NCEA Level 2 Music (90269) 2011 — page 1 of 7

Assessment Schedule – 2011

Music: Demonstrate an understanding of the materials and processes of music in a range of scores(90269)

Evidence Statement

Each question part should be marked holistically. If the candidate does not quite meet the requirement for Achievement or Merit, then the marker may look for evidence from a higher level (Merit or Excellence) in that question part to contribute to the awarding of the lower grade.

Question

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Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

ONE / Score Extract A: “Dirge for a Soldier” by Kurt Weill
(a) / (i)Identifies BOTH keys:
  • Major key: F major
  • Minor key: D minor
/ (ii)Describes ONE way the first chord is unusual, eg:
  • The Ab makes it an F minor chord, which does not (help to) establish the key indicated by the key signature.
  • The chord suggests the tonic minor key.
/ (iii)Identifies BOTH keys, giving ONE different piece of evidence in support of each:
A – D minor
  • Perfect cadence (V–I) in bars8–9
  • Raised / sharpened leading note (C♯) in bar8
B – E minor
  • Perfect cadence (V7–I) in bars19–20
  • Raised / sharpened leading note (D♯) in bar19.

(b) / (i)Identifies the texture AND gives a correct description:
  • Texture: monophonic
  • The men are singing in unison / all singing the same pitches.
/ (ii)Identifies the texture AND gives a correct description:
  • Texture: homophonic
  • The girls are singing in (three) parts and have the same rhythm, but different pitches
AND
(iii)Explains a challenge for the choral director, eg:
  • The notation specifies a change from three to two parts in bar23, with no indication whether one voice rests or if the choir divides into two equal parts.
/ (iv)Describes TWO ways the piano texture contrasts with the voice parts, eg:
  • In bars 1–16:
-the piano RH has chords in rhythmic unison with the voices (homophonic texture, in contrast to the monophonic texture of the unison voices)
-the piano LH has drum-like dotted figures and trills that intersperse the notes of the vocal melody.
  • In bars 17–24:
-the piano has a (thinner) 2-part texture which contrasts with the (thicker) chords of the vocal part
-the piano RH decorates / has a countermelody to the vocal melody
-the piano LH has constant quaver movement, contrasting with the mainly crotchet movement of the vocal melody.

Question One cont’d

Question

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Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

(c) / (i)Draws a diagram with accurate bar numbers (see below). / (ii)Identifies TWO musical elements and describes how they are used to achieve contrast EITHER within the second section, eg:
  • Timbre
-The vocal melody is contrasted against the piano accompaniment.
  • Articulation
-The legato style of the accompaniment is not maintained in vocal parts.
OR between the second section and the outer sections, eg:
  • Pitch
-The girls’ voices are higher in pitch than the men’s.
  • Rhythm
-The dotted quaver + semiquaver rhythm that predominates in the men’s melody only appears later in the girls’ melody.
  • Melody
-The range of the melody is narrower in the second section (a major6th, compared to a compound minor3rd).
  • Tonality
-The key is Dmajor (instead of Fmajor / Dminor).
Other responses possible. / (iii)Explains TWO ways that bars1–16 are structured, eg:
  • bars1–8 contrast rhythmically and melodically with bars9–16
  • first phrase (bars1–4) ends on Cchord (dominant of F)
  • second phrase (bars5–8) is the same as the first, transposed a minor 3rd lower; ends on A major (dominant of D)
  • third phrase (bars9–12) introduces contrasting rhythm and melody; ends with a (perfect) cadence in D(minor)
  • fourth phrase (bars13–16) has the same rhythm as the third; ends with a perfect cadence in D(minor)
  • rhythmic and melodic motifs are used in the vocal and accompanying parts
  • the opening rhythmic motif (bar 1) is subject to augmentation (bar 9).

