Music - Defying Gravity - Stephen Schwartz - Musical Elements

Melody:

• Sylabbic - Adds meaning and draws attention to words.
  
• Perfect 4th and 5th leaps - Stronger / More Powerful.
• Leitmotif (Unlimited Theme)- Character is more memorable.
• Sequence - Helps the music to flow / Reinforces her point.
• Hexatonic - Unconventional / Masks the key.

Harmony:

• Chromatic Chords - Adds uncertainty.
• Dissonance - Creates clashes / Adds interest.
• Pedal Note - Helps the music to flow / Builds tension.
• Polytonal Chords - Sounds a little peculiar.
• Cadences - Outlines the key.
• Circle of Fifths - Functional.
• Bare 5ths - Stronger / More Powerful.
• Augmented Chord - Helps the music to flow. (useful for chancing from one key to the next)

Tonality:

• Tonally Ambiguous - Adds uncertainty.
• Major Keys - Happier tone.
• Minor Keys - More dismal tone.
• Bitonality

Temopo, Metre and Rhythm:

• Tempo changes - Adds to the atmosphere.
• Rallentando - Adds to the emotion.
• Syncopation - Builds momentum.
• Triplets - More 'bouncy'.
• Dotted Rhythms - Keeps a steady pace.
• Rests - Builds suspense.
• Slow chordal accompaniment and driving quaver rhythms - Adds momentum.

Texture:

• Sparse opening texture - Adds tension.
• Punctuating chordal stabs - Adds tension / Indicates toward agression/conflict.
• Monophonic Lines - Clear.
• Homophonic
• Melody Dominated Homophony (MDH)
• Vocals in harmony - More Lively.
• Contrapuntal (Polyphonic)

Structure:

• Extended Verse Chorus Form - Adds Variety
• Verse - Bar 30
• Chorus - Bar 50
• Coda - Bar 168-167
• Links
  
• Bridges - Bar 93-103

Performing Forces and their Handling:

• Duet 
• Speak Singing - Flow from conversation to song.
• More traditional classical instruments - Louder / More Dramatic.
• Empahsis on percussion - Adds interest/variety.
• Unsual instrumental techniques.

Dynamics and Articulation:

• Marcato - Makes it more distinctive.
• Legato - Links articulation to emotion.
• Staccato - Stronger / More Powerful.
• Sforzando - Stronger / More Powerful.
• fp - Grabs the audience's attention.
• Full dynamic ranged used - Adds variety/contrast/emotion.