a level music psycho essay

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Essays at A-Level

Essays at A-Level seems to be a popular topic and hopefully you have read my recent blog on Forgetting the Set Works. I am working hard with my students on essay writing because it is clearly an area for development. I think most of us would agree that the goal posts aren’t really clear! And yet I believe there are some ways in to writing essays.

In this blog I am going to be looking at a method I have been working on with my students:

COMPOSER – USE – WHY

Essay Questions

If you are with Edexcel then you will know that Question 6 essays all follow the same format: How does “composer” “use” “elements” in their score. I think it is quite helpful that this format doesn’t change as it gives us a target to aim for. I have been thinking about this and in my last blog I stressed the importance of context and composer.

When you start your next Set Work, start with the Composer. Here are a few things I would include in that lesson:

• Composer Context – When they were alive, what they were influenced by, what instruments they played, what they were known for?
• Historical Context – What was going on at the time and how might this have impacted music?
• Social Context – What were society looking for in music? How were society experiencing music?
• Cultural – What changes in culture were happening at the time of composition?
• Line of Argument – What angle do we need to look at when considering this composer? For example, if studying Psycho then we would be thinking about cinematic music. How is the music is being used to enhance what is happening on screen? Whereas, for the Bach set work, we are thinking about what makes this a great example of Baroque Sacred writing.

For this part of the essay students are required to pick musical features that are used by the composer. But they are not just picking & listing ideas, and such cataloguing of key terms is not useful. Students need to think about the composer and what THEY USED. What features most exemplify the style of the composer and the genre of the piece? For Psycho they might focus on the Hitchcock Chord for example. They need to think about what the composer used rather than simply what is used. Does that make sense? this essay is about a certain composer and a certain piece. It is not just a chance to write down as much as possible. Here is a short example of how a paragraph might look:

Bernard Hermann was tasked with composing a score to bring to life a 1960s Horror Movie in Black and White. This was his sixth collaboration with Hitchcock having previously worked on “Vertigo” . Hermann’s approach to Harmony is therefore all centred around subject matter and how he can best support the on-screen action. He tended to use harmony for its sound rather than its function. Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart are all seen to use Functional Harmony within a clear harmonic structure. Hermann however does not concern himself with a prevailing tonality. This can be seen in his use of Non-Functional Harmony and his use of chromaticism, dissonance and atonal triads. His avoidance of conventional & familiar triads c reates suspense for the audience. Hermann adopts a range of harmonic techniques including the use of a Hitchcock Chord in the Prelude. This chord create s an immediately un-stabling sound. The Hitchcock sounds uneasy because it is a minor chord with a major 7 th . This is hugely affective in creating unease and suspense.

This is a crucial part of any response – why did the composer use the chosen feature? Again, this is all framed around the composer and why they used it. Students need to link their answer back to the line of argument and the composer context. Simply giving a feature, even if it is linked to composer, then they are not giving a full answer. Saying the impact will help them to have a line of argument. For Berlioz they will be thinking about how the featured used contributes to the programatic nature of the music. For Portman they will be linking back to the impact the feature has on the on-screen drama. What impact does the use of Modality have in Vaughan Williams?

Who, What & Why

In conclusion I guess it all comes down to Who, What & Why. But it all starts with Who. If students can link every point they make back to the composer then they are on to a winner. If they then explain the impact then that kind of answer will serve them well in an exam. Understanding why Mozart approached melody differently to Debussy is crucial. They didn’t just happen to do things differently, there is a reason. Harmony, Melody, Texture & Instrumentation all changed as we move through the anthology. It might be good for students to map this out for all anthology pieces. Essays at A-Level aren’t easy, but hopefully this blog has helped with some ideas. You might like to read all about my Match of the Day approach to Essays .

Edexcel A-Level Essay – The Match of the Day approach!

