Final Flashcards
classical period years
1750-1800
characteristics of classical music
contrast in mood
rhythm- lots of contrast and patterns
texture- mostly homo but some poly
melody- tuneful and easy to remember
dynamics and the piano- gradual dynamic changes, these dynamics paved the way for the piano to take over the harpsichord
end of the basso continuo
less improvising b/c composed wanted more control
the classical orchestra
4 sections of instruments
size varied but more than baroque orchestra
composes exploited individual tone colors of instruments
strings are the most important section
woodwinds add contrasting tone colors and melodic solos
brass brought power and filled out harmony
percussion for rhythmic emphasis
classical forms
usually 4 mov:
1) fast 2) slow 3) dance-like 4) fast
symphony- for orch
string quartet-2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
sonata- 1 or 2 instruments
sonata form
refers to the for of a single mov.
3 main sections:
1) expostion- themes presented
2) development- themes treated in new ways
3) recapitulation- themes return
4) sometimes there’s a final section called the coda
theme and variations
basic musical idea (theme) is repeated over and over and changed w/ time
changes of melody, rhythm, harmony, accompaniment, dynamics, and tone color
minuet and trio
form often used as the 3rd mov. of classical symphonies, string quartets etc.
originated as dance, stately and dignified dance where the couple exchanged bows and curtsies
minuet mov meant for listening
triple meter
moderate tempo
trio section is quieter
rondo
main theme (A) that returns several times in alternation w/other themes
common patterns- ABACA & ABACABA
main theme=lively and simple to remember
can be used an independent piece or as a mov
the classical symphony
long composition lasting 20-45 min
4 mov
either a minuet or scherzo section
the classical concerto
3 mov. work for soloists
lasts 20-45 min.
very challenging
joseph haydn
1732-1809
struggled w career until 29 when he enetered serive of Esterhazys-the richest and most powerful of the Hungarian noble families
mozart
1756-1791
child prodigy
by age 6- played harpsichord and violin, improvised, wrote minuets and could sight read
age 12 wrote an opera
mozarts music
wrote masterpieces in all forms- symphonies, string quartets, piano concertos and operas
wrote symphonie fast
beethoven
musical genius
influenced composers throughout the 19th century
opened new realms of musical expression
studied w/ Haydn
self-educated
became deaf
beethoven’s music
a reflection of his powerful and tortured personality
he spent years on 1 symphony
bridged the classical and romantic eras
1) early (up to 1802)- a lot of work influenced by Haydn and mozart
2) middle (1803-1814)- compositions are long and heroic in tone
3) late (1815-1827)- compositions sublime, fugues to express new musical ideas
romantic period years
1820-1900
characteristics of romantic period
individuality of style
expressive aims
nationalism
program music
expressive tone color
colorful harmony
expanded ranges of dynamics, pitch and tempo
form: miniature and monumental
program music
instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, or scene
nationalism
created music with specific national identity using folk songs and history of home lands
expressive aims
lots of themes
individuality of style
lots of self expression
expressive tone color
help create a variety of moods, timbre became very important
colorful harmony
emphasized rich and colorful harmonies used chromatic harmony (uses chords containing chromatic chords)
lots of rapid modulations
expanded ranges of dynamics, pitch and tempo
helps to increase the emotional impact
form: miniature and monumental
shortpieces or very long pieces to help express
romantic composers and public
composed to meet an inner need
wrote for middle class audience
piano became a fixture for every middle class home
the art song
composition for solo voice and piano
fused poetry and piano
common themes-despair of unrequited love, beauty of flowers
the common forms of the art song
strophic- same music but diff lyrics
through composed- incleudes new msuic for each stanze
may be grouped into sets (song cycle)
what is a song cycle
music grouped into sets
may be unified by a storyline that runs through the poems or by musical ideas
chopin
mainly wrote for piano
born in warsaw
preferred to perform in salons
taught piano to the daughters of the rich
died of TB at age 39
chopin’s music
by age 18 had developed his own style
most pieces were minatures
nocturnes and etudes
what is a nocturne/ night piece
by chopin
slow and lyrical composition
liszt
born in hunagry
studied with Beethoven and Schubert in Vienna
wanted to be the Paganini of piano
practiced 8-12 hours a day
taught hundreds of pianists for free and provided financial support for Wagner’s success
influenced a new form of program music
created the symphonice/tone poem
symphonic/tone poem
created by liszt
1 mov. orchestral composition based on pictorial. ideas
mainly concerned with the devil or death