Example diagram for (i):
Section ASection BSection A1
Bars 1–16Bars 17–24Bars 25–40

Question One cont’d

Question

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Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

(d) / (i)Describes how ONE element contributes to the “military” feel, eg:
  • Rhythm
-The dotted (semiquaver + quaver) rhythm is a characteristic march rhythm.
-The up-beat demisemiquavers in the piano LH imitate the characteristic drum “drag”.
  • Metre
-Common time is characteristic of marches.
Other responses possible. / (ii)Describes how TWO different elements contribute to the “dirge-like” feel, eg:
  • Tempo
-The tempo (Andante sostenuto) is a slow walking pace.
  • Tonality
-The music is mostly in a minor key.
  • Melody
-The range of the first phrases is very narrow, and hovers around a central tone.
Other responses possible. / (iii)Explains THREE (of four) examples of word painting, eg:
  • “Drawn to the earth”
-The descending minor 3rd suggests a fall “earthwards”.
  • “roll, roll the drum”
-The piano LH imitates a drum-roll.
  • “bolder”
-The octave leap is surprising, emphasises the word.
-The word is at the peak of a crescendo to mf, the loudest dynamic marking in the song.
-The beat of silence in all parts which follows adds emphasis to the words.
  • “leave him where he’s lying”
-The top vocal line maintains the same pitch (A), suggesting that he is lying flat, unmoving.
Other responses possible.

Question

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Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

TWO / Score Extract B: First movement of String Quintet No. 1 by Johannes Brahms
(a) / (i)Identifies one instance of any THREE compositional devices (see over):
(1)Bar33, violin1 or2
(2)Bar33, cello
(3)Bar28, viola
(4)Bars32–33, any except cello
(5)Bar 31, violin1 or2, or viola2. / (ii)Any TWO of:
  • Identifies ONE unusual feature, eg:
-Violin II: The dotted quaver + semiquaver pattern is usually grouped in (crotchet) beats
-ViolaI: A bar of quavers in common time is usually grouped 4+4.
  • Explains ONE reason why the notes are grouped irregularly, eg:
-The first quaver of the bar is the last note of the previous phrase
-The grouping gives prominence to the viola’s triple stopping, and the violin part is grouped similarly to match.
  • Correctly rewrites the music, with accurate note alignment and stem direction (see below).
/ (iii)Explains how TWO types of articulation contribute to a specified effect, eg:
  • Staccato marks (all parts, bars28–33): help to “lighten” the dense / dark / bass-heavy texture.
  • Marcato (accent) marks (viola parts, bar33): draw attention to the long / off-beat notes.

Rewritten groupings in (ii)

Question Two cont’d

Compositional devices in (i)

(b) / Bass line matches chord indications
AND
Inner parts are correct for final cadence (see below). / Bass line matches chord indications
AND
Inner parts (pitches and rhythms) are correct for final cadence AND any TWO other consecutive chords (see below). / Bass line and inner parts (pitches, rhythms, and stems) are correct with smooth voicing (with allowance for minor errors)

Question

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Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

THREE / Score Extract C: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen (arr. for concert band)
(a) / (i)Identifies BOTH tuned percussion instruments:
  • timpani
  • bells
AND
(ii)Explains the meaning of the note in the timpani part, eg:
  • Bb, Eb, and F are the pitches to which each of the three timpani are tuned.
/ (iii)Describes TWO functions of the percussion parts, eg they:
  • add colour
  • provide sound effects
  • play on the beat to help the ensemble stay in time
  • reinforce the change of metre.
/ (iv)Identifies the strong beats in bar9 as 1 and 4, with ONE piece of supporting evidence, eg:
  • the beats are clearly grouped as 3+2 in many parts, shown by the dotted minim + minim rest (eg Bass Clarinet)
  • In Percussion I, the ride cymbal has hits on the strong beats in bars 10 and 11, so the hits on beats 1 and 4 of bar9 must indicate they are strong beats too.
Other responses possible.
(b) / (i)Identifies FOUR (of four) transcription errors (see below). / (ii)Identifies THREE (of four) chords, including the correct inversions (see below). / (iii)Inserts the correct key signature
AND
Makes no more than TWO errors in pitch (see below).
Transcription in (i)

Chords in (ii)

Jazz / rock chord

(1) / C7
(2) / F7/C
(3) / Bb
(4) / Gm
(5) / Bb7/F
Transposition in (iii)

Judgement Statement

Eightopportunities are offered to show evidence of Achievement, Achievement with Merit, or Achievement with Excellence.

Achievement

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Achievement with Merit

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Achievement with Excellence

5 A / 5 M / 5 E