humanities 16 Flashcards
What are the most common elements of Shakespearean play
The fatal flaw - all of the heroes in Shakespeare’s tragedies have a weakness in personality that eventually leads to their downfall.
Fall of the nobleman - many of the men in Shakespeare’s tragedies have extreme wealth and power, making their downfall more tragic.
External pressure - Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often fall victim to external pressure from others, such as evil spirits and manipulative characters who play a role in their downfall.
Hero - The hero has opportunities for redemption but never takes advantage of these in time, which leads to death.
Shakespeare’s tragedies usually share several features, including:
Shakespeare’s tragedies begin in an ordered society but end with chaos.
Change is often reflected by changes in the environment, with storms or other happenings in the natural world.
The audience often develops sympathy for the hero.
The protagonist is usually a person of good character who is destroyed by his own ego or desire for self-advancement.
Hamlet is a coming-of-age story about a young man who wants to avenge the death of his father. Hamlet ends up being a tragic hero who perishes in pursuit of revenge.
Shakespearean tragedy
King Lear is a tragic story about an aging king who loses his power and descends into madness.
Shakespearean tragedy
Macbeth is about a warrior who rises to power but has a tragic downfall because of ambition and greed.
Shakespearean tragedy
Othello tells the story of a military man who falls in love with a woman and is eventually destroyed.
Shakespearean tragedy
Coriolanus is about a Roman general who was sent to exile after trying to gain power.
Shakespearean tragedy
Peer Gynt is a self-centered, lazy young man who lives to break rules and moral codes. He ruins one wedding by stealing the bride and then abandons her. He marries an elf princess, has a child by her and abandons her, as well. He gains the love of a woman who waits for him all of her life. Gynt commits such acts as pushing another sailor overboard to save himself and slave trading. In addition he peddles idols, rum and, of all things, Bibles. Gynt lives a life of wild abandon and only lives for himself. However, he honors his mother.
He even meets a monster who lets him go because he hears women singing and bells ringing. The monster believes Gynt has defeated him because he has women who back him up. Finally, he meets a Button-moulder who tells Gynt that because he is not good enough for Heaven, nor evil enough for Hell, he will melt him down to nothingness. Then, the Button-moulder tells him he may choose between absolute nothingness or Hell. Somehow, Gynt redeems himself enough to live a little longer by returning to the woman he abandoned long ago.
Peer Gynt play by Henrik Ibsen
portrays a seemingly happy couple, Nora and Torvald. Torvald naively believes that his wife is childish, someone who has an empty head, who just loves to play house. He loves to see her dance for him and refers to her as his ‘little lark,’ or ‘bird.’ He calls her a ‘spendthrift,’ assuming she wastes money. Torvald has strict standards and his views are very black and white.
Some years earlier, Torvald was very ill, and Nora borrowed money so that they could travel to a place where he could get well. She has hidden this fact from Torvald, who is very against borrowing money, so Nora penny pinches to repay the loan.
Nora is being blackmailed by the loan shark Krogstad, for whom, oddly enough, we feel some pity because he is losing his job due to a promotion Torvald is receiving at the bank. Eventually, Nora realizes that Torvald is shallow and their marriage a sham. She is tired of playing house and feels it is more important to find who she is. Nora does not feel she can really be a wife or a mom until she can stand on her own and know herself. So, she leaves Torvald.
A Doll’s House play by Henrik Ibsen
Conventional theatre of the time, called ________, was geared toward the elite and bourgeoisie and looked to create an ‘illusion of reality’ to imitate real life
naturalistic theater
For revolutionary thinkers like ________ and _________, this form of theatre kept the audience passive and unthinking. Both men wanted theatre for the masses; something that would change the way the audience experienced the theatre.
Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud
In the late 1920s, German playwright _____________, inspired by his political pledge to Marxism, wanted to create an ideal theatre that would spark the audience to seek political and social change.
