Forms

Question 1

Arabesque

Answer 1

“in an Arab Style” - balletic arabesque, which inspired musical arabesque, tried to emulate the geometry and elegance of Arab architecture

Features
- Non-linear melodies moving in a circular phrases
- Use of turns to decorate melodies
- Use of counterpoint to decorate melodies

Question 2

Baroque sonata

Answer 2

• Work in several movements for one or more instruments. In the Baroque period mostly bassocontinuo and violins
• Church sonata consists of 4 movements of contrasting tempo
• Chamber sonata contains a series of dances like a suite

Question 3

Baroque fantasia

Answer 3

• Free composition
• Roots in 16th century lute music where fantasia = pieces with improvisatory character that did not follow set forms
• Baroque fantasias were always accompanied by fugues(compositions written for separate voices that sound in counterpoint, or a contrapuntal style)

Question 4

Fugue

Answer 4

• A contrapuntal composition made for a number of separate voices or parts. Each voice enters in an imitation of one another at staggered intervals.

Question 5

Romance

Answer 5

• Music with a heroic, sentimental feeling
• Pre-18th century - applied to lyric ballads with lute accompaniment, particularly narrative ballads in Spain
• Characteristic of Romantic music, features rubato, dramatic dynamic changes, long melodies

Question 6

Study/Etude

Answer 6

• Short piece written to encourage practice of a particular skill to solve a technical issue
• Each study generally focuses on one technical skill to improve