Structure, Tempo, notation and dynamics
Structure
The piece is in A popular Baroque structure, which is similar to ternary form, that repeats an opening section after a contrasting middle section (A-B-A)., which is a type of A musical form in which the opening section returns after a central contrasting section. .
A A repeating bass pattern popular in Baroque music. The tool is also known as a bass ostinato. is used throughout. Ground bass is the term used in Baroque music where a bass part is repeated throughout the piece and is the foundation upon which the melody to Music for a While is written. The repetition contributes to the calming and hypnotic atmosphere of the music.
The ground bass is first heard in full in the bass viol and the left hand part of the harpsichord at the very beginning. It is three bars long with a continuous quaver rhythm. The ascending shape of the ground bass represents King Laius rising from the dead. The bottom note of each pattern rises through A, B, C, C#, D to E. Each three bar loop ends with a A type of cadence where the chords played are chord V then I. This progression sounds complete.. The vocal phrase overlaps the cadence, which helps to create a sense of moving forward.
Metre and tempo
Music for a While is in 4/4 Musical rhythm where each beat in a bar is a crochet and each beat can be divided in two, four or eight.. The The speed or pace of performance in speech, dance or music. is not written, but the piece is performed slowly, to fit the context of the song. A suitable tempo description would be A slow tempo which is faster than grave, but slower than adagio. .
Timbre and texture
This song is written at a comfortable range for a soprano. The lowest note is E and the highest is F - just a minor ninth The gap between two adjacent or simultaneously sounded notes. above.
The overall texture is A musical texture which features a melody with accompaniment.. Sometimes the soprano line Where one musical part copies another. the right hand in the harpsichord part. An example of this is in bar 11 where the right hand plays a descending scale, immediately followed by the soprano singing a descending scale.
The left hand of the harpsichord and the bass viol double the same part and play in Two parts with matching rhythms and pitch or played in octaves..
Notation, dynamics and articulation
Both Singing one note per syllable. and Several notes sung to one syllable. text setting is heard in the song. In bar 8. the lyrics 'all, shall all, all' are an example of syllabic text setting, whereas bars 20 to 21 is an example of Several notes sung to one syllable. text setting. This is shown in the score excerpt for the lyrics 'eternal'.
No Refers to the softness or loudness of a piece of music. or articulations are written into the score, which was usual in the Baroque period.