Bertolt Brecht
To encourage the audience’s rational thought, the method of alienation was used to distance the audience from the events that were happening on stage so they could think about them critically and understand that they were only viewing one version of events
V-effect
Bertolt Brecht
To achieve this effect, he kept many of the staging elements visible: lighting was left uncovered; the musicians were visible to the audience ; half curtains might be used to allow the audience to see scene changes; actors would play multiple characters ; and, the audience was directly addressed, which meant that sometimes the stage directions were spoken aloud. To further encourage the audience to reflect, the events for the following scene would be projected onto the stage so that the audience would anticipate the story and reflect as they watched.
a musical drama that he co-wrote with composer Kurt Weill. The play explores morality as both a luxury and a tool as it warns that society should be concerned with the welfare of others rather than upholding empty morals. The plot itself was inspired by John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and tells the story of Macheath, or Mack the Knife, and the fine line between the middle and lower classes.
Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera
play that is known as the essential epic theatre piece. First produced in 1941, this play warns against the evils of profiting off of war. Anna Feirling, the main character, is a Swedish army canteen worker during Germany’s Thirty Years War.
Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children
as the creation of French director, actor, and writer Antonin Artaud. His view that theatre should confront the audience’s fears in order to help them overcome them can best be understood if we first look at Surrealism.
Theater of Cruelty
a play partially adapted from Percy B. Shelley’s story that told of a 16th century Italian noble who was killed by his servants. His telling of the story was both disturbing and graphic, especially at the point where Count Cenci is murdered on stage. Light and sound are used to enhance the audience’s shock at the torture, incest, and rape happening in front of them.
Artaud’s The Cenci
Theater of Cruelty
This play, which is only about four pages long, has no stage description and has generic characters such as a Young Man, a Young Girl, a Knight, and a Wet-Nurse. The stage directions are surreal in nature and ask for such things as hurricanes and live pieces of human bodies to fall from the sky.
Artaud’s The Spurt of Blood
Theater of Cruelty
believed that if there was purpose in life, then it was up to each individual to find and fulfill his or her own purpose through free-will choices and actions.
existentialists
the most famous absurd drama, shows us that by making our own, conscious choices, we can give meaning to the world through our actions, thus creating purpose in our lives
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot
left an indelible mark on the American theater. His plays covered expressionism, racism, class and much more. They were mostly tragedies, but then, he lived a difficult life. Alcohol played a big role, but he managed to produce a multitude of significant works despite his obstacles. Among his many notable works are The Emperor Jones, Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh and Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
Eugene O’Neill
life was full of emotional struggle, and his hardships serve as inspiration for his plays. In terms of style, Williams’ plays are known for their symbolism and metaphor, as well as for being examples of Southern Gothic writing. His plays depict realistic portrayals of psychology of the South, as well as realistic portrayals of powerfully tragic and psychologically disturbed characters.
Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie A Streetcar Named Desire Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The Rose Tattoo The Loss of Teardrop Diamond
what artistic style is described by the following themes:
De-emphasis on the figure
Mastery of light and shadow
realism in all things
new subjects like landscape, still life, and self portrait
Baroque painting
a large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.
apse
In architecture, a clerestory is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. The purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
clerestory
the central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation. In traditional Western churches it is rectangular, separated from the chancel by a step or rail, and from adjacent aisles by pillars.
nave
an antechamber, porch, or distinct area at the western entrance of some early Christian churches, separated off by a railing and used by catechumens, penitents, etc.
narthex
a small dome, especially a small dome on a drum on top of a larger dome, adorning a roof or ceiling.
cupola
a room in a church where a priest prepares for a service, and where vestments and other things used in worship are kept.
sacristy
What building is considered to be the greatest work of Byzantine architecture?
Hadia Sophia
Was eventually turned into a mosque and mosaics were covered up
This boosting of the dome was achieved by a trademark of Byzantine architecture called
pendentives
In architecture, what is it called with two barrel vaults meet?
groin vaults
Which of the following decorations could NOT be found on the exterior of Romanesque churches?
fountains
What IS found is sculptures, towers, and arcades
What is the Leaning Tower of Pisa an example of?
Campanile
Why did Romanesque architects start building more piers as supports within buildings as compared to columns?
Piers provided stronger support to vaulted ceilings than columns.
