Genres Flashcards
1
Q
Ballad
A
- Series of verses tell story, often historical or personal
- Sung in strophic musical form
- Circulated on large sheets of paper called broadsides
- Often broadsides added a catchy chorus, repeated between verses
- British ballad tradition is one of the main roots of American music
2
Q
Old-time music
A
• Broadly refers to early American styles including string band music, ballad songs, sacred songs, and work songs
3
Q
Gospel music
A
- Large body of sacred song with evangelical, religious texts
- Influenced by popular songs, in use of repetition and memorable combinations of melody and text designed for mass consumption
- Usually accompanied by musical instruments
4
Q
Black spirituals
A
- Genre created by black slaves in the 19th century
- Energetic, improvisational, call-and-response style
- African-American aesthetic focus of polyrhythmic textures
5
Q
Habanera
A
- The first Latin-American style to have an international impact
- A Cuban musical style introduced to Europe in the 1850s
- Involves a characteristic syncopated rhythm, usually in the bass
- Tango was influenced by the habanera rhythm
6
Q
Minstrel show
A
- First form of musical and theatrical entertainment to be regarded as distinctively American
- Featured mainly white performers in blackface parodying African-American mannerisms
- Typical 1840s minstrel song was sung by one member, accompanied by a fiddle, banjos, tambourine, and rib bones
7
Q
Waltz
A
- Rose to popularity in the U.S. in the 1820s, initially regarded as scandalously intimate
- By the end of the century, regarded as a symbol of sophistication
- Smooth, graceful, triple-meter accompaniment
8
Q
Brass band concerts
A
- From Civil War through 1910s, one of the most important musical aspects of American life
- Brass band popularity spread rapidly during and after the Civil War (1861 on)
- Many bands played arrangements of popular sheet music hits as well as patriotic music
9
Q
Tin Pan Alley
A
- By the 1880s, a publishing firm boom erupted in New York City, centered around a block in lower Manhattan that became known as Tin Pan Alley (because of the cacophony)
- Rise of the modern American music business, aimed at providing hits for an urban market
- Shared mutually beneficial relationship with Broadway in the 20s and 30s (“golden age”)
10
Q
Vaudeville
A
- Popular theatrical form descended from minstrelsy
- Originated around the turn of the century
- Most important medium for popularizing Tin Pan Alley songs
- Consisted of a series of unrelated acts presented sequentually
11
Q
Ragtime
A
- Emerged in the 1880s, peaking in popularity in the 1910s
- In some regards a descendant of minstrelsy, with white musicians using simplified African American elements
- Often involved Tin Pan Alley composers adding syncopated rhythms to spice up pop tunes
12
Q
Plantation songs
A
- Descended from the minstrel tradition
- Popular in the 19th century
- Best-known composer is James A Bland
- Accused of pandering to white stereotypes of blacks
13
Q
Jazz Age
A
- Sparked by the recordings of the ODJB (Tiger Rag, etc)
- Represented cultural shift, intensification of African American influence on musical taste
- Created more opportunities for black musicians (including Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake)
- Still an era of racial inequality (segregation, blackface in The Jazz Singer)
14
Q
Tango
A
- Reached popularity in the 1910s, with the help of Vernon and Irene Castle
- Changed the face of American popular dance
- Represented departure from restrained movements, towards syncopated dance styles
15
Q
Parlor song
A
- Reached peak of popularity in the 19th century
- Most popular songs were by Paul Dresser and Harry von Tilzer
- Success was driven by selling sheet music and cheap pianos to the middle class
- Piano remained the center of domestic music-making until the radio in the 20s