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A Level Music: Herrmann 'Psycho' Notes & Wider Listening

Subject: Music

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

17 June 2019

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These notes will help you learn and revise Component 3 (Appraising) content for the A Level Music exam, specifically concerning the following work:

Prelude’, ‘The City’, ‘Marion’, ‘The Muder’ (shower scene), ‘The Toys’, ‘The Cellar’, ‘Discovery’, ‘Finale’ from Psycho (Bernard Herrman)

This resource includes:

• Historical and stylistic context of the set work and key vocabulary.
• Detailed key information regarding all musical elements relevant to the set work: sonority, instrumentation, texture, structure, melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, metre, tempo and dynamics.
• A* examples to give you an in-depth knowledge ready for essay and listening questions in the exam.
• Relevant wider listening comparisons (both similarities and differences) which will be essential for higher level responses to an exam question.

Possible ways of revising this material include:

• Highlighting key words in the notes
• Write an essay question and see if you have remembered all the points and examples listed
• Listening to the wider listening suggestions and seeing if you can recognise the key features listed and compare them to the piece
• These notes are also really good for making revision cards from

They have served me well in my A Level music course and I hope they can be of benefit to you too!

There’s also plenty more where this came from, so please check out my other resources.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

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Edexcel A Level Music: Mega Bundle Revision Pack

A bundle of thorough revision notes and wider listening! These notes will help you learn and revise Component 3 (Appraising) content for the A Level Music exam. This resource includes: * Historical and stylistic context of the set work and key vocabulary. * Detailed key information regarding all musical elements relevant to the set work: sonority, instrumentation, texture, structure, melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, metre, tempo and dynamics. * A* examples to give you an in-depth knowledge ready for essay and listening questions in the exam. * Relevant wider listening comparisons (both similarities and differences) which will be essential for higher level responses to an exam question. Possible ways of revising this material include: * Highlighting key words in the notes * Write an essay question and see if you have remembered all the points and examples listed * Listening to the wider listening suggestions and seeing if you can recognise the key features listed and compare them to the piece * These notes are also really good for making revision cards from They have served me well in my A Level music course and I hope they can be of benefit to you too! There’s also plenty more where this came from, so please check out my other resources.

A Level Music: AoS3 Film Music Revision

A bundle of thorough revision notes and wider listening! These notes will help you learn and revise Component 3 (Appraising) content for the A Level Music exam, specifically concerning the area of study: **Area of Study 3: Music for Film** This resource includes: * Historical and stylistic context of the set work and key vocabulary. * Detailed key information regarding all musical elements relevant to the set work: sonority, instrumentation, texture, structure, melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, metre, tempo and dynamics. * A* examples to give you an in-depth knowledge ready for essay and listening questions in the exam. * Relevant wider listening comparisons (both similarities and differences) which will be essential for higher level responses to an exam question. Possible ways of revising this material include: * Highlighting key words in the notes * Write an essay question and see if you have remembered all the points and examples listed * Listening to the wider listening suggestions and seeing if you can recognise the key features listed and compare them to the piece * These notes are also really good for making revision cards from They have served me well in my A Level music course and I hope they can be of benefit to you too! There’s also plenty more where this came from, so please check out my other resources.

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Analytical Essay on the score of Psycho.

Analytical Essay about the score of Psycho                Hubertus Dahlem

Analytical Essay on the score of Psycho

The man behind the low woodwinds that opens and the 'high pitched violins' of .  was one of the most original and distinctive composers ever to work in film. He started early, winning a composition prize at 13 and founding his own orchestra at 20. After writing scores for Orson Welles' radio shows in the 1930s (including the notorious 1938 'War of the Worlds' broadcast), he was the obvious choice to score Welles' film , , and subsequently , though he removed his name from the latter after additional music was added without his (or Welles') consent when the film was mutilated by a panic-stricken studio. Herrmann was a prolific film composer, producing his most memorable work for Alfred Hitchcock, for whom he wrote nine scores. He ignored the directors instructions - like Hitchcock's suggestion that  have a jazz score and no music in the shower scene). He ended his partnership with Hitchcock after the latter rejected his score for  on studio advice. His last score was for 's , and he died just hours after recording it.

Bernard Herrmann is one of the most important film composers of the 20th century. He was one of the key figures in creating the genre  of film music. He developed a musical language that was ideally suited to easily fitting to varying lengths of scene.