Each of the following are examples of Romanesque vaulting techniques, EXCEPT:
Romanesque vaults were barrel, groin, and ribbed vaulting
Which of the following features is NOT common to both Byzantine and Early Christian churches?
The linear basilica style
What does the Greek or Eastern Cross have in common with Byzantine central-plan churches?
They’re both equidistant from the center.
The Eastern cross, or Greek cross, is as wide as it is long - just as the Eastern central-plan church is round.
How did architects create elements in the dome of Hagia Sophia (in Istanbul) that float higher than any previous dome?
By using pendentives
This floor plan of San Vitale is typical of a(an) _____.
Byzantine central-plan church
What is monasticism?
A reference to a historical movement that evolved from the Crusades
romanesque architecture
what is the definition of tracery as used in Gothic architecture?
A means for connecting and supporting stained glass windows
Which of the following groups of buildings emerged during the Romanesque period?
Castles, cathedrals and monasteries
Which of the following were elements of Gothic architecture?
flying buttresses and pointed arches
Which of the following were elements of Romanesque architecture?
Barrel vaults, piers and round arches
Which architect practiced the Prairie Style of architecture?
Frank Lloyd Wright
How are buildings understood in High Tech architecture?
Buildings are understood as symbols of the technological world.
Which architect worked in both the Bauhaus school and the International Style?
Walter Gropius
What was the aim of the Bauhaus school of architecture?
To mix traditional arts and crafts with modern designs, construction techniques, and mass production.
How was I. M. Pei’s style different from other architects at the time?
His designs combined elements from many diverse trends in modern architecture.
How did Baroque architecture differ from previous styles?
Regular, repeating designs gave way to curves and irregularity, as various styles were mixed and adapted in Baroque architecture.
How would someone be able to tell that the Santa Maria della Salute in Venice was Baroque architecture?
The Santa Maria della Salute church in Venice uses symmetry and varied designs, which showcase its Baroque style.
Why did Louis XIV redesign the Louvre?
To proclaim France’s status as the capital of art and establish his position as an absolute ruler.
Which statement would most likely be said upon visiting the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles?
It’s unbelievably detailed and appears so large!
Why did Baroque architects create optical illusions in their buildings?
To make the buildings seem even more grand.
Imagine that you want to to transport water over a great distance. What aspect of Roman engineering would be most helpful in achieving this goal?
Aqueducts
Which of the following BEST explains why concrete was such a crucial development in Roman architecture?
Concrete was extremely portable and could be poured into any shape.
What is the BEST way of describing how the architectural achievements of the Romans related to those of the Greeks?
The Romans drew from Greek forms, but innovated by using new methods and materials.
How are the arch and the dome related?
A dome is an arch spun around 360 degrees.
The huge Roman road network was primarily built by _____.
Roman soldiers
What kind of opera might make you laugh?
Opera Buffa
What is the difference between recitative and aria?
A recitative style that moves the story along; an aria portrays character feelings and is more melodic.
An opera that features characters from Greek mythology would most likely be what kind of opera?
The Opera Seria, or serious opera, often portrays gods, goddesses, and ancient heroes like the ones from Greek mythology.
This term refers to the script or words for the opera, but in the case of the opera, all the actors’ lines are sung, not spoken.
Libretto
The music that always accompanies Darth Vader is an example of what?
Leitmotif
What is the highest vocal role in the opera?
The soprano
Why is the Fach system used in opera?
To associate specific vocal ranges with characters or roles in the opera.
In most operas since the early 18th century, which vocal role is generally cast as the male lead?
tenor
What is the lowest vocal role in the opera?
bass
Which of the following is a characteristic of an opera seria?
It is about historical, dramatic subjects.
How does opera buffa differ from opera seria?
Opera buffa deals with lighter, comedic themes using subjects from daily life, while opera seria uses serious and mostly historical themes.
A theatrical drama with the plot told through music and singing.
opera
Which of the following statements about Mozart is TRUE?
Mozart was a master of opera seria, opera buffa, and singspiel.
Which of the following was developed by Richard Wagner?
