Era - Modern - Vocabulary p.113

Question 1

What does atonality mean?

Answer 1

Atonality means the total absence of any tonal centers.

Question 2

What is expanded tonality?

Answer 2

Expanded tonality means the use of extremely chromatic harmony while still maintaining allegiance to a tonal center

In simple term, it means using many different notes outside of the usual ones (chromatic), but still staying focused on a main musical key (tonal center).

Question 3

What is the term for using extremely chromatic harmony while still maintaining allegiance to a tonal center?

Answer 3

Expanded tonality means using many notes other than what’s in the scale but still focus on a tonal center.

Question 4

What is the name of the type of scale that has 5 different pitches and common in European and Asian cultures?

Answer 4

Pentatonic scale.

Question 5

Time period of the Modern Era

Answer 5

ca. 1900 - present

Question 6

What is the term in which modern composers use more different harmonic vocabulary (whole tone, modal pentatonic scales, parallel chords) and suggest instead of describing images. Other techniques include use innovative orchestral colours and unclear meters.

Answer 6

Impressionism in music

Question 7

What is the term for the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms?

Answer 7

Polyrhythm.

Question 8

What is changing meter?

Answer 8

Changing meter means shift of metrical groupings and manifested through changes of time signature.

Question 9

Provide the definition of twelve-tone method?

Answer 9

Twelve-tone method is a technique composing atonal music based on. It is based on an arrangement of all 12 chromatic pitches (tone row). Developed by Arnold Schoenberg.

Question 10

What is polyrhythm?

Answer 10

Polyrhythm means the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms.

Question 11

What is the term for the simultaneous use of two or more tonal centers?

Answer 11

Polytonality.

Question 12

What is a non-traditional scale used by modern composers and the scale has six different pitches, all spaced a whole tone apart.

Excerpt is one example.

Answer 12

Whole-tone scale.

Question 13

What is the term for shifting of metrical groupings and shown through changes of time signature?

Answer 13

Changing meter.

Question 14

Provide definition of pentatonic scale.

Audio is example of one type of pentatonic scale.

Answer 14

Penta means five. Pentatonic scale has 5 different pitches and common in European and Asian cultures.

Question 15

Define polytonality.

Answer 15

Polytonality means the simultaneous use of two or more tonal centers.

Question 16

Provide definition of modal scales.

Answer 16

Modal scales were common in the Middle Ages and Renaissance and became popular again in the modern music. The scales (or modes) is a pattern of whole steps and half steps that is different from the major/minor scales.

Question 17

Provide definition of Whole-tone scale.

Listen to the audio example

Answer 17

Whole-tone scale is a non-traditional scale used by modern composers. It has six different pitches, all spaced a whole tone apart. For example, C-D-E-F sharp-G sharp-A sharp-C.

Question 18

What is the term for total absence of any tonal centers?

Answer 18

Atonality.

Question 19

Name the three late 19th-and early 20th-centry artistic movement

Answer 19

Impressionism,
Expressionism, and
Symbolism

Question 20

What is the name of the technique in composing atonal music based on? It is based on an arrangement of all 12 chromatic pitches (tone row). Developed by Arnold Schoenberg.

Answer 20

Twelve-tone

Question 21

What is the style used by French painters to move away from previous, more formal style and use new techniques to draw everyday people and things and explore how colours change according to light.

Answer 21

Impressionism

Question 22

What is the 19th century French literary movement in which writers experimented with unusual grammar and language structures in order to bring out feelings instead of simply describing the actual items?

Answer 22

Symbolism

Question 23

What kind of scales were common in the Middle Ages and Renaissance and became popular again in the modern music? This type of scales (or modes) is a pattern of whole steps and half steps that is different from the major/minor scales.

Answer 23

Modal scales