91271 - COMPOSITION 2

EXEMPLARS OF STUDENT WORK

EXCELLENCE EXEMPLAR

For Excellence, the student needs to compose two convincing substantial pieces of music.

This involves the student composing musical ideas that are developed, structured and represented skilfully, the music demonstrating stylistic assurance and flair, and communicating with impact.

This student has composed a string quartet called Sonata in E flat, and another piece not exemplified.

Sonata in E flat is substantial, convincing and demonstrates stylistic assurance and flair. It is represented skilfully with written notation on a Sibelius score which pays attention to articulation and dynamic markings.

The opening melodic motive is clearly established and supported by a skilfully developed harmonic framework. By using Air and Variation form to clearly structure the piece, the student also explores a range of different ways of developing the composition including using tonality and texture. Musical ideas are well crafted to show off the capabilities of the instruments and thus demonstrate compositional flair,

The contrasting middle section (F) is carefully developed with use of textual variety and driving momentum.

For a more secure Excellence, the student could fine-tune further aspects such as maintaining musical focus (e.g. section G); revise the use of unusual chromatic notes (bar 47) and explore around the reasonably static harmonic centre. Working on these would allow the composition to strengthen the communication with impact.

MERIT EXEMPLAR

For Merit, the student needs to compose two effective substantial pieces of music.

This involves the student composing musical ideas being developed, structured and represented coherently, and the music demonstrating style and character.

This student has composed for two trumpets and piano titled Solitude, and another piece not exemplified.

Solitude is a substantial piece, structured in binary form, which effectively creates and maintains a sense of style and character. The initial key of G minor captures the solitudinal mood of the piece’s title. Musical ideas have been developed through sequence, repetition and imitation. Written representation is coherent.

Particularly effective is the use of call and response and the subtle interplay between the two trumpets. This is stylistic writing for these brass instruments. The piano part provides a strong harmonic foundation and structure with an initial four-bar repeated broken-chord pattern. The piano then takes up the semiquavers/quaver pattern which leads into a key change and section B.

To reach Excellence, the student could further develop section B to make the composition convincing and communicate with more musical impact. The addition of more dynamic markings following the initial p and pedal indications on the score would further aid in securing an Excellence grade.

MERIT EXEMPLAR

For Merit, the student needs to compose two effective substantial pieces of music.

This involves the student composing musical ideas being developed, structured and represented coherently, and the music demonstrating style and character.

This student has composed a piece called Home for an extended rock band, and another piece not exemplified.

Home is a substantial composition which demonstrates effective writing and effective rock-genre character. Musical ideas are coherently developed and generally effectively structured. Representation is coherent and appropriate to genre, with a well realised drum part and stylistic guitar parts.

For a more secure Merit, and for the structure to be fully coherent, the melodic content could be further enhanced with a single lead guitar line and condensing of the other guitar tracks to two harmony lines.

ACHIEVED EXEMPLAR

For Achieved, the student needs to compose two substantial pieces of music.

This involves the student/students generating, developing, structuring and representing original musical ideas to create music.

A student may compose either two compositions as an individual, or two compositions as a member of a group(s), or one of each. ‘Substantial’ involves the music being of sufficient length and complexity to sustain the development of musical ideas within an extended structure.

This student has collaboratively composed a contemporary song called Africa, and another piece not exemplified.

Africa is substantial, structured, shows development and has been represented both visually and in audio form. The students have generated a broken-chord piano introduction in A minor to set up a sombre mood to the song. The same chord structure is used for both the verse and chorus, but is treated differently in the chorus.

The writing for piano is idiomatic and shows some degree of effectiveness and character. Part of the vocal line in the chorus imitates the "falling" motif of the piano part, which creates a sense of unity between the verse and chorus.

To reach Merit, the students could develop the existing musical ideas to fully explore the sombre style and character of the piece. The representation could be made more coherent by including a lead vocal line above the piano part.