The leitmotiff
The orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble and really one of the traditional forms of Western music. The traditional orchestra has five sections of instruments:
woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and keyboards
the first chair instrumentalist in charge of that section
the principal
is the principal for all of the strings but also the concertmaster, the second-in-command of the entire orchestra.
first violinist
clarinets, oboes, flutes, bassoons
woodwinds
trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns
brass
drums, tympani, triangles, xylophones
percussion
violins, violas, cellos, harps, bass
strings
piano, organ
keyboards
directs orchestra
conductor
second-in-command
concertmaster of first violin
Which of following is one of the duties of an orchestra’s conductor?
To maintain the tempo.
The conductor is the leader of the orchestra who directs the music. They are responsible for maintaining the tempo, letting sections know if they’re playing too loud or too soft, and selecting the songs to be played.
Why is the string section important in an orchestra?
It usually carries the melody.
American musical style characterized by improvisation, flexibility, and spontaneity. These things are the opposite of having strict rules. Therefore, ‘music that follows strict rules, with horns generally taking the lead’ is NOT a definition of
jazz music
How does syncopation work?
It emphasizes off-beats and unexpected rhythmic breaks and patterns.
Which of these is NOT an actual accepted style of jazz music?
Speed jazz is NOT an actual accepted style of Jazz. We know that in the 1930s, swing music appeared (Big Band). Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Caribbean and Latin American rhythms, chords, and melodies became more influential. This new hot feel was contrasted by cool jazz, emphasizing smooth and extensive melodies with less aggressive rhythms. The 1950s introduced free jazz without a strict beat and hard bop with a strong beat.
Which ethnic group developed the basic rhythms of jazz music?
African Americans in the South
How is swing defined in jazz music?
Alternate pulsing that changes the duration of notes which are written as having the same length.
big bands: large orchestras that played jazz music, most notably swing.
big bands
an American pianist, bandleader, and composer of the 20th century, most often known for his work with big band swing music.
Duke Ellington
Ellington was a talented pianist, but his fame comes from his big bands: orchestra-sized jazz bands that played lively dance music. As an African-American composer working in Harlem, Ellington is remembered as an important part of the Harlem Renaissance, a period of immense artistic and intellectual production in Harlem. His bands attracted some of the greatest jazz players in history, and Ellington wrote music to highlight their talents.
Over his life, Duke Ellington wrote over 1,000 songs and helped make jazz music a national, and even international craze with his recordings. However, he considered his music to be too broad for the strict label of jazz, and preferred to simply call it American music. And, in fact, Ellington’s compositions and recordings helped establish jazz as one of America’s definitive styles. So, while he was called the Duke, Ellington may just be the king of American music.
Why did Duke Ellington refer to his style of jazz as ‘American music’?
He felt his music couldn’t strictly be categorized as jazz.
How did Duke Ellington first become known as an accomplished pianist?
He began composing and publicly playing his own ragtime music while still a teenager.
Why did Duke Ellington compose many songs that were only three minutes long?
Recording technology at the time could only hold about three minutes of music at a time.
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
A period of immense artistic and intellectual production by African-American groups in Harlem.
was one of the most famous jazz musicians of the 20th century, known for his talent as a horn player and singer.
Louis Armstrong
Louis was a virtuoso on the trumpet and cornet and expanded the accepted range and sound of the horn in jazz music. His recordings also began to feature long improvised solos, which started a shift away from collective to solo improvisation.
As a vocalist, Louis helped to popularize scat singing, or improvised vocal performance using syllables and sounds instead of actual words. Louis’s career was tremendously successful, which is even more incredible when we remember that all of this happened against the racially charged backdrop of segregation and civil rights. As one of the few African American musicians to transcend racial labels, Louis was a major figure in demonstrating the possibilities of an integrated society. Yeah, he was that good.
What was unique about Louis Armstrong’s style of trumpet playing?
He was able to make growling and wailing sounds come from his horn.
How did Louis Armstrong get the nickname Satchmo?
It described the shape of his mouth.
What social issue was Louis Armstrong able to transcend through his music and charismatic personality?
segregation
In jazz, what is scat?
Vocal improvisation using syllables and sounds, not words.
What was one of Louis Armstrong’s major contribution to jazz music?
The shift from collective improvisation to individual solos.
