet and on Haydn in general.

You should write a short introduction then about two thirds of the main body should be on wider listening and the other third on Haydn and Mendelssohn. You should finish with a short conclusion.

Year 12 Homework w/c 7th November

Minuet Composition (D group for Tuesday 14th / B group for Wednesday 15th)

D GROUP I AM SORRY I FORGOT TO SAY IT NEEDS TO BE IN 3/4 – please adapt what you have written to put it in 3/4

1) Write a period in a major key following the instructions on writing and CHARACTERFUL basic idea. Please write for string quartet, starting with the melody and chords and then filling in a simple texture.

Note that the consequent phrase needs to end ii-V-I for the next bit to work

2) Rewrite your period but in the consequent phrase the ii-V-I should be in the dominant key and the ii should be preceded by a secondary dominant (i.e. V of ii)

Year 13 Homework w/c 30th October

Composition 1 (by the end of Friday)
Make corrections according to feedback and continue with this composition, which needs to be finished by the end of term.

Composition 2 (by the end of Tuesday 7th)
Fill in the attached planner and submit some initial ideas on Sibelius. You have filled in a version of this planner before but many of you have changed your ideas since then, so I am asking for a new one. If you have no substantially changed, you can amend the old one and submit that.

WCT (for Thursday 9th)
Please look at the Mendelssohn Finale Worksheet and do the activity at the top.  You can listen to the extracts on the relevant development of the symphony pages (Berlioz and Schubert). You can use your own score of the Mendelssohn but it is also included at the end of the worksheet. The track for the Mendelssohn is on Moodle (and of course Youtube)