Chapter 4- Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods Flashcards
Chamber Music
Performed by a chamber ensemble (2 or 3 performers); 1st example of classically performed music; Moravians were the only ones who could do it
Classical music
Very structured and precise, never overly emotional; restraint and control are consistent characteristics; appreciated by the well-educated
Music Societies
Developed out of well-off Americans who made informal chamber music; hire European musicians to do private concerts for a group of friends who pooled together their money
Public Concerts
Wanted to expose uneducated people to the arts/music; similar to music societies, but now everyone is invited
“Battle of Trenton”
By James Hewitt; common folk were interested in classical music, but they usually couldn’t connect; form of program music; dedicated to GW, everyone knew about this so people cared/could connect; engaged the audience intellectually; American musicians also played in this
Program Music
Emerged from public concerts; detailed description of the music they were going to enjoy
Fiddle/Violin
Fiddle when it was tuned for folk music and a violin when it was tuned for classical music
Forte Piano
Very delicate piano/sound; first piano where you could make it louder if you pressed harder and make it soft if you tap lightly
Dausemen
From Europe, could be homemade, most popular in rural area; only 2 pitches; created a drone effect
Drone Effect
Sort of constant background sound (similar to Scotland’s bagpipes)
Thomas Jefferson
Violin player, used music to judge someone’s intellectual abilities
Benjamin Franklin
Americans should be free from Europe conpletely, so we should make our own music and instruments; created the Glass Harmonica
Armonica/Glass Harmonica
Glass cylinders that rotated in water to create a melody
Francis Hopkinson
A composer of art songs and musical plays
Art Songs
Find existing poetry and he’d write music to go along with it; would then give the melody and poem to a singer to perform it
Early American Theater
Became popular during the 1730s, but was banned by the Continental Congress in 1778 during the Revolutionarily war; became popular again after the war
America’s First Bands
Fife and Drum; entertainment, move the troops, maintain morale, wake the troops, issue commands
Very structured and precise, never overly emotional; restraint and control are consistent characteristics; appreciated by the well-educated
Classical music
Performed by a chamber ensemble (2 or 3 performers); 1st example of classically performed music; Moravians were the only ones who could do it
Chamber Music
Developed out of well-off Americans who made informal chamber music; hire European musicians to do private concerts for a group of friends who pooled together their money
Music Societies
Wanted to expose uneducated people to the arts/music; similar to music societies, but now everyone is invited
Public Concerts
By James Hewitt; common folk were interested in classical music, but they usually couldn’t connect; form of program music; dedicated to GW, everyone knew about this so people cared/could connect; engaged the audience intellectually; American musicians also played in this
“Battle of Trenton”
Emerged from public concerts; detailed description of the music they were going to enjoy
Program Music
Fiddle when it was tuned for folk music and a violin when it was tuned for classical music
Fiddle/Violin
