exam 3 Flashcards
historical overview of the development of music as an art during: primitive, Greek, Roman, Hebrew, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romanticism, twentieth and twenty-first centuries
- Primitive: mimic natures sounds, rituals
- Greek and Roman: therapy, educational, political, storytelling, drama
- Hebrews: religious
- Middle Ages: levels of harmonies and for church and secular world
- Renaissance: human emotion with harmony, grow secular music, instrumental works expanded.
- Baroque: left polyphonic (overlapping melody) for homophonic (clear melody).
- Classical: public concert, sonata form, symphony
- Romanticism: emotional power
- 20-21st: discarded traditional for dissonant and atonal works
four main “families” of the orchestra and the characteristics of the instruments in each of the families.
- Brasses: loudest, (broadway belters).
- Woodwinds: mellow and gentle quality, (folk singers).
- Strings: articulate lyrical, gliding passages, produce lightning-quick notes, full foundational sound. (1/2 of musicians).
- Percussion: generates rhythmic pulse and punctuates specific moments in the music.
explain Copland’s three levels of music listening:
- sensuous: listening to sounds in a “background” way. (“piece sounds nice, or awful”).
- expressive: reacting to the extramusical associations music evoke (“This music make me think of horror film”).
- sheerly musical: attending to music on its own terms (“I love the way that piece crescendos and changes key at end”).
Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening
- meter: means of measuring rhythm by organizing its accent patterns into measures
- melody: the tune, the subject of music, organized in successions of sounds called scales.
- harmony: “vertical” aspect of music, created by 2 or more notes together.
- tempo: time, speed at which music is played
- dynamics: the sound intensity of music (loudness and softness).
- timbre: to describe the characteristic quality of sound produced by a voice or instrument.
- form: architectural blueprint for music, suggesting how music will proceed.
meter
explain each of the “Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening,” identify and explain those elements in music excerpts
duple: ONE-two or ONE-two-three-four
triple: ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three
complex: 5-7 beats per measure
syncopation: composer disrupts normal expectations of accent pattern so ONE-two then one-TWO
melody
explain each of the “Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening,” identify and explain those elements in music excerpts
- major key: convey calm, resolution, humor, or celebration.
- minor key: mysterious, sorrowful, melancholic, agitated, or angry feel.
- conjunct: notes are within a narrow range- all somewhat close together, “neighbor notes”. sedate and unobtrusive.
- disjunct: notes will leap up or reach down over larger intervals. sudden flashes of drama, creating spotlights on musical passage.
harmony
explain each of the “Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening,” identify and explain those elements in music excerpts
- monophonic: without harmony, singing in shower. one single melodic line, solo or unison.
- polyphonic: or counterpoint (note against note) single melody played at different times, or two different melodies played simultaneously. singing around the campfire.
- homophonic: chordal structures are built over defined bass line and underneath melodic line. singing in the church choir.
tempo
explain each of the “Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening,” identify and explain those elements in music excerpts
- largo: very slow, funeral pace.
- adagio: slow, leisurely strolling.
- andante: moderate, normal walking pace.
- allegro: moderately fast, brisk and purposeful walk.
- presto: very fast, olympic speed walking
- accelerando: acceleration, speeding up
- ritardando: slowing down
- rubato: flexible approach to tempo
dynamics
explain each of the “Seven Elements for Sheerly Musical Listening,” identify and explain those elements in music excerpts
- fortissimo: very loud
- forte: loud
- piano: soft
- pianissimo: very soft
- crescendo: gradual buildup of volume
- decrescendo/diminuendo: gradual softening effect
difference between program music and absolute music
program: composer suggests extramusical meaning, listening on “expressive” level, guiding our expressive listening in a direction,
absolute: the given and facts, but no extramusical ideas.
characteristics of the following forms: theme and variations, fugue,
- Theme and Variations: modification of a given melody, repeated over and over, each time embellished in a different manner. usually progress by contrast or elaboration. demonstration of how many ways to say same thing.
- Fugue: a polyphonic compositional form in which main melody or theme is played in overlapping way on several melodic lines called “voices”. 1-by-1 voices echo same melody in different key or variation.
characteristics of the following forms: sonata form, sonata, concerto, suite
- Sonata form: “first movement form” a basic ABA form consisting of 3 divisions. exposition (exposes 2 themes), development (creates growth and drama), and recapitulation, the coda (added to heighten finality).
- Sonata: composition for a solo. 3 or 4 movements (sections).
- Concerto: based on contrast, 3 movements, “competing” groups of instruments.
- Suite: collection of separate orchestral pieces put together bc of unity of idea.
characteristics of the following forms: symphony, film score, nocturne, etude
- Symphony: large musical composition for full orchestra. 4 movements, each in contrasting tempo, form, and key. repetition and contrast at work within melodies.
- Film Score: program music with works directly tied to stories, characters, and themes.
- Nocturne: a piece of music which suggests the atmosphere of night (Chopin for piano)
- Etude: technical study, usually of great difficulty.
characteristics of the following forms: madrigal, oratorio, Mass, requiem Mass.
- Madrigal: secular songs performed by 4 or 5 voices in imitative style (polyphony) interspersed with homophonic passages.
- Oratorio: longer form, musical setting for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra of an extended story, usually religious.
- Mass: catholic service. 2 musical portions. Ordinary (unchanging texts) and Proper (texts that vary according to religious emphasis or particular day or feast.)
- Requiem: to rest, a mass for the dead. omitting the more joyful exuberant GLoria and Credo.
