FINAL EXAM Flashcards
rhythm
the organization of time in music
measure or a bar
a group of beats
meter
gathering of beats into regular groups
duple meter
two beats per measure
quadruple meter
four beats per measure
how is meter in music indicated
through the use of the meter signature
syncopation
the accent gets placed on the weak beat or between the beats
tempo
the speed at which the beats progress
grave or largo
very slow
adagio
slow
allegretto
moderately fast
presto
very fast
accelerando and ritardando
getting faster and getting slower
pitch
the relative position, high or low, of a musical sound
antecedent and consequent
opens and closes
question and answer
dynamics
the various levels of volume, soft to loud
fortissimo
very loud
forte
loud
messo forte
moderately loud
mezzo piano
moderately soft
piano
soft
pianissimo
very soft
sforzando
a sudden, loud attack on one note or chord
colour
the tonal quality of any sound produced
timbre
the tonal quality of any sound produced
monophony
one sounding, a single line of music with no harmony
homophony
same sounding, all voices or lines move together to new pitches at roughly the same time
polyphony
monay sounding, requires tow of more lines in the musical fabric
counterpoint
the harmonious opposition of two or more independent musical lines
strophic form
the composer sets the words of the first poetic stanza and then uses the same melody for all subsequent stanzas
binary form
two contrasting units
melismatic singing
many notes sung to just one syllable
organum
early four voice church polyphony
Proper of the Mass
monophonic, “to be proper” for the feast day in question
Ordinary of the Mass
polyphonic, the parts that are played every sunday
rondeau
the musical refrain appears several times…
motet
French for the “word”… setting of a sacred text to music
Doctrine of Affections
an aesthetic theory that holds that music can and should be used to affect different emotional states
monody
solo singing
basso continuo
bass-driven chordal support, comprised of cello and harpsichord
figured bass
numerical shorthand placed below the bass line that indicates what notes to play in the chord
recitative
musically heightened speech through which the plot of the opera was communicated to the audience
Aria
passionate, expansive, tuneful, clear meters and regular rhythms - tells plot
arioso
between recitative and aria - tells how the character feels
chamber cantata
music for soloists performed in home
basso osinato
repetition of bass line, “stubborn” bass
ground bass
what the british called basso osinato
idiomatic writing
exploitation of the strengths and avoidance of the weaknesses of particular voices and instruments
orchestra
the ensemble of musicians, organized around a core of strings with added woodwinds and brasses playing under a leader
sonata
instrumental piece: usually 4 parts: slow, fast slow fast
trio sonata
four musicians: 1st and 2nd violin, cello, harpsichord
concerto
to strive together
ritornello form
“return”
fugue
a composition for two, three, four, or five parts played or sung, which beings with a presentation of subject in imitation, (exposition) continues with modulation of subject (episodes) and ends with a strong affirmation of the tonic key
pedal point
a note, usually in the bass, that is sustained or repeated for a time while harmonies change around it, usually indicates the end is near
cadenza
a showy passage for a solo instrument toward the end of the concerto
chorale
a spiritual melody or religious folksong of the Lutheran Church (aka a hymn)
prelude
a short preparatory piece that sets a mood and serves as a technical warm-up for the player before the fugue
dance suite
a collection of dances, usually from 2-7, all in one key and for one group of instruments
oratorio
“something sung in an oratory” a prayer with music
minuet
a stately dance in triple meter
trio
originally played with only three instruments, and the name has persisted even though many instruments can play a trio
sonata-allegro
four movement symphony that took form in classical period, consists of intro, exposition, development, recapitulation, coda
diminished chord
a chord comprised of two minor thirds
rubato
“robbed” a term that refers to timing that speeds up and slows down
character piece
a miniature, usually written for piano, captures a single mood
diminution
a process where the line is played twice as fast as originally scored
Risorgimento
the movement for a united Italy, led by Verdi
recitativo accompagnato
a recitativo that is accompanied by the orchestra, so as to be less jarring
cabaletta
a fast concluding aria in which the increaed speed of the music allows for the singer to rush off the stage
Gesamtkunstwerk
the total work - the unified force of everything needed to put an opera together
Bayreuth Festival
a opera fest, first staged in 1876, showing only Wagner operas
liebestod
love-death
leitmotif
a light motive, signature tune, each character has their own leitmotif
verismo opera
a real life story, told opera style - Puccini’s La Boheme
double stops
playing two notes on a stringed instrument at once
Impressionism
the rejection of photographic realism, the idea was to reproduce the senses in a single fleeting moment
polymeter
two or more meters sounding simultaneously
polyrhythm
two or more rhythms sounding simultaneously
polychord
simultaneous sounding of one triad or seventh chord with another
atonal music
music not based on the tonal system
sprechstimme
speech voice, a vocal technique that requires the singer to declaim the text rather than sing it
twelve tone music
all twelve tones must be played before they can be repeated, a non-hierarchical system
what are the four voices of the ORGANUM
Quadruplum, triplum, duplum, tenor
what are the seven chord names
I tonic, II supertonic, III mediant, IV subdominant, V dominant, VI submediant, VII subtonic
what is the AMEN cadence
IV - I
talea
rhythmic pattern within isorhythmic stucture
isorhythm
meaning “same rhythm” a lengthy pattern normally occurring in the tenor. first used 14th CE
hocket
contrapuntal technique with a specific texture, namely, the insertion of rests not as a demarcation of the end of a phrase, often giving rise to syncopation
color
melodic pattern within isorhythmic structure
enharmonic spelling
one pitch spelled in two different ways, ie, C# = Db
monophony
single line of music
homophony
all voices moving at the same time
tactus
to touch - a term used by music theorists of late middle ages and renaissance to indicate the fundamental division in music
tempo
speed of the beats
rhythm
organization of time
what are the three types of plainsong
direct (no distinction between choir and soloist), responsorial (alternation between soloist and choir), antiphonal (choir split into two groups)
what year was the switch from parchment to paper
about 1400