main forms of program music
Incidental music
Program symphony
Concert overture
Symphonic poem or tone poem
Incidental music
· Performed before and during a play
· Todays movie scores
program symphony
· Symphony with a program
· Has descriptive title
Concert overture
· One movement
· Usually in sonata form
· Independent composition
Symphonic poem or tone poem
1 movement but has many forms
Nationalism
During Napoleonic wars
Military resistance to Napoleon aroused the citizens’ sense of national identity
“The Moldau” by smetana (1874)
A programmatic and nationalistic piece that depicts Bohemia’s man river
1 of 6 symphonic poems in the cycle of My Country
Written in 3 weeks shortly after Smetana became totally deaf
Dvorak
followed Smentana as the leading composer of Czech national music
played in opera orchestra under Smentana’s direction
was little known until Brahms recommended him to his publisher
his works breathed folk quality
went to New York to direct the National Conservatory of Music
encouraged American compoers to write nationalistc music
symphony no.9 in E minor (from the new world)
written by Dvorak in his 1st year in the US
glorfies American and Czech folk spirit
has 4 mov.
wagner
his operas and artistic philosophy influences poets, painters, and playwrights
born in Leipzig- wanted to be a poet until Beethoven influenced him to compose
self taught and took music theory
never mastered an instrument
became conductor of Dresden Opera
was forced to leave Switzerland after participating in an insurrection in the hopes a new society would wipe out his debts
took him 25 years to write the ring cycle
wagner’s music
unending meldoy- continous musical flow
revoluntalized opera by shifting the focus from vouce to orchestra
leit motif
tension in msuic created by dissonant harmonies and chromatic harmonies
this lead to the breakdown of tonality in the new musical language of the 20th century
leit motif
short musical idea associated w/ a person, an object or a thought
Wagner used this in the orchestra
20th century years
1900-present
characteristics from 1900-1945
tone color- more important than ever
harmony- dissonance used more
alternatives to traditional tonal system
rhythm- rhythmic vocab was expanded w/ increased emphasis on irregularity and unpredictability, rapidly changing meters
melody- no longer tied to traditional chords or major/minor keys
debussy
french impressionist composer that linked the romantic era and 20th
inspired by literary and pictorial ideas
his treatment of harmony was revolutionary, he used chords for the tone color and quality rather than standard harmonic progression
used church modes
stravinsky
born in russia
studied w/ korsakov
primitivism had an impact on his works
wrote rite of spring, the firebird, and petrushka
shocked his followers by adopting schoenberg’s twelve-tone system
what is primitivism
the evocation of primitive power through repetitive rhythms, harsh dissonances and percussive sounds
romantic composers and their public
composed to meet an inner need, rather than for commission, wrote for middle class audience
piano became a fixture in every middle class home and there was great demand for songs and solo piano pieces
the art song
composition for solo voice and piano
fused poetry and music
common themes- despair of unrequited love, beauty of flowers, supernatural happenings of folktales
the common forms of the art song
1) strophic- same msuic but lyrics change
2) through composed= includes new music for each stanza, may be grouped in sets (song cycle)
arnold shoenberg
born in Vienna
almost entriely self taught, studied scores and went to concerts
abandoned the traditional tonal system and invented the 12 tone system
12-tone system
developed by schoenberg
systematized form of atonality (absence of key) that gives equal importance to each of the 12 chromatic tones
tone row
schoenberg
the ordering/ unifying idea, a unique one is created for each piece and the source of every melody
characteristics since 1945
increased use of 12-tone system
serialism
chance music
minimalist music
musical quotation
polystylism
liberation of sound
mixed media
new concepts of rhythm and form
electronic msuic
tonal music and return to tonality by some composers
serialism
expanded the use of the 12-tone system to organize rhythm,dynamics and tone color
chance music
a composer choooses pitches, tone color, and rhythms from random melodies
minimalist msuic
characterized by steady pulse, clear tonality and insistent repetition of short melodic pattterns
musical quotation
works containing deliberate quotations from earlier msuic
polystylism
uses diff. styles. techniques within 1 compositions
liberation of sound
greater exploitatio of noise-like sounds
mixed media
music presented together w/ visual counterparts such as slide projections
new concepts of rhythm and form
some composeres abandoned the concepts of beat and meter, or several diff. speeds at teh same time
little or no obvious repetition of material
elements of the msucial
type of theater that fuses script, acting, etc.