This is a preview of the whole essay

On the other hand, made strong use of short repeated rhythmic phrases and ostinati. These could be readily repeated to fit the length of a scene and provided a feeling of onward motion appropriate to strong filmic story telling such as suspense and thriller films. Repeated rhythmic patterns were of course well known to the improvising pianists and organists of the silent film days - the 'vamp 'till ready' technique. They had also became an idiosyncratic element of the highly original classical music of Janacek. we don't know whether Herrmann was ever familiar with Janacek's music, but his rhytmic techniques presaged those used by minimalist compsers several decades later.

Herrmann's also developed a use of harmony that was particularly suited to film. It is no accident that he was the composer for some of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest films. He made strong use of augmented chords which provided a certain unease. However, he particular used overlapping harmonies that left a scene feeling unresolved - ideal for building tension in the storytelling of a thriller. Tensions was produced by overlapping harmonies and their ability to help build a powerful climax .

His orchestrations are inventive and chosen to underline the atmosphere of the film. At times, he deliberately limits his palette, as in . At other times, he calls on highly unusual forces as in (his unused music to) . The film score did not need to tie itself to the forces of the 19th century symphony orchestra. It also did not have to follow the constraints of an acoustic performance. Some instruments could be 'miked up' and others 'miked down'. This added a new tool for the orchestrator. However, it was a tool he used sparingly.

His musical style was bold and direct, yet certainly not typical of the day. Rather than full-blown themes, his talent was to select and develop simple mottos such as those high-pitched Psycho violins or in Vertigo those augmented chord arpeggios that seemed to encapsulate the whole concept of the movie. The orchestration also tended to be unusual but again tailored perfectly to the particular need. Psycho used strings only, which seemed to match the black and white photography. The orchestration for that rejected score for Torn Curtain was played using large numbers of flutes, horns and trombones. By way of contrast  employs lots of tuned percussion. In a number of ways, Herrmann's musical style follows in the footsteps of  being bold and dark and an integral part of the film experience. In addition to the screaming effect, Psycho also has the agitated title music associated with the initial driving scenes through the rain away from the scene of the crime. As well as this there is the pervasive eerie atmosphere which reflects the creepy setting at the Bates Motel heightened by feelings of guilt. For Vertigo it is the arpeggios moving in different directions at the same time which seem to be most closely identified with the movie and its title.

Here are the films he scored in his life:

• Citizen Kane - a busy theme tune, and the movie uses some classical music too, including Mendelssohn, Wagner, Chopin and Beethoven  
• All that Money Can Buy - his one Oscar for this early score  
• The Magnificent Ambersons - another Orson Welles classic  
• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - this re-used some material that Herrmann had earlier composed for an Opera version of "Wuthering Heights"  
• The Day the Earth Stood Still - influenced 's Mars Attacks, recognisable as Herrmann despite the electronic tone-generator sounds  
• Anna and the King of Siam - with some dramatic oriental music  
• The Egyptian - it's not often that composers collaborate on a score, but Herrmann worked with  on this one  
• The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
• Hangover Square
• Five Fingers
• On Dangerous Ground
• The Snows of Kilimanjaro
• The Kentuckian
• The Bride Wore Black
• The Man who Knew too Much - Doris Day sings the song "Que Sera Sera" by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, and there's an appearance by Bernard Herrmann himself as the Conductor for the concert scene  
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
• Vertigo - reused on a recent car advert in the UK with David Duchovny  
• Journey to the Centre of the Earth
• North by Northwest - instantly recognisable and very atmospheric  
• Psycho - famous for the screaming strings in the shower scene, but the tension really mounts during the car journey through the rain  
• The Three Worlds of Gulliver
• Mysterious Island
• Cape Fear - the original and the remake as used by .  
• The Birds - Herrmann is a musical consultant on this, the bird noises described as "sound construction" created using an early electronic instrument  
• Jason and the Argonauts
•  - strings and tuned percussion and a wonderfully surreal fire-engine sequence  
• It's Alive 1, 2, 3 (posthumously)
•  - his last score and highly recommended

Document Details

• Word Count 1087
• Page Count 2
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject Music

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