Psycho Revision notes

Melody

Heavy use of motifs and their development- link to The Exorcist by Blatty who uses a single motif which spreads between instruments e.g bar 3, then inverted in bar 9 and used (in its inverted form) as a sighing motif in b45

Ostinato used as a melody- link to John Cage and Rite of Spring

Descending sostenuto crotchets. Idea played in retrograde in b4

Tune is sequential and passed from 1sts to 2nds

Ostinato from Prelude audmented and inverted b18

Verticalisation of the ostinato fromm Prelude

Could also link to the descending chromatic chords from 'Marion' and 'The City'

4 melodic ideas; subject, countersubject 1, countersubject 2  and countersubject 3/4 (4 is a metrically displaced countersubject 3). Subject is passed through the instruments, starting from cello and double bass up to V1

CS 1  is a descending chromatic sequence

Prominant use of the 'Madhouse' motif (F/Eb/D) 

Harmony

Non-functional harmony; avoids traditional cadences

Use of Hitchcock chord from bar 1 (Bb min +mj7)- LINK to Shostakovich who also uses this own name in musical form to establish an identity within the music

Chord used throughout as an ostinato- LINK to Shostakovich quartet no 8.

Flase relations in motif 3

Dim7 and half dim7 used throughout

Lots of chromaticism

Ends with a Hitchcock Chord

Dissonant chord clusters…