usually has 2 acts
leonard bernstein
conductor, pianist, author, lecturer and composer of orchestral vocal works, including WSS
20th century culture hero
born in massacheuts, graduated from harvard and studied piano and conducting at Curtis Institute in Philly
early film music
started during the silent film era live pianists, organists, and orchestras accompanied films both to heighten the emotional effect to frown out the noise of the move projector
what was the first talking movie
the jazz singers
sound was recorded on a vinyl disc
by 1929 sound was directly recorded on the celluloid fimstrip
functions and styles of film music
synrochonzed with images on a screen, film music provides momentum and continuity, suggest mood, atmosphere
can convey unspoken thoughts and emotional implication
clarifies the meaning of a scene
creating film music
since the 1960s, most film music is composed, arranged and performed by freelance musicians
cue
leit motifs
what is a cue
musical passage
what is a leit motif
often become associated w/ characters, objects, etc.
jazz
rooted in improv. and characterized by synocatpated rhythm and a steady beat and unique tone colors
roots of jazz
started in new orleans and blended elements from many musical cultures
call and repsonse
american influences come from african americans-chruch services, work songs, spirituals, gospel, hymns and dances
ragtime
1890s-1915
a style of composed piano music developed primarily by African American pianists who played in Southern and Midwestern saloons and dance halls
duple meter
moderate march tempo
who was the king of ragtime
Scott Joplin
most famous piece- Maple Leaf Rag or The Entertainer
blues
form of vocal and instrumental music to a stle of performance
originally sung in country areas in the south
very flexible rhythm
bent notes, scoops and slides
instrumentalists imitate performing style of blues singers and use harmonic pattern of 12 bar blues as basis for improv
elements of jazz
played by a small group-combo of 3-8 players big band-10-15 players
the backbone of rhythm section
emphaszies brass, woodwinds, percussion
smears- gliding from one pitch to another
shakes- exaggerated vibrato
improvisation
the heart of jazz
the chords of the tune will repeat while the improviser creates new meldoies
chorus- each statemnet of the harmonic pattern
rhythm, melody, and harmony
synocaption and rhythmic swing are 2 of the most distinctive features
lots of swing
melodies use a major scale of the 3rd, 5th, or 7th notes and lowered as in vocal blues
new orleans style
dixieland jazz
played by 5-8 players
a front line- consisted of melodic instruemnts (cornet, trumpet, clarinet and trombone)
louis armstrong
what’s a chordal instrument
found in new orleans style
banjo, guitar, piano
louis armstrong
legendary jazz musician
trumpet player
made scat singing-melodic line w/ nonsense syllables
swing
new jazz stle developed in 1920s
mainly played by big bands-15 musicians grouped in 3 sections 1) sax (3-5 players) 2) brass (3-4 on each instrument) 3) rhythm
who was the most important composer, arranger and conductor of the swing era
Duke ellington
riffs
short and repeated phrases in swing
bebop
a complex style of music usually for small group consisting of 4-6 players and meant for attentive listening and not dancing
* Sophisticated harmonies, unpredictable rhythms, and fast tempos
* Beat marked by pizzicato bass and the ride cymbal of the drum set
* A performance began and ended with a statement of the main themes by a soloist or 2 soloists in unison, the remainder of the piece was made up by solo improv
notable performers of bebop
Charlie parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and pianist Thelonious Monk
cool jazz
- Emerged in the late 1940s, was related to bop but calmer and more relaxed
- Tend to be longer then bebop works and relied more heavily on arrangements
- Sometimes used instruments that were new to jazz (French horn, flute, cello)
- Tenor sax-Lester Young and Stan Getz, pianist- Lennie Tristano, and trumpeter and bandleader- Miles Davis
modal jazz
- Developed in late 1950s, the soloist creates a melody using 1 (or a small number of) modes. The emphasis is thus shifted from harmony to melody
- Miles Davis introduced the concept to the jazz world with his album form 1959 Kind of Blue, the album was an exploration of the possibilities of modal jazz and it became the best-selling jazz album of all time