Review the guided listening on “Hedwig’s Theme” and the listening assignment on Vivaldi’s “Spring” from lesson 19
how to understand music with the 7 elements for sheerly musical listening
Hildegard von Bingen
composed in the style of Christian plainchant, unaccompanied vocal form of devotional music meant to pull away from rhythms and harmonies of worldly music and direct to the worshipper.
works:
- “Unde quocumque” (“Wherever” or “And thus”)
- “Et ideo puellae iste” (“Even so these maids” or “And for that reason”)
Thomas Morley
composed instrumental works and sacred music. famous for his madrigals. filled with rich harmonic texture, both polyphonic and homophonic, and have set meters and tempos. works -“My Bonny Lass She Smileth" -“April Is in My Mistress’ Face" -"Now is the month of Maying"
Johann Sebastian Bach
master of polyphonic music, precise and complex interweaving harmonies. His chorales and cantatas are staples of church music. uses a fugue. Begins minor and swings back and forth. Tempo is fast (allegro) and constant.
works
-“Little” Fugue in G Minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
classical era, requiem,
works
“Confutatis”
Ludwig van Beethoven
prioritize the more mantic, expressive qualities of music over the sophic adherence to traditional structure and rules.
works
Symphony no. 5
Frederic Chopin
subtle dynamics, perfectly controlled technique.
Chopin was one of the greatest piano virtuosos of the romantic period
works
Revolutionary Étude in C Minor
Aaron Copland
wanted people to know what it was like to live in a specific time and place,
works
“Variations on ‘Simple Gifts,’” an American Shaker song
Philip Glass
explore Hindustani classical music and to use its repeated rhythmic and melodic patterns in his own work.
modern, atonal compositional styles, where traditional melodies and harmonies were discarded in favor of jarring dissonance and no tonal center.
works
“Perpetual motion” from Anima Mundi
Hildegard von Bingen: “Unde quocumque” (“And thus” or “wherever”)
sung by a female choir. monophonic texture, lack of a set rhythm or meter. couple of slightly disjunct melodic moments
Hildegard von Bingen: “Et ideo puellae iste” (“And for that reason” or “Even so these maids”)
has a strong soloist, sung by a female choir. monophonic texture, lack of a set rhythm or meter.
more dramatic in the disjunct passages. voice suddenly leapt upward, disjunct passages adding dynamic intensity.
sounds even more expressive than the first, soloist has the freedom to speed up, slow down, and even change volume (dynamics)
Thomas Morley: “My Bonny Lass She Smileth”
tons of fa la’s, christmas-y
madrigal is set at a fast (allegro) tempo—very danceable
meter switches back and forth, from duple to triple in the final.
harmonic texture is mostly homophonic
the overlapping and interweaving harmonies are more polyphonic
five parts (soprano, alto, counter-tenor, tenor, bass), is sometimes referred to as a ballett
Thomas Morley: “April Is in My Mistress’ Face
group, mellowish
melody becomes most disjunct when the soprano leaps up to sing
duple-meter piece is complex harmonically but mostly homophonic—the soprano carries the main melody
tempo is typical andante, or walking tempo
Mode: begins minor, then major, then minor and remain minor. last note is in major mode.
Johann Sebastian Bach: “Little” Fugue in G Minor
organ playing
polyphonic composition
much of the composition features only three voices at a time. However, the finale is one of the moments when all four voices are used for maximum volume and maximum dramatic effect.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “Confutatis” from Requiem Mass
singing amped up for a little, mainly quiet, minor key, duple meter, homophonic compositions with clear, single melody. Andante (walking pace) tempo.
Requiem composed layer by layer: bass voices, then tenor voices, then bassoons and trombones, then trumpets and timpani, then strings, then female voices, then violins
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 5, first movement
scare shiz, classic beethoven, intense.
Frederic Chopin: Revolutionary Etude
piano insance
left hand going nuts, right hand melodic chords
In C minor
fast tempo, allegro con fuoco
dynamics are constantly changing, from a sorrowful piano to a defiant fortissimo
Aaron Copland: Variations on “Simple Gifts” from Appalachian Spring
classic ballet song, mellow in flower field to constantly building to grand.
theme and variations
Philip Glass: “Perpetual Motion” from Anima Mundi
fast, feeling like on the run, emotions on edge
early opera
basic history and development of opera
Florentine Camerata: group of late-Renaissance intellectuals to revive ancient greek drama.
monody: greek solo song
recitative: accompanied vocal declamation halfway between singing and speaking.
baroque opera
basic history and development of opera
development of the aria: solo songs of opera. memorable melody, set meter, and repeated refrains.
the castrato: castrated young men to sing higher notes.
opera seria: serious opera
Classical opera
basic history and development of opera
intermezzi: short comic pieces
opera buffa: comic opera
19th century
basic history and development of opera
romantic or grand opera: emotional expression in romantic period.
bel canto style: beautiful song, focus on lyricism, expressiveness, and perfect technical control of human voice.
opera verismo: contemporary situations, down-to-earth settings, believable characters.
20th and 21st century opera
basic history and development of opera
tonal: strong melodic sense organized around a tonal center.
crossover with musicals
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
based on ancient greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus charms, eurydice, marry, she die.
Uses emotional power to tell story, tempo and melody changing. music is tied to emotion not just speech.
His wife died so it got more personal.
Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro
Two political Revolutions: American revolution and French revolution.
Most famous for music. breathless overture to hymn-like reconciliation.
the role of Cherubino from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro is a “trouser role”—the character of a young man, sung by a woman, typically a mezzo-soprano
