Chorus songs in Les Mis vs Sweeny Todd

Musical: Les Miserables

Song: At the end of the day (chorus song)

Structure: AABA (Variation on 32 bar song form?)

Melody: Consists of quick quaver rhythms, conjunct, syllabic, phrased in 'sentences' i.e regular

Harmony/Tonality: Goes from F minor (desperation) to Fmajor (bar 38) (hope supported by lyrics "dawning" "rise", also creates bulid up with two parts working against each other and crecendo on "pay" and Eflat major chord) then returns to F minor (loss of faith, hope).

Texture: Homophonic then goes polyphonic at bar 42 (see above)

Timbre/use of voices:Unison or in octaves until bar 42 where it starts to build up, bar 47 sops go to highest note-G

Musical:Sweeney Todd

Song: The ballad of Sweeney Todd

Structure: AABACA1 (complicated)

Melody: conjunct, syllabic,

Harmony/tonality:remains in A major throughout (safe for Sondheim), harmony at bar 59 in thirds,

Texture: starts homophonic, at bar 102 the texture builds up with more parts added and bar 118 it becomes polyphonic. build tension, anticipation.

Timbre/use of voices: extreme use of voices (top D for sopranos, bar 110 everythin sang octave up) builds tension.