free jazz
- During the 1960s some musicians created free jazz, a style that was not based on regular forms or established chord patterns
- b/c of this dominant element of experimentation, free jazz defies characterization. It is more often than not played mostly by individuals or small groups
- Ornette Coleman was a pivotal figure in starting this movement
fusion
- Emerged in late 1960s, new style combing jazz musicians improv approach with rock musical forms, rhythms, and tone colors
- Fusion bands, often combined electric and acoustic instruments and included synthesizers and electric piano, guitar and bass
- Bass assumed a more melodic role sin addition to the more traditional functions of providing the beat and emphazing harmonic foundation
about popular music
music enjoyed by many people
concerts have elaborate theatrical staging
popularity of songs measured in charts issued by Billboard Magazine
verse-chorus form
when did billboard start
1958
based popularity off of sales
1950s
1930-1940s, teens listended to the same msuic as parents but by the 1950s they developed their own music taste
popular singers in the 1950s
frank sinatra, doris day, nat cole, and peggy lee
why did folk revival occur
in the 1950s, Pete Seeger-bango and lead singer
what were folk music performers like
sympathized the underprivelage and celebrated diversity in American culture
country music
during WWII, many southerners migrated to american cities and became a part of the mass audience for country music
center of country msuic
grand ole opry
what is R and B
rhythm and blues
fuses blues, jazz, and gospel styles
differed from earlier blues b/c of more emphaszied beat
what did R & B infleunce
a new popular music-rock and roll
rock and roll
1st genre that targeted teens who saw rock as an expression of rebellion
hard drivinf beat, eletrci guitars and heavy amplified sound
who was the kind of rock
elvis presley
1960s
much social unrest including opposition to military intervention in Vietnam, and the struggle of African Americans to achieve civil rights
hippie movement
hippie movement
1960s
many young people apart of this
involved a freer attitude towards dress and lifestyle
showcase for hippie movement
woodstock music festival in 1969
soul msuic
1960s
most of rock music performed by African Americans
emphazied expressivity and gospel
most infleuncitl group of rock
the beatles
who influenced the 1960s
- Influenced by the Beatles-explored a wider range of sources for sounds and musical ideas, experimented w. electronic effects w/ classical and nonwestern instruments, interesting chord progressions
what was rock about
- Rock also absorbed elements of folk music ad often had lyrics dealing w/ such contemporary issues as war and social injustice
concept albums
the songs are linked by basic ideas
rock performers did this
the most influential folk musician
Bob Dylan
disco
a type of dance music characterized by hypnotic rhythm, repetitive lyrics and electronically produced sounds
new wave
technically refined and stylistically eclectic derivative of rock
punk rock
lyrics expressing dark aspects of life
funk
a syncopated developmet of soul music
queen
gave theatrical shows in America
second British invasion of america
rap music
came out in mid 1970s
derived from African American msuic
made of rhythmic and rhymed chanting w/ percussive background of steady beats and complex rhythms
what song introduced rap internationally
rapper’s delight by the sugarhill gang
when did hip hop start to grow
1980s-1990s
1st rap album to hit Billboard 200
Licensed to Ill
Beastie Boys
when was was rap music the best selling genre
1999
MTV
a cable TV network broadcasting music videos
1980s
renewed interest in heavy metal
grunge
1990s
many people became disenchanted w/polished sounds of mainstream rock and embraced grunge-an alternative rock stule that originated in Seattle
harsh electric guitar sounds and angry lyrics of despair
2000s
- Napster and other peer-to-peer websites allowed users to directly share digital files, bypassing record companies completely
artists generate most of their income through touring and the price of tickets rose by 400% between 1981-2012
what genres started becoming popular in the 2000s
hip hop
rock
country
and electronic dance music (EDM)
